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.