Rukum East, Aug. 10 -- Rain falls steadily outside the small mud house in Rukum East, cooling the air and casting a subdued mood over the village. Water drips from the roof. From the kitchen, a thin trail of smoke rises into the rainy sky.

Inside, a middle-aged couple sits close to the fire.

"Namaste. How are you?"

It is an ordinary exchange, the kind that begins countless conversations in rural Nepal. But before long, the talk turns to their son, the journey that took him halfway around the world and the debt that journey has left behind.

The father nudges a log deeper into the fire. Sparks flicker. He speaks slowly, sometimes looking into the flames, sometimes at his wife. At times, neither says anything.

There is a lot in that sil...