Three wise men, two roast chickens and a Christmas Pudding
Many thanks for all the good wishes, parcels and cards that we have received over the advent season. We have really enjoyed hearing from you all! Christmas has turned out to be a very festive time in Kathmandu with various Christmas carol services and events being held.
One of the highlights for us was meeting up with 3 other families (one from Scotland, England and Canada) for breakfast on each Sunday of Advent. We shared a lovely time together with a special thought about Christmas and the coming of Christ. When we are so far from our families at this time it has been a blessing to connect with our friends and Church family in this way.
Three wise men – no sorry just breakfast at our house.
Jean and Valerie – they were good friends when they came to Nepal in 1998 and taught together at KISC.
Now their daughters are becoming good friends too!
There was a great Christmas celebration held at UMN for all the staff and their families. The events began with a puppet show telling the Christmas story. It was followed by a young Tamang lady performing a special dance expressing the freedom from sin she had experienced having accepted Christ as Saviour. The kids all received a lovely Christmas gift too (no Santa in sight!).
Our language teacher was bringing his 10 year old son, who was so excited about the programme. His dad said it was so different for his family to hear the Christmas message every year and they loved it! Many of the Nepali staff are not Christians, so it is a great way of sharing the message of Christmas with them and their wider families.
It finished with singing carols in Nepali by candellght!
Christmas Eve was spent climbing one of the hills surrounding the Kathmandu valley, from which we had an amazing view of the Langtang Himals and further east also caught a view of Mount Everest. It is cold now in Kathmandu, but in the middle of the day the sun is still strong and we found ourselves sweating up the hill in 17 or 18 degrees.
Christmas Day began with the usual present giving and then Church. We cooked two chickens, roast potatoes, veg and gravy and it tasted great! Our friends made the crackers with newspaper hats and handwritten jokes. They brought a Christmas pudding which someone had sent them and we enjoyed sitting around, feeling full and sleepy!
The kids have 3 weeks off for their Christmas holidays but Peter starts into his job at UMN this week. Valerie will begin teaching on the 15th January.
We hope that you have all had a lovely Christmas, celebrating the coming of Christ with your friends and family too. We missed you all but hope you stay in touch in the year to come!
Stephen and Susan Rowan
Sun 30th Dec 2012 at 11:25 am
Great to hear you had a lovely Christmas over there. Stay safe and hope the new year brings many more new blessings:)
Stephen, Susan Daniel and Benjamin xx
Joanne Lynn
Sun 30th Dec 2012 at 3:26 pm
Hi Lockwood family.how good to see you enjoying the Christmas festivities in Nepal.
From all the Lynn family , we wish Peter ,Vslerie, Connor,Joel and Erin
Love, peace and many blessings for 2013.
What a year with our own family and church family for weddings.
March-Gordy and Julia
April-craig and Suzi
May -stef Lockwood and Neil
August Emma and Connor .
It is such a blessing to have watched these young folk grow up just as we have watched many others who now have families of their own .
Anyway, take care and thank you for the weekly updates.i wait every week for them and then share them with some folk who don’t have computers eg Mary crockard , wilma -who has but can’t work lol .
God bless until next week
Joanne.x
kirsty Kennedy
Sun 30th Dec 2012 at 2:38 pm
You look like you’ve had a truly brilliant Christmas! ! Lots of love xx
Eleanor
Sun 30th Dec 2012 at 3:06 pm
Good to see you all had a great time we were thinking about you being away from home everyone looks good best wishes for getting back to work and classes look forward to hear more god bless xx
simon kelly
Sun 30th Dec 2012 at 7:10 pm
Hi Peter, Valerie and kids. Christmas greetings from all of us. Sounds like you guys had a good Christmas. Pete we are playing for the ‘Lockwood Trophy’ at my place tonight in your honour. Hope you settle into your new jobs quickly.
Take care, Simon, Nat, Eva & Elijah
Joy Hare
Sun 30th Dec 2012 at 7:47 pm
Glad to see you enjoyed Christmas. We had a lovely carol service last Sunday evening too. We wish all a happy and blessed new year in 2013. Love from all the Hares.
Lorraine Lowry
Mon 31st Dec 2012 at 12:31 am
Hi Peter, Valerie and family. Looks like you had a fine Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. Thinking of you All. Love from the Lowrys.
Gladys Brown
Mon 31st Dec 2012 at 11:47 am
Hi Peter, Valerie, Conor, Joel and Erin,
Delighted to see that you all had a good Christmas, and especially glad that you have your friends around you at this time. they look like a good bunch and I’m sure the craic was good. I didn’t know that you would be allowed to hold Christmas services openly – that’s great! The kids are growing up fast – especially Conor – have a lovely New Year and I wish you all good health, happiness and every blessing for 2013.
Love
Gladys
Jenny Holley
Mon 31st Dec 2012 at 12:48 pm
Wonderful to see and hear how you celebrated Christmas and yes –not a Santa in sight. It sounds soooo good .We all missed you but having the three wise men and their families must have been special.
Valerie may you know Gods blessings as you start teaching again and Peter may He use you mightily and give you His wisdom for your new role.Conor Joel and Erin I hope the Prayer Group parcel arrived . LOve to you all
Jennifer and Sam and the Junior Holleys . Tara as well
Gus
Tue 01st Jan 2013 at 8:55 pm
Hi Pete & Valerie
Just finished watching Mary Poppins with Nathan. Enjoyed singing along. We’ve had a good Christmas too. Lots of socialising and eating, as well as the traditional Christmas services.
The diet starts tomorrow. I’ve discovered a new diet. Its called the theoretical diet. You basically eat as much as you want but think very thin thoughts. I’m confident it’ll work for me!
Take care
Gus
brian & sue conn
Wed 02nd Jan 2013 at 4:00 pm
Hi guys great to see your lovely Christmas photos and to read how Christmas was celebrated in style. Happy, healthy and safe New Year to you all. Valerie so glad you have renewed an old friendship and that Erin is now making friends with your friend`s daughter, how lovely. All the very best for both of you starting your jobs. God bless
Love to you all
Sue & Brian
Joan English
Wed 02nd Jan 2013 at 10:20 pm
Great to see you have had a good Christmas and were able to share it with friends. No shorts and tee shirts being worn here at the moment!
God’s blessings to you all in the year ahead.
with love Tim and Joan
Owen
Tue 08th Jan 2013 at 6:23 pm
Hi guys and gals, it’s great to see that you all had a great Christmas and have met up with old friends to celebrate, wishing you all well in this New Year and especially Peter and Valerie as you start your new jobs soon. Love from all, Owen.