I awoke to the pure voice of a bird singing outside the window, then silence. More

birdsong followed by the homey sound of a rooster crowing. It is first light; the

small village of Relli is slowly waking. The quiet is a coveted respite for me after the

chaos of Kathmandu. I hear footsteps above me and in a few moments a song floats

in through the window and swirls around my room. “My God is so big, so strong and

so mighty. There’s nothing my God cannot do.” A lovely melody sung with angelic

voices and a powerful message. What a great way to start my day!

I arrived at the LOT Home last night after an arduous day of travel. We saw the

lights of the Home as we approached and then everything went black! All were

unfazed as power outages are common in this part of India. Within minutes

candles were lit and flashlights turned on. “Welcome Aunty,” the children

shouted. They gathered around and four children draped khada scarves around

my neck. This tradition, which originated in Tibet, is a gesture of welcome for

respected individuals, special guests or close family. I visited with the children in

the ‘gathering hall’ where they study at long tables. I interrupted their homework

with the distribution of small bags of candy, 4 pieces per bag. Like most children,

they were delighted with the treats. We all called it a night and went to bed at 8:30.