Connie, may this be a marvelous year for you. May you run your 5k with the greatest of ease. May you learn to love to do lunges and and have the firmest butt ever. May your coffee always be fresh. May your computer never crash. May the allergens in our room dissipate. May I learn to keep my stuff on my side of closet. May Michael always have wine to sell you when you need it. May you find the perfect facewash. May your tennis shoes always be supportive. May the network never go down. May you never miss a deadline. May your border crossings always be quick. I wish all these things and more for you on this day of days. Happy Birthday!

On the pictorial post below. They’re very interpretive and poignant. And thus concludes our Nepal coverage.

Heh. Heh. Check out page 25 of the latest Link (#34). My Interview of the Month with Robin in January made it as the featured article with pictures and everything. I feel like I’ve been published, vicariously! She gives an mightily impressive picture of the missionary work in Uganda and if you don’t have access to the Link, read it here and be amazed.

While we’re on the topic, like the importunate woman I put out another heartfelt-yet-totally-un-pressured-and-utterly-non-demanding-while-
remaining-entirely-sincere invitation to Robin to finish the interview, only if you feel like it. And I promise this is the last time I’ll ask

Fire away Chuck! Veto any photos you feel are unwarranted, and I may add my insights to yours as I feel led and in due time. And until Comrade Chuck gets around to making captions, feel free to make up your own.

CC: I did it. Its an amazingly boring job and I lost heart after the first two captions. I think though, if you read over the captions and gaze at the pictures with emotional music in the background, it will make it almost as good as one of those touching YouTube slide shows.

Since we’re on the subject of Nepal; Lily and Steven - we had the awesomest time ever and thank you so much for all your help in setting us up and putting us up and putting up with us and for just being all-around swell, fun, and delightfully dynamic people. You totally rule!

CC: A poignant and interpretive moment in Nagerkat. The view is obstructed by prayer flags. It’s a Restaurant. I’m about to have the best pot of tea ever created by man. Jules is going to have some other unimportant gruel.

Besides the above photo, which I thought captured an interpretive and poignant moment, the rest of these are ordered chronologically.

Continue reading this post…

Chuck, how about I put up the photos and you supply the captions.

Do you concur?

Nine days from today, I’m packing my backpack with four shirts, two pairs of pants, the appropriate underwear, a first aid kit, notebook for prophecies, and a borrowed camera. Then, Comrade Chuck (who will be sporting a similarly assembled backpack) and I will board a plane and eleven days from today, God willing, we’ll find ourselves in Nepal. We’ll hike, bike, scooter, swim, canoe, raft, and otherwise transport ourselves across the country for three glorious weeks of vacation. We also intend to sleep in hostels, I mention this just because it sounds so cool! We’re stoked!

Prayers are much appreciated, especially since the elections are happening smack dab in the middle of our trip, then there’s the Maoists and stuff. Pray also for my lungs and appendages; Chuck is a supreme fitness practitioner who is going to be running up and down the Himalayas the whole time, I’m hoping to just make it to the top of whatever mountains we climb in one living piece. As anyone who knows me will testify, this will involve much prayer in order to happen.

We’ll be seeing you all later and el blog will be very boring unless sister Steph decides to update it. Will also try to crank out an Interview of the Month before I leave.

So now, when the Enemy comes with around with his discouragement, trying to tell me how uncool I am, I’m gonna be all like “Yo, I backpacked through Nepal. Get outta my face!”

And she’s my sister…wahoo!

I love you Sharon. You’re amazing, smart, beautiful and I wish I knew you better. I hope this next year brings you your hearts desires. Happy Birthday, you are in my prayers.

P.S. if you really dislike this picture…send me another one and I’ll take it down.

P.P.S. I wanted to post this yesterday but our internet connection hates me.