Accident on the Mountain

Don't worry; we are all healthy and well (at least about 90%, anyway). Perhaps I should explain. Alana, Sheri and I (Bonnie) travelled to Gorkha with Pastor Raju, Karin and Matthew (from WCV) earlier this week. Actually, the bus ride there was very scenic, when you tried not to notice the vehicles passing each other on mountain curves, around the goats being herded up the mountain passes or school children walking back down to their villages. That was probably the most harrowing - when we were in the middle of passing another truck (we're not talking just little European/Asian cars but vans, smoke-billowing trucks and tour buses) on one of the curves and met (almost literally) a group of school children walking together. I was somewhat shaken when I realized they could have met with our bus and we all may have taken another track DOWN the mountain, rather than up it. However, aside from the 'exciting' ride, when we kept our eyes on the scenery, it really reminded me of Switzerland - towering mountains, houses dotting the sides all the way up, rivers, gorges and valleys winding around the bases. Truly, Nepal must be one of the more beautiful countries in the world (outside of Kathmandu, that is!) We arrived some 5 hours later at the Gorkha 'Bazaar', whence we had to walk down the mountain another 3 hours.

Then we arrived at Raju's parents' home. They are the folks who had just been baptized by Ken and Alexander Venter last month. They are in their mid-sixties and a wonderfully warm couple who put us up for 2 nights. It gets quite interesting when they have no electricity because it really gets dark without any city lights. And when you have to make your way to the squatty potty down the road, a flashlight would have helped (but fortunately we had brought candles). But their toilet is really well-engineered! (I won't go into the details). We also met Raju's grandfather while we were there, as he lives with them. He is 87 and is also coming to believe. They are thinking he may be ready for baptism as well (I'd love to be there for that!) We also met a woman and her 2 children whose husband has abandoned her since she refuses to give up her Christian faith. She now has no home but lives with whatever friend opens their house. Raju's parents are trying to have her stay in their 2nd home but, unfortunately, his grandfather isn't prepared to have a low-caste person reside with them. She works in their fields (of which they have many) in order to help pay for her children's education. Somehow she manages.

On our last evening there was when I met with an accident. It was really quite trivial, after having walked 3 hours down one mountain, 1/2 hour down another to the river to swim, and 1/2 hour back up the rocky terrain. I simply stepped in the dark down one single stone step, except off the side rather than in the middle, causing my ankle to wrench somewhat painfully. Well, Pastor Raju grabbed my ankle and I heard a tiny snapping noise. I thought he may have put something back in place. I don't know. I felt faint so I lay down, and his father massaged my ankle with some ointment. I didn't feel like putting pressure on it so, when I went to bed, I just kept it elevated. Sleep was somewhat elusive so what better thing to do than pray? Well, in the morning, I was informed that I MUST walk; there was simply no other way to get back home. So again they prayed (how glorious that Jesus' saints around the world all have the power to pray!). Then they prepared a 'home remedy' of boiling salt water and applied these HOT cloths to my ankle several times, after which I managed to walk (or rather limp). His father provided me with a walking stick and we proceeded to climb back down the mountain. Well, according to Alana, I was just too slow so she carried me down the mountain on her back. When she tired, I walked some more, then Matthew carried me down part of the way. I managed to walk down the rest and we arrived at the village by the river. There we waited 2 hours for a bus which took us across, into and through the river by turn (with the girls happily riding on top!). I should say that we almost had to walk the 3 hours UP the mountain (which we had earlier climbed down to Raju's parents' home), as the night before the river had swelled with all the rain. But fortunately the bus managed to navigate the river, driving over the stones (when I say 'stones', I don't mean gravel; I mean large stones and even rocks), only being stopped once to have its tire repaired (at least I think the noise was the tire!). At one point, it was leaning 20 degrees (on my side) and I began to think of my escape route through the window just in case! When we arrived at a big village, I prayed, "Oh, Lord, PLEASE let this be Gorkha Bazaar! But when I heard the motor starting up and saw the black smoke billowing out from beneath the bus, I knew I had to endure. Back around the mountain curves, swerving at times precariously, leaning other times, going around animals, children and other vehicles (one whole herd of goats!) until finally we arrived. There we found out the last bus had left for Kathmandu one hour earlier. Oh, Lord! Well, Pastor Raju bargained and bartered until he finally found us a more expensive ride home. This time, since I was riding in the front seat, I closed my eyes in order to be more relaxed, just in case we met another vehicle head-on (I heard that, if your body is not tense, you will be less injured in an accident!) Well, since you're reading this blog, obviously we all made it home in one piece!

The next day I went to the hospital to have my ankle x-rayed, which was another lesson in cultures. As the x-ray attendant prepared the x-ray tray and positioned my ankle, I waited for the protective cover. When he left the room and I heard the machine whirring, I wondered how they forgot that essential. So I asked him when he proceeded to take the 2nd x-ray. "Shouldn't I wear that protective covering over there (which was hanging on the wall)?" "Oh, yeah, okay," was his casual response. Only in Nepal! So I was protected on the 2nd time from the radiation. Who knows exactly what the effects are, anyway? I certainly don't. But I'm sure God covers us when we are unknowingly vulnerable! The good news is that there was no break or fracture (at least, that's what the man said who looked at my x-ray; mind you, he wasn't the orthopaedic doctor). But it's been getting better every day (even with all the walking!), which is a good thing because we've needed to walk a lot to get all the last-minute finalizations done.

I'm writing this on our last full day in Nepal, after a week of no Internet (AGAIN!). We're having a community dinner with our beloved family here, and I'm sure we'll all be crying when we leave. Please continue to pray for the people here. Our hearts are already longing to return. And thank-you SO much for holding us up all these 4 months! We love you, too. Lord willing, we'll be back home on the 17th, unless He calls us to our REAL home. But as long as He allows us, we'll just keep helping to build His Kingdom here on this side. See you soon!