Our ultimate goal is to see that people with disabilities in Nepal have all the resources they need to live productive and fulfilling lives. This is especially important in Nepal, where people with disabilities are often abused, neglected, and abandoned by their families, as well as shunned by their communities. We have completed the building on our compound 7 km outside Kathmandu, thereby ensuring that our residents have a ‘handicapped accessible’ living area. We also have started, and will continue, to invite groups from around the world and around Nepal to visit and review our work, thereby allowing them to see how a group of people with disabilities function and can contribute to society. Another goal is to continue to upgrade the existing compound, so that the regional issues of water shortage and electricity load shedding do not affect it. We will also increase our vocational and rehabilitation training to our residents, thereby allowing them to have jobs in the community if they are able and wish to do that. We look forward to working with these amazing individuals and our team of dedicated volunteers to accomplish this.

Our strategies are Biblically based. We are a Christian organization and employ Christian strategies. We strive to operate our organization with integrity in every area.

We have seen people who had no hope now have great hope.

The greatest capability we have is our heart to minister to people with disabilities. We are problem solvers, and look for solutions to the problems facing these wonderful people. Michael and Patricia have a daughter with cerebral palsy, thereby giving them some insight into care giving and also the issues that people with disabilities face. They have also been in Nepal many times since 1999 and have seen the great need there. As resources are received, they are used for the ongoing care and support of the residents, along with the continued construction and upgrade to the buildings.

We have seen much progress since this project began in 2001, from going to a rented space in a home to the construction of the compound, which we own. The construction began with a few rooms to accommodate a few residents, to more than 35 living in this one location, and another 20 living in a different location in Nepal; from hours of daily life without electricity, due to load shedding by the government, to a new solar powered unit that ensures electricity 24 hours a day; from having to transport water from a remote location to having 2 wells on the property. But the greatest indicator of progress is seeing the number of people who have benefited from the ministry, with various types of disabilities. We have seen people who had no hope now have great hope. Some have gotten married, some have obtained a college education, and some have received vocational training. Others continue to receive long term care in our residence, and are great assets to the ministry.

Founders

Michael and Patricia Picone are the founders of New Life International Ministries. Having pastored from 1985 to 2010, they are now in full time travel and mission work. Mike & Pat have been working in Asia since 1990, planting churches in India and Nepal, and training church leaders. They are the co-founders of New Life Handicapped Ministries in Nepal which rescues the disabled Nepalese. Pat and Mike hold open air meetings in remote villages of North India, seeing Gods power move in many salvations and miracles.

Mike and Pat have been married since 1976 and have three grown daughters, two of whom are married.