Day 49 - Exploding sugar canes

Tonight is Matashivamatri, a Hindu festival honoring the god Shiva. I'm not sure what it involves except that Shauds, Hindu holy, men smoke weed in the temples and that the women cook a lot of food AND that they light bonfires and throw sugar canes in the fires. This makes them "explode", which is the backdrop for tonight's activities of drinking tea and watching a movie...or something. That, and intoxicated men roaming the streets :)

Today is almost exactly 1/3 of our time in Nepal, 49 days. It seems like a very long time and it seems like we've done and seen A LOT. February is otherwise kind of a slow month here. It's very hazy and cloudy so the trekking and the mountain stuff and sights are not possible. Most days we don't see the mountains at all. Think smog in Beijing, except it's not pollution as much as it is dust. We haven't had rain in months and there is a lot of dust and sand flying around. Not bad enough to notice, just bad enough to not being able to see the mountains or go trekking (or something similar).
Trekking, by the way, is surprisingly expensive at $200 for a five hour trek just around the hills where we live. What?

We are making progress on our goals here in Nepal. As some of you know this trip wasn't all about doing work with our Family Home. It was also, and perhaps mostly, a time for Laurie and I to take some time to get a new (and fresher) perspective on things/life/God. Being an evangelical pastor's family in the United Methodist Church in Scandinavia is no easy feat. It is hard. It is lonely. It is easy to forget where we are coming from and where we are going. It is easy to lose sight of Christ. It is easy to become discouraged and frustrated and cynical. To some extent I think we had done all that.
So, our goal is to get back to our roots and find our purpose and catch up with our Savior once more. Ironically, we are doing it in one of the most pagan countries on earth.

I have started reading again...a sure sign that I am doing better spiritually. My first book, "Union with Christ" is being read slowly. My second, "Simply Jesus" got finished yesterday. That on was written by NT. Wright, a theologian/superstar...and I disagree with him. I am exegeting Scripture for fun (weird, I know) and to get to know its Author more. 2 Corintians is an interesting book to study.

Our days here are pretty uneventful for now. We homeschool Sam and David. We bike around town. We go to church (this past Sunday we tried a "homechurch" that was connected with something called "Calvary Chapel" out of the US and had a service in English. It was good to sing songs we knew and hear the Word.
We try to find fun little adventures for the boys and to teach them about why we are here, why people here do things differently and to ponder why people here seem so happy (without the modern trappings of XBox, HD movies and Gb/s internet).

That is all for today. Continue to pray for us and thanks for reading!

A reflection on Jesus from Nepal

As I write this I am reminded of many things.

I am surrounded by at least 3 Hindu "garden" temples and every morning they wake me up with their "wake up my Hindu god" ritual. The chants from some festival down by the lake reaches my ears, omomomomomomomomom and I see little snake statues on my walks through town to remind me that "yep, this ain't Kansas".

I get comments on my Facebook wall from a prominent and loud uber-progessive Methodist back home in Norway who demands that the leadership of the church takes action against Franklin Graham (because he among other things supported Trump) and whoever speaks up for the Church's official policy and agenda...and he is not alone but nor is he met with silence.
The United Methodist church is rife with bitter and polarized fighting and it is getting worse by the day. The fight for its own survival is a disaster in typical slow-motion-Methodist fashion...and the masses are not reached with the "repent and believe" Gospel we are supposed to share. Instead, people wait for special commissions and special conferences. Sigh...

I have good Christians friends who cheer the election and presidency of Trump; who fill my Facebook wall with comments and articles about how finally things are going to be alright.

Here I am, in Pokhara Nepal, and yet the troubles of the world reach me (well, when the Internet is working).

Why am I here?

To hear the voice of God. To get re-aquainted with Jesus on a deeper lever. To find my way. To deal with the emotional and theological and ecclesiological (church-y) aspects of being a part of the United Methodist church, first in Sweden (but that branch collapsed) and now in Norway, facing an almost unprecedented crisis stemming from a worldwide struggle of orthodoxy vs. progressivism. The outcome is most uncertain.

Don't worry, most pastors you know desire to do this and most of them struggle with getting deep and personal with Christ in the middle of sermon writing and meetings and whatever else they do on a weekly basis. Most of them desire to surrender more of their lives to Christ and drop most everything else. Some even do it.
But I am gonna try to do it here...in the middle of the most pagan country on earth while bombarded by the most secular and/or divisive social media on earth (western media) while belonging to, and serving, a denomination that is fighting a civil war. What are the odds?

Well, I have found that the physical distance from my own employment has given me both the time and capacity to see and think clearer than in a long time and I sense the fog lifting slowly...the haze of uncertainty, the gridlock of frustration and the weight of unknown-but-likely failure.
Here, where I have to look very carefully to see, or even hear Christ, do I find that I am again willing and interested in doing what it takes to do just that.
Here, where Christ is hidden, do I find that I am looking more intently.
Here, where Christ seems silent, I can actually sense that I could hear him better.
The verse comes to me, draw near to me and I will draw near to you.

Beyond the clichés and the platitudes, who is Jesus to me? To you? How well do I know him? How well do you? How close have we "drawn" ourselves to Him? Do we know how? Do I need anything else besides him? Am I and am I doing what he wants? Am I following or leading him along?

It is a relief to not have to think as a pastor but as a person, for once. I suspect only pastors will understand this but it is true. An example, in the paragraph above I included "To you?" and "How well do you?"...that is pastor talk. Always a sermon application popping up. Always other people inside my own musings and "thinkings". Always at the ready.
But I don't think that is wise and that I just did it goes to show that I need this time to find my own Jesus more clearly and deeply than I have in a while.

Among the Hindu temples, the chanting and the spiritual darkness that few of you even believe exists at all, I will do this and I will succeed. God always seeks me and Scripture is clear, there is a way that is His and he wants me to walk it with him and behind him.
My adversary the devil is here as well, but not as the shock-and-awe type that we thought he was (if you think he is real at all, of course, though you should). He dims the lights. He cautions us that God is best kept at a distance, if at all. He feeds us indiffernce and we eat our doom. He reasons. He mellows us. He speaks so quietly that we can't hear him...but for those quiet whispers of "-be content with a little religion or a little faith in God's existence somewhere in Heaven".
He is one of the two reasons I/we don't search and find Christ with all of our being, all the time. The other reason is our own sin-infested souls, searching for pleasures and distractions or whatever to keep me from Scripture, Prayer and Surrender.

A long time ago Jesus found me and brought me home. Then he took me for a walk and I have followed Him for a long time. I think I slowed my pace and "smelled the roses" and lost him around a bend in the road somewhere. I am still on the road but distracted and just slow.
I like the thought of him rushing back to find me but I hesitate. I wonder if it isn't more likely that he is calling for me to catch up. There is crucial work to be done and I don't think he is as interested in runing after stragglers as he is finding lost souls to put back on his road. His voice, in this analogy the Holy Spirit, will call me to follow in multiple and strange ways...will I take this opportunity to listen?

Hear ye who have ears.

The last part of the amazing trip

The way home from Belauri and back to Pokhara went without incident. Well, except for Laurie being horribly stomach sick in the middle of the Bardia jungle...

We had decided to make a little pitstop at a "resort" in the Bardia national park, about 2 1/2 hours from Dhangadi. We wanted to see a tiger(!) and Bardia is a great place to do that. Well, it started out well. Our hotel/resort was nice enough and we enjoyed our tour of the local villages and their elephant breeding/rescue place where we got some great pictures and experiences. The kids especially enjoyed petting the baby elephant there.
The next day was the tiger safari day...except that some moron in the kitchen had served Laurie tap water the day before. Two large glasses of tap water made her night a complete disaster...but through sheer will and God's grace she managed to pull off a half-day excursion into the jungle. By Jeep. On a bumpy path. In the bitter cold (it was like 4 degrees in the morning). She was amazing. Unfortunately we never saw a tiger (although we saw many other animals). The jungle was cool and the safari was really nice...except for Laurie, of course. We cut the safari short and the rest of the day, and night, was spent taking care of her. It was a terrible experience for her.
Fortunately, she was well enough the next day to travel to Butwal and then back to Pokhara the following day. Those days went well, especially since the Jeep didn't break and the driving was shorter. Even the mountain drive felt shorter, which was nice.

The flatlands of Nepal are both interesting and boring. There isn't much to see. Small villages with the same smattering of hole-in-the-wall shops selling chips and water and toilet paper. Small homes of varioius shapes and in varying condition. People sitting around (a lot of that). Cows. Small subsistence farming. It isn't something that you remember for a long time but it somehow leaves a memory in you anyway, perhaps by its monotony or perhaps because it is so different from driving 7 hours in, say, Sweden. The protest march against cow killing was a sight among many that sort of got stuck in our minds...and I am sure there are many more that will come as we look at pictures and stuff.

So, in the end we made it back to Pokhara. It took about a week for everybody's stomach to be back to normal but it didn't take long to feel good about being back "home".

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Part 3

It was with mixed feelings that we woke up on day 3. We were exhausted after the grueling drive the day before and we dreaded (at least Laurie and I did, who had done it before) the 3 hour off-road drive to Belauri. But, we were also very excited to see the children. We had talked about this for so long and Sam and David had heard about this place so many times that they couldn't wait to go. After all, this is one of the main reasons why we came to Nepal.

So, we met Delindra and took of in our Jeep. We decided to purchase some things for the children before we took of, like backpacks and school material, and then headed for the dreaded oh-so-you-call-this-a-road drive. When I asked Delindra about any improvements to the road he said "no, not really" but when we spotted Belauri after only 1 hour I just chalked that up to "lost in translation" and was happy to arrive 2 hours earlier than expected...and as always with a mixture of excitement and nervousness that came over all us as we turned onto the street where the apartment is. David and Sam and Laurie had never met the children so this was the big meet!

In short, everybody had a really good time. First, it's greetings and awkwardness. Then it is small hugs and attempts at communication. Laughing and giggling all the time. Nervous looks. Excited looks. Running in and out of rooms.
Then as the nerves settled a bit Sam and David and the children started playing and having a great time getting to know each other. It was a joy to see. I was also very impressed to see that they ate all the food they were given. I mean, here we are in Far West Nepal and out in a field in a tiny village being served home cooked Nepali food...and they loved it and ate it all up. Not just hot dogs, fries, hamburgers, Pizza and Tacos!

The drone flying experience was a little strange. As we went out to the local field/park to have fun with the children and play football and volleyball and see Sam fly his drone, hundreds of children and youth came to watch. Most of them were kind and sweet and curious but the older youth were not so kind...or at least trying to be cool. It was just a little much and when they started to make the Family Home children uncomfortable we left. It was just better  playing together at the apartment without the massive attention and they really found stuff to do or say. Again, impressive.

As for Laurie and I we went from hugging and playing and talking to the children to being with Sunita and Delindra checking on how things were going with them and the children and the Family Home in general. Things are going well! The book keeping is getting much better. The children are healthy and doing better in school (some as good as top 3 in the school). The houseparents are happy...but also looking forward to a bigger place.
I forgot to tell you! In Dhangadi we had taken the time to visit the new house we have rented to the Family Home. We decided together that they needed to move, for lots of logistical reasons, to a bigger city and a bigger place...and this house is nice. Brand new, three levels, great kitchen, 4 bathrooms and a yard. It is down a quiet alley but not far from the city center. We (and Delindra and Sunita) are very excited about the move!

There isn't really much to say as far as details about what else happened these two days (or if there is, I will write it tomorrow). We just enjoyed visiting the Family Home and seeing our and their children bond. I think this was one of those "memories for a lifetime" moments. It made the whole journey worth it. Here are some great pictures from two wonderful days:

Visiting India (notice the white border stone in the background)

Driving to Belauri

Driving to Belauri

Driving to Belauri

The poorest of the poor live in these "tents" on government land.

Grass roof, clay or stick walls

Smiles all around

The new house for the "Family Home" in Dhangadi

As per usual, waiting, by ourselves, as we get to the Family Home to see what is going to happen

New backpacks!

Laurie showing them her new guitar

A small part of the crowd coming to see Sam's drone...and the white people :)

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Rooftop fun

One amazing trip, one million impressions - part 2

So, this is Butwal:

Not so amazing. The hotel, however, was nice and comfy and VERY expensive for this unheard of town in the middle of nowhere. $125 per night is a little steep...until you realize the options are, well, not options.

This day, day 2, was the major travel day. According to various maps and GPSs it was supposed to take between 7-8 hours to drive across the plains of Nepal to Dhangadi. Well, it took 11! Why, you ask. Well, because of this:

Notice the jack to the right. Yes, we had a break down. It happened like this.
We were driving along in the mountains on this little road when we encountered a pot hole. As we were driving through it we heard this "-Sproing!!" noise. A metal bolt from the front suspension had snapped! The left front suspension was ruined and the car leaned heavily. We pulled into this little mountain restaurant and our driver tried to fix it...with some spit, some kind of bolt and piece of wood(!). That's all we had. Quite the experience to stand in the pouring rain under a metal roof watching your only means of transportation being fixed with a piece of wood in the middle of the Nepali mountains. Yes, that was a low point. But we made it!
Needless to say, the piece of wood flew out soon enough and the new bolt didn't hold. So we bounced down the road even worse than before until we came to a crossing close to the metropolis of Nepalgunj. That's when we found a mechanic shop that fixed us up in no time and on we went...only to find out that our driver had no idea how to get to Dhangadi, our destination (not that he had known how to get to the hotel in Butwal either, but you know...). So there we were, me sitting with my dying cellphone trying to tell him when to turn. In the dark. With bikes, cars, cows, pedestrians and who knows what coming at us. With no street lights or headlights. It was scary. But we made it!
We finally arrived at the hotel around 9pm, exhausted but also thankful. Amazingly, the boys didn't complain once. Not once! I, on the other hand, had had a pretty bad day sitting in the back seat feeling ripped off by a greedy Jeep owner. (In Nepal you pay the owner of the Jeep, who in turn pays a driver...hopefully. Our driver made $100/month plus $8/day for expenses).

The next day we were headed for the family home and meeting the children(!). It was to be a glorious day. I will try to post some more personal and spiritual reflections later.

His and her bathroom (the pieces of metal).

A pretty impressive bridge over the Karnali river. In the background, the Bardia National park.

One unbelievable trip, one million impressions - part 1

How do you know when you have reached the end of civilization? My measurement is when the best hotel in town says "No, we don't have Coca Cola here". I just heard it for the first time ever this past week and it happened in Dhangadi, Far West Nepal. There is so much to tell that I will have to split this blog post up in several parts.

My family and I just got back from the most adventuresome/grueling/amazing trip we have ever taken. I know that to some of you who are reading this our trip may not sound very "exotic" or "extreme" but to this family it was something else. Here is a map that shows you how we travelled:

Basically, we drove half of Nepal (and the hour estimate on this map is way off. It assumes western highway speeds. Yeah, that didn't happen). The route was Pokhara to the-metropolis-you-all-know-as-Butwal (or Rumpevegg, as our kids called it)-Dhangadi-Belauri-Dhangadi-Bardia National Park-Butwal-Pokhara. It was a 1200km trip (or 750miles) and it was done with the speedometer never reaching 90km/h (55mph). 300km was done doing S-curves and it was the slowest 300km I've ever done. It took 12 hours. This was our Jeep and this was our itenerary:

Day 1 - Pokhara to Butwal. 6 hours of driving through the Himalayan foothills. This is when we realized that our fairly expensive Jeep didn't have much suspension left in it. Needless to say, as we started climbing into the mountains we found out the hard way (literally) that we were in for a bumpy ride. Our (really great) driver let out some air out of the tires and that helped but I can't say I enjoyed the ride. And the buses and trucks flying down the roads...honking and hoping.

I did enjoy the views as we drove through a landscape of dramatic gorges, rivers, bridges and villages. I will never figure out why the Nepali people build on top of ridges and on the side of cliffs. I guess you take the land you're given...or something. The scenery was breathtaking and I am in awe of the Nepali people who populate this land. I kept asking myself, "-How the heck did they do that?".

For those of you who are wondering if the road was treacherous let me just say...sort of. The road was pretty safe and there were siderailings, sort of (again), most of the way but even so I had two thoughts in my mind, taking their turns. The first one was: "-If something brakes on this Jeep or a bus overtakes another bus (please stop doing that!) we're going over a cliff and we will die horribly". The second was: "-Well, it's going ok. We are still on the road". In Norway and Sweden I feel that I can always trust that solid engineers have built the road and that most people have taken extensive driver tests. Here...not so much. Here it's mostly prayers and the hope that the other drivers aren't complete morons. It's mostly prayer.

We finally made it to Butwal and let me just say this: Don't make any vacation plans for this "gem" of a city. It reason for existing is that the mountains stopped (surprisingly abrubtly) and it's finally flat. Amazingly, there is a western style 4-star hotel here, De Novo, that offered everything you can ask for. Hot showers. Room service. Pool (yeah, we didn't try it). Comfy beds. A/C and heaters. Needless to say, we enjoyed it (even if the mosquitos were fast to take advantage of us) and it was a nice little treat that we, unbeknownst to us, really needed the next day.

More to come.