Here are a few journal entries from the day Team Yeshua decided to seize an opportunity to flee Manali by night and make the long overland journey back to Leh. The road to Delhi was closed, the conditions in Manali were rapidly deteriorating, and we had already missed our flights back to the United States:

August 30 (6:00pm): This is a step of faith, but we have to get out of Manali Water is running out in town. More rain coming, and reliable information about the route to Delhi is just too sketch. So it’s back to Keylong tonight via a lesser used 4WD route. Tomorrow, Lord willing, back to Leh to regroup. These vehicles showed up, so we go. Prayers much appreciated as we cross the Rohtang La

***Two 4WD jeeps got us out of Manali and over the dangerous Rohtang La during the night.***

August 31 (12:00am): Made it over the Rohtang La in the dark. Now stuck in Sissu trying to navigate the landslide rubble here. Watching the big trucks try to get up this mess is quite the show. 25 miles from Keylong.

***Because of the tunnel completed in 2019, the standard way to Leh no longer crosses the Rohtang La, a very dangerous Himalayan pass.***

***Stuck in Sissu Navigating the Landslide Rubble***

August 31 (2:00am): Praise the Lord! After 6 hours of dangerous road, traffic jams (one involving a huge herd of goats), a high mountain pass, some projectile vomiting, and mud-slinging over a fresh landslide, we made it to a familiar refuge in Keylong, and our Nepali friends had a nice 2am supper piping hot and waiting. Now we crash. I think it’s Sunday morning. Our long road home now goes back through Leh. But that’s a concern for another day. So thankful to be out of Manali. No water shortage here, and we have power! Thanks for all of tonight’s prayers. God has been gracious and merciful.

August 31 (1:00pm): We made it over the most dangerous pass. It’s been raining all day, even here in the Himalayan rain shadow. 250 km to Leh and 3 high passes to go. Much colder up here than last week. Praise God for some Nepalis who made us a little chai and daal bhat on the road. They were very glad to receive Gospel material in their language. Locals have been very kind to us out here on the road, and the transportation costs have all been fair. There has been no trying to take advantage of the situation this far with price gouging. Abundant grace of God all along the way.

August 31 (9:00pm): We made it back to Leh. The 17,482 ft. Taglang La crossing was sketchy in snow, but the Lord brought us safe to a familiar Leh refuge. Rain continued to dump in Manali today. By God’s grace, we made the right call and got out. Even here in dry desert Ladakh, the volume of rain that fell this past week was more at one time than people around here ever remember in their lifetimes. The surrounding mountains are covered with snow. Tonight, we sleep. Tomorrow, we regroup and figure out what to do to get home … in the Lord’s time. It’s just good to be dry. Thanks for all your prayers.

***It got icy climbing over the Taglung La.***

***There was no snow here when we left Leh a week ago.***

September 1 (11:00pm): It’s a chilly but beautiful moonlit night here on the Indus River at 10,500 ft. Those mountains, pretty barren when we left here a week ago, are now covered in snow.

For the record, since the day it became obvious we wouldn’t make it to Delhi to catch our flights home, Team Yeshua has enjoyed 10 more Israeli encounters. 3 Bibles have been given to Gentiles. And a Hebrew New Testament went out today on the streets of Leh. Much Nepali Gospel material has been distributed as well.

The Lord provided some affordable return tickets to Missoula today. Thanks to what seems foolish susperstition, September 11th is actually a cheap day to fly back to the United States. We’ll fly back to Delhi on the 9th. It seems the Hand Of Providence has extended our stay a bit. May we use this time wisely.

steps of faith