Diary, April 1998

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Thursday, April 2, 1998

Getting into a comtemplative state

Yesterday evening, at our biweekly church group meeting, I got into a comtemplatve state again, just like the previous time we met. I did not feel very well early in the evening, possibly the result of stress, I think. While someone was giving a lecture on `resisting evil', I found myself reading Leviticus 19, where it says you are not allowed to cut your beard, and studying Colossions Chapter 3. I was mightly impressed by a verse in Chapter 2 of the same letter, stating that `the body of flesh has been circumsized'.

Some of God's words sound simple,
but yet they are profound beyond comprehension

Terminally ill

An old lady from our church is terminally ill. She has stopped eating and drinking. Her kidneys ceased working. The doctors give her only a few days.

She has reached the admirable age of 85 years. Her first name is Hermien, but she is often called Mini, because she is a very small and fragile lady. I haven't talked with her for years, mainly because she is too deaf to have a reasonable conversation with. I wonder how much she herself could understand from our Sunday morning services, which she faithfully attended until a few weeks ago, when her condition suddenly aggrevated.

She seems to be such an insignificant person, totally irrelevant for society in general. However, during our closing prayer, someone remarked that she prayed a lot. And Suddenly, I realized we were going to `loose' someone precious in God's eyes.

Tuesday, April 14, 1998

Snow?

The roof of the car had some white frosting on the roof this morning. I wondered whether it was real snow, or just frozen hail. Closer inspection revealed that it very much felt like snow. Later on the day, I heared it had snowed almost an inch in other parts of the country. Quite a difference with the Soft weather we encountered last month.

(follow-up)

Bogda Feng

Lately, I have been dreaming about climbing the Bogda Feng in Xinjiang, some 5445 metres above sea level. The problem is that I don't have much experience with climbing, and my general condition is to weak to climb more than 1000 meters in a day. Conclusion: it is just a crazy idea, a day-dream.

It seems that the China Xinjiang Mountaineering Association (CXMA) is responsible for climbing the Bogda Feng. Their address is: No 1 Renmin Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. Fax:+86-991 2818365.

An expedition is described here: Saga Magazine Chinese Tien Shan Expedition, 1995. i MEF Ref: 95-13. Leader(s): Mike Banks. Notes: Bogda range. ACL Ref: 26306. 19 leaves, maps. 30cm., also Saga Magazine, Nov/Dec 1995, p.54-57, illus., ports. 28cm.

There is also a satalite image available from NASA:

The Chinese painter Li Shan writes that his heart is still in Tian-Shan mountain.

Others that refer to the Bodga Feng or Bodga Shan are:

Thursday, April 16, 1998

Snow!

This morning, Annabel was sitting on the couch while drinking her milk, when she suddenly shouted: Snow! And indeed, I saw big snowflakes falling from the sky.

(Follow-up)

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