NAR, ETC.

Sometimes things become a surprise, maybe even a shock.

My Bhutanese daughter, Nar, was resting in her in-law parents bedroom on Saturday and I went in to just love on her and pray for her. Her exhaustion is kicking in so strongly, especially since she became pregnant a couple months ago. She's always busy taking other refugees to medical areas, being an interpreter, and working full time at a local meat packing company [most of them work there]. AND being a wife with a son who just turned 9. She was married at 15 to a young man, Phurba, 18, and had Yogust [he always grins when I call him "Yogurt"] when she was 16. They arrived here in March, 2008. And they've been busy ever since, especially as he has become the local Bhutanese pastor.

OK... all of that to explain something. She had been in for an ultrasound on Friday. I assumed she'd never had one in Nepal and she said it had happened when she was nearly ready to deliver her baby.

When people tell me stories like this, I often just have to shake my head at the horrible elements most of never even have to think about, even those of us who come from abusive or very intense backgrounds.

One day while at the refugee camp, her father-in-law, Ram, and another man, both drunk, began fighting. The weapons? Rocks. Rocks were being thrown, and some of them sound as the size of boulders. Suddenly, she was hit by one, hurting her face [she still has a small scar near her eye] and smashing her stomach.

A hospital took her in and gave her an ultrasound -- a very rare occurrence in Nepal near the camp -- and forced the man who had been throwing stones at Ram to pay for Nar's physical care at the hospital and for the ultrasound.

Her son was born with no problems on February 28, 2002.

And, BTW, Ram is one of the most sparkling-eyed men I have ever seen. He turned from Buddhism to the Lord about 4 years ago, in his mid-40s, and, even though his English is pretty challenged after being here for nearly 2 years, he is one of the most God-loving people I've ever seen. [Ram and his wife, Dawa, were the first two Bhutanese the Lord dropped into my life last May 8th. I now have approximately 30 of their family members in my life, and it's increasing month by month as more arrive from Nepal. But they're wonderful. What a blessing.]