Page 17 - Faraway Frieds

FARAWAY FRIENDS 11
for God’s wisdom and leading, it seemed reasonable that MaryCatherine would go with her dad. She was used to being homeschooled, and Dad’s USAID as- signment to Nepal came with a sense of urgency. The American government was offering to assist Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock De- velopment with a specialist in engineering and land management — MaryCatherine’s dad. A one-year assignment, the person filling the position needed to start almost immediately.
It was evening of a typical day, and MaryCather- ine closed her notebook, placed her sketch pad on top of it, and gathered up her colored pencils. Sit- ting cross-legged, she opened her computer on her lap, tapped the link for Skype, and waited. Know- ing she would soon see the smiling face of her sister, Brittany, she settled back on bed pillows for a long, pleasant chat. Brittany’s face soon filled the comput- er screen, and the sisters began their weekly visit.
“This has to be the most religious place on earth,” MaryCatherine exclaimed. “Have I told you that people here observe religious holidays 150 days a year?”
“Yes, you’ve told me that already. If you’re plan- ning to observe them all, you’ll never get your les- sons done,” Brittany returned.
“Oh, I’m spending plenty of time on schoolwork,” MaryCatherine said. “Right now, I’m writing a chil-