Leadership training Tag

From Everest to the pulpit: A trekking guide’s journey

Written by Terence Lee Ascending Everest is many mountaineers’ dream. For some it is the apex of their journey, to stand at the roof of the world and, for one moment, look down and survey the rest of humanity. Needless to say it is a bucket list item for many people. For Gopal, however, it’s his day job. Gopal Tamil is a trekking guide. One of many who, weekly, would make the walk to base camp and beyond, whilst carrying someone else’s ascent equipment. To him, Everest stands not so much as a challenge, but rather as livelihood. When he’s not busy walking and guiding people up mountains, he has a day job as a training coordinator in Butwal, Nepal equipping a new generation of Christian leaders. Each year, the training centre runs two, three-month long residential training programmes where up to 15 people can attend at a time. They would come to the centre, stay there for three months, and in that time learn the basics of grass roots leadership, practical ministry techniques and the foundation of theology.