Christmas in Nepal 2013

A few decorations, and a branch celebration. Mike got to be Santa Claus. Lots of singing. Lots of non-members attended the branch party. Good Food, Good Friends, Fun time.

Breakfast at Mike's restaurant.

Santa!

Branch Christmas party

singing carols. we dressed in the time period of the Saviors birth.

More singing

christmas lights on part of our church building.

Chanute Wanguche

A one time trip  to Chanute Wanguche. We were going for the 12 month evaluation of a water project. It ended up being a 3 hour hike up a mountainside to get to the tap stand at a school and a water tank. A 2 hour hike back down to our jeep. By the time we got back down my knees were killing me. I could hardly move. Won't do that one again.  We went on this trip Dec. 18, 2013

Along the roadside. Women at a tap stand getting water. I liked
the water cans.

water running across the road we had to travel on to get to Chanute

A bridge we had to cross to get there.

A closer look at bridge. I saw this and said, I'm not going across
this. We stopped and Mike and I got out and walked across,
going and coming. Too dangerous for me. Soon it will fall apart.

Hillside at lower elevation

tapstand at lower school

Mike on the trail. Thank goodness for
walking sticks. They did help a lot.

Farmer plowing his field. Only way to do this on a
mountainside.

School children at the upper school. Almost the top of the
mountain.

hiking group consisting of Mike and Betty Wasuita
behind Mike is Panna Khadgi(our water monitor for
this project) and the rest are water committee members

village woman. They wear jewels in their nose and carry
heavy loads with a strap around their head.

Cutting down a big tree in the mountains. Could take awhile

Ramkot and Dhulikhel Water projects

Both of these water projects have huge water tanks to provide water to the surrounding areas. We hope to have them both completed by the middle of 2014. The water comes from mountain spring capture.
They are about 30-45 minute drive from Kathmandu valley. so not too far.

looking at the spot where the volunteers have dug out for  the water tank to be built at
Ramkot.  Our partner is Choice Humanitarian and Vivint sent some volunteers to work here.

Ramkot's water users committee. Very friendly nice, guys.

trenches dug for pipe at Ramkot

Water tank at Dhulikhel. They just need to lay some
connecting pipe.

Terraced farmland near Dhulikhel

LDSC plaque to put on water tank at Dhulikhel. Nepalese words

Mike and a member of water users committee standing inside the water
tank at Dhulikhel.

two cute Nepali girls near the Dhulikhel water tank.

Manakamana

On the way back from Chitwan, we stopped at Manakamana. It is a town built on the top of a mountain. You have to ride a gondola up the mountain to get there. I can't imagine how hard it would be to carry the materials to build up there. They have a hindu temple there where they sacrifice live goats and chickens.  There was even blood on the floor of the gondola we were riding in. There were lots of people there. They grow wonderful mandarin oranges up there. Everyone was selling them. I always think of oranges growing in Florida or California, but not up in the mountains. It was a fun place to visit.

Hindu Temple

oranges for sale

view from the gondola

Monkey on a fence. See the snowcapped himalayas in the
background

shops and people

Hanging bridge in the valley not too far from
Manakamana. Elder Black's backside(missionary from
India) wouldn't you like to carry that load of tomatoes?

Goats for sale to sacrifice at the temple

Chitwan area

Chitwan is in the Terria area, which is more flat land and lower elevation.  a lot of farming is done in this area. It is usually warmer here in the summer and colder in the winter than Kathmandu. We did a wheelchair distribution in this area. The people are so humble and grateful for the help LDSC gives to them. We are very privileged to be able to be a part of this humanitarian service. We get realizations frequently on how blessed we are.

Mustard fields. They harvest with a scythe, press it to get the oil.

haystack. They use the stubble from the rice fields after they
are harvested for their hay.

tent village. How would you like to live in a little tent on a permanent
basis?

Wheelchair ceremony

groundbreaking ceremony for a new addition
to their disability building. They do several
things to entice the Gods to come and look down
on their ground and building.

woman working on putting clay around her home . A
small village near the elephant riding grounds.

Decorations on  a home in same village