It is Thursday evening now. Yesterday morning I met with Pastor Saroj and his assistant pastor in order to plan for a pastors seminar next year. He asked if I would teach mainly from the Book of Nehemiah, which is a great resource for leadership themes. So, we planned some tentative dates and I will confirm them once I look at my calendar for 2024. Yesterday evening I went to the campus of the Calvary Chapel Bible College of Kathmandu for their mid-week Bible study. I met the directors, Pankaj and Tonielle back in 2015 at the CC Missions Conference in Thailand, and we have kept in touch since then. In fact, they were recently in the states and came up to Washington and we had lunch together in Silverdale. Anyway, it was great to be with them here. While at their campus, I met a wonderful couple, missionaries who live in Medford, Oregon. Their story is similar to mine: he served as a pastor for 40 years and was then led to do missions work, training leaders in other nations, now devoting his ministry efforts to that. Their names are Mike and Lisa, and we had such a great time of fellowship. I hope that our paths cross again. I know I will keep in touch with them. Upon leaving, I became aware that many of the people there knew me. I wondered why? Well, last October I was in Kathmandu and was invited to participate in a Marriage Retreat, and many of the people in attendance last night were at that retreat! The evening ended all too soon, I was really enjoying conversing with them all.
Today I began to get things ready for the long trip home. However, I did venture out to a district called Thamel, a popular tourist place with hundreds of shops, most of them selling Pashmina cashmere goods, trinkets, clothing, souvenirs, and all things Nepali. It is a fun place and I had been there before but I wanted to get a T-shirt for my grandson Eli. Then I found a pizza place the hotel recommended and I was glad to have found it!
So, I will leave tomorrow night (Friday) and be home, God willing, on Saturday. Again, I thank you for the prayers. Please pray me home safely! God bless you all.
David
How wonderful you met that Oregon couple and have so much in common. Seems God ordained that meeting. Can’t wait to see Eli’s shirt…safe travels, Pastor Dave! I look forward to hearing your stories from this trip.