This timeline corresponds with the exhibit Gwen Coventry: Health Services and Mission Work in Nepal and was created for Yale University's Himalayan Collections course. The original exhibit was created using Omeka. This timeline contains links to the items and many of the pages found on the exhibit but is not a direct substitute for the analyses or materials found in the exhibit itself. ;xNLx;;xNLx;http://himalayancollections.commons.yale.edu/exhibits/show/gwencoventryletters
Departed for India as a missionary for the Regions Beyond Missionary Union
Trained and worked as missionary nurse in north India and studied Hindi in preparation to travel into Nepal.
Traveled into Nepal and worked as a nurse in the UMN Tansen Hospital in Tansen, Nepal.
Returned to Austraulia without permission of UMN and spent a year on the nursing staff at the Christian Service Center.
Returned to RBMU and UMN, assisted the UMN secretary in Kathmandu, and studied Nepali in preparation for the UMN language exam.
Served as nurse in UMN Tansen Hospital.
Became Nursing Superintendent of UMN Tansen Hospital.
Published Nursing Notes, a curriculum for a two-year course for Auxiliary Nurses in Nepal.
Returned to Australia on furlough.
"We are hoping that I will be able to visit each of these "health centres" once a year, stay in touch with each one for a couple of days... I am thrilled about this whole programme as I am sure that we will be able to do a tremendous amount to help the people through it and prevent a lot of disease."
"When I returned from furlough, I did not know that one of my main jobs would be teaching people to make toilets! Through the medium of public health work the whole of Palpa District has opened up before us in Health education."
Directed "Public Health" work in Palpa District, Nepal, based in Tansen until 1969. Traveled regularly through Palpa District, setting up clinics and providing basic medical care.
Founded and worked out of the Bojha Disensary in Bojha in east Palpa District.
See also: Health Practices Among the Magars in East Palpa (http://himalayancollections.commons.yale.edu/exhibits/show/gwencoventryletters/health-beliefs-and-practices-a)
"I realize that this is not a "normal" sort of prayer letter, but hope that these glimpses of things and people here will give you more understanding of these folk and our work amongst them."
"Jasangna, a Christian widow, who has been working in Tansen for about 15 years, and who did her nurses' training at tansen, is joining us in January. So next year there will be 4 of us instead of 2. We believe that both of these are the ones of God's choice. "
Returned to Australia on furlough.
Severe famine affected Palpa District, especially villages near Bojha, leaving many Nepali without food and forced to borrow money at high interest from wealthier landowners.
"The next thing will be famine relief!...No one is allowed to take flour, sugar, rice or kerosene out of Kathmandu by road now... I am going back tomorrow of the plane with 600 lbs. of food and medicines!"
"One real reason why no one has openly confessed faith is that right from the beginning people have been warned that no one is to become a Christian. I have realized that when people are showing interest in the gospel we pray for them, and as their interest grows so our prayers increase."
Directed efforts toward and for the Buling-Arkhala Project, a project of the UMN to significantly improve the argricultural and economic stability of the Buling and Arkhala Panchayats in east Palpa District.
Returned to Tansen to direct UMN's Community Health Programme.
"Perhaps the most satisfying operations for us were those who had operations for cataracts - 14 people who came here blind went home able to see.. We have been teaching health in schools throughout the area - in four schools we had one period a week with each class. "
"Our "normal" work continues as before, with record numbers of patients coming to the Dispensary every day. Women's and childrens clinics are held in 12 villages now, and community health extends out into more distant villages."
This year has been one of many, many difficulties - unrest among staff and even a strike by the hospital staff - people with Government certificates not wanting to work for us, because their years of service with us are not recognized for seniority by Government.
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