Shangri La

We spent about a week with our friends in Shangri La. And let me tell you, the place has been beautifully named. The mountains, the wide open spaces, the architecture, and the wonderful people all create such an inviting atmosphere. The people of Shangri La were so kind and unassuming, even the ones we did not know. Once I saw an older man come up to one of my friend's children and ask if he could take a picture. Instantly, I thought, "Uh, no way! Not safe!" but my friend had no worries. She let him pick up the little girl, take a picture, and just go on his merry way. That would not happen in the US. 

On our first night there, it poured buckets. Looking out from our hostel balcony window, streams flowed from the sloping rooftops, sparkled in the lights from the nearby square, and landed on the cobblestone with a constant splatting noise. The raindrops were preparing the path for our adventurous hike the next morning so that we could squish through mud and avoid mucky puddles. But the rain also gave us an amazing blue sky interrupted by only a few puffy, white clouds. 

The countryside was gorgeous and well-worth the exploratory hike up Shangri La Mountain. Throughout our time in Shangri La, we visited many Tibetan homes and they were so kind and inviting. One of our van drivers lived near a friend we visited and, after discovering where we were headed, enthusiastically invited us over to meet his family while we were there! We had such giving hostesses in these Tibetan villages and they served us so lovingly of all their finest foods: Barley bread, barley powder, yak yogurt, yak cheese, home grown potatoes, and, of course, the infamous yak butter tea. 

What a lovely table she set!

Yak butter tea the quick & modern way

Yak butter tea, barley powder & a bit of yak yogurt - all mixed together! It tasted a little like chocolate, oddly enough...

On Sunday, we wandered over to the old town square for a bit of bbq. Do these people know how to bbq or what?? Yum to the tum!

Such an amazing time with so many stories. I've showed you a lot of the food because I can't share with you everything about the people because of internet safety. But what I can tell you is that there is some amazing work being done there for His sake and I am blessed to have taken such a minuscule part in it. Our friends working out there have the most loving and open hearts I have ever seen. At times I couldn't count how many people were in their home fellowshipping and I was amazed by this hospitality that took place in such a small home. They were unafraid and fully trusting in Him. My God is truly amazing.