Contacting the Yalbang Monastery

Guys, I just thought you would be interested to read the email I have sent to the Monks in Yalbang, Nepal. You might notice that I took care to write it in simple language -- no complex sentences, comma clauses, dangling modifiers -- so that more members of the community could read and understand it without a translator.

Dear Venerable Sirs,

My name is Erika Cole, and I am a college professor in the United States. In June of this year, I will bring 7 American college students to Humla on a service learning mission. We are traveling with Miss Sarah Ferris and the Bodhi Tree Foundation, who held the Safe Motherhood training at the Yalbang Health Post in October 2009. We will be spending a full day in Yalbang (June 24, 2011).

I am writing to ask it if anyone at Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery could speak to my students on that day about the Nyingma Buddhist worship at Namkha Khyung Dzong. We could provide a translator if necessary.

The students will study about Nyingma Buddhism before they come. They would be most interested to learn how the monks use different parts of the monastery. They will be especially interested in any paintings, Thankas, and the statues in the shrines (if they would be allowed to see them).

On our 28-day trip, we will travel through the towns of Baruntse, Limatang, Muniya, Ripagadh, Ranikurka, Chala, and Dharapori on foot to deliver medical supplies, and we will spend one day building a chicken farm in Simikot.

I am most grateful for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Erika Cole