James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience...

I am pretty sure that every one, young and old who has served a mission has had their faith tried one way or another....... and yet I am pretty sure that what comes through that trial is PATIENCE.   We have been in Nepal for fourteen months, we have had to get 4 visas and in the next 4 months we will need to get 2 more visas.  If and when the government of Nepal is working, it is always at a snails pace, it's pretty much "when we get around to it."  They have been trying for over a decade to have an election and to be able to write a constitution.  Elections are once again scheduled for November 19th, it looks like it may happen.  The PATIENCE of the Nepali people is pretty amazing, not so much for Sister Janet Mendenhall.  I find myself walking out the front gate and having little patience with the laws or lack thereof of Nepal, the crazy drivers, the torn up roads, the "when we get around to it" attitude.  I have 4 or 5 more months left, there is still hope for me to learn patience, I need to remind myself that my way is not always the best way, I need to remember that the Lord did not send me here to change Nepal but to help and love the people and I think that part is easy.  I love their patient attitude with me when I get discouraged and frustrated.  They are a loving and kind people.  I need to remember that when my faith is being tried, it's not about me, it's about Nepal and it's about loving and serving and learning patience.  I'm still a work in progress and the Lord is kind and patient with me and molding me to be the daughter of God that He wants me to be.  I just need to remember that sometimes.

Greg and Carol are leaving to go home next week.  I am really going to miss them, they have become very special friends and we will never forget our adventure in Nepal without thinking of the many fun times we've had with them.  Before they leave we all wanted to make sure we went to see the Tibetan Rug Factory and one of the hundreds of brick factories in Nepal.

          Brick Factory

This is the smoke stack where the bricks are cooked, there are hundreds of these around Nepal, hence one of the reasons for the pollution in the air

Tibetan woman working her loom, they sit on the floor for 8-10 hours a day making beautiful rugs.  It was lunchtime when we went and most were on their lunch break.

This is the rug Kent want to bring home

These Tibetans are also called Sherpas, the aprons the women wear identify their Sherpa cast.

The man is holding a prayer roll. and wearing Buddhists prayer beads.  I think he probably sits all day twirling his prayer roll and thumbing his prayer beads.

We also wanted to visit the Burn Hospital.  This was a very nice, clean, German sponsored hospital.  It is so interesting to see the discrepancies of so many things in Nepal.  We sometimes visit places that are clean and modern, not sure why the standards can not be the same or even close all over Nepal, maybe those hospitals or facilities that are sponsored or cared for by other countries makes the difference. This is Kent talking with the doctor at the SKM Burn Hospital. 

We have a very cute friend that works at the Radisson Hotel that likes all of us and she invited the four of us to the October Fest at the Hotel.  We stayed away from the Beer Bar but had lots of great German food.

The Nepalis in the leiderhosen and dirndl, aren't they cute?

October Fest at the Radisson

I had talked in a previous blog about Rakesh having been invited to BYU to attend a Law and Religious Symposium, he also had the opportunity to meet with Elder Gong, Elder Hallstrom and Elder Holland, each separately to discuss the political climate of Nepal and hopefully the writing of the constitution that not only allows all religions in Nepal but will allow the Church to bring proselytizing missionaries here.  What an experience that must have been.  He just got home today so we haven't had a chance to talk with him about his trip.  Can't wait to hear about their experience, they also attended a sessions of conference and met with some of our humanitarian bosses at the Church offices.

Kent greeting Rakesh with a traditional Nepali khada (scarf)

Sunila, looking as beautiful as ever even after a 26 hour flight

When they were in Provo, our girls went and picked Sunila up one day for lunch, because she had met Tiff and Lauren when they were here she wanted to make sure she got to see them again. 

Sunila, Tiff, Teresa, Kason, Tricia, Lauren and Kristen, Cami and Alisha couldn't make it :(

She even got to hold our grandson who we haven't seen yet.  I was a little jealous when I saw this picture.

Today when she arrived in the airport she gave me a big hug and said "this is from your cute grandson."

One of the interesting things about Nepal is that they have more holidays or festivals than any other country in the world but unfortunately most of these festivals take money to celebrate, keeping these people tethered to their traditions and keeping them impoverished.  Some are more extravagant than others but there is a festival for every stage of ones life.  These pictures are of a festival that is celebrated when a baby starts to eat solid foods, in English it's simply called "The Rice Eating Ceremony".  The baby gets new clothes, families and friends are invited for a large meal.  This is the little son of our HBB monitor, Karishma.

Can't remember the baby's name but here he is all decked out in his new clothes and tika on his forhead with his dad.

                 With his aunt, I need to ask about the 

garland around his neck, not sure what the significance is of the grass, but isn't he cute?

Hope he likes his solid food

We have one of our cute returned missionaries that is married to an artist.  I asked him to paint me a picture of Christ with Nepali children.  It turned out so good!  I'm having a print made so I can frame it and leave it here and take the original home with me.  

Mala (the returned missionary) is also an artist, she did the drawing and her husband Roshan did the painting.

Mala, Roshan and baby Rohana

The best part of the month was when Josh and Kristen came to visit, arriving just in time to celebrate Dashain.

The first day of Dashain - planting lemongrass, it will grow anywhere even on the dashboard of the taxi.  They plant this and let it grow for 10 days, on the tenth day they cut it and use it in their worship.  When they receive tika (a blessing by giving a red mark on the forhead) they also put the blades of lemongrass in their hair.

Josh and Kristen arriving, a looooong flight, Kristen was ready to go home before she got here, not a great experience in India, but I think they had fun once they got to Nepal.

They came on Friday, we went to Church on Saturday and then headed to Chitwan to ride the elephants on Sunday.  Before we got to our hotel we stopped by to see a couple of our wheelchair peer trainers.  We took two of our cute Nepali sisters with us, neither of them had ever ridden the elephants in Chitwan.  They were very fun to have along.

We first stopped to see Bikash, he works in the admittance office of a hospital.  He is also a Nepali singer.  He played one of his recordings for us.

Bikash, Josh, Kristen, Kent, Me, Maya and Sajana

We then went to Nishwar's home where they wanted us to stay and have a meal with them since it was Dashain.

Nishwar is between me and Kristen

Josh and Kristen's first real Nepali meal

We then got to the Paradise Hotel in Chitwan and we got settled, went to the elephant breeding ground, had a bite to eat and then went to a Nepali cultural show.

This is the first time we've been to this program, we loved it but Josh and Kristen didn't see much of it.........

Still feeling a little jet lag.......

Don't ask them how the show was, they didn't see much of it .....

The next morning we got up early to ride the elephants and it was raining, raining, raining......

Kristen just gave the elephant a tip and the elephant is giving Kristen "Namaste"

We then went back to our rooms, showered and went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast where the manager fixed us a special Nepali breakfast, everyone else was eating the buffet but we were treated pretty special. We went down to wash with the elephants but there was a long line, since it tourist season, and things had changed since the last time we were there.  Everyone had to wear life jackets and the elephants hardly went into the water.  Some of the adventure from the last time was missing. 

 Kristen did take a swing on the swings they put up during Dashain.

It rained the whole time we were in Chitwan, rather it just drizzled.

  We took the long ride, scary ride home in the pouring rain.  Josh was a little nervous on the way home after seeing many buses and trucks off the side of the road, and some hanging over the cliff.

Rickshaw ride in Thamel

Kristen saying her prayers at Swayambhu (Monkey Temple)

We went to Dubar Square and had Panna and his daughter Priti come with us and gave us a history lesson. He quizzed Kristen after, she didn't pass. They are both members of our branch, Panna used to be the branch president and Priti served her mission in Salt Lake.  

Priti and Kent (doesn't her name fit)?

Which is more colorful Kent's socks or the god behind him?

Dubar Square

All too soon the week was over and they had to leave, Kristen home and Josh had to go to India for two more weeks for work. For a minute I wanted to get on the plane with them.

Cute Sajana came to the airport to see them off.  They became good friends, and now Facebook friends.

Another good Nepali friend, Tendu Sherpa our best taxi driver.  Thought it was so nice that he gave them khada's at the airport as they were leaving.  Nepali's are soooo nice.

More Dashain pictures

They only have swings during Dashain but boy are they swings!

The kids all fly kites during Dashain..... this little guy was very serious about his kite flying, wish I could have got the kite and him in the picture.  He's only about 7.

I loved this picture of these Sherpa women walking around Bauddha Stuppa with their prayer beads.

Our new missionary couple arrived on Monday night, they've been so tired I have not taken a picture yet.  We love the Rempps and will miss them but it looks like we're in for another adventure the next few months with Elder and Sister Wasuita from Mountain Green.  He's a dentist, I wonder if he could fix my broken tooth?

We have not yet heard from the couple that will be replacing us, thought we would have heard by now. But I'll patiently wait for our release date and know that the Lord knows best. 

Where does it say that patience is a virture?  

...glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness. (Hopefully I'm  heading in this direction).

....continue in patience until ye are perfected....

..... for ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

The scriptures are full of direction and truths regarding the importance of being patient.  The one thing I have an opportunity to learn in Nepal is patience, it is a work in progress and I know that all these experience I'm having are teaching me patience.  I'm grateful and feel blessed for the opportunity.  This is a once in a lifetime experience, I have learned many things about God's children on the other side of the world, in many ways I want to be more like them especially when it comes to patience..................