Editor's Note:
[Apa and Yangji Sherpa moved to the United States to
   provide a better education for their three children (Tenzing, Pemba and
   Dawa). Today, Apa and Yangji realized that dream when Tenzing graduated
   from Salt Lake Community College. Pemba will graduate later this month
   as a honor student from Alta High School. This blog comes courtesy of
   Tenzing on his big day]

First of all I want to thank my family
   and friends who helped me to get an education. I came from a very
   remote area of Nepal, Thame, where I it is hard to get an education.
   Many people don't go to school.
Fortunately, help from my parents,
   Jerry Mika and his many friends, I got to come to Utah for my
   education. I just completed two years college at Salt lake Community
   College. It is a great moment for me and my family as well. Indeed the
   party time.
No one in my family went to school. The most was my
   dad, he joined and ended up quitting at grade four due to family
   difficulties. My mom never had a chance to go to school. These days, it
   is almost impossible to do anything without education. How bad my mom 
   feels with no education.  She always has problems wherever she goes. It
   is the one reason that they always encourage us to get good education,
   often my dad tells me that there is no choice without an education.
At
   the beginning, I had a hard time at school in so many things, for
   example understanding the language, culture and the environment. I had
   to struggle for everything. I always had to spend many hours without
   having good sleep at night. Now, with this success, I learned that
   nothing is impossible if we work hard.
I wish my dad was here for
   this special moment, but I know he continues to climb to help our
   family. I know in his heart he will be with me.  
 
Tenzing J. Sherpa

Click here for the story

Apa Sherpa's family in Salt Lake City has confirmed that Lhakpa Nuru
   Sherpa, a man from their hometown in Thame, Nepal, was swept away in a
   massive avalanche on Mount Everest Thursday.

Lhakpa Nuru had at least two young children, but an audio log
   from Eco Everest Team Leader Bill Burke says he may have had three
   children. Burke provides a detailed account of the avalanche which swept
   Lhakpa Nuru out of a crevase and out of sight. Eco Everest team members
   Walter Lasserer and Bernice Notenboom, both from Austria, were also
   caught in the avalanche. Lasserer was also pulled from the protection
   of the crevasse and spent a long time wedged upside down. He was
   eventually rescued by other climbers and Sherpas. Lasserer eventually
   walked back to basecamp Notenboo escaped largely unharmed.

As Bill said at the end of his audio log "may god rest Lhakpa's soul in peace".

-- Brett