Hello to you all from a very cold day in Pokhara,

Today I have the experience of seeing the most amazing sunrise from the small town up on the mountain - Sarangot .  This is where you get to see the most amazing views of the Annapurna mountain range as the sun comes up.  Truly one of God's amazing creations.

I took a bus today which seemed to take for ever.  Along the way we come across many small villages which backup right against the road.  The roads are dusty yet you find women washing, not just their clothes but themselves and their children, their cooking utensils, and collect water etc.  I was wondering why they bothered with all the dust that comes from buses and the many trucks that drive up and down those mountains.  The odd thing is that the water areas all face the streets.  You also see many people not doing anything, other than basically sitting around.   I am amazed at the school uniforms of some of the children...white trousers and or skirts with either a differing coloured jersey.  I wonder how they manage to keep those uniforms looking so white.  If I have anything to go by when I stayed with my host family in Sankhu ... I can see the way they soaked and scrubbed their whites.  It makes me wonder how long their clothes keep before they are worn out.

Also many of the homes have galvanised sheeting for their roof. It is held down with rocks, junk, tyres...basically anything that will stay on top of the roof otherwise the galvanised sheeting will just fly off.  You do see a combination of really poor mud brick homes in between some what I would call mansions.  There is a class distinction of rich and poor.  Along the mountain roads you will find mainly tin sheds, mud brick homes, where the home may also be a small shop. Yet against the mountains you see a lot of pastures.  You will see farmers plouging the soil with a hoe and the hoe pulled by a buffalo.  Small plots run up the mountain side.  It is easier for them to get water to their respective areas if the plots are smaller.  Farming is very traditional and you certainly don't see the use of a tractor anywhere.  I can see why... as it would be difficult as some of the plots are very narrow and very steep.

Nepal produces quite a bit of rice.  It is the countries staple diet.  Nepal has no storage facilities to store the rice so it sells it to India who store the rice and then the Nepali's have to buy it back again.  One would have thought that perhaps someone would have come and assisted Nepalis and put in some large silo's to store the rice for future need.  Rice is expensive for the everyday Nepali.  There basic diet is dal baht (rice and lentils). 


I head back for Kathmandu in the morning where I will be presenting a small presentation to some of the mission schools regarding what the Human Resource position can offer the KISC community and outlying regions to enhance better transitioning from mission schools to KISC.    The outlying mission schools have issues in obtaining resources as do many missionaries homeschooling their children in Nepal.  It is an opportunity for all to work together.  I have visited a number of remote locations to collect some of their concerns and issues which will be consolidated and presented tomorrow afternoon.  Please pray that the presentation will be well received by all parties as KISC and improves relationships with the remote teaching locations regardless of whether the community is a school or homeschooling community.

I have gotten used to Nepali's not using please and thank you.  My Nepali friends say that once you get to know someone, one does not need to say please and thank you.  A lot of Nepali's use sorry and excuse me in the wrong context.  Also pronouns and prepositions are not used or perhaps forgotten by most Nepali's that speak English.  The level of knowledge seems to make no difference.  I am thankful for my Nepali translator. I think I would find it a bit of a struggle if this was the case.

The power just went.  I thought I had lost everything.  I am fortunate that this post was saved in a draft format.  We are now running off a generator.  Until next time may my love go with you all and may you all be blessed. 

On another note from DownUnder...my son Kieran in Canberra has informed me that I am going to have another grand-daughter.  Please pray that all goes well and that Renee soon starts to feel better. She still has morning sickness though it is not every day that she is being sick.  The baby whom they have name Lillith is due at the end of May.  It will be an exciting time for all of us as a family.