We’re back home! And we’re happy to be here. As usual the trip was long and had its fair share of difficulties but overall was successful. We arrived in Kathmandu and, although our bags arrived very slowly, they ALL arrived! The first time we flew here from the USA, only one bag arrived! We were also joined by a rat while waiting for the bags.
We were picked up by a UMN driver, one of our favorite Nepalis to interact with. It was so wonderful to be able to pick his face out of the chaotic crowd. He patiently talked with us in our choppy Nepali on the drive to our guesthouse. We have used this guesthouse many times, and they had confirmed twice by email that a room would be reserved for us, but when we arrived at 10pm, the man curtly told us there was no room. (An ex-pat friend here joked that he must have been using the Nepali calendar, currently in the sixth month of the year 2071.) We ended up at a trusted hotel, which was nice but a bit more expensive. We’re grateful we know Kathmandu and had a few options of places to stay despite this surprise.
Jack was sleeping very poorly in Kathmandu, and tensions were rising while fuel supplies were dramatically falling, so we flew to Tansen a day early. Unfortunately, the jeep that picked us up from the airport to drive us the two hours to Tansen had the wrong license plate for the day! It was even numbered but, due to fuel restrictions, only odd numbered plates were allowed to drive that day. We went through several checkpoints and all the policemen seemed okay to let us pass since we were a hospital vehicle; they jokingly told our driver, “What, you just didn’t know?”
The last checkpoint, however, was not so lenient. He made us pull over and told us we could have a different hospital vehicle pick us up that day but our jeep driver (and friend) would have to stay the night and drive the next day when even numbers were allowed to drive. When our driver’s finesse did not sway the man, I attempted to show off our cute son, to no avail. Then I used my polite but rusty Nepali, also to no avail. Finally our driver was able to call someone at the hospital, who convinced the policeman to let us drive on. I was thankful God answered our prayers so quickly so we could get out of the sweltering heat and at least feel a breeze in the bumpy jeep.
We later heard that many people from India came into that airport town and attacked several policemen with rocks the day we arrived. We did not witness anything, which is perfectly fine: I would rather avoid crowds since they are unpredictable. We are thankful for this protection.
Once we arrived in Tansen, it was so nice to walk back into our home and be greeted by our friends with such love and excitement. We are spending a few days settling in; most of our stuff won’t arrive for a couple more days on the hospital bus. Jack has had difficulty sleeping, likely due to so many different environments and the time changes. But last night, our first night back home, he slept 12 hours without waking once! I was actually nervous this morning that he wasn’t alive anymore! (He’s still alive and well.)
We feel excited to be here and are confident that God supports us being here at this time. We are both anxious to recover our Nepali language. When we first returned to the US, my mind thought in Nepali. But by the time we left California, Nepali words that I had forgotten were replaced by Spanish words! So very frustrating. But being immersed has already helped bring a lot of Nepali back.
We are also curious to see how the next year goes. We desire to be in Nepal long term, but we are not sure if it will be possible. Tim needs to be the visa holder, and we will not know if he is granted a visa until November at the earliest. We also need to see if the change in our work schedules will allow our family to do well here. We expect challenges and stresses, but we don’t think God has asked us to sacrifice our family. So we will keep moving forward in prayer as we simultaneously await the future and try to take full advantage of the time we have here. We start work next week and appreciate your prayers for us to listen to God and for Him to use us fully while we are here!
We were picked up by a UMN driver, one of our favorite Nepalis to interact with. It was so wonderful to be able to pick his face out of the chaotic crowd. He patiently talked with us in our choppy Nepali on the drive to our guesthouse. We have used this guesthouse many times, and they had confirmed twice by email that a room would be reserved for us, but when we arrived at 10pm, the man curtly told us there was no room. (An ex-pat friend here joked that he must have been using the Nepali calendar, currently in the sixth month of the year 2071.) We ended up at a trusted hotel, which was nice but a bit more expensive. We’re grateful we know Kathmandu and had a few options of places to stay despite this surprise.
Jack was sleeping very poorly in Kathmandu, and tensions were rising while fuel supplies were dramatically falling, so we flew to Tansen a day early. Unfortunately, the jeep that picked us up from the airport to drive us the two hours to Tansen had the wrong license plate for the day! It was even numbered but, due to fuel restrictions, only odd numbered plates were allowed to drive that day. We went through several checkpoints and all the policemen seemed okay to let us pass since we were a hospital vehicle; they jokingly told our driver, “What, you just didn’t know?”
The last checkpoint, however, was not so lenient. He made us pull over and told us we could have a different hospital vehicle pick us up that day but our jeep driver (and friend) would have to stay the night and drive the next day when even numbers were allowed to drive. When our driver’s finesse did not sway the man, I attempted to show off our cute son, to no avail. Then I used my polite but rusty Nepali, also to no avail. Finally our driver was able to call someone at the hospital, who convinced the policeman to let us drive on. I was thankful God answered our prayers so quickly so we could get out of the sweltering heat and at least feel a breeze in the bumpy jeep.
We later heard that many people from India came into that airport town and attacked several policemen with rocks the day we arrived. We did not witness anything, which is perfectly fine: I would rather avoid crowds since they are unpredictable. We are thankful for this protection.
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| Jack was so excited at all the things out the window on the drive to Tansen! Mountains, waves (rivers), cows, tractors, steam rollers, dump trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, water buffalo, chickens, goats. |
We feel excited to be here and are confident that God supports us being here at this time. We are both anxious to recover our Nepali language. When we first returned to the US, my mind thought in Nepali. But by the time we left California, Nepali words that I had forgotten were replaced by Spanish words! So very frustrating. But being immersed has already helped bring a lot of Nepali back.
We are also curious to see how the next year goes. We desire to be in Nepal long term, but we are not sure if it will be possible. Tim needs to be the visa holder, and we will not know if he is granted a visa until November at the earliest. We also need to see if the change in our work schedules will allow our family to do well here. We expect challenges and stresses, but we don’t think God has asked us to sacrifice our family. So we will keep moving forward in prayer as we simultaneously await the future and try to take full advantage of the time we have here. We start work next week and appreciate your prayers for us to listen to God and for Him to use us fully while we are here!
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| Cloudy but green in Tansen. These women are carrying bundles of sticks that likely weigh 30-50 kilos. |
So many adventures. I am so glad you are able to be back (and providing the updates). Thinking of you guys often.
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