I'm Alive!! Happy Belated Birthday Daddy!

Hi everybody,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DADDY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! I did't forget about you I promise, because of the strikes I couldn't get to a computer! I hope you had an amazing birthday! Love you so much

Sorry that it has been so long. I have quickly realized how different this culture is from our own. Everyday something new happens and makes me say "wow" and just makes me realize how fortunate we are back home. In Nepal there are regular strikes called "bandas" which are protests by either the people, or movements created by the very unstable government. These strikes are very different than the ones back home. When the government says that there is a strike, they mean it and they also mean that nobody is allowed to do anything. No one can drive, no stores can be opened and unfortunately no children can attend school. These strikes have been happening at least twice a week since we have arrived, since once one party strikes about something, a few days later their will be an opposing strike. If your drive during these, your car will be taken away, and it can be very dangerous.

Last Friday we spent the entire day making water filters. For Brother Nepal, one water filter would take him five days, but with the nine of us we were able to finish two in seven hours. One is going to a local school and the other is going to be in the new home opening shortly. The process was crazy. A lot of washing big rocks, and than little rocks, and than sand. We had to cut holes in plastic, and using a burning nail to create other smaller holes to filer water. It was exhausting but a really cool skill to learn how to do. We are hoping to build two more and hand them out to some of the local families who are in need.

The debrief portion of these global trips is aimed at helping our team slowly start to readjust to our westernized way and is usually the last few days of the month. However, because of the strikes, Brother Nepal helped us plan our debrief for the middle of the trip to make sure that we were actually able to do it, and not stuck in Kathmandu during a strike.

The past 4 days have been absolutely insane. I cant even explain in words how I have felt. This culture is so laid back, and time really means nothing here. We left on Saturday and headed to Pochara which was about a 6 hour drive from the home. We arrived at a small guest house and spent the night. The next day we went Para-gliding. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, and questioned my decision when I was in a jeep heading up a mountain. When we got to the top the view was unbelievable. I was strapped into a backpack, hooked on to a guide, and told to run towards the edge of a cliff. Before I made it to the end a huge parachute lifted me into the air. It was such an amazing feeling just floating. Instead of looking at the scenery, I found myself looking at the poverty around and the children looking up at me. A huge sense of guilt fell over me, and I felt really bad for paying money when that money could have gone elsewhere. It was still really fun and I am glad that I had the chance to try something new.

That night we went for dinner as a team and I had two street boys follow me and tug on pants begging for food. I still am having such a hard time knowing what to do when this happens. I offered to hold the one boys hand and held it out for him to grab on. He did and than ran away when he saw another tourist. At least I could make him feel loved for that short moment if nothing else.

The next day (sorry I have no sense of time or what day it is) was ridiculous. We drove another 5 hours and had absolutely no idea where we were going. We arrived at a hotel that had no running water and rooms that looked like jail cells. We wanted to live simply, and we did that very well at this place. Brother Nepal told us that we were going to hike to a remote mountain village and spend the night with them. We were informed that the hike would be 2-10 hours, whatever that means. Well, the nine hour hike almost killed all of us. We all have bad coughs because of all the pollution and walking straight up a mountain on steep, jagged rocks, with the added bonus of the altitude change was insane. We did walk through many villages and got to meet some really cool people. I had a conversation with a man who didn't speak a word of English. We used hand motions and I pointed to the flag on my backpack and he pointed to his cow. I learned a lot about him haha! When we arrived at the village it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Everyone living there is part of the "Mongoli Caste" which is one of the four castes in Nepal. These people are mostly soldiers. They split us up among different families and we spend the evening with them. We slept in a mud hut, and when we were called for dinner and I went to the table outside, they looked at me like I was crazy. They motioned me to come into their home (a layer of straw, than mud, than cow dung with a straw roof) and I had to duck or else I would have hit my head on the ceiling. I stayed with a Mother and Father and their two older daughters one who had a beautiful baby who I played with the whole night. Their was a fire right in the middle of the floor and the hut was lit by candle light. It was so hot in their but so amazing. They fed me everything they could and would not stop offering me more food, even if it meant that they wouldn't eat that night. I even got chicken which is only offered on special occasions. One of the daughters spoke a few words of English so we did our best to understand each other. It was an amazing experience. When we woke up we were dressed in traditional mountain village clothing which consisted of about 7 of the heaviest layers ever. Everything was so tight on me because the women here are so petite. We went for a tour of the village, met some of the locals and were taught some of the culture. We were shown many different dances and asked to come up on stage and join in. We were terrible! They blessed us by putting sticky rice on our foreheads and a flower behind our ears and when we were leaving gave us a string tied to beautiful flowers. These people have such a sense of community and it amazes me how I don't even know some of my neighbors names. Life is purely about survival, and without neighbors it wouldn't be possible for these people. I feel like if these people knew what it was like for us back home, we would be the ones that they felt sorry for. I have many more stories from this evening but I will tell you all about it when I get home.

Last night we drove another 6 hours to Chitwan which is a national park. This morning we went elephant trekking through a jungle and saw some amazing birds, monkey and rhinos. Elepahtns are amazing! We just got back from bathing elephants, and by that I mean I was in a Nepoli river swimming with two of them. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done. I was on ones back and it would fill its truck with water bring it over its head and spray you in the face. They are such beautiful animals!

We were supposed to leave to go back to the home tomorrow, but once again there are strikes all over Nepal which means we are stuck here. I really miss my little friends back at the home. Mom, they are loved so so much. Its different than Uganda where I felt really sad for the kids, I know these ones are cared for and loved to death. Its more of a big family than a bunch of orphans. There is one girl who could really use our help who I will tell you all about when I get home! I brought out the parachute a few weeks ago, and Brother Nepal teared up. The kids absolulty went wild!!! I showed them your message and they pointed at your name and said "Sister Lisa?" They call everyone brother or sister. I told them all about you and showed them your picture. I have a video of them talking to you I cant wait to show you!!!

We only have a few days left, so we are going to be busy building those last few filters, cleaning out the local river that runs through Godawari, visiting schools, and spending every last minute with my little friends! I don't even want to think about having to say goodbye to them, its going to break my heart!

I think I now have carpal tunnel from typing since it has been so long! I love you all and miss you all so so much! I will be home soon! Sorry I kept you worried, and be so so grateful that we do not have strikes like these back home, they are scary!

xoxo Tory

PS: Derek I promised you a blog shout out! Miss you and love you so much, see you soon xoxo