You Just Haven't Lived Until...

So a week after leaving home, we're finally adjusting a bit to this very different world that we stumbled into. I'm over the worst of my traveler's revenge and finding a bit of my twisted sense of humor returning. We both are learning that we have to take this process a day at a time and a step at a time. Last night, we had a last minute invitation to join some American missionary friends for dinner in their home. The 2 mile walk felt like a bit of an adventure both ways to those of us used to stable governments and municipal utilities (namely streetlights...), and we were glad to have our confident missionary friend to guide the way. On the way back, we were laughing a bit at ourselves, noting that "you just haven't lived until you've stumbled home in the dark of a third world country." So in honor of our little inside joke, here's a few insights from the past day or so...some serious, some not so...


You just haven't lived until you have...

- Had your spine adjusted riding in the back of a Kathmandu mini-bus

- Eaten Chicken Sausages and a steaming pile of Daal Bhat for breakfast

- Seen the following headline in the English speaking newspaper: "Prime Minister Cleans Breasts Over Current Political Situation" (it was printed twice...and reading the article leads us to think they use this phrase for "getting things off your chest"...close, but...)

- Walked past a Communist/Maoist protest taking place just a few feet away

- Entertained a bunch of orphanage kids for nearly an hour with nothing more than a bottle of 99 cent bubbles (amazing what we take for granted)

- Come halfway across the world into a crazy situation in such a crazy time but felt the prayers and encouragement of so many

- Pondered Acts chapter 17 in a city surrounded by so much natural and creative beauty but in which every nook and cranny is full of idols, temples and altars

- Felt "bonded" with a kid (wearing no diaper) after he's wet (on me) and dirtied (on T; she had just got done telling our guide - 'You can't really bond with a child until you've met his basic needs...' Oh well, its what parents do. And we discovered the aforementioned bubbles can also substitute as soap...and Jersey Mike's napkins as wipes)

- Held your little boy for the first time through an afternoon nap - looking at him, praying for him and singing "Jesus Loves Me" to him.

Today felt like a breakthrough with our little guy. After waking up from a one hour and 30-minute nap (he sleeps hard like his momma!), he played with us for a complete hour without so much of a whimper of complaint. This was a HUGE step, as previously he's only lasted a few minutes without his Didi. We're learning that he's very strong (26 pounds of Nepalese might and determination), he's very smart (he's a quick learner - stacking and nesting cups after being shown only one time, pointing at body parts in the baby book and then to his own face, etc), he's very stubborn (he'll only stop a fit...for food), and he's got a reputation for his appetite - his nickname at the orphanage is "goblay" (sp?) - which means "round" in Nepali - grin.

So, despite all going on outside the orphanage walls in the city today, inside those walls we knew were doing what we were called to do - and that you just haven't lived until you've had the sacred opportunity to love a child.