SHOULD WE RESCHEDULE?

I'll cut to the chase today: I don't feel like going to Nepal next month. My expectations are not lining up with reality. There's uncertainty if the in-person meetings I wanted will happen. Also, our fabric delivery keeps getting pushed back. The absolute latest day for the fabric to arrive and keep our plan for our July collection to have our sisters in Nepal model it is this Monday.

Air India made yet another change to our flight. The new itinerary is slightly more favorable, but with these changes happening often, I wonder if they will strand us at the airport. I keep hearing that they are a highly unreliable airline. I want to change to Turkish Airlines to do a layover in Istanbul instead, but the price is double to re-book. I can't justify spending that, even if a supporter offered to pay for it.

It's also dawning on me that June is the start of monsoon season in Nepal. The weather will be the opposite of my last trip to Nepal which was in November. In late June, we'll be facing rain almost every day, and some days will be heavy rain. 

Perhaps these push backs are something we're supposed to push through with faith. Sometimes our plans get moved around for reasons we can't understand until after it's all said and done. Perhaps I'm too accustomed to comfort and I need to check my attitude. 

Let's talk through this. If the meetings for the nonprofit planning don't happen, if we don't get our fabric, if it's raining too much for us to get the photo shoots with the seamstresses around Kathmandu, or if there are literal mudslides keeping us from going to the fabric and trim market for design research, what would we do?

The obvious answer would be to connect with the sisters every day at the sewing center. That would be lovely, but making a trip to Nepal isn't something I can do frequently. I'd only long to come again to finish the other things, particularly related to the nonprofit. A second trip wouldn't be doable for me until November 2027.  For this year, it would have to be either June or November, but not both.

I've been asking God to make it clear on what to do. If I receive some word from him that tells me to stick with June, then I'll go. The messy flight path wouldn't matter then, the monsoon possibility wouldn't be a factor either. If I am in God's will, then absolutely nothing will stand in the way. But what if it's not the timing that is intended for us? I have been seeking him, but haven't got answers yet.

Meanwhile, I'm imagining an alternative plan for next month, and it would involve staying here in New York City.

Two summer interns started yesterday, and one of them (Gracie) shared a goal that I am loving. Gracie wants to build rapport this summer with local influencers and then invite them to a gathering at our loft during Market Week. This would be the week right after New York Fashion Week in September. 

Gracie suggested the same concept for wholesale buyers that are often coming into New York that week. Our loft could turn into a showroom for a week, and boutique owners could visit with us, touch and feel our upcoming designs, and place orders to secure more work in Nepal.

There is a lot of work to do to get five months of designs ready to show, so I looked over the calendar last night to plan out the deadlines we need to make this happen.  After I planned out the action calendar, I saw these don't line up well with the June dates for Nepal. 

This is a popular passage that basically says don't lean on your own understanding of things. Instead, acknowledge and seek God, and you will have a path that is clear and straight. 

That's what I'll do this weekend as we await an update on our fabric. Could you share any insight? This is a community driven project, and I'd value your wisdom as we decide what to do. Just reply to this email if you would like to!

Stay tuned, Katie