Holy lightning!

     It's been a brutal ten days here.  Our house was struck by lightning. There is nothing like being awoken by a simultaneous bolt of brightness and an intense thundering boom.  It brought me straight out of bed. If that wasn't unnerving enough, my muddled, not-quite-awake brain couldn't figure out what was bouncing around on my floor.  I grabbed my wind-up powered flashlight (Thanks Sis and Jim, it's been VERY well used this trip!) and discovered that the strike had blown the plastic outlet covers off of the wall.  They ricocheted off the opposite wall before clanging and bouncing off the tile floor. The kids were terrified and screaming upstairs.  The upstairs ceiling fan had caught on fire and had burned itself out.  The phone line was melted and burned up, all of our breakers were burned, and there is exploded bits of debris all over the roof. An electrician will have to come out to fix the wiring upstairs.  We've only been averaging about four hours of electricity per day, so there's no hurry for those repairs.  We've been without internet ever since.  Side note:  there are no fire brigades here.  All buildings are cinder block and stone construction so there's no fuel for fires and thus, no need for fire trucks.
     My tablet hit the ground and the screen is now shattered.  There are no Best Buys in Nepal for me to replace it and I can't have a new one shipped. There is no evidence of a home delivery mail system here.  The missionaries report that packages seldom arrive.  Most get lost in transit.  If one does happen to show up, it goes to an office in Pokhara, where it sits.  Once a 100% import tax is paid, then it is released.  The only way to know if you do have a package is to stop by every day and ask.  They do not notify when a package arrives.  I may have to wait until someone comes to visit so they can hand carry a replacement tablet for me.  (Hint, hint children....are you reading this?)