We made it to Lukla… The gateway to the Everest region. The airport was a trip in and of itself! We were on 2 separate planes and the weather cleared for us to see the beautiful mountain passages we were flying through to theVERY short landing strip at 9,200 feet. What a rush!
We went directly to the school to give out scholarships and then made home visits.. We are in a lodge with No heat and it is to be -5 tonight! Begin trekking tomorrow… The Himalayas are so so beautiful!

We started the day with an elephant ride through the jungle! Oh my gosh…. We actually chased a rhino into the water. The jungle was beautiful.
The rest of the day was spent at the school in Chitwan at our second conference giving out scholarships and making home visits to families in the village. I have never spent a more rewarding day. The village is very rural, almost never has visitors. Everyone came out to see us… Children waited in line with fresh picked flowers , the mustard girls were brilliant yellow, the parents pride was obvious , and the welcome was extremely warm. There were very emotional moments with the children that I am certain we will be trying to process for years to come. We had Polaroids and many had never seen a photo of themselves…. Precious moments and priceless memories..,

This 5 hour bus trip to Chitwan is not for the faint of heart. The roads are full of potholes and very narrow… Often narrowing to one way, sharp curves, fast buses packed with people and areas where bridge sides are torn out—
There are small villages spread along the route with people waving and going about daily living. Most of our day was traveling time so we went late afternoon to the elephant races.! Dinner at the lodge and then a group of young men came and shared traditional dance.

It is Christmas Day and we found a Christmas Nepali celebration at a church across the city. We were some of a few non-local to attend. We created quite the stir… People were welcoming, gracious, and warm…. Many namastes and Merry Christmas greetings were shared.
We spent the afternoon doing home visits for scholarship girls . We split up so we visited about 12 homes. We got to see where the girls live, meet parents, take photos, sing songs, teach Christmas carols and enjoy tea. Some of our girls are living with a family of 5 or more in one 14 by 12 room. They were so proud we had come to see them! I brought ribbon for their hair and made ponytails… Such sweet moments. The children love attention and are very affectionate. Beautiful Christmas. We miss family and friends but what a special gift shared with these girls and their parents ! Our day ended with an ENG celebration of wonderful food, amazing new friends, songs and games.., tomorrow we travel to Chitwan

.* a mother crying and repeating Santa baad as we left the one room home
• taking photos and sharing them
• the little girl thinking buzz was no excuse for a dog
*Making braids with colored ribbons
* little voices reading out loud together
* twinkle twinkle production using flashlights on phones in a one room home
* voices rising together in prayer… The Nepali way
* ” I have to say goodbye but I don’t know how… I will see you next year. .., yes??? ”
* Bryce playing Santa
* Joy to the world!!!

Today we visited our girls at two kathmandu schools and presented scholarships. I am overwhelmed with these children and teachers. They are so bright and eager. And joyful…, it is easy to forget the environment as you get lost in the contagious smiles and giggles and deep brown eyes..,, so beautiful ! The poverty is beyond comprehension at times. We continue to try to process what we are experiencing..,,,,

ENG hosted the first career conference today and presented scholarships to the girls… Each was presented with a backpack, school supplies, and a coat . The children are so beautiful and smart and were SO excited. The smiles of the girls are so infectious and they love to talk and giggle even when the language is difficult. We found plenty in common— families , school, I played games with a group of small children outside… A form of duck- duck- goose… And then we had dinner with a group that taught us a card game with lots of laughter ! Some girls had left their village for the very first time to be here. It was a day I can’t quite put into words…. Overwhelming in the most wonderful way! We start visiting schools tomorrow…,,