It can be seen and felt all around, both in nature and daily living!

One November morning at 6:15 am it was absolutely beautiful outside!

The nearly full moon was shining on the mountains along the western edge of Kathmandu Valley.

The Himalayan mountains to the north were clear with the rising sun turning them hues of bright pink.The early morning air was chilly but refreshing!

These days the early morning air is filled with scents of wood burning for warmth, the dampness of the beginning of the winter morning fog, and the refreshing chilliness, eventually warmed by the later rising sun. Soon the morning fog will last all morning. More layers of clothes are being worn; flannel sheets are on beds; people are sitting in the sun for warmth during the day; bazaar streets are lined with sweaters, hats and gloves for sale; and stores are selling gas or kerosene heaters daily!Poinsettia plants, reaching up to 16 feet, are growing in private gardens or along little lanes.

Advent is here!

The five-day Tihar celebration in Nepal in mid-November reminded me of the coming of Christmas in the USA.During the first few days the bazaars are filled with people hurrying in every direction buying special foods and decorations for the celebration of Tihar.The shops were filled with brightly colored streamers and garlands made from marigolds to decorate entrance ways and homes, small clay round flat pots, special foods and nuts all to be purchased by everyone for celebrating this festival.Cars and taxis were trying to make their way through the crowds of people, who are walking, themselves moving out of the path of motorcyclists and bicyclists, all trying to get through the crowded one-lane streets.It was fun being in the crowds walking through the bazaar, amidst the hustle and excitement.It reminded me of Christmas crowds of people in shopping malls and cars slowly weaving through parking lots.

The third day of Tihar celebrates the goddess Laxmi's arrival to one's home or business to bring goodness for the coming year, so houses and shops have been cleaned and are decorated for the occasion! A path to the front door of one's home or business is painted on the sidewalk or entrance way. Close to sundown little 2" clay pots—lining pathways, walkways and entrance ways—are filled with oil, and string wicks are lit as a welcome to Laxmi.Windowsills shine with candlelight. Strings of lights hang from the roofs of homes and buildings to brighten up the evening's celebrations!Later on in the evening, groups of small children and young people go from house to house singing special songs and receiving gifts of money and sweets. Walking in the neighborhood and seeing these decorations reminded me of the Christmas lights we hang in the U.S.

The last two days of Tihar are family time, for giving gifts and eating special foods.Both days, we were invited by different friends to join them in their family celebrations!All of the family gatherings reminded me of our Christmas times with family and friends.

Thanksgiving weekend is often the beginning of Advent. We didn't celebrate Thanksgiving Day the normal way. Even so, I found myself being very thankful for many things that happened during the weekend!

That Friday was the official inauguration of the Lamjung District Community Hospital that HDCS operates.Bucky left for the celebration the preceding Wednesday. Thanksgiving Day, Valerie and I took an 8-hour bus ride to Lamjung, making the last leg of the journey up the mountain in the dark!As we were traveling on the bus, I was very aware of how thankful I was that our bus driver was very cautious!With the roads curving along a river valley or going up and down steep mountains full of hairpin turns, merely one or two lanes wide, it was nice that the driver was not aggressive, trying to pass trucks or buses on the winding road!

Lamjung Hospital is in a little town in a beautiful valley, with a Himalayan mountain right behind it!It was absolutely breath taking!The hospital renovations and new buildings were funded with mission money from Germany.Two of the missionary doctors working there are from Japan, and one, from France.So, for the inauguration the ambassador or other official people from those countries' embassies came, along with the Nepali Minister of Health, all of them arriving by helicopter that Friday morning.Their journey was all of 27 minutes!

The Christian community was also well represented.It was wonderful meeting Germans, French, and Japanese, who were serious about living out their Christian faith, right there in Lamjung, either working there as missionaries or visiting for this celebration!The group was rounded out by Nepali Christian leaders who had come from different parts of Nepal for the occasion.The GREATNESS of God working all around the world!It is truly awesome!I was very thankful!

Valerie and I rode back to Kathmandu with a Japanese missionary couple!It was a great ride with another very good driver!Going back up the mountain into Kathmandu Valley can take hours, especially if a bus or truck breaks down on the road, as then traffic becomes one lane around the stopped vehicle!But, we made it is only 5 hours!So, once again, I was thankful for the safe trip back home.

Thanksgiving weekend ended with the first Sunday of Advent.During Advent, Nepali church groups are planning caroling times, special services for Christmas, and opportunities for special ministries.Christmas Day morning we will attend a Nepali worship service.We will sing some Nepali Christmas carols and western ones translated in Nepali, and join with our Nepali brothers and sisters celebrating the birth of our Lord.Then we will all join in a Love Feast of rice, vegetable and meat curries, and lentils.

We hope you have a special Christmas Celebration, as well, rich in the knowledge that the Light that came into the world 2,000 years ago, loves us with a love that is far greater than even the Himalayan Mountains.