So much has changed.

On April 25th 2015 around 1:30pm, I was out raking my yard when I received a call from a gentleman that I had met just a week earlier.  We'll call him Pete because that is his name. Pete asked if I had heard the news about Nepal. He went on to tell me that Nepal had just experienced the worst earthquake in over 75 years. To most of the world this wasn't news or at least news that would affect their day, week, month, or years to come like it would me. He encouraged me to reach out to my friends in Nepal and see if they were okay. By this time in my life I had already visited this tiny country tucked between China and India four times. A country many can't find on a map. Most who visit Nepal go because of its incredible trekking routes, diverse culture and of course Mount Everest, but remember most the experiences they had with the people. I always tell people, "the mountains draw you too Nepal, but the people keep you coming back." After many attempts throughout the day I received the first of many messages from a dear friend letting me know that he and his family were alive. Unfortunately many others I knew were suffering and things were about to get worse. Food would run out, clean water would become scarce, and the earth would keep moving. Homes would continue to crumble and monsoon season was coming whether they were ready for it or not. 
After several more conversations with Pete I could hear he was very concerned and then inquired when I had planned to go to Nepal? I was scheduled to fly out May 12th. 
He responded, "Come with me, I leave in a week on the 2nd"
Looking back, I laugh now at his response because he has become one of my dearest friends but five years ago I was a little shocked, we had just met. I got off the phone and asked Danielle what she thought. With little to no hesitation she said, "Go!"I decided to hang my Nepali flag outside on our porch with the light on. I didn't think much of it I just wanted to let people who may have heard what had happened that this family was praying and standing with the Nepali people. The next morning I woke up and it was gone! 

I had a lot of pent up emotions. I think I was hoping for one of these tagged places to do a story or go out look for my flag. I wanted to sit whoever took my flag down and talk to them about respect and explain to them why I had it up. I think more so I was hurt. How could someone care so little? I seemed to feel so much over a flag. Our week went on and on May 2nd I was in Nepal with Pete. I had just laid my head down after a long day of moving bags of rice and beans on to trucks so that we could take them to villages hardest hit by the earthquake. Like most nights, when I am in Nepal I grab my computer log on and talk to Danielle. As soon as I log on I see this in my messages. 

Yup, that's right. Our Nepali flag with our two very excited little boys. Now how did it end up back home? D was walking the boys to a friends house a few blocks away. On her way back something caught her eye. A block away from our home, hanging in the window of a house known as a college party house, was our flag. She then called the nonemergency line just to inquire about making a report. The operator thought it best to take a report and look into it. Danielle was able to speak with the beat officer, who then headed to the house in question. The person who answered the door said that a group had come back to the house after a night at the bars and the flag with them. The beat officer said that since the young man was cooperative and had no proof of who did it, they wouldn't not press charges, but planned to speak to the Dean of Students about the group on their unacceptable and irresponsible behavior. Another officer was at the house at the same time for another unrelated matter.

The reason this story is so encouraging to me is not so much about the flag itself but the fact that my wife had decided to take action and how our local police responded. Yes, it is just a flag. Yes, I can get another and have. When I had opened up my messages and read that night about how my wife and children are fighting alongside me and people they have never met halfway around the world I was encouraged. 

Now five years later I have to sit and reflect on that day when Pete said come with me. Like the USA, Nepal is on lock down international flights are not going in or out. Slowing us to see the children so many now support. Not being able to be in Nepal at this time is hard but I am thankful I said yes five years ago. Since that day Pete and I have gone back to Nepal together 6 times. Through our organization Tsering's Fund we have educated 100's of children. Giving all of them an education they never would have had, saving many of them from a life of poverty and some from early arranged marriage and others from being sold in to slavery.  I have been telling people that things have not really changed much for me since the world went on lockdown. After seeing this photo and realizing I haven't been in Bozeman in May in over 5 years. So much has changed and I retract my statement. I do look forward to taking Danielle and hopefully so many more people over to Nepal later this year. until then I am thankful I get to see Spring in our own mountains. I hope that all of you can find a little joy in this story and will take time to reflect on things you are thankful for. 

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