Hello All, It feels great to be back in Dadeldhura agasin after
10 or more days on the road. Some of you didn't even know we left as
our internet was spotty here with the power being out so much. I thought
we could get it in Kathmandu but they had password issues there when we
arrived. We left a day later and went to Pokhara ( Kaski) but the hotel
there also couldn't get their internet access so we used a "cyber cafe"
briefly twice to check our emails and then we were back again in Kdu to
discover a huge fire a block over knocked our power out for 2 days
followed by a huge rain storm that had it out again the day I left!
So back home in Dadeldhura again as of last night I finally have it at the moment and will catch you up!
I
think I wrote that Diane got word her mom had broken her back in 8
places! She felt she should go back early to be with her and I fully
endorsed that. So we got a private vehicle and made the trip down the
mountain to the dhangadi airport. It rained and poured off and on and
depending on who you talked to they said it was the start of the
monsoons. Whatever... the wind howled and banged windows all over the
airport. then there was this virtual explosion that sounded like a gun
went off two feet from our heads... a clap of thunder shorted out a
florescent light and that was the resulting sound. My heart had just
returned to normal sinus rythym when another explosion occurred right
above our heads. This time it was a short in the wiring of the fan and
as the 10 or so security gards stood around contemplating the fried
wires and resulting smoke I nearly went into sinus arrest! They decided
someone really should go turn off the electricity to the room and
subsequently dispatched a peon to do so as we caught our breath and
gathered our senses!
Our flight was actually on time but I was concerned about us taking
off in such high winds but we managed just fine and got to K-du with
only minimal turbulence but a few bruises. Huh? you ask? oh it was the 4
year old girl on the lap of her obese Nepali mom that kicked me
continuouisly for the first half of the ride till she conked out and
fell asleep!
All this was on Sunday,
Monday
we got up bright and early and made our way across town to the Korean
Air office to see what could be done to change our tickets. Diane asked
for the next flight out and was told there were only 2 flights per week
in May and the next 2 were full. The first seat available was for the
following Monday, May 20th so we booked that for her, next I asked for
my ticket to be pushed back a fedw weeks and was told for the month of
June there is only one flight out per week! And as the only seat
available was for June 17th that is now my new departure date... which means I'll be back at SeaTac on June 18th at noon
instead of the 4th. The reason is we have had so many delays and
challenges that there is no way the building will be ready for the
paraplegic girls by my original departure date. I'm hoping by extending
it for the 2 weeks we might yet get them in. In case it is not possible I
am organizing everything to require minimal stress and challenges to
those who might have to do the transfer on my behalf after I leave. I
sooooo want the project to be complete so I can leave with them tucked
in and peace of mind that all will be in order for the monsoon season!
Well since Diane had another week to kill in nepal, we decided to
go to Pokhara for 4 nights and 5 days of R&R. Besides it was
blistering hot in k-du and stuffy and polluted and crowded blah blah
blah. We thought being by the lake would at least be scenic if not
cooler. So that same day we juggled our luggage and left most of it at
the Utse Hotel and packed just what we needed for 4 days and off we went
to find a "micro" ( a minivan) that leaves every half hour for
Pokhara. We thought we got good seats but the van stopped frequently and
this necessitated every body either climbing over Diane or making her
get out of the vehicle to let them out! With her knees ( recent surgery)
this was a huge inconvenience for her. I was stuck a row behind her
with the same people crawling over me and an old man hanging onto my
seat and leaning on me. With the heat and no AC it was not a comfortable
thing to be stopped at any location and only marginally tolerable when
the vehicle was moving. Somehow saying "YO NEPAL HO" didn't make the
trip any more pleasurable.
The scenery was amazing though... the road was the same we had
taken on the AC bus last month for the first 4 hours then winds along
another river and into the hills to where you can see the Fishtail
mountain and the Anapurna range for the last hour of the trip... a total
of 6 hours... Just beautiful! And it had recently rained and though
still cloudy, the snows were peeking through and the setting sun
highlighted them as if the Lord was taking His paintbrush to them for
our exquisite benefit!
The next morning we got up at 0430 and got a taxi to the ridge (
Sarankot) hoping to see the snows in all their glory but they were all
socked in. Just as we were leaving we had a momentary lift of the cloud
cover and got a brief but amazing view a little after the sunrise.
The next couple days we did a lot of shopping... some in the
tourist area of Lakeside and some in the heart of the local beat after
taking the local bus about 30 minutes into town. We bought umbrellas as
the heat was really draining. One day I took 3 naps... the heat just
really sapped the energy out of me!
We had a lovely little boat ride where the driver informed us there
were green snakes in the forest that dropped out of the trees...and
that it was a steep 2-3 hour uphill hike to the little white stuppa and
an hour and a half down... that kind of nixed it for us. Diane was still
game to go but she was afraid of the green snakes. Me? the snakes
didn't concern me but uphill and steep in the same sentence coupled
with heat was enough to deter me! we resolved to go the next day. Well
it poured rain just as we were planning to go ... truly a sign! We
napped instead... then went for chinese!
Back to Kathmandu on Friday,
this time in the air-conditioned tourist bus! Diane obtained the
tickets on her ownand sprung for the both of us! I did not object!
I
woke up nauseous that morning and struggled through the first half of
the 8 hour trip. Someone was praying though cause I began feeling better
even though the winding road actually got worser as we went along.
2 days in K-du to wrap things up and complete our shopping and packing brought us to Monday
and time to say goodbye. I made sure Diane got through at the Korean
air counter and knew where to go through immigration and security (
there are few signs and it is very confusing!) and heard that she made
it safely to Seoul and was having a lovely time at the Hyatt there. Her
update on her mom said she is improving and doing fairly well with rehab
and may even be able to go home in another week or two if she can learn
to do things without trying to bend.
I left K-du a few hours later on the AC night bus with Nancy DIdi,
my mothers best friend fromTeam Nepal days in Dadeldhura! The trip was
actually very comfortable this time... and as it was hot as blazes and
humid we were VERY greatful we got good seats and it had
airconditioning! We covered the same bad road I had done twice before
this week and again a month ago. So I am done with this road! 18 hours later we arrived in Dhangadi and had brunch with our
lifelong friends there. A quick shower helped but we were sweating
within minutes again.
Becky Didi arrived on the Yeti flight
and we rented a private car to take us up the hill. We had a slow but
careful driver this time and arrived at the bakery just at dark. S****
had dal bhat waiting for us!
It was great to discover the roof had been poured on our facility
in my absence! PTL! It was poured a week ago so now has to setup a total
of 22 days. It has rained here 2 days in a row so that is great to keep
the cement wet while it sets up.
Sadly the handover at the hospital never happened as it was
supposed to The 2 men are still being held in custody and HDCS has
neither arranged for their release nor accepted responsibility for it.
They have also not paid any of the staff or given them their pensions.
The Head hancho refuses to come and is pressuring folk ouut here to do
the handover for him, threatening them in fact if they don't. It
continues to create a real hardship for all the staff. The last of the
staff have been told by the gov they must be out by Saturday,
off hospital property. Police were to be checking those folks houses
today but didn't show. Some are being escorted by police to bajang tomorrow
to retreive any supplies that were sent there and go through them...
supposably. There is rumored that anybody who has a computer or cameras
or equipment that ever belo9nged to the hospital must return them or be
charged with stealing. It just gets uglier all the time! Pray for a
rapid end to all these problems... it appears greed is at the root of
most of the current challenges and cowardice and irresponsibility are
dragging the situation far beyond what it should be.
Well I have likely bored you all so will turn in here. Nancy andf Becky are staying with me till Sunday when they return to K-du on the Yeti flight. Pray for Becky as she felt horrible today...
also
please pray for water... we get so little each day now and it must
stretch for the Bakery, P*** family of 6 plus their 3 guests and the 3
of us! Also our toilet is broken between the tank and bowl! Yo Nepal
Ho... but we have internet:)!
Pray for the expedious completion of the construction on the
building and enough water daily to keep that cement wet and setting up
propperly!
That should give you all plenty to pray for on our behalf!
What can I pray for you for? Though I will not be twiddling my
thumbs the next 2 weeks I should be able to lift you up as well! Time
enough to fit in prayers between what God has called me to do!
Oh pray for us as we visit those in jail again tomorrow! 5 have now believed since we started visiting them at Easter!
Off road now!
Toodles
Dawn Didi
2 Timothy 1: 7 and John 14 :27
Peace!
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