Radhika & friends.

This morning I awoke to all new things. Mostly because I fell asleep completely disillusioned & not sure of my surroundings in the first place. Yesterday, or whenever it was, ended my 40 hour travel day. It wasn't glamorous but it was entertaining...

I got to Hong Kong, unphased by the fact that I totally lost the entirety of Sunday, February 12 to the drone of an airplane rocking me to a fro some kind of sleep. Hong Kong is what you might expect.. A lot of nice men & women looking very professional and very busy. In fact, so busy that I felt like I needed to power walk around in order to explore, too. After some time, my legs decided it wasn't fun anymore & I made my way back to the train to head to the airport. I don't feel a burning desire to make it back to Hong Kong anytime soon, but if I'm ever trying to climb the corporate ladder.. Look for me there.

I knew I had made the right plane when I walked on & it immediately smelled like spicy body odor. A smell all too familiar to my time in India a couple summers back. Something about curry & no deodorant. I mean, to each his own. Also, most people on this flight had hiking shoes on & trekking poles on their carry on. Anyways, I did it. 40 hours later I reached Kathmandu, a place that seemed so far and a bit like the reality of it would never live out.

Turns out, I'm thankful for 40 hour travel days. It gives me ample amounts to time I sit in the things I usually wouldn't or wouldn't necessarily set time aside for. I thought about how Jen was probably in Oxnard, loving her internship. About how Hayley was prayerfully getting ready for yet another young life club. How Kevin had his first night of worship at Vespers, Chico. How kendra was hanging out with sister Tay in the UK. How my mom was probably sitting worrying where in the world I was & if I was okay...

All this to say, I am blessed. Being away & finding time to be quiet gives me so much space to be thankful & rejoice in how big our God is.

The kids will be getting home from school any minute, but I will end with this. This morning I woke up too early from jet lag just in time to help the little girls (there are 17 of them) get ready for school. I'll be figuring out what my "role" is over the next few days, but couldn't believe that I get to spend time with these girls. Most of them have never known their parents, in fact i'm not sure any of them do. One girl, Radhika, doesn't attend school due to learning disabilities. All morning Radhika & I talked about her life. I was reading from James & she wanted to read along so I read in English & she read after me in Nepali. If this is any taste of how this time is going to be, then yes, yes yes yes.

peace, love & jet lag,

laur