When I visited the family in Phakding who had originally taken Maya in, I learned that Maya's father had heard she'd been placed in a foreign-run orphanage in Kathmandu. He had come to demand some money (now that rich foreigners were involved). The strong wife of the...
Having a 6-year-old is exhausting but fun. It has caused me to learn 6 months of parenting lessons, fears, and joys in about 3 days: --No clothes will ever be clean for a second day of wear. Ever again. --Tying your own shoes is supremely important, even if they come...
Here's the video. Need I say more?
Maya is not a morning person. Like a friend with a hangover, she ignores the sun pouring in as the curtains are drawn back, and when she finally rises with the back of her arm shielding her eyes, she acts like getting out of bed is the greatest of effort...
One year after Maya flew with me to Kathmandu, she is adjusting well to life in her new home! She's clearly more open and secure than when I saw her in the spring. Stability and love are powerful forces for transformation. This visit, I brought a warm jacket for the...
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By Day 3, I'm cresting over the jet lag. I sleep through the night and get up at 5:30am to visit Maya, the bright and brave little girl you may have read about last season. Here's something to love about Nepal: When I get in the cab, I haven't eaten because everything...
Around 9am, shops open, and the day picks up speed. I need to buy $5,000 in jewelry in a few days, which is harder than you think. Time to start shopping. First up: prayer bead bracelets. After examining a dizzying array of styles, beads, and sizes, I end up with 300...
Ama Ghar recently had a family day and inauguration of their new building, so I went out to visit and see how Maya was doing. She had arrived at the orphanage during Tihar, which meant days of feasting, singing, and celebration -- a good way to begin! As the...
As the newest member of our trek group, Maya enjoyed quite a bit of attention, but it was still me who was momma. Whether it meant bathroom breaks, food, buying a toothbrush, or putting on warmer clothes (my fleece worn as a dress), I was suddenly the mother of a...
I never thought I'd be carrying a child on my back through the Himalayas, but that's exactly where I found myself. When the Sunrise family decided to send Maya to Kathmandu, they needed a way to get her there. I was hiking out to Lukla the same day and catching...
On my way to Everest Base Camp this fall, our first stop was Phakding. Maya was looking great! She was smiling and talking and far less shy than only a few months before. She was writing the alphabet in a notebook although she wasn't in school yet, and she...