Video

This is a slide show of our trip to Nepal.

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 was the first time the church group in Darjeeling has celebrated Christmas, though it probably looked quite different from yours. Certainly Christmas on this side of the world passes fairly quietly and definitely without insane marketing! About 25 people met for a meal, singing, and a Christmas story. Before and after lunch the group watched the Jesus film in Nepali. There is almost a complete lack of Christian media in the Nepali language in this area so everyone was completely engrossed, hearing the gospel according to Luke in their own language. They can also relate to many aspects of the culture and lifestyle as it was portrayed for that time. One man from Nepal who'd come as a guest with a friend refused the urgings of his friend to leave early so that he could see the whole thing. Jonathan's parents were here visiting, too, so we had extra special guests with us for the day! Here Mom Janet cuts the Christmas cake while the kids eagerly wait for their piece.



Jonathan's father Neil shared with the group the real meaning of Christmas. One lady afterward told us that though she'd been a Christian for several years she had never understood it until then.



Some gifts were shared with the children. They love badminton!



Kusum & Neha. Notice the scarf & hooded jacket and coats in other pictures? It was cold! The church room was probably about 50F. We couldn't get the gas pipe off the stove to run the heater but no one was surprised or dismayed by that in the least - except maybe our loved ones from Texas!!



Sorry we didn't get more pictures! We'll try to do better about that next time.

Family visit!

In mid-December 2008 Jonathan's parents, Neil & Janet Lovitt, came (literally) half-way around the world to spend some time with us. Having them here was a great reason to do some touristy things and see some of India's rich cultural heritage. We met them in Delhi and hit the ground running to see as much as we could in two short days. First stop in Delhi was the Red Fort, or La Qila. Shah Jahan (same guy who built the Taj Mahal) built this of red sandstone; it was completed in 1648.



The marble inlay work on the columns was amazing and beautiful!



The next day we took the train to Agra to see the (need it be said) famous Taj Mahal. It was truly impressive! Jonathan had a great time shooting photos. Here's a classic "post-card" shot he took.



Looking touristy...



Admiring the craftsmanship...



A huge cow (the one with horns) on the grounds of the Taj. Seriously, it was immense, very tall.



You've seen the front a million times but have you ever wondered what it looks like behind the Taj? Now you know...



Our last stop was Fatehpur Sikri - a city near Agra built by Emperor Akbar; it was his capital from 1571-1585 and pretty much abandoned after that. Here we are in front of the Buland Gate there.



During the time we had together in Darjeeling we spent a relaxing day at the Barnesbeg Tea Estate where our friend is the manager. It was a beautiful place with flowers, gardens, fruit trees, amazing food, and great hospitality.



My friend Rita taught Mom Janet how to make momos - steamed veggie-filled dumplings. Yum!



The visit was far too short but it was great to be able to share a bit of our lives with our loved-ones.

Working away from home

Where do you go when you need a quiet place, some uninterrupted time? Likely you know what a rare sort of place that is. Our quiet spot? The AFM office on the campus of Mission College in Muaklek, Thailand - a couple hours outside of Bangkok. We just spent three weeks in sunny Thailand, but it was no vacation. We were working on a writing project. Our supervisor, Tim, thoughtfully created a place where missionaries can work when they need a block of uninterrupted time to knock out a project. The sunshine was great for our health, and it was time well spent.



This office replaces the Resource Center that formerly was located in Chiang Mai. The office isn’t staffed but is available for use to the Asia missionaries.



Here’s Jonathan diligently at work. We finished 30 rough drafts. This is a set of simply written Bible stories that communicate the gospel in a nutshell.



Karen wanted to learn how to ride a scooter—a common means of transportation. Jonathan was more than happy to coach. But a curb cut the fun short. Karen and the scooter went down and Jonathan went up—flying over Karen’s head! What is it with Jonathan and motorcycle accidents?



Jonathan’s forearm. Road rash compliments of Karen. Nothing serious. Good times!

Celebrations and Traditional Costumes

The most important festivals of the year fall within the months of October and early November. So it seemed like a perfect time for local leadership to send out an order telling everyone to wear traditional costumes for one month. It did make for some striking pictures!


You can see the distinctive Nepali print cloth - different prints but all with repeating geometric patterns and lots of red.


The kids are always adorable!


A procession heads off to join the main celebration.


During the holidays our friend Rita invited us for a meal with their family. We had great food and appreciated them including us with their family. Notice Jonathan sporting his traditional dress plus Nepali topi. (Topi = hat)


Karen and Rita didi. (Didi = elder sister)

Shopping before strikes

Both we and the Wrights have mentioned strikes in previous posts...I've been meaning to put up these pictures from the long strike in June 2008. There was a run on the market, food, etc. We joined the crowds and went food shopping. You can see that cooking oil is a must have! Only the pricey olive oil is left.



How to get out of this crowd?



Jonathan, Karen, and Jared with the goods.

Pictures of our new church sanctuary

Our new church sanctuary may look a little small, but we can fit about 30 people inside. These pictures are from our second Sabbath in the new church. Our new church is actually a large apartment that we've converted into a church. Jonathan Lovitt is pictured here preaching in the Nepali language. We've been requesting for a while now that you please remember the children and youth of Darjeeling in your prayers, and I think you can see from the pictures (all the young people in the first row)that your prayers are being answered.

Bible Story Breakthrough

Pranai and I working

Recently we’ve had a break-through of sorts. As Jonathan was wrestling with how to write the Bible stories one day he began to search online for chronological Bible-story telling resources. The links led him to information about oral societies and as he read it seemed to be what could be missing.

I’m sure you all are aware of people’s different learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic) so it may come as no surprise to learn that often cultures have one, too. Despite the high value put on education here and all the associated trappings, it seemed to us that some connection was missing in a reading/ writing approach to sharing the Bible. Immediately Jonathan has put into practice what he has learned about oral cultures and positive results are already evident. Pranai, who helps Jonathan with translation, etc, was excited by the potential in sharing the Bible in an oral style. Around the same time various people voiced to us that they don’t understand what they read in the Bible, but if you tell them the story first and then they read it they’ll understand right away. This seemed to be a confirmation we were on the right track. It all has to do with how we take in and process information. God has given this insight, no doubt. After all, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17, emphasis mine.

Motorcycle Accident

Jonathan and Jared were in a motorcycle accident last Friday (July 4). They’d gone to the section office in Falakata to take care of church business and to accompany a boy to the SDA school there. On the way home they had the accident, mainly due to the bad condition of the roads. They were both bruised and scraped but in one piece. They were hours from home at that point but after resting and getting bandaged up they went on. It was after dark when they reached the hills and started up, but when they were still two hours away (if all went well!) the tire went flat! The shops were closed at that time of night, but someone directed them to a man who could help. He kindly didn’t charge them anything for airing up the tire and on they went. As they passed through the next town the tire went flat again. They had no choice but to walk – uphill, with the bike, in the dark, in the rain, in pain, hungry, thirsty. (That is me dramatizing it because I felt so sorry for them; there was nothing I could do! If they were telling the story they wouldn’t mention all that, I’m sure, because they are such troopers!) Anyway, Jonathan had the idea (from God!) to turn on the bike and put it in first gear to keep them from wearing themselves out pushing and also to provide a big flashlight (headlight!) The going was slow so it was over 2 hours later before they made it home at 12:30 am.

But you’ll be interested to know that two days later Pranai got his foot run over and couldn’t walk for several days. Thankfully, x-rays show it isn’t broken. It seems totally obvious to us that this is an attempt to discourage, incapacitate, and generally slow down God’s work. But thank God that this was all that happened! God has things to accomplish and cannot be stopped.

P.S. This is the same accident that Jared describes in the post "When it rains..." (8/10/08)

Celta Course

After the retreat our teammates returned to the project while we stayed in Thailand to take a short course (CELTA) which will certify us to teach English. This is part of our plan to extend our circle of influence and bring us in contact with more people. It has been a very intense and challenging course but we have learned immense amounts and feel empowered and confident to teach. For the mornings we were students, then in the afternoons we became teachers teaching real ESL students from Thailand and Cambodia! It was initially nerve-wracking! We learned to teach both beginner and intermediate levels. We have just finished the course and thank God for giving us the stamina we needed since it has been a long time since we’ve been in school!


Karen with some of the students


Jonathan teaching.

Journey to Thailand

In mid-April the Asia missionary retreat was held in Thailand. This is usually held every two years and we and our teammates the Wrights had been really looking forward to it. However, the day before our departure a sudden strike was called in the Darjeeling hills in response to a distressing incident involving Nepali protesters and police. It was a very serious situation and it looked like we might not get out of Darjeeling. I think we were all at peace with whatever might happen but felt we had to try our best anyway in spite of the apparent impossibility. Some friends helped us get a special pass to be able to travel but we encountered numerous checkpoints on the way out of the mountains. We reached one point where we drove right up to a group of demonstrators blocking the road and burning effigies. We were turned back there but after a little while the demonstration ended and we were able to go on. The situation was a bit unnerving but it was clearly God who made a way for us to get to the retreat. There isn’t time here to tell all the details of the miracles God did along the way but we were immensely thankful that we were able to reach Thailand.



I was feeling a bit tired after the trip. The others faired better.

The retreat is always a fantastic time and this was even better than before, I thought. We gain a lot of encouragement and inspiration from our peers in the field and thank God for each one of them. We were able to compare experiences, problems, solutions, and spend time praying for each other. We’re thankful for our field supervisor Tim Holbrook for doing all the planning.

Enjoying a Mexicanish meal. As Mexican as food can get in Thailand!

Driving like the locals on the little scooters.

Getting back in the swing of strikes

I’ve been wanting to send an update for some time but have been having trouble with the email; sorry for the delay. In our last email, we mentioned that there would be a strike happening. Here is an update. The strikes mean that everything closes down – everything, that is, except the hospitals, pharmacies, and the milk man! Apparently, with medicines and milk humanity can survive! The strike lasted 11 days with one 4-hour reprieve and one 12-hour reprieve. The first reprieve came on a Saturday. While we were heading to meet with our small church group, it seemed like everyone else in the world was headed to market. Everybody was looking for fresh vegetables and fruit, but there was little to be had. I was thankful that the Sabbath rest from all such concerns kept me from being a part of the crowds fighting for fresh produce.

Nearly our entire small group came to church instead of going to market. We were surprised and pleased. The one who chose to go to market instead told me later she wasn’t able to get a single thing—there was nothing left. When we returned from church, there wasn’t a shred of fresh food left, except a few onion skins or corn husks to show where something had been. We were not concerned as we knew God would supply all our needs. We had plenty of dry goods—flour, pasta, dried beans, etc. The next reprieve came on the following Wednesday when the market, banks, and other businesses were open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. But interestingly enough, on the very day the roads into the hills were opened, the main supply city in the plains was closed down due to a strike. That meant supply trucks didn’t come. Many people suspected it was not coincidental but was perhaps a calculated move by those opposing the strikes in Darjeeling. I have no idea. In any case, somehow some fresh produce got into Darjeeling. Again, everybody was out shopping. We noticed that the people on the outskirts of town and in the villages fared much better than those in town. On the outskirts there were more fresh vegetables available since there wasn’t as much competition for it as there was in town. Just another reason to be thankful we live on the outskirts. We and the Wrights got some emergency food supplies for the families who meet with us on Sabbaths and delivered them right away.

For those with decent jobs and enough money, the strike was an inconvenience. For day laborers who live hand to mouth, it was an extreme hardship. For us, the inconvenience meant that toward the end we were eating our least favorite foods since we’d eaten most everything else in the house, and we were looking forward to fresh produce again. But it would be a lie to say we endured any real hardship. There has been a 10-day reprieve (by the time you receive this much more than that now) after which it was rumored the strikes would start again. That hasn’t happened yet for which we are thankful. (This is all related to the local political situation.)

As soon as the strike lifted, our teammates, the Wrights, were finally able to move into their new place. They had been staying in one of the rooms here in our landlord’s place, and we shared a kitchen and often had meals together. We miss having them close, but I know they are happy to have their own place. After living out of a suitcase throughout furlough, we know the relief of having a place of one’s own. About the same time, we were also moving, so everybody was in a state of upheaval. We moved upstairs to the apartment above our old one, so we have the same landlord. This apartment is MUCH drier than the old one, so we’re hoping Jonathan has fewer issues with sinus problems. We are very happy and comfortable here and feel so blessed.

So that’s the state of things at the moment. Of course, there is much more we could report on, but this is all for now. We sense that your prayers have a direct impact on our welfare here. Thank you for taking the time to remember us.

Jonathan and Karen

Back home from furlough!

It’s good to be back in our second home. Our first furlough is behind us and what shall I say? It was a delight to see friends and family again, wonderful to meet many for the first time and to now call you friends. Many times your hospitality was like the hand of God providing for our needs and more often our wants (like raspberries!) I love that God cares about such things like fresh berries that we don’t get here and made sure we got plenty! I regret that we didn’t get to see everyone we wished to. But may I speak freely? It is a relief to be back in India. Honestly, friends, life in the US is a tornado of seemingly empty activity – that is my impression anyway. We had a life just like it, but we’ve come to value relationships much more than we used to and the American lifestyle doesn’t place a lot of value on people. The nature of furlough and its short length of time means we were caught right back up in the rush trying to see everyone, visiting, speaking, etc, etc. But what is everyone else’s reason? I guess I was most appalled by those who spoke of busyness like it was an acceptable excuse for things that should take priority (in my opinion) – “I haven’t seen so-and-so in months; I’m just so busy I don’t have time for anything anymore!” That kind of busyness is not a virtue! The ironic thing was that we were insanely busy trying to see people as opposed to “too busy to see anyone!”

While I’m being frank there were two faith-trying experiences I wanted to share with you. To be honest, there was a part of me (Karen) that looked forward to furlough as a time to “coast,” so to speak; to go away from the difficulties, the stress, the strain of life in the field. To just be on cruise control, almost like I didn’t have to pray as hard or lean on God for so much. Sounds crazy maybe, but it’s true. But although I just wanted to coast it seems that God wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to engage my faith and trust anyway. First thing was our visas. It had always been our intent to change our visa status at some point. We didn’t want to be tourists forever and our consciences were troubled by that status, so while we were working on our cultural scrapbook we were also looking for ways we might meet some need in an area they value (versus what we think might be helpful) and also give us an avenue to stay more securely. Education came out as a big value and we had several requests to teach at different places; plus people were always asking us to tutor their children. After evaluating all the issues involved it seemed teaching English would be the simplest and most helpful route we could take. But we needed to change our visa status. We filled out all the paperwork and everything seemed very simple and straightforward and yet once the paperwork was in the mail I suddenly felt uncertain. I realized we were taking a risk and could be denied, considering we still possessed a perfectly good tourist visa good for another 7 years. I started thinking about what if we couldn’t go back and could hardly stand the thought. I thought, too, about all the people it would disappoint. I felt completely uncertain that we had done the right thing. So for 9 days I wrestled with God about these and other issues, not knowing what the outcome would be. On day nine we got our business visas – approved for 10 full years, the longest length of visa they give! Such relief, I cannot tell you! And utter thankfulness.

Second faith-trying issue…did you notice our fundraising bar in the magazine? Did you notice that it stayed at 0% for nearly our entire furlough? Raising funds is never easy for us. Do you like asking people for money? Most people I know don’t like to ask others for money and neither do they want anyone to ask them for money either! We knew it would be by God’s Spirit alone that what we needed would be provided for. And at the 11^th hour it was. Again I sensed that it was God trying my faith although I was shrinking back from engaging with Him. He showed once again that it is really Him in control of everything in my life and things happen when He moves His hand. Thank you to all who responded to our need. Thanks be to God who puts such things on your heart.

We’ll be moving into the apartment upstairs at the beginning of March. It is much drier than the ground floor where we are currently. There are lots of things to take care of and to get started on in the coming days, besides moving, cleaning, resettling. There’s also Nepali tutoring to pick back up again. It’s incredible how much vocabulary got fuzzy over furlough. Most of the grammar is still intact but names of things I’ve forgotten. It’s coming back pretty quickly though.

We need your prayers specifically for 1) our team to have focus and unity from the outset, 2) where to teach English in the future, 3) where to shift the location for our Sabbath meetings, 4) and for the lesson writing that will begin soon. Everyday we pray together for many, many other issues and people, trusting fully that God will accomplish His will here. Thank you for the many forms that your support takes; truly we are in this together.

Karen & Jonathan