Today Brian and I awoke very early (4 am!) as we are still adjusting to the 11 hour and 45 minute time difference (yes, Nepal is 15 min different than Delhi). From our window, we saw a beautiful sunrise gradually illuminate the Himalayan peaks in the distance. We hired a driver to take us back to Kathmandu and there met up with an LDS missionary couple from Oregon. They have been here for 19 months and will serve for 5 more months. A second retired couple has just arrived from St. Louis. We arrived at the chapel complex where about 90 people attend. Today was a special day because the mission president who is based in New Delhi was visiting the branch. He is a wonderful dynamic and enthusiastic individual who is a retired physician. He spent his career working as an embassy physician for the US State Department. Brian and I were both asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting. Brian did a nice job bearing his testimony and also passed the sacrament along with two Nepalese teenagers. I was asked to be the concluding speaker in the meeting, and I was grateful to testify of the Savior, a privilege I have now had on five continents. A young American missionary (who has been serving in New Delhi and is now traveling with his parents) taught Sabbath School (church in Nepal is held on Saturday as that is the only day that school is not held). His mom shared with us some dramatic experiences that he had where he was divinely protected during his mission. President Jackson instructed us during the final hour of the meetings.
On the way back to our lodge, we stopped at Bhaktapur, which is the best preserved medival city in Nepal. It has three squares with temples built in the pagoda style dating back to the 1400's. In addition to climbing the steps of several of the temples (Nyatapola, built in 1702, is the tallest at 100 feet with 5 pagoda roofs), we also visited Potter's Square where we saw potters working as well as the straw kilns. Since it is harvest season, many of the surfaces in the square were covered by drying rice. Most impressive were the intricate wood carvings adorning the buildings and the stone sculptures of elephants, lions, griffins, and of the various Hindu gods.
On the way back to our lodge, we stopped at Bhaktapur, which is the best preserved medival city in Nepal. It has three squares with temples built in the pagoda style dating back to the 1400's. In addition to climbing the steps of several of the temples (Nyatapola, built in 1702, is the tallest at 100 feet with 5 pagoda roofs), we also visited Potter's Square where we saw potters working as well as the straw kilns. Since it is harvest season, many of the surfaces in the square were covered by drying rice. Most impressive were the intricate wood carvings adorning the buildings and the stone sculptures of elephants, lions, griffins, and of the various Hindu gods.
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