Sunday April 14 Day of rest

I talked to Denny about 6 and then stayed in bed resting.  Another great pancake breakfast from Phillip.  Evan set up  a ping pong tourney for all 6 of us.

Anabel was keeping records of the wins for the brackets. 

 I sat in hammock most of the day.  Brooks and I figured out pingpongpickleball.

Using a rope for the net, pingpong paddles, pingpong  ball.

Some lines made with magic marker.

Fried rice lunch in the yard.  More reading, resting writing time in the afternoon. 

Missy, Brooks, Anabel and I went to get stuff for tacos for supper.  I got 3 bowls.

Movie after supper.  Infinity War (Avengers)

Saturday April 13 Gymnastics

I visited with Denny as he drove to Cherokee, it was about 4:15 his time and 3 am our time. (after I had gotten up at 3 am in the night and taken Tylenol).  Great to visit with him and see updated pictures of Grands.

Pigtails for Rose.

Car ride for Jack. 

Now we took a taxi to gymnastics and are sitting and waited for class to start.

After gymnastics we walked to N. church.  We broke into small groups of 3-4 for reading the Bible and prayer requests.  This lady we met with runs a trek guide service in Pohkara that is called Three sisters.  She is a believer, and the only one in her Hindu family.  Pray for her.  Her dad is in the hospital receiving treatment.  Sweet lady, sweet spirit.

N. church started at 10:30 and was done about 12:30.  All in N.  They did have the references to texts in English.  "Someday every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."  It doesn't say confess in English.  :)

We went to a park-like place for lunch with Abby, Ross, Jude, and Rose for lunch.  

 FB post from Hannah.  Vacation thoughts.  "Can be nothing more that spending a week on the beach.  5 days on the trek baking some vitamin D into our skin.  Sucking some air into our lungs. Too bad that the trip was with more that the Jensen family.  (They had G'ma.)

I was tired all day.  Kinda like my jet lag had just caught up with me 20 days late.  A nap in the afternoon and movie watching with the Grands helped.  

Friday Aprill 12 This has been a real Treat ... a real Trek

We head back to Kat. this am.   It has been wonderful to spend time with the kids.  This has not been the norm for them nor for me.  God has really blessed my travel here ... and time here.  I traveled to N. with James. He has traveled here many times and so he had my back as I traveled very unfamiliar territory.  When I got here, I could see all of the fullness of Jensen life in Kat.  Living conditions, School setting, Transportation situations, Tremendously steep curve for learning language,  Tremendously steep need for learning language, Tremendous goal of normalcy of raising a family with God's love. And I have gotten to meet most of the people that they share life with.  Plus, I am here when the kids have a 2 week break between terms of school.  That gave us the opportunity to travel.  With the intense challenge/stress of a different culture,  the deep desire to "whatever you do, do your work Heartily as to the Lord.", the hope of spending "real life" time with children to ground them in all you believe in and hope for,  ... this trip was an oasis from the dust, pollution, schedule of the last 8 months.  Thank you, Jesus!   It has been a valuable time away to replenish in the beauty of God's creation.

We got up, packed, and had another great buffet breakfast before getting to the bus and leaving Pokhara at 7:30 am.

 We stopped at the same places to eat/RR/coffee as we did on the trip up.  Ride 2 hours thru the country and the bus would stop.   Ride 2 hours thru the country and the bus would stop.  Ride 2 hours thru the country and the bus would stop.  Let's see...  that's 6 hours of travel..The next 4 hours was stop and wait, then drive a little, then stop and wait ... then drive a little ... ETC.  ETC.    ETC.  Back home around 5:30.  So good to be home.  10 hours of bus riding is enough

  The trek has been SO much harder than I ever thought physically.  Uffta!!  There were SO many steps!!!!  I was SO unprepared!!  I am so thankful for Missy who stayed in the back of the travel group, walking slowly with me.  Always having my back, Always waiting for my (one step at a time) travel up (or down) the steps, Always willing to carry anything extra I might need, And ALWAYS holding her breath every time my foot slipped and I stumbled or slid on a damp rock.  Unbelievable!!  I could have gotten hurt so easily.  Then what???   I mean we saw one old lady being transported down the mountain by a donkey, saddle, a bumpy ride, and a thread of hope.  So glad it wasn't me.  BUT I realize I was just one slip from joining her.  Uffta!!
Thank you, Jesus for the great trek.  And safety on the trip.

Thursday April 11 Phillip's birthday

Happy Birthday Phillip!!!  May God continue to bless you and yours.  All our love to you.

Anabel, Brooks, and I watched some I phone facial recognition videos of family until 7 am when we got up for a wonderful breakfast buffet.  Quite a bit different than the last 6 mornings.  Fresh fruit, steamed bright green vegetables, crepes, and mango juice.   We ate out in a patio almost as pretty as our deck/backyard area.  We called Denny and Anabel gave him a tour of the motel/hotel; he gave us a tour of the basement new carpet.

After reading and relaxing we headed to the market, then to the area where we rented a paddle pontoon.  Wonderful 2 hours on the water.  Kids jumped in and got wet.  At the market we bought t shirts for Missy and myself, shoes for Anabel, (Phillip couldn't find a shirt that worked for him).  

Poster of Fewa Lake 

 I just lay down, rested, and watched the kids have fun jumping off the pontoon.

So relaxing.  Phillip read a couple chapters of The last Battle. (Narnia)

I chilled here while Jensen's went out for pizza for supper and then Grands and I watched a movie here while M&P chilled on his birthday.  

 I saw this on F book today and liked it!

Wednesday April 10 Short Trek Back to Pokhara

I woke up about 5:30 and turned on the light in my room.  In the Jensens' room next door the light came thru cracks in the ceiling and walls.  What do you expect for $6???   It was an easier pack up when we are headed back to Pokhara and not another day on the trek. I had coffee in the "patio" before everyone came down to eat.  Of course, the kids were playing Uno cards.  They have had so much fun.   We had the last trek "same ole, same ole" breakfast menu.  We ordered 5 breakfasts and shared it between the 6 of us.  At 8 we walked our last 30 minute Trek to meet the Jeeps that would take to town.

This is the light coming into the Jensens' room when I turned on my room light.  :)

Girls on Trek

It was about a 3-4 hour ride in the Jeeps, with a couple stops for RR.   We stopped at a look out over the city.  It was so pretty!!  We also stopped to share Good News with our guides and porters before we paid them and our 2 families went their separate ways.  We made it to Hotel Middle Path.  It looks really nice! A surprise was that they just have a swimming pool that is in operation.  Evan and Phillip went out for cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack.  Brooks, Anabel and I showered and headed to the pool area. The sun was super hot for me and the pool was super cold for them.  I rested in the room, Missy and Anabel went down to work out was "really nice with a treadmill and a punching bag".  Around 5 the kids were watching Prince Caspian and we went out to walk the city.  Phillip went back to get then after the movie was over and we walked and then ate amazing food at SoJo's.

Visiting with the Porters and the guides, sharing Good News and thanking then for their service.

This is the whole group 5 Jensen's  5 Carstens, 3 porters to carry our packs 2 guides

(one that knew what he was doing and only spoke N., the other spoke English).  

At the view from the hill,

they were parasailing over the city.  

At the Middle Park Motel, they greeted us with frozen mango drink.  Great start!!!

 Loving the pool

Loving the view from the top floor.

Loving the view, cheese balls, and chicken/honey sesame seed.
This meal was great!!!!