Journey to Tansen, Nepal

Did I ever tell you about when we met the Beine Family?  They were talked about often at our home church.  This couple, both of them doctors, Dave with a PhD in Anthropology and Kimberly a medical doctor, and their child, (they only had one at the time), "chose to give up potentially lucrative careers to go serve on the foreign mission field."  In my eyes, they were stars, heroes.  I so very much wanted to meet these people who would willingly give up what the world has to offer to live for a cause beyond themselves.  I dreamed that someday I would have a chance to meet them.

Then, one evening we were invited over to a mutual friend's house for a backyard barbeque.  I remember my friend saying that she had invited some of their other friends to join us, and I remember thinking that was great... because I am totally about "the more, the merrier."  We were introduced to Dave and Kimberly and then we spent the next couple of hours eating grilled yummies, visiting, and laughing.  Lots of laughter!  At some point well into the evening, their boy, about two-years old at the time, did something that needed "redirection."  Everyone chuckled at the childish mischief and someone teased, "So is that how they teach kids to behave in Nepal?"

My eyes got big, I leaned forward, and pointed my finger at Dave and Kimberly, "You're the Beine's?  Your the ones who are missionaries to Nepal?"  I couldn't believe I was having dinner with these people I had longed to meet for so long!  What a joy!  What a dream come true!

Who knew that twelve years later we would have dinner together in Kathmandu, Nepal?

April 3 ~ Our flight took us from Dusseldorf, Germany to the United Arab Emirates where we attempted to cope with jet lag... and ended up sleeping in a snuggled heap on the airport floor.

April 4 ~ We landed in Kathmandu grateful...  for empty, growling stomachs... heightened senses in this third world country...  for extra grace and an opportunity to practice patience while waiting nearly an hour to get our luggage...  for ALL our luggage to arrive safely at the airport!...  that Zeke was willing to transport precious cargo in his carry-on (squished marshmallows just wouldn't be the same when it came time for roasting)...  to see Dave and Nick's smiling faces as we stepped out into the warm, thick Nepali air...  that they had arranged the taxi (and how all through the adventure, we never had to give a thought to these logistics because Dave and Kimberly took care of all the details)...  for friends to stay with in Kathmandu...  that I could throw my arms around my sweet friend, Kimberly, thankful, so-very-thankful for her friendship...  delicious grilled chicken...  the yummiest yogurt I've ever tasted in my life (and it was homemade, too!)

...for third world "safety briefings"...  how that we learned to live by the motto, "If it's yellow, let it mellow; If it's brown, flush it down."...  for the lesson on how to share a water bottle with a whole community without ever contaminating the contents...  for bedtime prayers... and a praise song sung in Nepali...  for cozy beds where we slept soundly through the night

April 5 ~ grateful for the "buck" that took us the 90-mile trip through the Himalayan Mountains to Tansen where the Beine Family lives...  

...for the stop along the way where we sipped hot chi tea...  and used the first of many squatty potties...  and took in breathtaking views of the mountains...

...for the careful driver...  for a chance to relax, nap...  and talk...  and talk...  and talk...  all while the bus traversed hairpin curves, narrow roads, oncoming traffic in our lane, an occasional cow, dog, or goat...

...for the lunch stop where we ate our first dal bhaat, (rice with lentil soup, vegetables, and various sauces)...  a place to wash hands with soap and running water...  and instructions from Nate to make sure that our hands are dry before we touch any food or our faces...

...that we arrived safely in Tansen... and how that we made great time, making the 90-mile journey in only nine hours!... for the adventure of carrying our luggage the 10-minute walk from the hospital to the Beine's house...  and how that gave us the opportunity to take in this ancient hill town and their beautiful people going about their day, curiously watching us foreigners lug our luggage past their homes and storefronts...  for the generous accommodations the Beine Family arranged for us in their home... homemade pizza... and the Didi (pronounced dee-dee) who prepared such a luxurious dinner!

(...noticing God's glory and His never-ending Grace Gifts 199 to 236, from Dusseldorf, Germany, to Kathmandu and finally Tansen in Nepal!)


Linking today with Ann...