The day with dianne Louise

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I am so grateful that Jesus persued me and brought me to Himself. I cannot bear to think what life would have been without Him. He is my joy and peace. This joy compels me to share my good news with others. I am in Nepal and although I am learning the language I still do not know many of the tenses and the vocabulary. I have been learning the language for over one year. Sharing the joy of the Lord can be a challenge, however, when the opportunity presents itself I do. Each night my flatmates and I do Bible study and a young girl comes to join us. We are amazed. The landlord and his family have joined us in prayer at New Year.  This week I was at the Immigration office waiting for a new visa and I saw a man desperately rubbing himself across his forehead with prayer beads. I new I needed to share Jesus with hi...

“We cross the threshold of true knowledge when we live in obedient devotion to God. Stubborn know-it-alls will never stop to do this, for they scorn true wisdom and knowledge.” Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Other versions say: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. In my quest to understand the word ‘fear’ here I checked out TPT. ‘Obedient devotion’ says it better.  Living in Nepal you see many police officers directing traffic. I’ve been present when rogue officers singled out my friend Chelle for traffic offenses, letting everyone else go. The latest pocketed 500R of my money threatening to keep my friends licence. Generally most abide by good lawful practices. Why do I mention the police? well, fear is associated with the police. You, out of fear obey the road rules so that you avoid a penalty. Our Heavenly Father gave us laws to live by but more importantly He gave us His Son who fulfilled the Law. As I live by faith in the ‘work’ of the Son of God I am saved and safe. ...

““If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?” Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ On Saturday in our trek we passed around six sheep tethered by the Snake Lake. The sheep were dirty. The keeper lived in a small Tim shack near the lake. There were several new lambs frolicking around the sheep. I had never see sheep tethered as I come from Australia where hundreds, perhaps thousands roam in a paddock eating grass. The sheep by the lake were trying to eat straw. As this year I plan to start a sheep farm I determined not to tie my sheep up with a tether. Mind you, Australian sheep have huge paddocks to roam across and the farmers have sheep dogs to keep the sheep from roaming into wrong pastures. I am sure the shepherd does not want to lose his sheep in the lake or have them wandering off and being attacked by dogs or stolen by hungry locals. Jesus was telling the crowds...

“If you understand this, then you need to respond.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭TPT‬‬ This is the verse of the day in my Bible App. It begs the question: to which must I respond? The answer is found in the preceding verses in the parable of the sower.  We read the parable and hear there are four different types of soil into which the seed fell: the path, the gravel where there was little topsoil, the next fell into soil mingled with thorns and finally the seed that fell in good soil. The path represents a hardened track where the soil was trodden down, Satan came and took the seed immediately, the second was shallow soil, this Christian has a shallow relationship with Jesus, the next is the thorns, Jesus called them the cares of life, they choked up the seedlings and they failed to grow, finally the good soil is a heart open to receive the word of God. Jesus goes on to explain to His disciples that the good soil will yield a crop of 30,60,100 times what is down.  We have often relegated ...

““You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Over the last two days I have an uneasiness growing inside. Saturday was a beautiful day, my friend Chelle and I went for a trek. I took my ukelele with me and worshiped by the snake lake to the true and living God. Afterwards we went to our favourite markets and had lunch. We saw another church friend there. Coming home I felt rich and blessed and in fact euphoric. I prayed I would not lose my love for the poor. Yesterday at church we heard a message from James about the rich and poor in verses 9-11. Again I was convicted about the poor. I have a growing number of foreigner friends from church and do not spend my time with the poor refugees at church. During the week my flatmates and I look for ways to outreach to the ladies in our area. They are poor in that they do not know Jesus, however, they live in houses and not on the streets. It is a comfortable outreach. What is God doing...

“Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We measure oursleves by: what we own, our houses, cars, bank accounts etc but Jesus warns against this and living with our eyes on earthly possessions.  He said the above words in response to a man asking Jesus to tell his brothers to share his father’s estate with him. His first response was: ‘who made Me a judge over you to decide on such things?’ An interesting response. I wonder if that applies today? In Matthew we read Jesus saying:  ““Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We have watched the LA fires destroy homes, cars, businesses. The people affected lo...

“And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Here in Nepal my flatmates and I rent, our landlord lives above us. Knowing that the landlord sees into our flat as he goes out each day, ( outside our front window is where they keep their shoes ) causes us to be mindful of the state of our flat. A few months ago I heard that the landlord’s wife said my balcony was dirty, knowing that made me clean it. The landlord employs a cleaner for his flat and I often see her dusting the rails of their balcony. Therefore, I knew dust was an issue. Now, God does not behave like our landlord, however, when Jesus comes we will all face an inspection. The first question will be: ‘what did you do with the free gift of salvation? Is Jesus Lord of your life?’ And the next will be, ‘how have you used what I gave you?’ Jesus gave us parables about a ruler who gives his servants minas (a sum of money) before going on a journey. When he returned he inspecte...

““The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.” Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭44‬ ‭NLT‬‬ How did the man discover the treasure? Was he searching for it? Or did he stub his toe whilst walking through the field? However he came upon it, he recognised it as treasure. A lump of gold can be covered in dirt and encased in other minerals, how did he recognise it? He must have had eyes to see it. Agates are in the middle of an ordinary looking rock, you can pass them by and never know the beauty within, unless you have trained your eye to see. There is a road in Australia not far from where I lived where these rocks are laying beside the road. People pass them every day and do not see the potential within. Their hearts do not treasure them. I was searching for an encounter with Jesus all my life until the age of 19. Jesus planted me in a field called nurses training where...

“A person may have many ideas concerning God’s plan for his life, but only the designs of God’s purpose will succeed in the end.” Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬ ‭TPT‬‬ I’ve been here, many times. I am here again, but this time I am not living in the future but the present, and allowing God to unravel the future, trusting Him for the journey along the way. As I pace myself to enjoy the day I am in and trust my Lord for the journey, I enjoy the present so much more. If I live in the future I push away those in the present I am needed for. The people who inhabit the present with me are precious souls, and I need to do life well with them. The weather is warming here, even though it should still be winter, spring is beginning. It is six weeks early. Yesterday I saw the Himalayas in all their glory as I rode to an appointment. If I lift my head I see the glory, if I watch my feet I see the filth. It is better to keep my eyes on Jesus each day, instead of the problems. Today I welcome a friend back to ...

“I consider your Word to be my greatest treasure, and I treasure it in my heart to keep me from committing sin’s treason against you.” Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭11‬ ‭TPT‬‬ God’s Logos is the Bible predominantly and His Rhema, His revealed word through preaching and prophesy. Neither counters the other but rather reinforce and support the other. David had the written word, in the manuscript scrolls. I am sure he experienced the Rhema, he had the prophet Nathan come and speak to him about his wrong relationship with Bathsheba. David would seek the Lord’s guidance via the prophet before he embarked on a battle. He was a man after God’s heart and his psalms reveal a man who heard from God. However, the verse above may not have been written by David but by one of his priests, some commentators believe it was written by Daniel, some surmise Ezra. However, the common belief is it was David. Nonetheless, the writer valued God’s word. As we value God’s word above the media and the voices of others we will...

“Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers as members of one family. Try to outdo yourselves in respect and honor of one another.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭TPT‬‬ In our church family we have those who are willing to be loved and those, who for some reason, why away. These people present a challenge to me, I reach out to love them and pray for ways to involve them. Yesterday we had a community lunch at church. Those that attend the lunch are mostly the refugees. Unfortunately the missionary congregation is largely absent. I must confess I usually sit with my friends and yesterday one of my newer friends encouraged me to sit with a Pakistani man. I discovered my friend had spent time in Pakistan with his work and liked the people and the country. He talked freely with the Pakistani man. I was encouraged to do likewise. I came away knowing that I should give myself more to our refugee congregation. They are the church also. They need love and recognition also. Lord make me an instrume...

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ God reveals His glory to us in what He has done, and what He is doing now. Yesterday I went on a trek with my American friend. I had never been to parts of the area. We covered 14 kilometres, 18,000 steps. Walk in nature helps me keep my focus on the goodness and glory of my God. Proverbs 25:2 tells me: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” God’s glory is hidden in nature, and hidden in His words. It is my role to seek Him with all my heart, then I will find Him. Unfortunately, Nepali people do not understand their roles to care for God’s creation. Rubbish was lying everywhere. There were parties in several locations and rubbish was left where food and drinks were consumed. My parents remembered a time in Australia when they would throw rubbish out of a moving car. Perhaps it is just a matter of time for cleanliness to co...

“Wherever I go, your hand will guide me; your strength will empower me.” Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭10‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Last night I had a dinner party. The guests arrived with their young son also. He was not expected, however we made room for him at the table. He dominated the conversation. He did not like the food as there was no rice, until dessert came and he wanted more. I used the gathering as a way to celebrate my son’s birthday tomorrow. My son is in Australia and turns 43. I wanted Jarrod to have a glimpse of a Nepali birthday celebration. Today my son is running an evangelistic crusade back in Australia. Perhaps my guest’s son will also be a crusader as my son was also a chatterbox. The father of the boy spoke very quietly and I struggled to hear him. My friend Chelle was also present and she kept up the conversation with the parents who are believers and carry responsible positions in a large local church. The night left me disappointed as I was unable to participate. However, I must ask myself...

“Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that’s wrong.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Here’s the challenge: love God with all you have and lay down your lust for praise and glory. Satan had this problem. He was created by God as a beautiful, talented angel, but he lusted for the glory, honour and power that belonged to God. So, in an effort to take for himself that which belonged to God he led a rebellion with 1/3 of the angelic host and was defeated by Archangel Michael. Cast down to the earth Satan now makes war on God’s next creation, one made in His image, us. When we don’t get what we want we hate those who oppose our selfishness and we turn on them and make war with them. The antidote is repentance, humility and adoration for the One to whom it belongs. There is the problem: die to your lust and love the One who has all authority and power and walk with Him. He will give you an amazing life. Toda...

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬ This verse comes in the middle of an indictment against Israel and Judah. The Lord is calling them to repent and walk in His ways. What does it say to us? What is righteousness? It is right living from a pure heart. When we are born again we receive a new heart, we have the Holy Spirit resident inside of us. We can now live in the power of the Holy Spirit, and as we yield to Him we live righteously. Walking humbly with our God gives us access to His goodness and grace. Yesterday we received word that a little girl who had been sick was healed after our prayer for her. I knew she would be healed. The presence of God was all over our prayers for her. We cannot live for ourselves and expect to live righteously. We may fool ourselves with our self-righteousness. However, God’s s...

“Your ancestors have also been taught ‘Love your neighbors and hate the one who hates you.’ However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them.” Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Israel was turned on its head when Jesus arrived. He took understanding the heart of God to a whole new level. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was replaced with grace and forgiveness. This new doctrine was hard to swallow. It meant laying down of precious preconceived notions and learning a new way, a painful way. Vengeance now belonged to God alone. He had said, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’” Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬ However, Exodus 21:23-25 became the dominant attitude:  “But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury:...

“Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.’ “All who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced. All who contend with you will perish and disappear. You will look for your enemies in vain; those who war against you will vanish without a trace! I am Yahweh, your mighty God! I grip your right hand and won’t let you go! I whisper to you: ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you!’” Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭TPT‬‬ I claim this promise, although it was given to Israel, I am grafted into the branch through faith in Jesus Christ. I love the second sentence: ‘ never turn your gaze from Me, for I am your faithful God!’ I constantly hear the Lord whisper ‘look at Me, look at Me!’ As I look at Him He fills me with His dreams and visions, and He blesses me through watching my son march forward in evangelism. Satan has ...

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ These were the words of King David on the day he dedicated his son Solomon to be king in his stead, gave his wealth to build the house of the Lord and encouraged the people to also give. It was a day of joyful giving, sacrifice and praise to the Lord. David lived a life with a heart after God! His psalms speak of his longing and joy in the presence of God. Out of his heart flowed a desire to build a house for the Lord. The actual temple Solomon built was a testimony to the expanse of David’s love for the Lord. I can learn from this! Father may I never attempt to replace my affection for you with people or things. I pray that You stay with me and guide me into more of You! Amen!

“So fight with faith for the winner’s prize! Lay your hands upon eternal life, to which you were called and about which you made the good confession before the multitude of witnesses!” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭TPT‬‬ We fight many fights that are senseless and of no value. The fight we need to engage in is one for our eternal prize. This involves dying to our selfish attitudes and ways; high opinions and ideals; arrogance and pride. Instead we need to take up the cause of our God and reach out to those who are perishing. The Lord fills me with dreams of how to accomplish His purposes. He is wanting to use all that I have been trained in to bring this about. I have a creative side to my life and He wants to use this to open doors.  In my younger life I aspired to be a doctor and focussed my study on Maths and Science, and loved it. However, He began my creative training in childhood. I was taught to play the piano and sing. When I play the piano I go to a special place where He is and it...

““Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬ In Nepal today, Saturday, is the church’s sabbath, whereas tomorrow is the west’s sabbath. Today, as in most Saturdays I go for a trek with my friend Chelle, I enjoy God’s creation, return home and share my food with Chelle and play a game. To us it is rest. Tomorrow we go to church and enjoy the fellowship of the saints as we worship the Lord together, we usually have lunch at a restaurant and return to my place for coffee and a game. My Nepali flatmates attend a church service both today and tomorrow. They are gone for most of the day. Sometimes they go to visit people who they are outreaching to. Business is not a part of my schedule on the weekend. It is restful! I usually have food already cooked so that it just needs reheating. I do not like busyness. I like rest. Every morning I like to take a long time with the Lord, reading His word, sharing it with others via social media, worship, and prayer. I actually ...

“For wherever two or three come together in honor of my name, I am right there with them!” Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭20‬ ‭TPT‬‬ This promise is true. I see God fulfill the prayers we pray in our flatmates and my fellowship each night. We read the Bible and pray together. Our prayers are for the lost, mainly. Our Lord continually gives us opportunities to touch the lives of others.  Recently I visited local cheese-makers. These people make the tastiest ricotta cheese I have ever tasted. I bought some cheese and butter from them yesterday and came home and made my first pasta then lasagna. I invited a friend to share. It was tasty. I believe the connection with the cheese-makers was God ordained. I had trouble using my phone app to pay and said I would need to go to an atm and get cash. The man said I could take my products and return, however, I remembered money I had hidden for my tithe and I said, ‘I’ve remembered money I had put aside for my tithe’. He stopped and looked at me. This man kne...

“So now, beloved ones, stand firm, stable, and enduring. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭58‬ ‭TPT‬‬ There are times when we see nothing, hear nothing. It is easy to assume we have failed, however, when I seed is in the ground nothing is visible. At the right time the rains come, the sun shines and the plant grows. We are encouraged to not be weary in well doing, in due season we will reap (Gal 6:9). Paul tells us:  “God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest.” Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Our challenge , then, is to continue planting good seed. It is winter here in Nepal, yet, I see young seedlings for sale. The local people here know when to plant so that they can produce food for their families. As Christians we must be aware that ...

“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭TPT‬‬ We can make our plans and they seem tight and fool-proof, however, circumstances change and cause us to rethink. When our plans fail we can become anxious. Fortunately, as a child of God I can go to Him for my needs and He will provide. I have noticed that His measure of what is a need, or merely a want, is sifted by Him. When I conceive a plan, I am fully aware that God may have deviations; or different outcomes in mind. If I let go my hand from control and allow Him to drive the car, all is well. When I began my long—term residency in Nepal I purchased a single bed. Little did I know how difficult it would be to find fitted sheets. The mattress came with one fitted sheet, however, it ...

“She has pierced the souls of multitudes of men— many mighty ones have fallen and have been brought down by her.” Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭26‬ ‭TPT‬‬ This proverb deals with promiscuity, adultery and sexual sin. The Passion Translation also connects the proverb will religion, false religion, that steals hearts away from a relationship with Jesus. Religious observation without a relationship is dead and will lead to eternal separation from God. Beofre coming to Christ, I believed in Him and practised my belief in a Catholic religion which was empty of relationship. The night Jesus brought me to Himself was the most joyous ever. He cleansed me of all my self-efforts, and brought me into a relationship with Him. I now live free of religious observation. I have a loving relationship with Him. I trust Him to be by righteousness, my life, my standing with the Father. I cannot save myself by being ‘good’, but only by accepting His free gift of salvation. I have been set free of all self-efforts and can...

“But those who love the truth will come into the Light, for the Light will reveal that it was God who produced their fruitful works.” John‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is now not common. Truth is evaluated internally in a person and that person will speak what they think is the truth, and what part of the truth needs to be heard. In court this fact is the cause of long trials as lawyers attempt to uncover the full truth. Here in Nepal full disclosure is uncommon, you must know what questions to ask to obtain the full truth, and perhaps even then it may evade you. It is therefore very important that the Holy Spirit’s discernment be employed. We ourselves may not know the full details about a matter in our own hearts. If we do not, then we are constantly amazed when the Holy Spirit reveals our hearts to us. Knowing the full truth allows the light to shine fully; having no hidden doors and compartments allows the full beauty of Jesus to sh...

“She has been forgiven of all her many sins. This is why she has shown me such extravagant love. But those who assume they have very little to be forgiven will love me very little.” Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭47‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Jesus said these words to a Pharisee named Simeon. When Simeon invited Jesus to dinner he did not offer Him water to wash His feet or  oil to annoint His head. A former prostiture came in with expensive ointment and washed His feet with her many tears and wiped His feet with her hair, she then annointed His feet with her ointment. Simeon represented those who thought they were sinless, the woman represented those who knew they were sinful. Today we have many who estimate themselves to be righteous, and they are not church attenders, they have made themselves god. They have deemed church-goers as weak and emotionally needy, themselves as self-sufficient and strong. They believe that if there is a God in eternity He should accept them as righteous. They will be very dismayed when the...

“Peter replied, “Repent and return to God, and each one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to have your sins removed. Then you may take hold of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Here is no soft-peddling here! Peter confronts the question given to him: ‘what then must we do?’ The people who came together at the sound of the Holy Spirit coming heard they were responsible for the death of Jesus. Rather than deny it, they were contrite and asked what to do. When we have the opportunity to speak for Jesus and the gospel we must be straight with the truth. Repentance is the way to eternal life with Him. Repentance is the only way. Accepting Jesus as saviour and Lord and being baptised in water gives access to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers us to live and speak for Him.  Baptism in water shows the world around us that we have died to our old life and walk into the new. It is not a sprinkling affair, ...

“I’m obviously not trying to flatter you or water down my message to be popular with men, but my supreme passion is to please God. For if all I attempt to do is please people, I would fail to be a true servant of Christ.” Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬ ‭TPT‬‬ When I went to the village of Magri I knew I wanted to return there to conduct my research project that looks at how music affects learning. I plan to bring the music of heaven to them. The village is isolated. To reach the village I must trek. The reception we received when we went there was good, as the guide had lived there for 2 1/2 years as a teacher. I am praying into the project and seeking God for His way. My friend, who initially was willing is now unwilling and rather than cause me to vere away it has caused me to strengthen my purpose. My concern is my ability to communicate. I want to communicate well. My friend wants to go to another people group. I am not sure how she is being influenced by the man who took us as his passion is...

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭TPT‬‬ Being in Nepal, and not having a full grasp on the language, I do not fully know the ideals and customs of the people around me. Whilst I know they live in fear of their many gods, I imagine their ideals are to be as affluent as the west. There are a growing number of motor vehicles on the road and those who drive them are smug and self confident. The disparity between those who have and the who do not is huge. Outside of Kathmandu, the further one travels, the poorer the inhabitants become. However, there are people in remote western Nepal who are content, without motor cars and fancy houses. This is where I want to go.  Today I begin my language learning again. I am not waiting for colleg...

““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬ We have a whole 366 days ahead of us, what will unfold? I am trusting for great things. Last night we celebrated the New Year and gave thanks for the old. At our flat we had a vibrant bunch of neighbours in the welcome in the New Year. We ate daal bhat, roti, tharkari, and finished with cake, on which two fire crackers were lit. After eating we played games, such fun. I saw a funny and beautiful family from upstairs perform together. A smaller family from downstairs was more subdued,  perhaps it was because they were the servants to those upstairs, perhaps it was other reasons. We prayed to Jesus for our food and finished the night with thanks to the Father for a wonderful year and bequests for this New Year. This was my first cross-cultural, cross-faith celebr...