NEPAL - READY, SET...GO!

NEPAL – READY, SET…GO!

Our team developed one by one and two by two.  Bill and Susan Green and David Campbell were in almost immediately.  Cindy Rossetti quickly made a decision to be a part of the team after the information meeting.  (Cindy is a “ponderer”.  She asks questions and considers the options carefully.  She is quiet but has mad thinking skills!)  Finally, Autumn Hunter made the decision to join the team when the Lord would not leave her alone!  He intended for her to be a part of the team and she submitted without regret.  Mickey and I were excited about leading this team.  Not long after information was dispensed about the trip, I got a call from Chase’s Aunt Fran, from Gilmer, TX.  I was so pleased to know that she wanted information about the trip and that she wanted to be a part of the team.  Her twin sister, Jhan, was persuaded to join the trip, too, which brought our team to 9 bodies! 

OK, so here I will digress a little.  Kathmandu is not an easy place to get to or from.  It is a small land locked third world country about the size of Tennessee with a poor infrastructure and no reliable, cost effective shipping or mailing routes.  It was my hope to be able to send a couple of small packages for my grandchildren each year, specifically for birthdays and Christmas.  Those hopes were dashed quickly.  Out of two very expensive small packages, one got there and out of two Valentine cards, one arrived.  Apparently, 50% of the time, packages never arrive.  It wasn’t long until the Moores canceled their postal box and there was only one way to get precious packages to my Asian grandchildren – suitcases carried by others.  This was my routine…find someone going that way, fill a suitcase and mail it to them for them to check at the airport and thank them profusely for helping me connect with my overseas children in such a significant way.  Over the years, we lost only one suitcase – but that is a different story.  This time it was my turn to do the same for others and I was so blessed by the opportunity.  There is a precious little community of ex-pats who think of each other as family that live and work in Kathmandu.  Lacey got the word out that anyone wanting a suitcase of goodies from their US family should let her know.  Every box that arrived at my house brought floods of tears and mounds of joy!  As I looked at the little shoes, Legos, books and jewelry meant for a happy overseas Christmas, I was overwhelmed – over and over.  What fun for those waiting on the other side and what a thrill for those sending it and I got to be a part!  Our team would choose a suitcase, go through the contents and each would carry one bag that would bless an overseas worker on the other side of the world.  Everything had to be carefully planned out.  We carried some very unusual items – lots of holiday cooking items and gifts and even a violin! The item that was most questionable, honestly had my head spinning.  I answered the doorbell and sitting outside my house was a large box with lithium battery danger signs all over it.  Unbelievably, it was eight power tools that were lithium battery charged.  My first thought was, “We can’t…”.  I contacted Chase and Lacey to explain that it would be impossible to bring.  The overseas worker was Chase’s best friend and I hated so much to deny him this opportunity to get well made tools that could be easily charged but I didn’t know how we could bring them – especially that lithium battery pack.  He wanted us to try anyway – asking if we could leave it packaged and explain that the battery had never been charged when checking it.  I knew we had to try.

We met and planned and Skyped and planned and prayed and planned!! We didn’t want to be unprepared or to be ill equipped for such a momentous journey.  We decided on a team scripture.  We found comfort for the weeks and days leading up to the trip in the words of Joshua 1:9. “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened.  Do not be dismayed.  For the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.”  We also read Isaiah 55 in preparation for our trip.  The words were of great comfort and encouragement to us.  We cast vision for the trip using this scripture as a base.  We shared daily devotions and prayed for one another.  As we all acknowledged our personal fears to one another, we found comfort in sharing the things that were bothersome in our spirits.  (My personal fear was – and always is – crashing on the airplane flight!  A funny about that later, as I share about our flight home).  We met together to go through our suitcases and claim one that we would personally carry to Nepal – a blessing for an overseas worker.  We brought our luggage and carry-ons to Compass and did a “trial run” for packing everything.  We were ready to go!

Early morning on October 14, one by one, we trickled into Compass, packing “one last thing” and moving one thing from one suit case to another to balance the weight, we could hardly contain the excitement!  Cindy bravely kissed her three year old son and husband goodbye and maybe even shed a few tears – but she was ready to go.  Autumn hugged her mother tight and threw her toothbrush in at the last moment.  David had a picture made with his wife and young teenage son before they had to leave for school that morning.  Vickie was there – as always – ready to pray and give us all a traveler’s goody bags, filled with all manner of snacks, gum and hard candies for the long journey.  The time had finally come and seven sleepy but giddy people piled into the luggage laden two vehicles and headed in the direction of Dallas for the first leg of the journey. 

Our Compass Team - David, Mickey, Betty Gail, Autumn, Cindy, Susan and Bill

                

Vickie's Snacks!!

The suitcases - Blessings from Home! (Note the big red one in the middle)

We began our journey at 7:00 am from CompassChurch in Batesville, Arkansas, driving seven hours to Dallas, carrying 14 suitcases and 7 carry-ons. We met the rest of our team, Fran and Jhan, on the ground in Dallas.  They also carried suitcases to bless others bringing our total cargo to 18 checked bags and 9 carry-ons.  Check in was where our first test of faith was displayed.  Bill Green stepped up to the counter and confessed that his bag contained tools with lithium batteries that had never been charged and were still in their original packaging (This is where the big red suitcase in the above picture comes into play).  Big eyes looked across the counter and Bill was asked to open the suitcase in question.  Additional airline personnel was called and the consensus was that the batteries would have to be unpacked and carried on.  Quickly Bill and others sprang into action, ripping apart the packing and searching for the offending item! It was identified and the checked baggage, minus the battery and packing materials, was approved.  The tools would, indeed, make the flight and there was a bonus – the suitcase had been over weight by five pounds and would have required an overage fee, but without the packing it came in under weight! Later I will tell you the whole story of the need for the tools and you will agree – God always wins! 

Compass Team meet Fran and Jhan in Dallas to complete our team!

We were already a tired, but happy crew facing a 15-hour flight across the ocean to our first stop, Qatar, in the Middle East.  Our plane, Qatar Air, has one of the best reputations in the world for safety and service.  We found our seats and settled in for a long winter’s nap, and movies, and airplane food…and swelling ankles, and close quarters with people you don’t know!

Some of us slept.  Some of us were too excited (or nervous) to even think about sleeping.  For me, it is a strange sensation to be flying in a large heavy object, which should not be able to be propelled into the sky over the ocean and then Iceland and then Iraq and even close to Syria with strangers who look as concerned as I do about the prospects.  We had been promised a wonderful experience at the world famous Qatar airport and it certainly delivered! 

Qatar (pronounced Cutter by we Southern Americans) Airport in the Middle East

Odd Teddy Bear "sculpture" featured in the airport

Quiet Room at Qatar Airport

As we de-planed and entered the fabulous mall – I mean, airport – we found every high-end store and duty free shop that one could possibly think of…but who has the energy to even look around after the grueling fifteen hours on such a plane ride, right?  Oh, we looked!  We spent 12 hours in Qatar sleeping in a quiet (and then also, a not so quiet) room, eating and trying wonderful new things (Turkish coffee – not so much!!), and exploring all of the eye-candy each store and shop afforded.  AND free Wi-Fi (take that, America!).  Time passed rather quickly and we were ready to board our final flight to Nepal!

Qatar Airlines to Nepal was quite different.  Tarmac boarding in Qatar and deplaning in Nepal.  

The plane to Nepal wasn’t quite as big, was full of trekkers and at least nine anxious trippers, ready to reach their destination.  As we landed, five short hours later, at noon on a Sunday, we discovered the airport in Kathmandu is small.  It is always an adventure when you follow the stairs from the plane onto the tarmac! We joined the growing line to present our papers and receive our Visas.  We had our first taste of Nepali life here.  There was one little old guy examining and stamping everyone’s passports and the line moved slowly.  Of course, we were the last in line. 

Feet on the ground - long journey's end!

Our first glimpse of Kathmandu, Nepal!

WELCOME TO NEPAL!

Autumn tried to find a faster way to move, but was sent back to our station promptly.  Finally, passing through one more security station, we were ready to collect our 18 checked bags – the only 18 left except one stray that someone else had forgotten – and it was time for me to see my grand babies!  I could see their little cotton top heads popping up and their hands waving enthusiastically and my heart leaped with joy!  Ari had prayed every day for a year that God would send Nanna and Dundee on an airplane to see her and her prayers had been answered!  Hello, Nepal – it is nice to meet you!!