tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-128748342024-03-14T13:43:19.869+01:00The Kjernald Family AdventuresServing One God, Expanding One Family, Coming From Many Nations.Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.comBlogger693125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-33483901003220124222017-02-08T12:41:00.000+01:002017-02-08T12:41:07.944+01:00Just Wow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So we took our first trip to the far West of Nepal. We were all very excited because this would be a dream come true. Our first time as a family to meet all the kids in the Family Home. We decided to rent a jeep and a driver for the long trip. Little did we know what awaited us. However, I have to say that the boys did an amazing job at being patient and having good attitudes. </div>
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The first day was a 6 hour drive from Pokhara to Butwal. This trip is through the foothills of the Himalayas. So in other words 6 hours in S curves. David didn't feel great, but we made it to Butwal without anyone throwing up! Major success!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our many stops.</td></tr>
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Although it was a very hard drive, the scenery was amazing. I do not regret the drive just to see what we saw.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the towns that we went through on the way.</td></tr>
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When we finally got to Butwal we decided to take a walk. This city is large, but not touristy, so we were stared at the whole time. The boys really didn't like it, but it is just one of those things that you get use to here. I thought that the foothills would go into rolling hills and then flat.... but it was foothills and then absolutely flat. You can see the mountains in the background.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the sky from our hotel.</td></tr>
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The first day of travel was relatively uneventful, and that is a good thing because the next day was more eventful. We had a nice meal and a clean place to sleep. For that I was grateful. The next day we actually had rain as we were making our way from Butwal to Dhangadhi. What was meant to be a 7 hour trip, but became an 11 hour trip. <br />
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We drove on flat land for a while, but there is a mountain range that comes down into Nepal, so as we were making our way up the mountain something broke on the jeep. It is a little unnerving to hear metal hitting the underside of the car. Thank the Lord for a good driver and handyman. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is were we stopped to fix the jeep.</td></tr>
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We stopped at a roadside restaurant. Not one that we could eat at, but we had cover from the rain and a toilet to use. Not really anything more was needed. As I was shown downstairs to the toilet the pictures below unfolded in front of me. <br />
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These homes were made from wood and clay inbetween. It was not warm and there is not heat pumps. Open fires were what kept people warm and dry. Not to mention ingenious stoves made from clay. I am constantly amazed by the ingenuity of the Nepali people. They are truly amazing. <br />
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After the first fix, which actually included a piece of wood, we made it down the mountain. A bolt had come out of the shock system, so the ride was really bumpy... especially for me who had a bruised rib! We made two other stops on the road to try and fix things. On one of the stops we took a small walk. This roadside town had never seen anything like our family. We were followed and at one point a woman asked me about my kids. After sign language, broken Nepali and English, they realized that we had adopted our boys. One woman reached over and tried to give me her son. He would have nothing to do with it. (Don't worry it was all a joke). The second stop fixed our problems and we were off. We made it through Bardia National Park (without seeing a Tiger...bummer) to the other side which has this bridge. It is a very unique bridge here in Nepal. I believe it goes over the Kanali River. I had been here one other time in 2013 with Andreas' father. I was thankful to see this bridge because there is actually a restaurant we can eat at on the other side. Everyone was hungry and ready to eat. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture was taken from the restaurant</td></tr>
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After eating we had 3 more hours of driving, but it was done in the dark. Nepali people are not afraid of the road (which I think they should be). As we were driving along in the pitch black there were people riding bikes and walking with no lights. Again, we were very thankful for our driver Suman.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nepali Terai Homes, mainly of mudd.</td></tr>
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Finally in Dhangadhi we were met by Delindra (Family Home Father). All tired and bumped out we headed to bed. It was the next day that we would finally see the Family Home kids. To be continued.../kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-76010417729585688012017-01-24T19:49:00.001+01:002017-01-24T19:49:26.704+01:00Gurung<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The name Gurung is pretty common around here. It is one of the casts that have become the Ghurkas. The elite fighting men for the British or the Indian armies. Although many of them live in England or India, they still have homes and land in the hills above Pokhara. And let me tell you, it is amazingly beautiful land. </div>
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Ages ago, when Andreas and I first started dreaming of this adventure, Andreas met a soon-to-be friend on Airbnb. Ajit Gurung had many apartments available to rent and Andreas contacted him. Then the devastating first earthquake hit Nepal. As we were checking on friends to make sure they were okay, Andreas contacted Ajit. Him and his family were okay, but he was trying desperately to raise funds so that he could get supplies into the most devastated areas. They were many villages that were closer to the epicenter, but were receiving no help. Our wonderful friends and supporters in Sweden and Norway gave and we were able to help buy rice, tarps and clean water. Ajit made sure it got to the people that needed it. </div>
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Last February, Andreas traveled to Nepal to check on the Family Home. He also made a detour to Pokhara. His motive was to check out the apartments for us. He met with Ajit and looked at several apartments, including the one we now call home. </div>
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Ajit has been extremely helpful and a friendship is growing. We had the priviledge of being invited to see Ajit's home village. So on Monday we set out on another adventure. We started on paved roads and made our way to a man made stone road. I believe that I know what popcorn feels like now. The stone road is an amazing testimony to the hardworking people of Nepal. I cannot imagine the time and labor it took to build it, but it was "slightly" buppy. However, we were well rewarded with beautiful vistas and wonderful Nepali people. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All these stones were hand laid and there were many of them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxg6i74PdywSu2x7WqB0N2URVMnT4-b6iheABfVQdsXnRDYXm5plzp0CzWO9UMKmuN1plMCwyR0d2XeDqsx3DTi7kRzaizLdXqRow31jozqfjNiNcJV5pT86QuON5V8Gkx4R60/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxg6i74PdywSu2x7WqB0N2URVMnT4-b6iheABfVQdsXnRDYXm5plzp0CzWO9UMKmuN1plMCwyR0d2XeDqsx3DTi7kRzaizLdXqRow31jozqfjNiNcJV5pT86QuON5V8Gkx4R60/s640/IMG_0880.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These stones are to hold bamboo fences in place. Made by hand without machines.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jn_1BW7UWHEmXy0se1eauKLPJYnriCq7r-KDsDxvWUVXZzIrvsyEIkVsYN4JCNvwfar7IjpJVrnuXsS_gbTcWO3NC25Qfgfn4SlOuCZBv2TdlfUUp-cg2VNyun4JqUHiIBII/s1600/IMG_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jn_1BW7UWHEmXy0se1eauKLPJYnriCq7r-KDsDxvWUVXZzIrvsyEIkVsYN4JCNvwfar7IjpJVrnuXsS_gbTcWO3NC25Qfgfn4SlOuCZBv2TdlfUUp-cg2VNyun4JqUHiIBII/s640/IMG_0884.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Annapurna Range</td></tr>
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It was a beautiful sunny day. We took snacks and water with us. I believe that might have been David's favorite part of the day. Both David and Sam were troopers as we walked quite a ways. They both enjoyed getting to know Ajit also. (Love the pic below of David)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVJ7s2REyZMQnpnBrjLFrWnnl773mDiSWJcqUT2I4bb60pgbkFYUJ8P6f4cbzy_UQi9TIBYVYRCYR75n9Ws4DjVL0hops9BCaboiBOKjfUMI-UUiVgAcKkZnqBOsiGLpaCJdE/s1600/IMG_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVJ7s2REyZMQnpnBrjLFrWnnl773mDiSWJcqUT2I4bb60pgbkFYUJ8P6f4cbzy_UQi9TIBYVYRCYR75n9Ws4DjVL0hops9BCaboiBOKjfUMI-UUiVgAcKkZnqBOsiGLpaCJdE/s640/IMG_0895.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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Chowing down on some chips when he thought no one was looking. </div>
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Unfortunately for him, mommy has a long zoom on her camera!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Qt8ctMUBk1pnPxuem5_2cgxiiz-PsL65AQlPF0N_sKK9UySpBZnQ3MOj_RuexCACVsZtOMldD9ZU-wQ0TKUKpbE1huYvZV4LSg6g6pueGMqRHcKw4ruUaEfnhNH_kTYcZFCt/s1600/IMG_0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Qt8ctMUBk1pnPxuem5_2cgxiiz-PsL65AQlPF0N_sKK9UySpBZnQ3MOj_RuexCACVsZtOMldD9ZU-wQ0TKUKpbE1huYvZV4LSg6g6pueGMqRHcKw4ruUaEfnhNH_kTYcZFCt/s640/IMG_0902.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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This is Fishtail Mountain. It is considered a holy mountain by the people and it is not allowed to climb to the peak. </div>
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We have the pleasure of waking up and seeing this grandeur everyday!</div>
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The other side of the foothills that look away from the Himalayas is covered in terracing. Right now the terraces lay dormant, but in rainy season they will all hold rice. It is astounding to see all the terracing and know that it was done by hand, not machine. For hundreds of years the people have lived here and farmed this land. Now, not nearly as many live up on these hills. There is little water and Ajit says it is a harder life on top. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwT-7B0xBzMZuK7NizDwBJ1vbeaPmjN3at-I7TMvD7NelEGuks2i9T2wrfbumDd0IZltg62mOFCjh1nBntWpyVJZVQZdFpUKxDRFDOV5XkfzaTrHaXC0zugUJj2dQTMoFVAkk0/s1600/IMG_0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwT-7B0xBzMZuK7NizDwBJ1vbeaPmjN3at-I7TMvD7NelEGuks2i9T2wrfbumDd0IZltg62mOFCjh1nBntWpyVJZVQZdFpUKxDRFDOV5XkfzaTrHaXC0zugUJj2dQTMoFVAkk0/s640/IMG_0909.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkCKK48Gqaor3Q5gHrdFDhj5l8G2SEWjnjVFIDLxptxP_llSLklM4Zhiuken9fHes5wHFmz1FX702kKHvaBrLDoBx9wWmOx-s2YgCpOhq8FAsjhJ3lZmqwk_mdYTHs2NGsPUx/s1600/IMG_0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkCKK48Gqaor3Q5gHrdFDhj5l8G2SEWjnjVFIDLxptxP_llSLklM4Zhiuken9fHes5wHFmz1FX702kKHvaBrLDoBx9wWmOx-s2YgCpOhq8FAsjhJ3lZmqwk_mdYTHs2NGsPUx/s640/IMG_0910.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade stairs and road. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcI3973DTuLl9-ZrIXdRAkOLF_1eA8BiDc4lhLkyNjdC0vk-kT7Ee-2OhWqu50ndyZvNQN5MTZxhJzzprweyiv4geJtiSoQSZZJuXmsV-veMSWJK0pPZJmYcuE02rFNLHAKDH/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcI3973DTuLl9-ZrIXdRAkOLF_1eA8BiDc4lhLkyNjdC0vk-kT7Ee-2OhWqu50ndyZvNQN5MTZxhJzzprweyiv4geJtiSoQSZZJuXmsV-veMSWJK0pPZJmYcuE02rFNLHAKDH/s640/IMG_0919.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No filters needed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI25Kb6Ok8dCftDLvYrtIOUWJM_j20uC7mlu5OPESLEULP7snk0zomnzzfwTVzB5Bq49b7MTG7-jrvYVm7wrURZPhe1pYc49eMs9z1z4DmkYJB_T4asyz4eSo2WHI-HtxfYzC/s1600/IMG_0938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI25Kb6Ok8dCftDLvYrtIOUWJM_j20uC7mlu5OPESLEULP7snk0zomnzzfwTVzB5Bq49b7MTG7-jrvYVm7wrURZPhe1pYc49eMs9z1z4DmkYJB_T4asyz4eSo2WHI-HtxfYzC/s640/IMG_0938.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishtail</td></tr>
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Ajit has a love for his village, even though he did not grow up here. His ancestors and dad are from here and he claims it as his own. He did not even know his village had such amazing views of the Himalayas till he was 24 years old. Now, Ajit and his father are trying to buy land to start a farm. It was beautiful land and we were priviledged to get to experience it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB3jVWseTAz8IgLAMyQHW8WuYvs-RncSqt9-AX0p4ZDlSFYuatOYA-aCBP_w7omM11qO6s1zU8CQAQ6a6Lru1ljjw1vsVOcw4mg7-lErGC0LFUbmjRlV5GP7eLtUfYMI7vraE/s1600/IMG_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB3jVWseTAz8IgLAMyQHW8WuYvs-RncSqt9-AX0p4ZDlSFYuatOYA-aCBP_w7omM11qO6s1zU8CQAQ6a6Lru1ljjw1vsVOcw4mg7-lErGC0LFUbmjRlV5GP7eLtUfYMI7vraE/s640/IMG_0947.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ajit's new admirers.</td></tr>
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Both Sam and David took this time with Ajit to ask many questions that they would not be able to ask a stranger. I loved listening to their interactions with him and the indepth questions that flowed. Ajit was patient and wonderful with the boys. I think Sam really liked that he was just about as tall as a full grown man! Thank you Ajit for this wonderful day and the experience of seeing your village. It is a special and awe inspiring place. Pictures can never do it justice, but I tried. <br />
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In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. Psalms 95:4/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-45977198297581641042017-01-19T19:10:00.004+01:002017-01-19T19:10:51.063+01:00Back Street Academy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we did our first Back Street Academy class. For those of you who are interested, Back Street Academy is a way of getting to know the locals as you travel and taking classes in their homes. It is also a way that some of the locals make their living. It is an amazing concept and I am really excited that my husband found this. The Back Steet Academy is in several countries. The list I could find said: Nepal, Laos, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar. If anyone is interested you can look them up at <a href="http://backstreetacademy.com/">backstreetacademy.com</a> </div>
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So today Samuel, David and I took a taxi to a meeting spot and a beautiful young woman named Dawa met us and took us back to her home. Dawa's mother Tenzin would be our teacher. We were learning how to cook Dhalbat, rice and chicken, Nepali style. </div>
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Tenzin and her famiyl live in a Tibetan settlement in Pokhara. They are also known as Tibetan refugee camps because the families here fled as China took over Tibet in 1959. Dawa's father was 4 when his family made the treacherous journey over the mountains. He lost 2 sisters during the trip. There are four of these settlements in and around Pokhara. Several of the Back Street classes are taught by the Tibetan families. They still do not hold citizen papers in Nepal, so they make their living by making jewelry, rugs, etc. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tibetan Settlement. It was clean and well kept. There was also a SOS barn children's home here. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGHGU6AjM4EyL1SJ5lEA10g2_7nEwsiAzxgGrQtUj-R7vlaKvOq9uQmXN2QqMXMzuzTp0YoVK7BiS6BSF7UEDvDx4h0ItCiIlT6DoovuYviS0Mc8Yh3NZgoP5DVc5Qr7s4cKS/s1600/IMG_0866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGHGU6AjM4EyL1SJ5lEA10g2_7nEwsiAzxgGrQtUj-R7vlaKvOq9uQmXN2QqMXMzuzTp0YoVK7BiS6BSF7UEDvDx4h0ItCiIlT6DoovuYviS0Mc8Yh3NZgoP5DVc5Qr7s4cKS/s640/IMG_0866.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The boys both got to participate in the cooking and we wrote down everything so we could recreate it in our own home. Sam turned twelve last September and on his list for this year was learning how to cook. Pretty cool that it is a Nepali meal that he will be cooking.<br />
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Samuel quietly said to me, "Mom, how can they cook when the kitchen is so small and they don't have nice stoves?" I love that my boys are seeing another side to life. My answer, "they cook with what they have and it will be delicious." He left it at that. I think he was quite excited to be a part of this. He repeated many times that he was excited that this was school. We will be taking a few more cooking classes with Tenzin. Their family was extremely kind. <br />
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The picture above was Dawa serving the completed dishes. Ahhh, rice! My boys love rice. They also really enjoyed the meal they learned to make. David would not stop eating! It was amazing that we were able to be in someones home and learn a little more about their culture and language. Tibet culture is different from Nepali and they have done a good job trying to keep their culture while adapting to Nepal. Tenzin still wore a sweatshirt that read, "Stand Up for Tibet" on the back. They have their own schools, monasteries, temples and dress. Yet you would not be able to pick them out on the street. Dawa said that the Nepali people treat them with respect and do not discriminate against them. However, because they are not allowed Nepali citizen papers they cannot leave the area either.<br />
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We were not the only ones to be educated today. It is not often you see a Caucasian American mom with two beautiful Asian boys. So we were asked lots of questions about adoption and the boys' stories. The boys' pitched right in and explain a lot themselves. I love that they are owning this! In the end you can see that these women were smitten with David and Samuel. (Isn't Dawa beautiful!) <br />
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We will definitely be returning to take more cooking classes. I believe momos are on the menu next time. David will be glad because they are his favorite! There is also one for learning to make Tibetan bread. I think we will be enjoying them all. <br />
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On another note, we were invited by our landlady to enjoy a Nepali meal with them. She is an excellent cook and I am still stuffed! She has two boys ages 14 and 11, so I hope that Sam and David might develop a friendship with them. That would help them not feel so isolated. I did not get a picture tonight, but maybe Andreas will post one on FB. <br />
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Have wonderful day. Your prayers and comments are appreciated! Don't forget to find your own adventure, or come join ours!<br />
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<br />/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-25858626347520380152017-01-15T18:36:00.001+01:002017-01-16T18:45:23.410+01:00The Seti and people<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today we took a cab and wanted to see the Seti river and the expansion bridge that goes over it. So we called a friend to ask the name and he told the cab driver. When we stopped we thought it looked a little different. But we paid for a ticket and went in. In total it took 15 minutes and we saw the Seti River gorge. Cool to see, but not exactly what we were looking for. So we set off again and found it on the second try. A little outside of Pokhara proper there is the Seti River and rock quarry. There is also a very long bridge that goes over it. It probably looks scarier in the pictures than it was. It was metal and felt stable. However, there was a little twinge in the belly going over it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the prayer flags hanging from it. It makes it look festive.</td></tr>
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One of the reasons we came here is because Sam wanted some open space to fly his drone. That was the one toy he really wanted to bring with him. Well, not many have seen drones here and we became quite the spectacle. One lady even tried to talk with Sam in Nepali and was confused when Sam asked her to speak English. Luckily we had our taxi driver with us. (He is the brother of the Landlord for our apartment. His name is Prem and he is very nice and helpful.) I started taking pictures of the children that stopped to watch and ended up with a few really nice pics. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still in school uniform</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not so sure about me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying the drone with Prem taking a picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Namaste!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little one warmed up to me when I showed her the picture that I took of her. She is beautiful!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlYgF_gWMJvOZHVEtsDrUKbcbOtpz6f9zHNDKJPdi2WC7KQuPNXWmI5UlQFDCtltwLUpJiVf-ZVtihZ11i4Oj2nSSTAtXKr90hq04EMSWEt8M_XVlfQLSsIH9sPsXPohpaXq7/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlYgF_gWMJvOZHVEtsDrUKbcbOtpz6f9zHNDKJPdi2WC7KQuPNXWmI5UlQFDCtltwLUpJiVf-ZVtihZ11i4Oj2nSSTAtXKr90hq04EMSWEt8M_XVlfQLSsIH9sPsXPohpaXq7/s400/IMG_0790.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is a view when we made it down to the river. David loves rocks and we wanted to get to the river so he could find a few that he liked. This plan may backfire as we have to get things home after being here 5 months and a suitcase full of rocks does not sound so good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My three boys. Love them so much. </td></tr>
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It was a really nice trip. We also got to see oldtown Pokhara and we found a Catholic church that <br />
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has English speaking services every Sunday. We will try that next Sunday. I miss worshipping in community so I am looking forward to it. Although, I do not know how they will react to protestants worshipping there. I guess we will see. I am looking forward to it because Nepali people worship loudly and I enjoy it. God created us all to worship and relate to him differently. I am excited to see how the kids handle it. </div>
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On a side note, Saturday is Holy Day in Nepal. It was interesting to see how everyone treated it here. I would say most went to the Hindu or Bhuddist temples and did the rituals that they always do. However, I really liked how everyone referred to it as the Holy Day. It got me thinking how we as Western Christians treat the Sabbath and what we consider Holy. What do you consider Holy? Does it make an impact on your life? Do we treat the Holy like the mundane? I feel lulled into apathy so many times. However, as I experienced directly tonight, with a major answer to prayers that have been prayed for a long time the Holy is here. He is listening, loving, beconing us to Him. Take some time to think about it. I know I am. </div>
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We are still trying to settle in and get the things we need. I have found Iodine solution to wash the veggies and we are starting to cook a little for ourselves. I look forward to more of that and less restaurants. I think the kids are actually looking forward to it also. I will be working on cooking Nepali food because we all love it. The kids miss their friends, but say they are still really glad to be on this adventure. I am really proud of them and how they have adjusted. Finding a new normal is not easy, but we are doing well. </div>
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Have a great week to all those out there. As I mention before, God does answer prayers and He loves to hear from us. </div>
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Blessings!</div>
/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-26711979465339658992017-01-13T18:44:00.003+01:002017-01-13T18:44:47.100+01:00Simple ThoughtsWell, we have made it just over a week in Nepal now. There are moments when I think we just may be crazy. Then there are adrenaline moments of adventure and sweet moments meeting people or watching Sam and David playing together. I had several sweet moments today that I would like to share. <br />
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As many of you know, Andreas and I are homeschooling the boys here in Nepal. We have started a little each day. Today, after eating breakfast on the rooftop, school just happened. It ended up being Sam and I together. We went through several subjects, but the last is what became sweet. My oldest is like me. He is extroverted and likes to move and be social. He likes to read, but struggles to calm himself enough to get into a book (he will grow out of this like me). He loves stories and being read to and making stories up on his own. Today I was talking to him about books that we are going to read while here in Nepal. I especially focused on reading about missionaries. <br />
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I began by telling him the beginning of the story of Jim Elliot. I would like him to read "Through the Gates of Splendor". He hung on every word, but of course I didn't give the ending away. He wanted me to tell him so badly, so just maybe I have given him a reason to read. We also talked about Dr. Livingstone and Amy Carmichael. (Any suggestions would be appreciated). <br />
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Talking about these missionaries led us into a discussion about faith. Sam will be 13 this year and it is time that he starts making decisions about his faith. He will have to decide for himself and not believe just because mom and dad do. This is a scary, but also exciting, time as a parent. He answered me very thoughtfully with a little bit of teenage attitude. As a mom my biggest prayer is that he grows into a man that follows after Christ. It is these sweet moments, I get a glimpse of Samuel's heart. I see a lot of deep thinking and an amazing heart for people. I can see that being here in Nepal has started him thinking about a lot. We see Hindu and Bhuddist temples everywhere. We experience things that has never crossed his radar before and it is all going in to tumble around in his amazing heart. The sweet moments come when some of that comes out and I see how Jesus has shaped his heart for bigger purposes. I will hold onto these moments as he grows and I continue to pray for him. Your prayers would also be appreciated. <br />
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This was before he rowed the boat right into a branch with a snake on it. Needless to say his dad was almost in a panic. Sam thinks it was hilarious. </div>
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Another sweet moment today was talking with some locals that have a small store (a hole in the wall) just a few doors down from us. I was looking at lentils (which I have never cooked) and asking them how to cook it. Now, you have to remember that they can speak some English and I can speak no Nepali. The woman was laughing as I asked the questions on how to cook it. She was not laughing to be mean, but in their world it is very strange that I have never cooked them before. We all travel and think how strange some cultures are compared to our normal. It is good to be reminded that I am the strange one here. I don't mind being laughed at a little because I am willing to learn and make mistakes in learning. For instance, to cook lentils, a pressure cooker (small pressure pot) is used. A friend told us tonight that you have to be careful because sometimes the pressure nozel gets stuck and you don't realize the pressure is too high. So now I am quite sure at some point I may blow up my lentils. I promise to post a picture if this happens! I hope that I can take some perfectly cooked lentils to them before I leave!<br />
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And lastly, we had a friend visit today. This friend is one that has helped us find our apartment. Andreas actually met him through Air bnb. We extended our relationship to him after the first earthquake because he was helping the villages that were near the epicenter of the quake. We raised support to buy rice, clean water, tarps etc. He has been honest and forthcoming in everything. He is very nice and has helped us with details in Pokhara even though he was taking exams and sick, while trying to care for his family and run his restaurant (Nepali people are not lazy!). This friend came today to take Andreas around to find the best places to buy food and other supplies. He was very kind and I really appreciated it. <br />
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So my heart sings praises to Jesus. He has cared for me in my stubbornness. He has ordered our time here and placed many in our path. I am excited to see what the next months bring. "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus..."<br />
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I will leave you with a few more pictures of the colorful boats in the lake. Can't get enough of them. To all my friends in Scandinavia... say no to grey!<br />
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/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-66630481332499289092017-01-11T18:10:00.002+01:002017-01-11T18:10:52.723+01:00Promised pictures #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ok here are some of the promised pictures. It has taken us a while, but my intelligent husband has figured out a way for me to post them. </div>
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On the plane to London, I noticed we had a Norwegian celebrity with us. Skavlan was kind enough to take a selfie with Sam and I. Of course I forced Sam to come with me. Everyone is kinder when there is a kid there. </div>
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This was the first glimpse of the Himalayas out the window. </div>
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Sam, seeing his homeland for the first time in 11 years. It was a happy moment for this mamma, but I think he was really too tired to appreciate it. </div>
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After being awake and traveling for about 24 hours, we crashed. This is what I woke up to on our first morning in Kathmandu. My sons are such divas!</div>
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David was really interested in the Bhuddist prayer wheels. You can not see it, but Bobby is behind the wheel teasing David and David is loving every moment of it. </div>
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<span style="color: black;">This is Boudanath Stupa. It is the biggest in Kathmandu and a holy place for the Bhuddist. Especially since Nepal has so many Tibetan Bhuddist exhiles. I have been here a ton of times, but these maybe the best picture I have gotten so far. There was some sort of festival going on a hundreds of monks and monks in training were there. </span></div>
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That is all for now because I am frustrated with this program. I will try to post more tomorrow. Goodnight from Pokhara Nepal./kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-14097736359719870502017-01-09T19:25:00.001+01:002017-01-09T19:25:11.994+01:00The BeginningWow, what a few days can bring is amazing. It hasn't even been a week. Today is Monday, I think. We left on Thursday. It feels like such a long time, but it is only 5 days. We are worlds away from Scandinavia and we know it with every sense in us. <br />
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For those who don't know, we have been to Nepal many times before. However, this is the first time with our children. I thought I would be more stressed traveling with them, but it has been really good. Don't get me wrong, I still worry about things. For example, when I think they are getting out into the street too far and some vehicle is going to smoosh them, then I get worried. But most of the time I really enjoy seeing things through their eyes. <br />
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So here is what has happened so far. Andreas took a sabbatical for 6 months, we sold our home in Mysen, took the kids out of school and have been planning for this trip for about a year and a half. We left from Oslo on January 5, 2017. We were flying to London, when low and behold, I spotted a Norwegian celebrity on the plane. Of course I knew I had to get a pic. So at some point on the flight I made Sam come with me and we took a selfie with Skavlan (this maybe the 2nd selfie I have ever taken). <br />
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We landed in London and then on to Muscat in Oman. We landed late and of course left David's coat on the plane. However, by God's grace, we got the coat back and made our flight to Kathmandu. We landed in a warm Nepal, went through all we needed to obtain a visa and then met our friends. Bobby and Prakash took us to the hotel where I finally got some sleep after 24 hours of being awake. Sadly our hotel, which looked awesome on the internet, was not. We chose it because it had rooms with 4 beds. The beds were fine, however, not very clean and we shared a wall with a night club. Now it has been a long time since I have been in a night club, but I had a great dance party in my bed until 3 in the morning! Let's just say I was not a happy camper.<br />
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We spent one full day in Kathmandu. Bobby spent the day with us and we went to the normal sights to show the kids a few things. Boudanath stupa was the first stop. It is a Bhuddist worship place. There was a big festival going on. There had to of been hundreds of Bhuddist monks there. We went over to the Hotel Himalaya. This was the hotel that we stayed in when we adopted Samuel. It was so cool to show him this place and a little of the area 11 years later. We then went to Patan area, ate and saw some of the temples, or the destruction of the temples from the earthquakes. <br />
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On a side note, I am incredibly impressed at how much of the rubble is cleared from the earthquakes. You can still see some the destruction, but it has been blocked off for safety, or the rebuilding has already been taking place. To be honest, I expected to see a lot more destruction. There are areas where people have set up tent cities and they still live there. They lost everything in the earthquakes and they don't have the money to rebuild. Not an easy life at all. Over 8000 people died in those earthquakes. Bobby said that the aftershocks are still happening. It has been almost 2 years since they happened. <br />
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So after Patan we went to the monkey temple. This temple is both Hindu and Bhuddist. Some of it was destroyed, but they are rebuilding it. It has a proper name, but most people know it as the monkey temple because it has a ton of monkeys running around. Bobby was warning the boys about the monkeys and it scared them a little. I was okay with that because the last thing we needed was a round of rabies shots. By the end of all this we were ready to find our hotel and rest. For those who have not been here it is chaotic. Especially coming from Scandinavia. We are used to quiet people and quiet streets. Here there is sound everywhere, they honk like crazy (Sam was not thrilled with this), sounds and smells and color and chaos is everywhere. I love it! However, it does make one tired. <br />
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Because of the early mentioned dance party we decided to leave one day early and get to Pokhara, which is where "home" will be for the next 5 months. It was Sam's first flight in a propeller plane. I think it scared him a little, but these pilots have done this millions of times and we landed safely. The flight is a beautiful one. Although we did not have clear skies we still saw some mountains. <br />
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We made it to our apartment, which is great! This will be a good place to call home for a while. We are now in the process of getting the things we need and settling in. We have a friend here named Ajit who is helping us. Tomorrow we will officially start school with the boys. I think David is really missing routines. <br />
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All in all, life is good and this adventure is in full swing. We are extremely thankful for our family, safety, and the friends that we have here. I will have to apologize because this post will not include pictures. It is not easy to get pictures from a Microsoft phone to an Ipad and then use blogger which is google when you have to download everything from a Microsoft one drive. I know, it is a first world problem, but we are having it. So I will repost this with pictures as soon as we can get it to work. <br />
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Now it is time for bed. So goodnight, no dance party tonight and I am grateful./kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-21744483452690491062017-01-04T21:41:00.000+01:002017-01-04T21:41:23.741+01:00TomorrowWe are on our way tomorrow. We will leave from Oslo and head for London, then Muscat then Kathmandu. We would appreciate prayers as emotions and stress can run high during travel. Pictures will start when we get there. /kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-6571503728169960022016-12-23T23:13:00.000+01:002016-12-23T23:13:24.231+01:00The StartI know that some of you have this address and are waiting for posts. Right now we are still in Norway for Christmas. We will be finishing our move by the 28th of December. We sell the house on the 2nd of January and we fly out the 5th. <br />
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Right now it is a bit stressful. We have three sick in the house (better now than later), we are packing up, but still trying to have all the Christmas trimmings. God has helped in so many ways. We give praise for Him guiding us as we embark on this adventure.<br />
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As we celebrate God becoming man, let us not forget those that struggle with:<br />
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Depression<br />
War<br />
Slavery<br />
Sickness<br />
Loneliness<br />
Hunger<br />
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We need to remember to pray for them. For our world that needs the Savior that we celebrate. <br />
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Merry Christmas to all. Time to start a new adventure!<br />
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<br />/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-38702602355785954172013-06-12T17:49:00.001+02:002013-06-12T17:49:26.577+02:00Flying ByI cannot believe it has been a month since I have written here. All I can think is where has the time gone? So here is a preview of the things that I am going to try and catch up on. <br />
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May 16th....we cannot believe it but it has been two years since David walked into that little office in Urumqi, Ch*na and we were officially his mom and dad. This little boy has changed so much, as have we. I am so thankful to have him as our son! More to come with pics hopefully.<br />
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May 17th...we celebrated our first National Day in Norway. These Norwegians love their country, that is for sure! It was a lot of fun and will be looking forward to their 200th year next May.<br />
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May 20-21...Farmor and Farfar were able to get tickets to Liseberg for the whole family. This included all day passes for all the rides. We were able to get to Gothenburg and had a wonderful day with cousins, Aunt and Uncle, and grandparents. <br />
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May 25th...a years since we had arrived home with David.<br />
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June 2nd...David is starting pre-school and I am working up to letting him be alone there. He is doing beautifully and although this is hard at times, I believe will be really good for him. <br />
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June 7th...We had Andreas' 20 year high school reunion. Can it really be that we have been out of high school that long? Although I am thoroughly glad...it was not the best of times for me. However, it was really good to meet up with his old friends and see what was going on in everyones lives. <br />
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June 8th... a years since Morfar died and our Board meeting for the non-profit in Sweden. As we remembered the wonderful man that Morfar was and how much he added to all our lives, we dove head first into our desire to help with Nepal. It was a great meeting that really showed us that the Board cares about what is going on. <br />
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We would really appreciate your prayers right now with Nepal. We sent money for their monthly expenses about two weeks ago and they still have not received them in Nepal. Please pray that we can work this out with the bank quickly...as they need the money in Nepal!<br />
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Hopefully, I will get time to put some pics up and share with you how God has sustained us through all of this. I am also working on getting my CV together and finding a job. That is another one that could use a lot of prayer. <br />
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Praying for so many of you. If you have a prayer request, please feel free to share it. Would really love to pray for those who have always lurked. <br />
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Blessings,<br />
LaurieKjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-71683272209338760082013-05-13T20:40:00.001+02:002013-05-13T20:40:09.012+02:00Mother's DayWell, it was American mother's day on Sunday...and yes, I am American and I am a mother. However, my husband had a fever and sore throat and it isn't mother's day in Norway so the kids had no idea. Even so, I am very thankful and blessed to be the mother to my beautiful boys!<br />
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One exciting thing that happened was since my husband couldn't get out of bed, I did church for him. (never thought that would happen) No, I didn't preach, but we had a family table discussion on the Spirit of Adoption, being a part of God's family...Jesus our brother and God our Father. We talked about our image of God and how that was formed, what it actually means to be a family in church, and what that means in real life. It was good, made me think at least, and pray more.<br />
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Blessings,<br />
Laurie<br />
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<br />Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-75548802736531461302013-05-12T09:00:00.003+02:002013-05-12T09:00:58.821+02:00Is the Lord Calling?I know...these post seem fewer and fewer and my time is less and less to make them, but I have a quick one!<br />
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I have received emails about a disruption in the States of a 12 year old Asian boy. He needs a family NOW, so he can have permanency and healing. I cannot give details and of course no pics, but if you are interested in all that please contact Lynne at LynneM@wacap.org<br />
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(just for the record....there is nothing wrong with this child, disruptions happen for many reason...please do not be hasty to judge or discount this child or the parents disrupting, but in all things pray the peace and grace of God abounds!)<br />
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Blessings,<br />
LaurieKjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-82201480097522591112013-04-14T23:54:00.002+02:002013-04-14T23:54:43.483+02:00Finally...my turn!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today was David's 5th birthday. He has been asking for about 8 months when it was his turn to get a birthday. He doesn't remember his 4th birthday or at least didn't understand enough to know it was a birthday. </div>
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We picked David up in China a little after his third birthday. He had received two major surgeries for his cleft lip/palate and could not manipulate his upper lip very well as well as his palate. Even though he understood Mandarin, he could not speak it. As a three year old he had to get use to new food, new people, new country, show his independence, learn two languages and a million other things. It is not surprising that when he turned 4, he still did not understand what a birthday was all about. </div>
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He really started noticing that people had birthdays as he saw some of his friends receive gifts from us and have parties. Then, last September, when Samuel had his 8th birthday the questions started to come. ''When do I get a birthday?'' So it was then that the countdown began and this weekend came to fruition. </div>
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Now David is, in many ways, the exact opposite to Samuel. Where Samuel would eat up the attention, David struggled with being the center of it. Hence the picture below when it was time for him to open presents...he hid.</div>
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I finally got him to take a picture with me and the gifts, but he still had a hard time looking at the camera and keeping his had off of his face. <br />
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However, my little shy guy loved having a birthday. We celebrated with Farmor/far yesterday and had several cakes made for him from the church today....he really struggled with them singing to him. So as his shyness grows stronger we are working out ways to help him enjoy the day and still hide in our chests when he needs too. He will also have a kids birthday party later this week (5 is a big deal!)<br />
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So would you please leave a message saying happy birthday to my wonderful 5 year old. I think he would appreciate it over the computer much more than singing to him in person.<br />
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Blessings,<br />
Laurie<br />
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<br />Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-15023477409689693052013-04-08T22:51:00.001+02:002013-04-08T22:51:20.560+02:00FAMILY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As I finally get back on the computer, I wanted to share about family. </div>
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As we all know, our family has been grown by adoption. The Lord has blessed us with two wonderful boys who drive us crazy, keep us on our toes, and giggle and scream as much as possible. It is amazing to me when I am reminded that our family doesn't look like others. To me, it all looks just as it should. </div>
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Those reminders come in the form of odd looks every once in a while, someone asking if these are my children, or one of the kids realizing something new about themselves or our family. They don't necessarily take me off guard, but make me stop and think for a moment. Normally, they make me smile as I can look at the person giving me that odd look and say an absolute ''YES'' these are my children, or explain how they are wonderfully made and came to be my children. </div>
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But I have to admit that the times I actually get choked up about it is when I look at family pics and see just how much my children are loved by so many. I was reminded again at Easter when we spent some time with Farmor and Farfar, Aunt and Uncle Kjernald and the cousins. </div>
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The Lord has placed them....as he does place the lonely in families. </div>
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And I noticed Farmor introducing her grandchildren to someone...''YES...these are my grandkids''. Two boys from two different lands with two different stories are now family, brothers, children, grandchildren, cousins, nephews. <br />
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This leads me to think of the family that God has made with ''brothers'' and ''sisters'' all around the world, from all walks of life. <br />
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Andreas told me that when we were in Nepal and the children were calling us Brother Eas and Sister La La, it was the first time that he actually felt like it meant something. So often it is said in Christian circles, but do we really heed it? Would we really treat that other person as family? <br />
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To be honest, I can think of many times that I have not, nor even considered doing so. But if we are really looking at what Jesus has said and acted out, they are family. Just as he sees me as a daughter of God and sister to Jesus...not to mention how hard that one is to grasp at times. <br />
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Jesus blessed us by placing two boys who don't ''look'' like us in our family...to be full sons. Not just some children that I take care of. God also allowed me, someone I am sure doesn't ''look'' like him many days, to be a full daughter in His family. Not just someone to take care of or put up with. To Him it looks just as it should.<br />
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REDEMPTION<br />
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ADOPTION<br />
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Three words that we hear quite a lot in Christian circles...but take another look. Dig deeper, see what it means to you, see what it means to Jesus. I know every time I revisit these words, and meet new people and listen to Jesus...they seem to take on new meaning. Not a full new meaning, but building blocks that just keep stacking. <br />
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Just as my two amazing boys are loved by many and keep growing. <br />
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Blessings,<br />
Laurie<br />
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Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-33433824762507164372013-04-01T11:19:00.001+02:002013-04-01T11:19:20.205+02:00Glad Påsk!<div style="text-align: center;">
First of all Glad Påsk or Happy Easter...and it really is HAPPY and JOYOUS! </div>
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To think that the God of the universe loved us enough to come, walk, be, and experience normal life with us, to die an excruciating death...not because he couldn't get himself off that cross...but because he wanted to give us salvation. Then to rise again and be ALIVE. No folks our God is not dead, but fully alive and alert and wants to be involved in every detail of our lives. <br />
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Now that is HOPE!</div>
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That is our SALVATION!</div>
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That is a God who truly wants a relationship with US! (which still blows my mind)</div>
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And....</div>
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He didn't stop there. He continues to redeem and renew. How much more I see that as so many once-orphaned children are placed in families, just as HE has room in his family for us. WE actually become sons and daughters of GOD!</div>
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As we have been placed in his family, can you help some that need to be placed in a family?</div>
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If you would like to help redeem some precious orphans that are waiting to be a part of a summer host program please link over too <a href="http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.no/2013/03/cant-leave-home-no-problem.html" target="_blank">http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.no/2013/03/cant-leave-home-no-problem.html</a> Here you can learn how to be a summer host family and change the lives of one or more orphans forever (unfortunately, I believe this is only available in the United States)!</div>
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I pray that your Easter included this amazing, loving, and active God... not only included, but that He was at the center of it. </div>
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Blessings,</div>
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Laurie</div>
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Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-35918319551487265872013-03-14T23:00:00.001+01:002013-03-14T23:04:16.123+01:00Yep, It's True!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is true that I turned 39 today. The cool thing about today is that we also have two other people in our church that have the same birthday. So I threw a big birthday dinner for the birthday three. <br />
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One of the things that I have realized over the years is that I really like to cook and try new things. Tonight was no exception. I had a venison leg in my freezer (thanks to some hunting friends in Alingsås) and so I roasted that in the crock pot. Then I made garlic mash potatoes and to top it all off, I tried my hand at ratatouille. Yes, the ratatouille recipe from the Disney movie about the rat.</div>
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Amazingly enough it looked and tasted great. My eight year old (who hates vegetables) even came back for seconds! I would make it again for that reason alone. It wasn't that hard (because I have a machine that can cut the slices and then you just put it together. Not to mention it made from fresh vegetables and herbs that are really good for you. I have heard a lot of people give different ideas for how to eat it and even for breakfast with an egg on top...Sounds good to me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbitts4XLCaRtYM6NmTUQLo5CHqPlfuhWd1YQ_bzOUZG8Y9FgoPZn8MH9yn_-aj0OmFyVXYzVosHsZkDnpQR3SSYz_dXl3fuFagnYCFs7w3ajFpvyzeb68zi0N6GkJ5GmRNoev/s1600/WP_20130314_012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbitts4XLCaRtYM6NmTUQLo5CHqPlfuhWd1YQ_bzOUZG8Y9FgoPZn8MH9yn_-aj0OmFyVXYzVosHsZkDnpQR3SSYz_dXl3fuFagnYCFs7w3ajFpvyzeb68zi0N6GkJ5GmRNoev/s640/WP_20130314_012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was before it was cooked, sorry no pics of after...but it looked almost the same. </td></tr>
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To top it all off, I made a carrot cake in the double American layer style...after all it was a birthday party! (sorry no pic). So dinner was a success and really fun to make...win, win.<br />
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It was a lot of fun to have the Tromborgs and the Kopperuds here and to celebrate with them. Thanks for making the day special! So to all of us...Gratulerar, Happy Birthday and/or Grattis.<br />
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Blessings,<br />
Laurie</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jostein, Me, Lars Kristian...I think Lars was a little embarrassed by us ''old'' people!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN5Wc_D7uY0CquDj4a3dZqmpSwAAZc3NIypDk8GIjx6-hn0rezg69lDQfNHo1pAd2Ii_g6IMApAYeiTgnz9tJoSYrQ70uISX5HTI-VPmoM54Aq8V0RM7rqEtP3YmlPfqYC6dH/s1600/IMG_8172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN5Wc_D7uY0CquDj4a3dZqmpSwAAZc3NIypDk8GIjx6-hn0rezg69lDQfNHo1pAd2Ii_g6IMApAYeiTgnz9tJoSYrQ70uISX5HTI-VPmoM54Aq8V0RM7rqEtP3YmlPfqYC6dH/s640/IMG_8172.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaisa, Solrun, Me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoQvXhF7qva4myUXAns7yJDNaD24EIKJQ8uxYGGv50idUC0tpfYK_nqKv0KBovgO93zoJbxl6Mmn6DDopcpj9lZdISCUJlZGyAZfme0eIGHg2Oda8JHeaZ7Pjid1naPtiP7Ia/s1600/IMG_8169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoQvXhF7qva4myUXAns7yJDNaD24EIKJQ8uxYGGv50idUC0tpfYK_nqKv0KBovgO93zoJbxl6Mmn6DDopcpj9lZdISCUJlZGyAZfme0eIGHg2Oda8JHeaZ7Pjid1naPtiP7Ia/s640/IMG_8169.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the half eaten cake in the middle of the table. I have really enjoyed getting to know and becoming a part of this church family. Thankful for these families!</td></tr>
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Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-1465231801140705732013-03-13T16:52:00.000+01:002013-03-13T16:52:09.164+01:00That Yucky Feeling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I adore my boys. They make me laugh, cry, and all the emotions in between. Then, there are the times that they absolutely drive me mad. I think we all know what I am talking about. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHxF27T8ADnm0DO7l2547OvsqwpCcFsxivJdSR4x2tFPENUhFU4GJ2-Zaba-oWs3Kxwy1QS3-4P_tf90Lf4VCt_p5ZyW5aj6dKMFEPifavvWFV-QSpmgJa6Q6ZXrhk9u28mxJ/s1600/IMG_6941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHxF27T8ADnm0DO7l2547OvsqwpCcFsxivJdSR4x2tFPENUhFU4GJ2-Zaba-oWs3Kxwy1QS3-4P_tf90Lf4VCt_p5ZyW5aj6dKMFEPifavvWFV-QSpmgJa6Q6ZXrhk9u28mxJ/s400/IMG_6941.jpg" width="268" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMbhUFsloZMlDefE7j-VSqB2HZsKS3bSzPuuM6J6E783YcyCGti8FXqI84_cg-qgS9kbaggNxnuikxJfG2GeEAz8S3tyMm0BlxvR6Cdf9AI_q5Cdfo6BYTrQpyqhsv_6YBoFF/s1600/IMG_6547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMbhUFsloZMlDefE7j-VSqB2HZsKS3bSzPuuM6J6E783YcyCGti8FXqI84_cg-qgS9kbaggNxnuikxJfG2GeEAz8S3tyMm0BlxvR6Cdf9AI_q5Cdfo6BYTrQpyqhsv_6YBoFF/s400/IMG_6547.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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Now in my 7 1/2 years of motherhood, I have had to face just how selfish I am, how to deal with things that I fear, how to deal with LOTS of noise (my boys are really loud), how to answer questions that I simple don't know the answers too, how to come up with appropriate and creative consequences (whether good or bad), and how to deal with my boys growing up faster than I can say boo! <br />
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Through all of this there is one thing that will get me annoyed in an instant (yet it is a perfectly normal part of siblings and I am thrilled that the boys are actually bonded and at this point), it is when the boys start picking at each other on purpose and fighting. Before we left for Nepal they were doing really well. We had been working on attitude and accepting the other person (with all their personality) and learning to love them through it (not an easy lesson for an adult...). Our goal is always to build each other up and not tear each other apart. Even while we were gone Andreas' parent said they did wonderfully. Sure there were times that they bickered a little, but overall they were really good to each other. <br />
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Then enters mom and dad again! <br />
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David, (who is our over-sensitive one), became extra over-sensitive. And Samuel, (our independent, wants to always be in charge one), became extra annoyed when things didn't go exactly how he wanted. I was not surprised by this. We had never left the boys for that long before (it was really hard on me and I missed them greatly). However, when all those emotions are flying around they tend to crash into one another and create a yucky feeling in the house. There was constant bickering between the two boys. They were fighting for silly or no reason at all. <br />
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About a week ago I drew the LINE! NO MORE! <br />
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I really can't stand it when your home becomes one of negativity and fights. It is no longer a place of calm family fun...(well not so calm with my boys...but fun). So I prayed, HELP! I sat down with the boys and talked about what was happening and what needed to happen and that there would be NO tolerance for tearing each other down. We talked about how people tore each other down in the Bible and how Jesus wants us to act and react to one another. <br />
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And I have PRAYED! And we PRAYED!<br />
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Now I can't say that we are at 100% perfect performance, but I can say that things are getting better. The home feels a little more calm (the emotions have also calmed to an extent). But I also see Sam bringing home attitudes and tones from school that I don't like and David picks them up way too quickly. <br />
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Is anyone out there in the same position?<br />
Does anyone have ideas on the way they deal with it?<br />
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Just wondering as we try to navigate these beautiful boys through life. <br />
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Blessings,<br />
LaurieKjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-11330624080380206942013-03-04T22:22:00.001+01:002013-03-04T22:22:49.673+01:00Making a New Normal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We have been home for about a week now from N*pal and working on remembering all the details. Sometimes it is so easy just to fall back into the old patterns and routines...but that is not what we want. We go through the pictures and see the faces that are so easy to love and remember why we made the journey in the first place. We want to make a new normal in this family, by adding all these beautiful people into our daily discussions, prayers and thoughts. We want them to effect the way we see the world, the way we spend our money, and the way we see others. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvk7Qu_kYwEdsLW5FPU_e6vRpAbe90ujg42psdPmTZqNmESKuQExwG1dRNFi2oq-xX21Mmdi-tKsh-F9cNbsgLIOdUD9iZI0vR0pDV8OPS2DEZlPWon1R40uXIRpB8Vvvvlwf/s1600/IMG_7072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvk7Qu_kYwEdsLW5FPU_e6vRpAbe90ujg42psdPmTZqNmESKuQExwG1dRNFi2oq-xX21Mmdi-tKsh-F9cNbsgLIOdUD9iZI0vR0pDV8OPS2DEZlPWon1R40uXIRpB8Vvvvlwf/s640/IMG_7072.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the things that we talked about with the Director (daddy, KB) of the home was the religious climate that is in N*pal. KB has letters from Hindus that state they would be willing to support them and give them money if they would renounce their belief in Jesus. He has lost supporters over the fact that he teaches and lives Christianity with the children in a Hindu/Bhuddist country. Yet, his faith is strong and they are thriving even without the money that we Westerners believe that we ''need''. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyLg41Yeqml-lPImYXQgkYbU7vujSuS6op-4RaJ4IQ6KOWD4MRVAQJZUU7A1S3m4ijfkpOIVCBaole0MOCGuhq-QSvcijsIR_FdPzRraV0EJz3blVCASD5O2IpJ0RiHarnGhD/s1600/IMG_7131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyLg41Yeqml-lPImYXQgkYbU7vujSuS6op-4RaJ4IQ6KOWD4MRVAQJZUU7A1S3m4ijfkpOIVCBaole0MOCGuhq-QSvcijsIR_FdPzRraV0EJz3blVCASD5O2IpJ0RiHarnGhD/s640/IMG_7131.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathmandu</td></tr>
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Kathmandu is a rather large city. It is really hard to get a true picture of it while you are in it, but easier from higher view points. I have not met one person that lives in Kathmandu that actually says they like it there. Don't get me wrong...they all love their country and think it is amazingly beautiful, but they are not referring to Kathmandu when they are speaking like that. It is a cacophony of smells which include incense, sewage, car fumes, pollution, trash, cows, dust and sweat. It is a cacophony of sounds which include horns, chanting, bells, loud music, normal city noise, cows, monkeys, dogs, etc. It is a cacophony of sights (which include a lot of what I have already mentioned) and temples both Bhuddist and Hindu, colorful buildings, amazingly beautiful people, trash, trash, and more trash, and spectacular mountains, etc. I think you maybe starting to get the picture. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHoRKeMXAu8rRZL1NwrqNnw8XlOm8x8UUgH6TkL6gYf331GGzz_msoexMe85-vwsy67gTYsKmoIIDnUwyeYEgOxNuwK3nfz-KfDDQhAZ50_c_3v7dQG4xQyz7d4jQhdwj047k/s1600/IMG_7136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHoRKeMXAu8rRZL1NwrqNnw8XlOm8x8UUgH6TkL6gYf331GGzz_msoexMe85-vwsy67gTYsKmoIIDnUwyeYEgOxNuwK3nfz-KfDDQhAZ50_c_3v7dQG4xQyz7d4jQhdwj047k/s640/IMG_7136.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is known as the Swayambhunath or more commonly known as The Monkey Temple (because there happens to be monkeys all around). It is a Bhuddist stupa...with a small Hindu temple on the side. (notice the dark spindle looking objects...that will be explained later)</td></tr>
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We visited some of the sites in Kathmandu that Andreas had not seen before. It is amazing to watch people of different beliefs and how they (me included) have a sort of sub-culture. For those of us who are Christians the Hindu and Bhuddist beliefs are straight out of the Old Testament. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUN6V2moOq4PcUAt1mzUbGzx5txdTdbuEtQUe4BfbtRHbtHbA_5NAwPCeGVodCump_NWmRRpKuDnX0KpeGM1W30qJrlwWQMGMYDzCFtJrKfRNv6lbbdM02wzEFV581La4u6qW/s1600/IMG_7158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUN6V2moOq4PcUAt1mzUbGzx5txdTdbuEtQUe4BfbtRHbtHbA_5NAwPCeGVodCump_NWmRRpKuDnX0KpeGM1W30qJrlwWQMGMYDzCFtJrKfRNv6lbbdM02wzEFV581La4u6qW/s640/IMG_7158.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The statue of Bhudda at the stupa. This is the N*pali Bhudda...not the laughing Bhudda that you find in other parts of Asia. The Bhudda was born in N*pal...interestingly enough he stated that he was not a god and did not want to be worshipped...guess no one listened. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHvt50e9xB7wHinfP_YDUnXNis64mxtz2cEhagQn2bEE7G8DlfidVbm5rC4pGxgZ8JmVEiVEk6RlA9mh9YcgHRW1z0obzRaSDITY6pR2gNkkbrJoApO4WScMfDw23pAkTrWi0/s1600/IMG_7184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHvt50e9xB7wHinfP_YDUnXNis64mxtz2cEhagQn2bEE7G8DlfidVbm5rC4pGxgZ8JmVEiVEk6RlA9mh9YcgHRW1z0obzRaSDITY6pR2gNkkbrJoApO4WScMfDw23pAkTrWi0/s640/IMG_7184.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a stone...that some people were worshipping like a god. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BZ8zrH3JtRjGHRuUMBJbt4YivfRJ-J9Y5O1v7OkZGw6F4JLSO_6OIh16i8PCljGsgtPmkVr-pSpKFd5e7sg69ak6NGwospDRsUXrfZ6se6kcLAckjGmG9yZ1XLiO8Wo4M3FT/s1600/IMG_7138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BZ8zrH3JtRjGHRuUMBJbt4YivfRJ-J9Y5O1v7OkZGw6F4JLSO_6OIh16i8PCljGsgtPmkVr-pSpKFd5e7sg69ak6NGwospDRsUXrfZ6se6kcLAckjGmG9yZ1XLiO8Wo4M3FT/s640/IMG_7138.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a bell, when you go to the temple you ring it...some say to make sure the god is awake, others say to seal the deal (so to speak). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFiP7VgUmdtBEH3Zj3JkjhsyqEpAHzZdQ-UWgbAmIoBotw6R2QU4OHvkf7x_wQZL3JgiX5RoxK6NpAmN0BTUz477AtZLPcyC1ZEPY_vOrr8qdX8bY806rqS9wGV-MCVAlOxG9/s1600/IMG_7186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFiP7VgUmdtBEH3Zj3JkjhsyqEpAHzZdQ-UWgbAmIoBotw6R2QU4OHvkf7x_wQZL3JgiX5RoxK6NpAmN0BTUz477AtZLPcyC1ZEPY_vOrr8qdX8bY806rqS9wGV-MCVAlOxG9/s640/IMG_7186.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another part of the Monkey Temple, the flags are Bhuddist prayer flags. Here is where I will explain the spindle objects in the picture above. Each flag has a prescribed written prayer or prayers on them. When the wind blows it is suppose to take the prayers with it. The spindles objects are actually prayer wheels. They hold paper in them that has the same prayers on them as the flags. The people walk around clockwise and spin the wheels to release the prayers. As they walk around they also carry beads to count how many times they spin the wheels...I think they are suppose to do it a prescribed amount of time. Then there are huge wheels that they also walk around and spin. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnijukH5eWL-VJPkX62AwKkc1S_gpenXK4rH1s9w-wnZGsh9qMq_0r6ehjrRA4ebBym4s0kZpI2rhCUNPSg3tAJ6d_rAGDpl0iF7vnFZmvZ6JVezZB6OFu8dPXkO2ixmSWP-d/s1600/IMG_7566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnijukH5eWL-VJPkX62AwKkc1S_gpenXK4rH1s9w-wnZGsh9qMq_0r6ehjrRA4ebBym4s0kZpI2rhCUNPSg3tAJ6d_rAGDpl0iF7vnFZmvZ6JVezZB6OFu8dPXkO2ixmSWP-d/s640/IMG_7566.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a stone, carved like a little man and dressed that was being worshipped. I'll be honest...it gave me the creeps. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINTz2Qv1-DU2Afw8RuzH16EVAHwyyJBbHL6Kdnzy-UORQ-xxn4ptSg1STSehdHb9lBKl0mLh1GcepD9bv8jbH3VOI3HrAXb3klTmYTv7G3G6-mIV_JP6XYx73sAvuKBq9J4bL/s1600/IMG_7575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINTz2Qv1-DU2Afw8RuzH16EVAHwyyJBbHL6Kdnzy-UORQ-xxn4ptSg1STSehdHb9lBKl0mLh1GcepD9bv8jbH3VOI3HrAXb3klTmYTv7G3G6-mIV_JP6XYx73sAvuKBq9J4bL/s640/IMG_7575.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the rat god, I really don't know what he is suppose to do...but he is obviously popular. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarYv4lgGEFc6MbEiI6_txXGo4xRLcxaC_jVfMxhpEb0EbucoR6JCHeLNtnXUVprOA8t-1fYLrX0fhZGGG7DuSAju8Gfw8JIW0JDpgwr4IuPGrn3awOCXgwKoI_NKyMqNiPDW7/s1600/IMG_7664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarYv4lgGEFc6MbEiI6_txXGo4xRLcxaC_jVfMxhpEb0EbucoR6JCHeLNtnXUVprOA8t-1fYLrX0fhZGGG7DuSAju8Gfw8JIW0JDpgwr4IuPGrn3awOCXgwKoI_NKyMqNiPDW7/s640/IMG_7664.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Pashupatinath Temple. Considered to be the most holy temple for the Hindu god Shiva. It is on the Bagmati river (which the people say is the most polluted river in the world), and it is where most of the funerals are held in Kathmandu. The smoke you see is from the cremation of the deceased. The ashes are then put into the river. It is not a site for the light of heart and makes me sad every time I am there. Yes, there is a boy in the river collecting the firewood that did not totally burn up. On the other side of the river was a girl wading in to try to find valuables from the bodies...every part of me wanted to scream...get out of the water...but I refrained. </td></tr>
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These scenes echo all over Kathmandu with small temples everywhere, or a rocks for that matter. It really does make you think about belief. Hindus believe in anywhere from 35,000 to 38,000 gods. I personally think it would be exhausting trying to please all of them. <br />
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So now maybe you have a little better picture of the people that we have long loved and the culture that is almost totally opposite to our own. We will be planning within the next two weeks and working on getting the non-profit registered in Sweden. We have a non-profit in the States that will allow us to use them as an umbrella until we can see if we need to begin our own there and in Norway we can receive donations through our church. We also have paypal.<br />
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If you are interested in joining us on this adventure please let us know. You can contact us through this blog or the becauseoftwo.blogspot.com We will be getting specific needs out soon. <br />
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Blessings,<br />
LaurieKjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-84193302588334070272013-02-27T22:43:00.000+01:002013-02-27T22:43:11.841+01:00Back Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We are home from Nepal and in total humility and thankfulness to God for what has been accomplished. I will write more as the days go by and my jet lag wears off. However, a few highlights are shown with pictures below and we are now going to be raising money to support the children's home that we are partnering with. Please don't hesitate to ask questions or give ideas. </div>
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The adventure that God has sent us on is to build Nepali families, not house orphans and we have begun with partnering with a family that has been running a home for 14 years. In the next three years they will be transitioning from 30 kids to families of 10 kids each. The Lord has been preparing this one family for this and they are excited to transition. Our hope is to have these families all over Nepal one day. I can't even begin to tell you how excited, terrified, overwhelmed and thankful I am for this adventure and our God who is leading it. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKJ9R9KSzhU5uZ0KPGOpT74VOwtK-bIkTwJWDRfAkJrLRZidfTUlD1EEGApDjqFEtRhrwYy64JSz0p8elnv49TvI0vIZwjIOH4f3a159mopso3i2SJazRK7ifNIjjICdhEClx/s1600/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKJ9R9KSzhU5uZ0KPGOpT74VOwtK-bIkTwJWDRfAkJrLRZidfTUlD1EEGApDjqFEtRhrwYy64JSz0p8elnv49TvI0vIZwjIOH4f3a159mopso3i2SJazRK7ifNIjjICdhEClx/s640/IMG_7079.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New friends that have already built their family in the way that we want to see continue in Nepal. We were so glad to make these new friends (through college friends). This couple have amazing testimonies that bring glory to Jesus. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6xnEc0hJ71uEuJfJP7Byq3qUQcM7Krv5vqXhZyQEmInXYMVX8gIXR4EtuGRKexLHOZflAqOaCebr2v740MQXlvoUqz4vX2H_0cQmB9Q094f0CvyO_0Y1khVIlStc29imitNb/s1600/IMG_8113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6xnEc0hJ71uEuJfJP7Byq3qUQcM7Krv5vqXhZyQEmInXYMVX8gIXR4EtuGRKexLHOZflAqOaCebr2v740MQXlvoUqz4vX2H_0cQmB9Q094f0CvyO_0Y1khVIlStc29imitNb/s640/IMG_8113.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little girl was so thankful that we were there, she gave me her only barrets! Not so easy to hold back the tears when children who have next to nothing are willing to give it away because of thankfulness. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mbJ6Nc8RLOCXY_R3ft4UZGecjNCC4R3re2LEiv0qGkSj7gdwiP0iDa7dRYagUBbztcZttfM5YcoH3WfNYGLnRj8bAzOPnJ4PdqWE7ljCYHlMAjAPkoiYuAhZesV82a9Pi0-C/s1600/IMG_7967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mbJ6Nc8RLOCXY_R3ft4UZGecjNCC4R3re2LEiv0qGkSj7gdwiP0iDa7dRYagUBbztcZttfM5YcoH3WfNYGLnRj8bAzOPnJ4PdqWE7ljCYHlMAjAPkoiYuAhZesV82a9Pi0-C/s640/IMG_7967.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Nepal on side of building. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM5q3rJtuTIH5DImuVb5IUVv86aHhFpLA4UvfTScs01ZV6N1R4Y5nc3v9mIHBkI-53EBAvWHbUm2MSOkMxj8_2sN8TTbDw6JFuROHT63JJB7NrzkWHdOAFWmgtq6Ua9Q2SKsd/s1600/IMG_7569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM5q3rJtuTIH5DImuVb5IUVv86aHhFpLA4UvfTScs01ZV6N1R4Y5nc3v9mIHBkI-53EBAvWHbUm2MSOkMxj8_2sN8TTbDw6JFuROHT63JJB7NrzkWHdOAFWmgtq6Ua9Q2SKsd/s640/IMG_7569.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a beautiful people the Nepalis' are. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tu4bv0LRvzd8FF6m2a8zZ6wqAm_n2aBVlLzK-BaSzx8-VMVCb4Eol5NoBmH_Iy3lUhRBvPMw0SGZfpMp7SQj7yzCSkNd3yyIc4pf2TiQRDtOBy72JNCMySLarBEhpcvOizZI/s1600/IMG_7385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tu4bv0LRvzd8FF6m2a8zZ6wqAm_n2aBVlLzK-BaSzx8-VMVCb4Eol5NoBmH_Iy3lUhRBvPMw0SGZfpMp7SQj7yzCSkNd3yyIc4pf2TiQRDtOBy72JNCMySLarBEhpcvOizZI/s640/IMG_7385.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The women are the laborers most of the time. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWA6g9yLSQcG1VfzRxqweMNSsnH-1YPhSwmqqWBP5ZQzH84_DROhX7O5krYnGNB61Cd0zqLyz0N8SdlBytQyO3VIhfJ5PmBYSWTdvzuMMoaUrTiXfnfPqSXqvsrpOgusEE6QTV/s1600/IMG_7074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWA6g9yLSQcG1VfzRxqweMNSsnH-1YPhSwmqqWBP5ZQzH84_DROhX7O5krYnGNB61Cd0zqLyz0N8SdlBytQyO3VIhfJ5PmBYSWTdvzuMMoaUrTiXfnfPqSXqvsrpOgusEE6QTV/s640/IMG_7074.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our blessings!</td></tr>
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More to come...<div>
Laurie<br /><br /></div>
Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-62581447547057835592013-02-17T04:51:00.001+01:002013-02-17T04:51:19.759+01:00go check out our nepal orphanage blog!becauseoftwo.blogspot.no/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-9499444754880520142013-02-13T16:12:00.000+01:002013-02-13T16:15:51.503+01:00The Past, the Now, the Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At the beginning of 1996 if you had told me in the last semester of my college education that I would meet a very handsome Swede, fall in love and marry him just a year and a half later, while being apart for 9 months of that time, I would have laughed in your face. I was ready to graduate, go to Jamaica as a missionary and then at the end of 6 months come home and be independent! Thank God that He has a sense of humor and a better sense of direction for my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As we walked towards our 16th anniversary, I am floored by all that has transpired. We did marry after whirlwind dating and being oceans apart. He moved to the States, I worked with juvies. Then we moved back to Kentucky a year later and started over. He became a fireman (dream come true) and me a nanny (not imagined, but really loved the family and those kids not to mention that that would be my hands on introduction to adoption). Then 3 years later we decided to pick up and move to Sweden (we really were a bit crazy). We had to try out both countries! During the year and a half that I lived in Sweden we were suppose to try to start a family. We had been married for 4 going on 5 years and were ready to have children...I know, I know...something about ''the best laid plans of mice and men...''. It was during that time in Sweden that I started to have strong suspicions that I couldn't get pregnant. Between that realization and culture shock (don't underestimate that), I headed down the path of depression. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We ended up moving back to the States in January of 2003 so that Andreas could go to school and become a pastor (was called in Nov. of 2001). The education in Sweden was just too liberal (not too shocking). As we continued on, I slipped little by little into depression. I was nannying again for that same family which really helped, but wanted children of my own. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now being a social worker I had always thought about adopting, but wanted to have a child first....something about how cool it would be to feel a life growing inside of me. In the Spring of 2004 we had some test done and confirmed that it was going to be difficult to get pregnant, but of course the doctor wanted us to try. We chose to try a round of Clomed and then if that didn't work we would go the adoption route next. Not only did it reek havoc on my body it sent me into the farthest depression I had ever been in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By this time we had moved from Kentucky to Mississippi and at the deepest point of my depression (September 2004), halfway around the world God was putting together the pieces of our puzzle...Samuel was born. As the Clomed left my body the depression lifted, but left me with a lifetime of hormone problems since. (which by the way, at this point I need to state that my husband is the most patient and wonderful men in the world ;). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On January 15, 2005 our official adoption journey began with the first meeting for the homestudy. I was actually working for an adoption agency doing homestudies, post placement visits and working with birthmothers...which I loved. Andreas and I were drawn to international adoption because we were an international family. After a lot of prayer we chose Nep*l to adopt from. We went through the same emotions that so many are going through right now. What would happen, where was our child, was he or she okay, would we be good parents....why is it taking so long, why is it taking so long, why is it taking so long (little did I know that it was really quick for international adoption). However, when you can't see the end it drags on and on and on. By May we had our referral and by August 2005, Andreas traveled alone to meet our son and sign papers. On Dec. 21, we were called and told we could go get Samuel (we were in Nep*l on Dec. 28th)! We came back onto the US on January 14, 2006. If you are keep track of those dates, from start to landing was exactly one year! Thank you Jesus, I truly don't know if I could have handled more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From there I moved up the adoption latter to be International Adoption Director and Andreas continued his degree to become a pastor. In May of 2007 he was finished and in Sept. 2007 the Lord had a church waiting for us in Alingsås, Sweden. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi905zOKoPQ1fS29XetHa9VIHq4TFFwGVAWO0eSERhm0l7CdvdRR1XZh2ZubYGx1ZWBfU9hywM05QHPHt5Nb9nmbTajj6K4R3X2BW2d_bXo92CrKKZVyoyUed4nLz3s5qsEDriT/s1600/IMG_9203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi905zOKoPQ1fS29XetHa9VIHq4TFFwGVAWO0eSERhm0l7CdvdRR1XZh2ZubYGx1ZWBfU9hywM05QHPHt5Nb9nmbTajj6K4R3X2BW2d_bXo92CrKKZVyoyUed4nLz3s5qsEDriT/s640/IMG_9203.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So we moved...back to Sweden and a whole new adventure. In the beginning of 2008 we began the process to adopt again. We thought that Nep*l would be the place, but God had another child for us in Ch*na. It took 3 1/2 years, 2 other countries, a lot of heartache and a lot of God working to get to Ch*na. In May of 2011 we picked up our youngest son, David. At this point Sam was 6 and David was 3. </span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AzsO001qxdSthqZXvKqnxw27VzPrKKPg6KPUqqG32p2cq7A0UazWDQUJhT6zgzTCkgME6jtv5ygiZOssDyOH8-ArmPQKw5T-bNS11AHE28mnD1yabdUe2P9RRjA1yxBE6sqS/s1600/IMG_6024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AzsO001qxdSthqZXvKqnxw27VzPrKKPg6KPUqqG32p2cq7A0UazWDQUJhT6zgzTCkgME6jtv5ygiZOssDyOH8-ArmPQKw5T-bNS11AHE28mnD1yabdUe2P9RRjA1yxBE6sqS/s640/IMG_6024.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the boys and daddy this past summer. We were on a gorgeous island off the coast of Sweden watching a sailing race and exploring everything we could. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">During those 3 1/2 years I realized how blessed we were to receive Samuel in a year. Of course there is a million more details that only Andreas and good friends know, but there was a definite ''red thread'' through it all. God took care of details and moved us around tragedy to get to our boys. He laid a strong calling on my husband to be an amazing daddy to our boys, an incredible husband to me and a strong pastor for others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the red threads that I had not mentioned is that after we adopted Samuel I had a strong calling to help the other orphans that were still in Nep*l. In April 2007 I worked with Nep*l and the adoption agency that I was a part of and set up an adoption program. In May 2007 Nep*l decided to close it's doors to adoption to restructure it. In 2009 it reopened and got at least one child home before other countries closed it again because of corruption (maybe God had more for us to do in Nep*l). There was still a strong nagging urge (thanks for giving me that God) to do more for the treasures of Nep*l. During the years Andreas took up that urge and has prompted us forward when I struggled with it. In 2011 we decide that in February 2013 we would take our first trip to establish a children's home in Nep*l. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Guess what folks...tomorrow is the day we fly out to Nep*l to continue the work that the Lord has literally put in our laps. There are a million details that have come together and continue to show us the path we are to take. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We do NOT take this lightly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We do NOT do this just because we are good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We do NOT do this because we are bored of everything else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We do NOT do this for our glory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We DO this because God loves orphans and has willed us forward (not just us, but ALL of US).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We DO this because all children deserve to be safe, loved, and cared for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We DO this because we cannot sit by and ignore the treasures of the world that need help. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We DO this for the Glory of God.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><span class="text Matt-6-19" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">19 </sup>“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,<span style="font-size: 0.65em;"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23302B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup></span> where moths and vermin destroy,<span style="font-size: 0.65em;"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23302C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span> and where thieves break in and steal.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="text Matt-6-20" id="en-NIV-23303" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">20 </sup>But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23303D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup> where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23303E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="text Matt-6-21" id="en-NIV-23304" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">21 </sup>For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matthew 6:19-21</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Will you join us in prayer as we adventure on for the children that God loves so much? Will you pray that our ears will be open to God and closed to discouragement. Will you pray it will all be to God's glory? Will you pray and see if God wants you to join us in the adventure or if He is taking you on an adventure of your own? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Will you allow God to change all the plans that you have laid for your future and go His direction?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Nothing in my life has been like I imaged or planned it would be, it has been better!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><span class="text Mic-6-8" id="en-NIV-22657" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; position: relative;">He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. </span><span class="indent-1" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Mic-6-8" style="position: relative;">And what does the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> require of you? </span></span><span class="text Mic-6-8" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; position: relative;">To act justly<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-22657A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup> and to love mercy </span><span class="indent-1" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Mic-6-8" style="position: relative;">and to walk humbly<sup class="footnote" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-22657a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah+6%3A8&version=NIV#fen-NIV-22657a" style="text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</sup><sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-22657B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> with your God.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="text Mic-6-8" style="position: relative;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange;">Micah 6:8</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As you celebrate Valentine's Day and the people that you love, remember those who also need your love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Andreas you are my love and best friend. I am so excited that God has called us to adventure together...no matter what country we are in and what plans have not come to pass. Our Family adventure is the best!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Valentine's Day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Laurie</span></div>
Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-46168124065809053632013-02-06T23:14:00.003+01:002013-02-06T23:15:14.452+01:00Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As said before I will try my best to convey what I have been learning in my quiet times with the Lord. </div>
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(if you are not interested in a bit of a heart ''theological'' thought, you may want to skip this post and move on to the other post I wrote tonight with pictures).</div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Now I rejoice</span><sup class="crossreference" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29490A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,</span><sup class="crossreference" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29490B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">for the sake of his body, which is the church.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Colossians 1:24</span></div>
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Sometimes I wonder what am I suffering and do I count it as suffering for Christ or do I try to find the quickest way out of the suffering. I think we do not understand or are not ''tuned in'' to know why we are going through the trials we are. What am I filling up in my flesh? Can I say that I don't care how I am treated as long as the gospel is proclaimed? I have been taking a good long look (again) at how I perceive myself and react to others. </div>
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Interestingly enough, I had a conversation with Samuel not long ago about how being in authority really means being a servant. How we must take care of and serve those that we are in authority over. Like being a parent. Yet, I wonder sometimes if I have really taken that to heart. </div>
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As we venture into Nepal, how do I perceive myself and those we go to meet. What am I willing to endure so that a child finds a place that is safe, loving and stable and shown who Jesus is. Christ would say to count them above me, but do I really take that to heart? Essentially it is a battle of my will or God's. I have by no means conquered all these thoughts, but have been ''wrestling'' with myself, basically my selfishness. </div>
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I try so hard to teach my children not to be selfish, yet I am confronted with my own. I am not discouraged, but know that I will not turn back, but face what God puts in front of me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5osuXrSfSQQqye2Rzzua0ozzIfO5mDyYnIXLutP9a7eZjjFiW1XwvuGN4lVmCTR3UyR30N6m2lSTtoZMjj6huRigfSSE2AS-naQhmiXE3YGaIVfX3CZ6jYHiIFXTzCp0GUadN/s1600/IMG_6947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5osuXrSfSQQqye2Rzzua0ozzIfO5mDyYnIXLutP9a7eZjjFiW1XwvuGN4lVmCTR3UyR30N6m2lSTtoZMjj6huRigfSSE2AS-naQhmiXE3YGaIVfX3CZ6jYHiIFXTzCp0GUadN/s640/IMG_6947.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Laurie</div>
<br />Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-34751374948007011242013-02-06T22:44:00.001+01:002013-02-06T22:44:42.807+01:00Pictures....Finally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOP2xnNSb2K6ffi2L7zYC4Y-1cWESKhPnJ3m82HQ67geQWHtK6p-tmGuICbOMfB0UizKmL5scPwbRPXBYDEov0fD7Medz7P3_Y7tndfTzEx9NJu0yjmPqQaqRB5blpfyBFI-E/s1600/IMG_6992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOP2xnNSb2K6ffi2L7zYC4Y-1cWESKhPnJ3m82HQ67geQWHtK6p-tmGuICbOMfB0UizKmL5scPwbRPXBYDEov0fD7Medz7P3_Y7tndfTzEx9NJu0yjmPqQaqRB5blpfyBFI-E/s640/IMG_6992.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A few weeks ago we went on a Church retreat just outside of Notodden, Norway. It was cold ( minus 21 Celcius at night and minus 15 C during the day), but gorgeous. We came together to talk, think and pray about what the future holds for this Church. It was also a good time to get to know the people in the church much better. We were very thankful for this time and came away with a better sense and how to pray, how to move forward. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiDOw18dqLfJKWQ3DNIs5gjVmzvQt3bCdfOgcn1zdb4HB9GPM5ppTWUCeLgYHXYckTITeHidnJKn3BuHTVleaFi7_k2e8vOzFjf4lUSHr9Jg9mHUAQczC9U6pG5OXhh6-Nl11/s1600/IMG_7005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiDOw18dqLfJKWQ3DNIs5gjVmzvQt3bCdfOgcn1zdb4HB9GPM5ppTWUCeLgYHXYckTITeHidnJKn3BuHTVleaFi7_k2e8vOzFjf4lUSHr9Jg9mHUAQczC9U6pG5OXhh6-Nl11/s640/IMG_7005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Kids and adults alike had a great time sledding. Some of us even did some cross country skiing. Sorry, there are no pics of me on skis, but I did try it again (the second of third time in my life). I spend most of my time on the ground, but didn't give up easily. Sam tried skiing and now really likes it. Today we went to the second hand store and bought him some because his school class is going skiing on Friday. Apparently everyone here in Norway learns as children...so we will follow the trend. As I have learned it is much easier to learn when you lack the fear of an adult and have way more stamina! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCIB94-6aJXK5RGmYwkCHIQW_Bk85_iJfOlYnl-3Tb-MkXVDsSWUCbvVdec_ZCDQE7xLaWIlkFx1Ww03MyaI6h8C-l6QiOzGutTL-5EAw37zTbY022TCe1iV4y9H_SyYYa-0l/s1600/IMG_7016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCIB94-6aJXK5RGmYwkCHIQW_Bk85_iJfOlYnl-3Tb-MkXVDsSWUCbvVdec_ZCDQE7xLaWIlkFx1Ww03MyaI6h8C-l6QiOzGutTL-5EAw37zTbY022TCe1iV4y9H_SyYYa-0l/s640/IMG_7016.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRcfqqFYbWK5gLcFcgbydtG5Kdy9GO8dbKVJBC3pmJOmN9ua-TU9utOv2t_6DYcRxGcnSmXfXTQ9AAdAk29BSDBoLYZoRUCiYcWMCnBPX0i35am4aAyRxWIpPTMfR1iQ6APoZ/s1600/IMG_6998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRcfqqFYbWK5gLcFcgbydtG5Kdy9GO8dbKVJBC3pmJOmN9ua-TU9utOv2t_6DYcRxGcnSmXfXTQ9AAdAk29BSDBoLYZoRUCiYcWMCnBPX0i35am4aAyRxWIpPTMfR1iQ6APoZ/s640/IMG_6998.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the house the we stayed in for the retreat. The view was breathtaking and always brings me to God. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_I7xDF8mMZeFyH_u7CW07RbI97jIUodyWmTiIEGEiDFbOxe0YCSd0-bZIvFDxkyjCkMCykJa3fRGtWxnNkeZ5upiOqIvYdFb8FUigDyXW4MNQ0xhyphenhyphenMS8FUkgDfcilQY8OPYg/s1600/IMG_7007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_I7xDF8mMZeFyH_u7CW07RbI97jIUodyWmTiIEGEiDFbOxe0YCSd0-bZIvFDxkyjCkMCykJa3fRGtWxnNkeZ5upiOqIvYdFb8FUigDyXW4MNQ0xhyphenhyphenMS8FUkgDfcilQY8OPYg/s640/IMG_7007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am thankful for this Church family that God has allowed us to be a part of. Please continue to pray for us as we look to minister to the community that God has put us in. </div>
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Blessings,</div>
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Laurie</div>
Kjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-48054505339028366822013-02-01T00:39:00.002+01:002013-02-01T11:01:34.231+01:00Just ThinkingYes, yes...I know. So many have asked me why I haven't posted and I simply haven't. I haven't had much to say or maybe I have had too much and I simply can't get my head around it at the moment. (we have had internet issues...and I am not one that deals with technology well, but that is beside the point). <br />
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I have or am having a time of quiet. Possibly the calm before the storm, the deep breath before the plunge. As we begin or extend this journey into Nepal and working on a home for the beautiful children of Nepal I have felt more and more of a need to just be quiet before the Lord. Thankfully I have heard ''trust me'' in those quiet times. I am catching glimpses of just what it means to lay all of me down for Christ. It is both terrifying and wonderful at the same time. </div>
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In the days before we leave for Nepal, I will try to elaborate on what I have been learning. </div>
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We leave for Nepal on Feb. 14th and return the 25th. We will be updating the becauseoftwo.blogspot.com while we are in Nepal. Please pray for discernment, safety, and our total surrender to what God would have for us to do. Please also pray for us and our boys as we will be apart longer than we ever have been from them. Don't worry, they are in great hands (Farmor and Farfar), but it will still be hard. <br />
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Until next time,<br />
Laurie</div>
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/kjernaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09412688173034951824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12874834.post-21689898631221606672013-01-08T22:41:00.004+01:002013-01-08T22:41:37.654+01:00Another Small PostWow, looking back at the stats of my posts last year I realized how poorly I have done on keeping up. I have a million excuses, but none that I will use here. <br />
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I did want to say, as we begin this new year, that I am incredibly blessed. Thinking back over the almost 39 years of my life is well weird (because I always though that next to 40 would be really old), but amazing to see all the people that have come in and out of my life. The Lord has blessed me with so many friends spread around this globe of His. I am thankful for each of you (sorry, can't name everyone). My life has been shaped and molded by conversations, smiles, hugs, confrontations, etc. that stitch together who I am and so many that have lead me closer to Jesus. <br />
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As I think of all of you I cannot begin to express how much I miss you guys. So remember to hug the friends in your life today because it may be that God has them there for only a time. <br />
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And thank you to everyone who has ever invested in my life. <br />
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Blessings,<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzMWnSO8Rh6f0pIGzRqsfSwei4CSseWxOw4C9_LYAqf0euG6zNj3Uh5Ac4aeGWe1s5FgydgMcMPnMNjSkI7TMgPyz467cXy33BwsfTIIcKP9rS3aNT8fZ9ZEGEumyyMAXBJum/s1600/IMG_4445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzMWnSO8Rh6f0pIGzRqsfSwei4CSseWxOw4C9_LYAqf0euG6zNj3Uh5Ac4aeGWe1s5FgydgMcMPnMNjSkI7TMgPyz467cXy33BwsfTIIcKP9rS3aNT8fZ9ZEGEumyyMAXBJum/s400/IMG_4445.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old pic, but I thought it was really cute! I think David is really trying to smile here. </td></tr>
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LaurieKjernald Family Adventureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971660693223046237noreply@blogger.com0