How we got Home...
On March 1 at 5:00 AM, I dressed into hiking gear, put on my heavy coat to block the wind, picked up my 35 pound Osprey pack, cinched it down tight, and put my day pack on my stomach. We left a note for my housekeeper, locked up the flat, and said goodbye to the guard. We walked down the stony dirt street by the dirt field (now ripe with a plant that we laugh about here), past the closed shops, around the great stupa where people were already doing their kora (worship) and sat on the stairs to wait for the J-girls. With Brian’s pack around 75 pounds with materials, we were already hurting. But as always, ke garne – translated, what to do?
The J-girls were running a little late, but once they got there, we loaded everything onto a taxi, cinched it down tight again, and then proceeded to the bus stop. On my way, I made my confession. I told them, “I don’t think I’m ready for this.” They laughed, and told me they’re never ready. From the bus, we watched the scenery change from mountains to tropics. Once we got off the bus, we went to the hotel, where Brian got sick with dysentery, went to the hospital, and we waited for recovery.
Once he was better, we then took a plane. A little plane, that can only fly at certain times of day, because when the wind gets bad in the afternoon, it could be swept into a crash landing in the mountain. I’ve never been in a plane so small. We were served little butterscotch candies surrounded by cotton to look like snow. From the plane, we took our possessions for the next 2 months and headed out, walking across town while checking in with gov’t checkposts.
Across town, we grabbed a jeep (fortunately they built a jeep road up into the area last year, because it would have been a long walk otherwise). We rode for 2 hours to our final vehicle stop. We ate lunch at a guest house, and then continued walking again. For 3 hours this day we walked (because the weight was so strong, and the altitude so high, we were not adjusted and it should have only taken us 1 ½ hours if we were acclimated – but there was no time for that). We finally got to our village. When to our dismay, we found out the guest home which would be home for the next 2 months was still closed! The owner hadn’t arrived back yet.
On the way, my always racing pulse was racing more! Due to the altitude, my heart was fast this day, (between 190 and the pace where my heart rate monitor couldn't monitor it anymore). So it was evening by this point. So as we met the children (who were begging for school pens, candy, and money – none of which they need from tourists) my J-girl friend explained to the villagers that we were the new teachers in town, and that I had a heart condition (not exactly true, but they don't understand fast pulse), and we couldn’t travel back with all of our stuff, so we needed a place to stay. They asked if we can eat Dal Bhaat (which we love) and sleep on the floor. We told them that would be fine.
So that night, Brian and I had a bed, and the girls slept on the floor… those lucky girls. See, the house is all made of mud (as are all houses around this area). And the bed is built into the wall somehow, but it was not flat, and there was no mattress, just a carpet. Soon, we learned, the bed is also slanted away from the wall, and its thinner than a twin, so we fell out of bed all night and didn’t sleep. But we got some rest for day 2, and made some new contacts for our village. We watched a movie with some of the children and made some friends. (Yes, in the mountains they do have electricity, and they will work hard to carry a TV on their back just so they can have TV). But this is a new thing. Our county is extremely behind on their technology.
On Day 2, the young boy who cooked and cleaned, and did household duties came back. He made us fried rice. He became a great friend, but he really couldn’t cook well. I was just beginning to conquer this whole “you can’t take a shower up here” thing, and learning that it really is too cold to change your clothes, much less shower, or shave, or do any hygienic practices etc. This is something I think I’ll never be able to truly communicate – the daily lifestyle is so much different. For the next 10 days, we made contacts all over the area through our J-girls, and people began to know what we were there to do. Only, the school master was missing, so we couldn’t arrange our platform immediately!
The Spider
About the 10th day, after visiting the ani gompa (a nunnery for Buddhists), I found the gas powered hot water shower, and it was past time to take one. I relished in the joy of hot water and squeaky clean hair. But then, while I was drying off and checking my belly button for any dirt, out crawled a spider! I panicked, and knocked it away from me, and continued to clean my belly button. Those of you who know me understand my extreme arachnophobia. Convinced it was gone, I made everyone I knew check their belly buttons too.
The Goat
One day, we decided to go to the neighboring village, just a half hour hike away. We gathered together our materials, intent on sharing our story with these unique people. The kids at the school saw us on the way, and ran outside to tell us goodbye as we walked that way. But as we were leaving, I began hearing crying noises next to one of the biggest suspension foot bridges I’ve ever seen in my life. I looked down, and finally found the source - a little baby goat stuck by a rock. It couldn’t walk yet, and there was no mother around or shepherd. So after much searching for the shepherd so we couldn’t be accused of stealing a goat, I took the goat in my scarf (it was still kind of a yucky goat, it had just been born that morning) and carried it back to our village. Walking through the village, I realized I need to explain why I have a goat. Then I realized, I know the name for sheep, but what’s the word for goat? So when I found the kids, I asked them “Not sheep - What is this?” They told me reepko bacha (baby goat) and then continued to ask me, “Miss Dolma, why do you have the baby goat?”
So I first got to practice with the child lama, then got to run and tell our story to our guest house owner, and the rest of the people in our national language. My guest house owner was very proud of her new possession, and took the goat to her goat house after giving the goat milk tea and feeding us popcorn.
The i-Pod and Bob Marley
One of the things we decided to bring for our trip was our i-Pods. When you have to hike 2 hours to get somewhere, music helps! So we each brought one. When our national partner found out, he asked to borrow Brian’s, and would listen to Bob Marley all the time (in addition to some Newsboys albums, etc). One day, when the battery died, he handed it to Brian and told him “Bob Marley is dead.” When we told him, yes that is true, Bob Marley is dead, he was shocked, and wanted to know all the details surrounding his death and family. Then he wanted us to write the lyrics to Buffalo soldier for him, so he could memorize it. We did, and now it’s his favorite English song.
In one village, we learned about a TB singer who came from there, and we bought his CD. Soon he wanted to listen to that on the i-Pod instead. So we converted it over for him on the i-Pod, and he listened to it, and let everyone else listen to it too. Then he had a great idea, he’d been working on a translation project (his wife works for another company doing similar work) about the story. He wanted to work more on this project, and asked us to transfer it to the i-Pod too. We did, and then we went all over the villages with people in lines to listen to this story in their language that they have never heard before!
When he left, we kept this story, and used it to share with nearly the entire village. Anyone who understood this dialect of TB was able to hear and understand. Some of the lamas listened to it 2 or 3 times. We also went from village to village with a new tool, and after they listened, we would ask them questions to see if they understood. Though we haven’t seen a commitment response, some villagers are now reading the story every day. Please yarp for them, as they now have the truth, that they can realize what they have, and be reconnected with our Father.
Back to the city – changes.
Monsoon season will be here in 5 days. That’s what everyone keeps telling us, even though it’s already raining everyday. But apparently 5 days is the magic number. I don’t know why. For my birthday, we went to tourist town. We bought 3 DVD’s all for under $5. I had some brownies that I made a couple days earlier, and steak imported from India. (Remember, it’s illegal to kill a cow in our country, although beef is our national partner’s favorite food). It’s been hot here though. While we were in the mountains, Brian lost 20 pounds, and I lost 30. So we needed some new clothes, and we only had hot mountain clothes, so we had to buy clothes appropriate for the weather too. With the change, we’ve walked past some friends around the stupa who didn’t recognize us initially due to our 2 month absence and weight loss. Here, they have no problem calling you fat either. So they tell me that before I was fat, but now I am thinner. And I just laugh with them now - they call themselves fat too and tell me we are same same. They also look at the ice water I carry around suspiciously. They will tell you that cold water makes you sick. So I always feel like they think I’m drinking poison, but I have to stay cool with no A/C! There is also no power to run the fan!
I also found out I love cooking now. After not being able to cook for 2 months in the mountains, and watching them cook as we sat around the hearth with them every night, I have gained excellent 'cooking from scratch' skills. Making tortillas? No problem. Kneading bread? No biggie. Making great veggie soup? Yummy. No powder spices, just the true raw organic cooking. And I learned to cook some ethnic food for all of you when I get back! I have my house-helper teaching me anything I missed while I was up there too. So be hungry when you see me next! I can’t wait to give you some of our delicacies! Just be glad when I cook for you, I can use water from the tap that isn’t guaranteed to make you sick! Ha!
Oh, and Brian got shaved, so all those bearded pictures, well, he’s no longer so bearded!
Pictures are on the new page (http://www.dropshots.com/SheenaBall) of the process of shaving from the street corner! You’ll want to view. There are also a few more pictures of me cooking momos, the village, and life back in the city from the past 2 weeks too. Also my house guest. It's worth a look. (Also, if you haven't noticed, some pictures have captions to explain what it is going on - some with yarp requests, if you have time)
Yarp requests
- We’ve been meeting with old contacts, finishing mountain debriefing with our supervisors, and polishing our language skills to non-mountain slang now. Yarp for them as we truly invest over these last 2 ½ weeks in country.
- We have summer students coming to work with our team in 2 weeks. We will be helping to train them about strategy etc. Please yarp for their safe travel.
- Our M’s in the next country we are going to (in June) are moving from one region to another. Instead of working on ch. planting, we will be working with another TB people group from a country to the east (also in our region, but a country where no M’s from the company are in). We’ll be training nationals who can go into the country and share the story there. Fortunately, the common language there is the same we’ve been learning here. We leave to go there in another 2 ½ weeks. And to answer the question everyone is asking, we still have until July 10th before we get back home.
