Ktm...daily life and Vineyard community

Joseph has to play trumpet to get a credit for school.  Others around really enjoyed his practice today!  Isn't this a sweet picture?  This wonderful Nepali man does all the carpentry work at the church.  It was so sweet when he literally dropped everything to come hear Joseph...honestly the look in his eyes says it all.

Washing clothes.  Sakiyanji  and Raju teaching Sarah how!  These people are so creative.  While we use machines in the western world, they use their feet!  Life isn't easy for people in Nepal but the joy they have can sure speak to us.

The WCV gang! (Missing emielia and Elisa).  Sarah is very sick here and you can see it on her face.  

The plan is to leave tomorrow am to head to Pokora with Raju leading us. We will then trek for 4 days in the Annapurna Mtn range.  After that we look forward to a trip to Ghorka.   Sarah was sick last night.  We have 2 kids who have not had this sickness; Mikayla  and Samuel.  Please pray they would not get this especially as we are about to travel through some narrow mountain roads and head on a 4 day trek!

Today's service at the Ktm vineyard!

Here's Pooja and her baby along with another woman from Champi.  Pooja would love a really strong baby carrier and baby clothes for her baby girl.   The baby carrier (backpack/front pack carrier- not a car seat)  would allow Pooja to travel from Champi to Ktm with baby snuggled close.  WCV ers does anyone have an extra or one they are done with?  As well Pooja's daughter (15 yrs) just had a baby girl so any extra supplies can go to Jasmina's baby.  Let me know if you have any of these items and we can figure out a way to get them here.

Ktm vineyard community...

More soon from Pokorha...

Champi

We went up to Champi today just outside of Ktm.  We visited and prayed with Uttav and Puja.  Here are some pics...

They would love prayer for 

~land 

~a church plant 

~that many Hindu families would come to know the Lord

~also pray for their daughter Jasmina 15 yrs who just had a baby.  

Kids enjoyed the view... Wow clean air, goats and chickens and wonderful warm weather.  

We look forward to visiting with this church again during our stay here.  These people are passionate for God's love to pour out on all the people here.  

Goats..

Mikayla with Uncle Noel and Uncle Ben

Sarah my artist who wants to sketch and paint all of these memories.  

Mike is beginning to feel better.  He's been in bed for 2 days.  Thanks for your continued prayer for health for the rest of us.  We look forward to what tomorrow holds.

Visit to temples today in Kathmandu

Sickness is hitting us one by one and today it hit Mike.  Joseph and I had been out for 2 days with this so finally today we were feeling better and we needed to explore.  So we left Mike with a bucket and sprite and went out to experience a different side of Ktm...

First we went to swayambhu or the monkey temple...

Then we went to Boudhanath Stupa a famous site for Buddist and Hindu worshippers.  We read all the history of this place as we had lunch on a roof-top cafe.  

We have a joke going on among the family wondering who will break the next cup.  We've all taken turns in Thailand and today Joseph broke a cup in Ktm.  (These are all accidental breaks but it's getting kinda funny so here's a pic)

That was a 200 rupee mistake!

Here's the guilty one!

Mikayla is now in charge of hiring our taxis.  She gets the best price and seems to have the knack for this!

As I write this Mike is still sick in bed.  We'd love prayer that this will be the end as three of us have been out of commission for a couple days.  Connection at the church is going great and plans are underway for us to travel to a few villages soon!  

Lots of love from the Labuns

Still here!

Mike and Mikayla arrived!  They have so many stories of their time in India.  It's great to have the whole family reunited!

Joseph and I are sick.  The others are all out to dinner with the Jersaks and Ben and Adam but I won't describe the needs Joseph and I have right now.  Pray this passes quickly.  I haven't felt this bad in a long time.

The other day we walked passed a meat shop. Here is the goat that would become someone's dinner;  something we don't see in North America!

Connecting with Noel and making plans for how our 6 weeks can take shape in Nepal.  We are looking forward to visiting villages and getting info on how the kids can raise funds to support local Nepali kids to go to school.  

Part of our job in staying healthy is to stay warm during the night so alas we broke the bank and bought 4 North face sleeping bags as we already had 2 other winter bags.  So the 6 of us should all be warm tonight.  This will make a difference!  When it's 2 degrees outside, it's 2 degrees inside as there is no heating system here.  

Sarah saying good- bye to a new friend Daniella.  We will miss this family!

We will keep you posted...hoping and praying this stomach bug passes quickly.

More soon...

Here's what Mike & Mikayla are up to...

Father/daughter time in Agra & Jaipur...

Biking through a bird sanctuary...

More pics...

Having fun with the kids here...ahhh they are adorable!

The beautiful teens girls who live at the church Benita, Nmbittu plus Daniella (from Malaysia), Mingmar, Sakiyangi and Sarah.  

Ahh yes a good hot cup today...

A coffee time for mom turned into lunch for these three...

Guess what we are having for dinner?

Raju teaching Sarah and I how to make Dahl Bhat the traditional Nepali food.  It wAs delicious and all of us loved it!

The kids amaze me with adjusting to life here.  Samuel was up conquering math homework at 8 am!  Some of us realized after day 3, we need to embrace bucket showering.  The key is to choose a time when the electricity has been on for a few hours so water is hot...but we need to be quick as air around us is cold!  

Another adjustment is for Samuel!  All of the older adults find Samuel adorable and tend to stroke his cheeks when they meet him.  For those of you who have kids almost 11, I'm sure you can understand why your 11 year old may not appreciate this.  Joseph and Sarah and I are trying to explain to him that they find him cute as he's our youngest and the other Labuns tower over the Nepali adults!  

As I blog we are snuggled in the office staying warm with blankets and listening to the worship band rehearse for tomorrow's service.  It'll be great to join in with the Ktm vineyard tomorrow.  Already I've been blown away at the faith of these people;  its infectious!

More soon.  Lots of love to you family and friends!

Kathmandu...

We are here in Kathmandu visiting with the Pastors Raju and Bhwani as well as Raju's family Kishor and Lettie who are pastors in Malaysia.  Great time of connection!

Here are the kids playing soccer and volleyball in the courtyard of the church...

Our kids had a great time connecting with others via sports.  

Beginning the day to meet the Jersaks for lunch...

Riding a micro bus into Thamel to go for lunch...

Sights of Thamel...

I thought it would be a great idea to walk back to the church from Thamel as I heard it would take 45-50 min.  Two hours later after passing chickens, cows, dead rat, dog and bird while toddlers play among the streets filled with garbage and beautiful colours, we flagged down a cab to take us to the area we needed to be to have dinner.  Kids were amazing not complaining but just joining me in my walking adventure.  After all I really was craving exercise and what a better way to get to know a city than walk it?

The part of Kathmandu where another Canadian spotted us and told us we were in an area that usually foreigners do not venture in.  Ah ha that would explain seeing the dead animals on the street among the Nepali shops and local children playing.  These are the sights and smells of Kathmandu.  

2 more days until Mike and Mikayla arrive.  Right now they are in Delhi.  Communication between us has been weak due to sporadic wifi and electricity. Electricity goes off here for hours as well as water turning off.  It's a great experience for the kids to get a taste of what lots of folks in the world live like.  No central heating when temps drop have a way of encouraging us all to go to sleep early and stay huddled in our sleeping bags.  Lots of reading with flashlights!

More soon...with love from Kathmandu!