Open minds

Last month we mentioned that our language helper (and best friend here) took a new job in the Middle Eastern country of Kuwait, and that she will be gone for two years. She called us a few weeks ago to say that she had arrived safely in Kuwait City and that she has a safe place to live for the time being. We miss her very much, and we pray for her everyday. Kuwait can be a dangerous country for woman, especially foreign workers like our friend. We've read several news articles recently about Nepali women who have been raped and even murdered in Kuwait. Please continue to pray for our friend's safety and salvation.
On a more positive note, we have started studying with a new language helper. He is from a high caste Brahmin, or priestly, family. In addition to language, he has given us some interesting insights into the culture. Just the other day he was explaining to us how a high caste Nepali will typically never accept food from the hand of a low caste Nepali. We already knew this, but then he surprised us by saying how inconsistent this belief is.
He said, "High caste Nepalis say that they never accept food from the hand of a low caste Nepali. But they will still go to the market or a restaurant and buy food. The high caste Nepali ignores the fact that the fruit or vegetable seller is low caste, and he never bothers to ask whether a low caste person made the food in the restaurant. If the high caste Nepali really believes that it will make him unclean to accept food from a low caste Nepali, then he should never go to the market or eat in a restaurant ever again."
Our new language helper is a very bright person. He sees some of the glaring inconsistencies of the Hindu culture in which he was raised. He is thoughtful about what he believes, and he told us that he is interested in different religions. Please pray for this new relationship we are forming, and pray that he will have an open mind to hear new truths.
In other news, we recently shifted the location of our small prayer house from the one-room structure a church member was letting us use to a new six-room apartment. We now have a sanctuary where over 30 people can meet, a children's Sabbath School room, a small kitchen, two bathrooms, a youth room with guitars, an office, and a small bedroom for our caretaker. Recently, more children have started to attend our church, and we just couldn't provide for their spiritual needs in the one-room church. The new children's Sabbath School room has been a real blessing. We are also hoping to reach the young people of Darjeeling by providing them a safe place to hang out during the week where they can play music and study. Please pray that we will be able to positively impact the lives of the children and youth of Darjeeling for Christ in our new church.

Jared & Tonya Wright