Our Extraordinary Pilgrimage to Nepal

Thirty-three years ago today, my life took a detour I’d never anticipated when our oldest daughter was born with hydrocephalus (too much water on the brain) at a mission hospital in Tansen, Nepal.

Today, my husband and I are at the same hospital—with that daughter, Stephanie, and her husband Daniel. This was the fulfillment of a life’s dream for her. She said, “I’ve always felt as though a piece of my life’s puzzle was missing. Now it’s complete.”

Back to where life flipped upside down

We took a tour of the hospital and the area surrounding it. Steph saw the hospital room where she spent her first night and the house where she spent one night before the arduous jeep ride to Kathmandu.

We delivered dozens of donated balloons and stuffed animals to the social services department for distribution among the children in the pediatric ward, and a couple dozen receiving blankets to the maternity ward.

We also took a little walk in the Tansen bazaar. What fun to strike up conversations with people sitting in the sunshine. One lady invited us to her rooftop and served us chai. Another group of women enjoyed posing for a “photo op,” as they called it.

This is Gene’s and my fourth trip to Nepal in ten years. Each time we return I feel more at home. I love the people and am so blessed to call so many my friends.

This trip is especially meaningful because we share it with Stephanie and Daniel—thanks to their generosity. What a gift.

Happy birthday, Steph! It’s an honor to make this trip with you and Daniel. Know you are loved,

Mom