Mark and Ali Gill are CMS Ireland Mission Partners who have been living and working together in Nepal since 1986. For much of this time, the Gills lived in remote, rural locations, but for the last four years, they have been based in Kathmandu.

Mark works for HDCS, a Nepali Christian NGO which is involved in the areas of health care, training and education and community development. Mark acts as an engineering consultant on all HDCS construction projects and recently saw the completion of one of his ventures – the new Head Office for HDCS and a new facility for ABBS (a programme that provides day care for children with physical and disabilities and learning difficulties). Mark also provides organisational development advice to the Senior Management Team of HDCS and occasionally delivers training to staff. In addition, Mark sits on the board of KISC (Kathmandu International Study Centre), and is very involved in the life and work of the local church.

Ali spends most of her time supporting the work of a local Nepali church, which involves working with the sick. Her days are spent between the church compound and Patan Mission Hospital, supporting the work amongst those from rural communities who have come to Kathmandu for medical treatment. Ali also draws on her midwifery skills in supporting staff at Patan Hospital and in providing informal antenatal and postnatal support to many of the expat missionaries in Nepal. Any Christian gathering in Kathmandu will include at least one of the hundreds of children and teenagers that Ali can point to and say ‘that’s one of mine’.

Mark and Ali have two ‘children’, both of whom grew up in Nepal and consider it home. Daniel is currently completing his final year of schooling in Hebron School, India. Sarah-Maya is now based back in Ireland.

Click to read Mark and Ali’s blog.