Independence

Happy 4th of July! Maybe you'll get together with friends and family. Maybe you'll go to a parade. Maybe you'll have a cook-out. Maybe you'll go see fireworks. Whatever you do it's good to remember that this holiday represents the blood that was shed over 200 years ago for our independence as a people and a nation.
Here in the Darjeeling hills, the Gorkha peoples are struggling to break away from the state of West Bengal and form a new state; Gorkhaland. The Gorkha peoples are a blend of over a dozen different Nepali people groups, and though they are Indian citizens they often face racism and violations of their civil rights.
In the past few weeks, we've had strikes throughout the hills as a part of the Nepali people's protest against the West Bengal government. For days in a row all the roads, stores, government offices, etc. were closed down. Right near our house, a group of Nepali people have set up a platform and gone on an indefinite hunger strike. We've also seen fighting between the Nepali people and the Bengali people in the plains just below the mountains where we live. Many have been injured. The Nepali people are desperately seeking their own independence.
We know that over 2000 years ago Jesus came to this earth to fight for our independence and freedom from the kingdom of Satan. And to get that freedom, Jesus had to shed His blood. Because of His blood, we are a free people, and our citizenship is in a better country. Please continue to pray for the people of Darjeeling. We want God's will to be accomplished in the political situation, but more than that we want them to find their independence and freedom in Christ.

Jared & Tonya Wright