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The Pause of Morning

April 24, 2012

Morning in Nepal is peaceful, sort of. There’s the tolling of bells, the barking of dogs, the whirring of water pumps, the clanking of construction, the beeps of motorcycles, the  chatter of children, the droning of prayers, the hollering of mothers, the thunking of gates. Still, I have nowhere to be and nothing to do [...]

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Shopping Is Hard Work

April 23, 2012

Around 9am, shops open, and the day picks up speed. I need to buy $5,000 in jewelry in a few days, which is harder than you think. Time to start shopping. First up: prayer bead bracelets. After examining a dizzying array of styles, beads, and sizes, I end up with 300 on order in a [...]

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Morning In Kathmandu

April 21, 2012

Wonder what I do when in Kathmandu when I’m not trekking? The beginning of the season always starts with planning and shopping. Planning to be sure everything is in place for the treks, and shopping for all the jewelry we sell in the US to raise money for our nonprofit. I’m jet lagged and reluctantly [...]

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Springtime in Kathmandu

April 20, 2012

Springtime in Kathmandu is a life lived in flip-flops. The city is warm, dusty, and dry. Rain hasn’t come in months but starts to appear in short showers that stir up the dust more than wet down the earth. I slip on my sandals the second morning and feel that not unpleasant ache between my [...]

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Dancing Into Her Future

December 10, 2011

  Ama Ghar recently had a family day and inauguration of their new building, so I went out to visit and see how Maya was doing. She had arrived at the orphanage during Tihar, which meant days of feasting, singing, and celebration — a good way to begin! As the youngest of 36 kids, she [...]

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Mom For A Day

December 7, 2011

As the newest member of our trek group, Maya enjoyed quite a bit of attention, but it was still me who was momma. Whether it meant bathroom breaks, food, buying a toothbrush, or putting on warmer clothes (my fleece worn as a dress), I was suddenly the mother of a 4-year-old (and still the guide [...]

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Maya Hitches A Ride

December 3, 2011

  I never thought I’d be carrying a child on my back through the Himalayas, but that’s exactly where I found myself. When the Sunrise family decided to send Maya to Kathmandu, they needed a way to get her there. I was hiking out to Lukla the same day and catching a flight in the [...]

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Will Maya Go To Kathmandu?

November 28, 2011

  On my way to Everest Base Camp this fall, our first stop was Phakding. Maya was looking great! She was smiling and talking and far less shy than only a few months before. She was writing the alphabet in a notebook although she wasn’t in school yet, and she clung to me with the [...]

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Decisions, Decisions

November 24, 2011

Thanks to our donors, Changing Lives Nepal raised enough money this summer to send Maya to school for a year, perhaps two. In Nepal, however, money is just the beginning of a solution. I started considering how we could best ensure Maya’s future. Maya is about 5 years old now. The family at Sunrise Lodge [...]

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Maya Means Love

November 21, 2011

  Maya Rai’s mother killed herself before Maya was 3. Her father drank too much, beat her, and married a second wife who didn’t like her. Her father wanted to be rid of her so much that he offered to give her to anyone who would take her, but no one in her village would [...]

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