Breaking the Old Mold

  WOW. This year has been amazing. I admit that it ain't been easy. Change is normally accompanied by some sort of discomfort for our flesh. Many of you are reading this awaiting a story from Nepal. I'm going to try and share bit by bit.
  I haven't blogged in a while, because I needed time to be smoothed in some places. I also needed to learn that it was okay to be different than who I was before. I'd say that when we got back, I was sort of discombobulated.<-----must be a word...spell check didn't pick it up :) I needed time to take it all in...
   I am so grateful to the people God place into our lives who stayed patient after our return to the states. Thank you.
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  I want to be frank. When we came back to the states, I felt lost....or something else...

 When we first arrived in Nepal, it was very difficult. There was nothing that could have prepared us for what we faced. No person can describe to you what it's like to go to Nepal the way we did....BUT God is faithful.




  After a whole lot of flying, we arrived in Kathmandu.We were bombarded by people wanting to carry our baggage for us for money. We found our man with a sign that said our name. I had arranged a place for us to stay by using Trip Advisor. ha! They had a driver meet us. As we left the airport, we entered into another world....culture shock baby! VROOOM! all over the road. The Nepali drivers seem to be vrooming ALL over the road. Trust me though...they know what they are doing, and actually are quite courteous.
  Finally, we arrived at our destination. The room wasn't so bad. We didn't know anybody at the time or any language...so we went to bed hungry. This was the first time I felt the shock. Natalie was hungry, and I felt awful. I kept thinking, " what in the world did we do"...I also thought about all the people that had children starving everyday. I reminded myself that God is faithful. I crawled in bed with Natalie, and we both silently cried ourselves to sleep. wow....talk about humbled.
   We were awakened at 4am by gonging, ringing, chanting, and horn blowing. We didn't realize that we booked our room in a temple courtyard...this went on for 2 hours. Eventually, we went to the upper floor, and the sweet Nepalis fixed us some breakfast. I hardly had an appetite, but I forced some food down.
    Back in our room, I sat on the window seal with the window wide open. It was sort of damp and dreary due the the rain. On the courtyard floor, there were a few Red Cross of China tents. I watched a little boy go over his school work with his mother. I could tell she asked him a question, and he got it right. He was smiling so big. I quickly realized I was smiling,too. I found a lot of joy watching the children play in that courtyard.

       Just one night and a half day in Nepal had stripped us of every ounce of pride. It didn't feel great, but God is faithful. Natalie was singing, and encouraging her daddy and me. She was shining her light.

    11am.: our first experience with an earthquake. I could see from our upstairs window how the Nepali people ran outside with excitement and fear. It was loud like the sound of jets breaking the sound barrier...but you could feel it.
    Although the power isn't on 24 hours, the place we stayed had wifi. Right after the quake, I heard a ding on my ipod. I checked it. It was from a woman named Cynthia. She said God had put us on her heart that morning. I sobbed and cheered. Turns out we have one mutual Facebook friend, and neither of us can figure out how we know them... Anyway, her husband,Kevin, happened to be close by, and they quickly offered to help us get on our feet.
    One week before heading to Nepal, a friend mentioned that a hometown girl named Shanda was in Nepal. I contacted her. The very first morning, after her classes, she found her way to us.
    We ventured down to the courtyard near the entrance and waited. Almost at the exact same time, Shanda and Kevin show up. God is faithful. We had South Georgians gathered right there LOL It was crazy I tell ya. We all hugged and swapped information. It was so great...you have no idea...or maybe you do. God is faithful.
    We spent the rest of the day with Shanda. She took us all over. She may have a small frame, but her heart is so big. One might say it's like our Heavenly Father's. She guided us in getting food, money, and a cell phone. She took us to meet her friends and "family" in Nepal. Her heart is so beautifully open to love. We even learned to ask a person if we could pray for them in Nepali from her. The whole entire time...I thought..."wow...God...I can't believe this is happening." God gave us help in the form of a person from our own hometown who we never even knew...whoa.
    Back at the temple courtyard...lol...we went back up, and ate our first round of traditional Nepali food. I still had no appetite, but the food was served with love by a beautiful Nepali woman...and after a full day...my heart felt warm.



to be continued....