Praises and Prayers

I usually post on Thursdays, but time got away from me. This week has been one of praises and prayers.

Last Sunday, I visited a Hindu temple. What a sad religion. Hey burn the bodies in hopes that the person will be purified of sin. If it takes longer than 3 hours to burn a body, they believe the person was bad. There are many rituals that go along with the funeral. While I was talking with the guide, I was able to share a bit of the Gospel with him. Please pray that he will seek the truth.

We are thankful that two of the kids are back from their father's  funeral. Imagine being a 5th grade Christian boy and having to perform some of the rites of a pagan religion. Every night and during each class, we prayed for God's protection  over these two as they faced the fact that their father was not saved and dealt with demonic oppression. You can look up the Hindu funeral practices for a son whose father dies to seek the challenges this boy faced.

I heard good news regarding my cousin who is expecting miracle twins. She still needs prayer that the twins wait a few more weeks before coming.

My aunt who was in the hospital for 31 days was sent home, she is now back in. Please pray that the doctors can regulate her meds, and pray that the blood clots she has will go away.

I took the kids up on the roof to watch the lunar eclipse. We had a decent view when it was almost fully covered, but due to smoke and lights, the red color wasn't as clear until it was higher in the sky and the earth's shadow was beginning to wane. I was able to take some pics which can be viewed on Facebook M2M-Now.

I am learning some Nepali hymns and choruses on the piano, and I hope to be playing in church by next week. Please pray for me.

School keeps me busy, but I did find out that I will be here after school finishes in March wHicham will give me a little more time to spend with the kids and maybe see a little more of the country.

I found out we have two pairs of green parrots behind the house. I took a few pics, but jopefully, I can get some better ones soon.

Please keep my parents in prayer as they continue to work on my dad's health.

Time Marches On

Time is moving quickly here in Nepal. I can't believe I've already been here two weeks. School keeps me busy during the day, and Uno games and homework keep me busy at night. We have devotions each night, and I have had the opportunity to share some thoughts twice. I have also been teaching the kids some Scripture songs.

The little kids here are so adorable. They love to hug, and even the older ones give hugs at night. The littlest one, Preety, is three. If I am not downstairs, she comes upstair; I hear a tiny knock on the door, and Preety will list all the names of the other kids and say, "We play the Uno?" She also asks to sit in my lap quite often.

The kids love to sing, and quite often you can one singing somewhere in the house. Preety likes to sing loud and often. Sometimes she sings a nursery rhyme, but usually the songs heard throughout the house are Christian songs.

Spiritual warfare is very tangible here. The children here deal with things brought on by Hindu worshipping relatives that most people in America have only experienced in a movie. The ones who go to public high school also deal with peer pressure for not panticipating in religious festivals... They need prayer for protection and strength to stand.

I have not been to any sightseeing places yet, but tomorrow I will visit a temple. Because food is left for the gods, monkeys hang out at the temples. It should prove to be an interesting trip.

Please pray for Shanta and Pawan whose father passed away. Pray for my dad's health.

A Short Update

I am finally settling into my school and sleep schedule here in Nepal. The barking dogs, jets, and helicopters tend to keep me awake. After two days of teaching with Mrs. Tamang, I took the classes full time last Friday. Saturday we had fellowship because Sunday is a work day in Nepal. Sunday, I slept in a little. That afternoon, I went with the Tamangs to visit a new couple. The husband is a deaf Nepali. On Monday, the Tamangs went to visit a village several hours away. There, several people will be publicly showing trust in our Friend by stepping in the water. Tuesday was uneventful. We had fellowship on Wednesday, and a neighbor had a loud birthday which kept me awake until midnight. Last night my dad sent me a link to night sounds from the El Yunque Forest in Puerto Rico. I played the video all night, and I actually slept most of the night. Please pray for Pawan (powan) and Shanta(santa), two children from the home; their real father passed away.

Nepal- A new Adventure

I cannot believe how quickly my time in England passed. I left England on Monday, January 8. After a 45 minute delay at the airport, we lifted off about 10:30 pm. We flew across Europe, and hit several areas of severe turbulence. It was the second time I felt fear while flying. I slept very little, as my seat mate had the window. In the morning, we chatted with each other about the turbulence. I asked him where he was from, and he told me he had been born in Kuwait, but lived in the UK and had family in Dubai, Untied Arab Emirates. I asked him about the area we were flying over, and he told me it was Iraq and Iran. Some of the mountains had snow on them which surprised me. I thought of those areas as dry desert. The mountains were tan as were the valleys. We arrived in Dubai which was covered by clouds, so I was not able to get clear pictures of the city. I had a short layover during which time, I bought a Krispy Kreme donut.

I left Dubai on a three hour or so flight, and I was able to sleep a little since the plane was mostly empty. I was on the wrong side of the plane to see the Himalayas, so I plan to make a trip to see Everest at some point. It is an hour or two to any area where the mountain might be visible in the distance. The Nepal border is one of the calmest to go through. I obtained my visa with no trouble. I then proceeded outside, where I was eventually found by the Tamangs.

We arrived at their home about 8pm. I was taken to my room and given a meal after which, I went to bed. I am still trying to adjust my sleeping pattern. I will be teaching English classes for 4th-7th grade. Please pray that I can get adjusted to the schedule and that I can get into a good sleep schedule.

We had our first fellowship Wednesday night. All the songs were sung in Nepali. Most were choruses I did not know, but they did sing Draw Me Nearer, so I sang along in English. The teaching was translated for me.

Today was the first school chapel service I have been in. Thankfully it was in English. Please be careful regarding comments and questions about what I do since this is not a completely open country.

So far I have enjoyed the foods. They eat rice with different curry flavors and chow mein with a spicy salsa. I learned how to eat flat rice which is rice beaten out flat and looks similar to oatmeal. I thought it would be served like oatmeal, but they eat it drowned in homemade yogurt. I am not a yogurt fan, so mine was rather dry. They did offer me an egg which helped to fill me up. It will probably take me awhile to get used to this particular meal.

The language is tonal, so I am not sure how much I will pick up in three months.  I know I will not be able to write the language because it is all squiggles and lines. Each line looks exactly the same to me.

You can view pictures on my Facebook page M2M-Now.

A New Year

It is hard to believe a new year has come. This past year has been a busy one for me. I am just a few days away from leaving England and flying to Nepal. I am looking forward to the adventures ahead, but I will miss all the people here in England. I will especially miss the time spent with Aunt Debbie.

Christmas was fun this year. I enjoyed celebrating with a Christmas morning service of carols and the Christmas story. We had a delicious meal, and I was able to celebrate with two of my aunt's children, her aunt, and her son's in-laws from Canada. It took all day, but My family finally got connected long enough to quote Luke 2:1-7. I'm thankful for technology.

The week between Christmas and New Year I helped Aunt Debbie finish moving in and unpacking. I have put together several flat-pack furniture pieces. I think I could make a living at putting furniture together.

Please pray as I fly out next week for Nepal. The world is changing in its attitude toward Americans.

Twas the week before Christmas

And it was a busy one. Last Friday, after an already long week of frustrations, Auntil Debbie and I prepared to move into her new home. We loaded her car and a truck. A few minutes after Aunt Debbie left, she called to tell me that the carpets, which should have gone in the day before, we're not laid. In order to not pay the truck driver a ridiculous amount to stand around and wait, he furniture was unloaded into the carpet less house. Aunt Debbie and I spent the day waiting for the carpet to be finished, and finally at 6pm, we were able to unload the car, get beds set up... Saturday was spent unpacking, buying storage furniture and putting it together.

Sunday, was our Christmas Program and Carol concert. We had 50 people in attendance, most of them were visitors from Aunt Debbits knit group and Ukelele club. Pray that their hears were touched with the message, and that they will come to know Christ. The children did a beautiful job with the play and puppet show.

Monday and Tuesday were spent putting more furniture together and watching kids. Tuesday night, we had the knit club Christmas party. It was so much fun and filled with laughter. I made a new friend from Poland.

Today, Aunt Debbie and had a somewhat relaxed day waiting for workmen to fix problems with the house, put in wardrobes, hang blinds... She also taught me to knit. I am very slow.

All my Christmas presents are wrapped, and I can't wait to watch everyone open them. I already made wassail, and I plan to make cookies.

Special prayer requests
My sister Janna
Nephew Emmett
Newborn cousin Jocelyn
Parents

Busy Week Ahead!

As time moves closer to Christmas, my life is getting busier here in England. Friday, I went to another church to hear Baptist College International sing. This college is in Romania, but they allow students from all over the world. I ran into a fellow HAC student, and a girl from Alabama. The world is definitely small in this age of technological advance.

Saturday, Aunt Debbie and I began laying carpet squares in the church. What we thought would be a simple job is much more complicated. Although I am sore from using muscles I haven't used in awhile, I have enjoyed the experience. Hopefully we will have it all finished tomorrow.

Friday, we will be moving to Aunt Debbie's new house. Pray that there are no more glitches. It has been a blessing to help her and spend time with her.

Most of my Christmas shopping is done. I always enjoy trying to choose the right gift for people. This year, even though I am in England, I was even able to get some simple gifts for my family. I still have a couple gifts to finish.

Please continue to pray for my parents. Pray as it is now less than a month before I leave for Nepal. Pray for our Carol Concert next Sunday. There will be several visitors who are unsaved. Please pray God will open their hearts.