our first hindu wedding

Since coming to Darjeeling, our friends and neighbors here have invited us to many special programs. We've attended school plays, a book release, first birthdays, family gatherings, ceremonies of all kinds, cultural programs, funerals, baptisms, etc. We've been blessed to witness and be a part of the bittersweet life journeys of both the young and old.
However, we were lamenting the fact that we had been living in Darjeeling for almost two years, and we still had not been invited to a wedding. Then, just a few weeks ago, one auntie from our neighborhood came knocking on our front door to invite us to her daughter's wedding.
Many people from our neighborhood and from all over the city came to the wedding. We were able to meet many new people as well as strengthen relationships with our neighbors.

This little red bag with gold trim was the wedding invitation.

The bag contained various spices and a betel-nut. In India,

betel-nut is called "paan" or "supari". People mix it with other

substances,and chew it like tobacco. It has a mild narcotic effect.

We're still not sure what meaning there is behind the bag, but it was

definitely the strangest wedding invitation we've ever received.

The bride and groom sat on this decorated platform for hours

receiving guests and well-wishers. They were decked out in scarves

that are called "khattas". "Khattas" are a very cheap silk scarves

that are given at every special Nepali ceremony; even funerals.

The bride and groom, as well as the boy and girl attendants, have

their foreheads covered in a mass of sticky, colored rice that is

part of the Hindu wedding ceremony.

"Pooja" is the Nepali word for worship, ritual, or religious ceremony.

As part of the wedding "pooja", a Hindu priest offers rice, fruit, sweets, and

various other items to the Hindu deities. The priest is seeking a blessing

for the new couple.

Crowds of people came and went from morning until evening bringing

gifts for the new couple, and wishing them well.

Tonya is pictured here with the mother of the bride.

Cultural celebration

Late September and October is the festive season all across India and Nepal. There are many religious festivals during this time including Desai and Diwali. The Desai festival is a very important holiday for the Gorkha people of India. The monsoon has finished, and families get together to celebrate with feasting and giving gifts. Everyone gets new clothes and furniture. 

Last year, during October, the leader of the popular political party in Darjeeling announced a one month cultural celebration where different communities in Darjeeling could publicly showcase their cultural heritage for tourists. Each night there was dancing and singing, and people came out wearing their traditional Nepali dress.

This year, the people of Darjeeling will again celebrate and display their cultural heritage for one full month. On Friday, September 25, there was a huge procession in Darjeeling where thousands came out dressed in traditional Gorkha clothing to kick-off the month of cultural celebration. This year, we were invited to join in with the community in the cultural procession.

Each neighborhood in Darjeeling carries a large banner with

the name of their village proudly displayed. The name of the village

in the picture above is "Muldara". Our Bible worker and friend Pranai

is from the village of Muldara. He invited us to march in the cultural

procession as members of his village. The people from Muldara told us

that they were very pleased to have us join with them in their cultural

celebration. The procession was also televised on the local Darjeeling

cable channel, and many of our neighbors said that they were very

happy to see us on TV joining in the cultural celebration.

Our Bible worker and friend Pranai holding a small girl from his

village who is dressed in traditional Nepali clothing.

Tonya is walking arm-in-arm with our friend Rena. All the women

are wearing dhaka-print sarees. Dhaka-print is a multi-color print 

with many small geometric shapes that is sometimes to make certain

Nepali clothing. The women are all wearing this dress to show their 

solidarity as Gorkha women. 

Jared is wearing the "darwa sural", which is the traditional Nepali

shirt and pant combination. He is also wearing a "topi", which is the

traditional Nepali hat. Like all the other men in the procession, Jared

has a pin in his hat in the shape of a "khukuri". The "khukuri" is the 

traditional Nepali multi-purpose knife (see picture below). The men 

are all wearing pins in the shape of a "khukuri" as a show of 

Gorkha solidarity.

A "khukuri"; the traditional Gorkha knife

Peaceful demonstration for Gorkhaland

The Darjeeling region of Northern India used to be part of the Kingdom of Nepal. Today, the Darjeeling region lies at the northernmost part of the Indian state of West Bengal. The majority of people in Darjeeling speak Nepali as their first language. The Nepali people are made up of many different ethnic groups such as the Chettri, Magar, Rai, Tamang, Limbu, Brahmin, Newar, and several others. In India, the political term that is used as a "catch-all" to refer to all these different Nepali people groups is Gorkha. Gorkha is actually a very old military term from Nepal. For centuries, soldiers from Nepal who fought in the Nepal armed forces, or in the Indian and British armed forces, were called Gorkha or Gurkha soldiers. All Nepali people living in India, whether they have a military background or not, are referred to as Gorkhas. 

For decades now, the Gorkhas in the Darjeeling region have been struggling to get a separate state. The desire of the Gorkha peoples is to have a separate state in the Darjeeling region called Gorkhaland. Recently, Jared took some pictures of a peaceful demonstration that took place for the cause of Gorkhaland.

Pictured above, a human chain of thousands of people holding hands

stretches for miles throughout the different cities, towns, and villages

of the Darjeeling region.

Gorkha women, dressed in semi-traditional Nepali clothing, stand

in front of the Darjeeling train station holding a Gorkhaland flag.

Another group of Gorkha women stands clustered together on the 

main road that travels through the city of Darjeeling. Supporting the

greater community is an important part of Gorkha culture, and at least

one person from every family comes to join in the demonstration.

Men also join in the demonstration as well. These men are each

wearing a "topi", the traditional Nepali hat for men. They are also

wearing the "darwa sural", which is the traditional Nepali shirt and

pant combination.

Three local Gorkha women stand together on the main road. 

The woman in the middle wearing the blue saree is our friend Rena.

Rena spotted Jared whiled he was taking pictures of the demonstration.

She said, "Oh, Jared bhai! (which means little brother) Come and take

our picture." We became friends with Rena some time ago. She is married

and has children. Her family is Hindu. She is a very friendly person, and it

is always a pleasure to spend time with her. Recently, she attended a 

prayer meeting in our home for the first time.

Calming the storm

The monsoon rains in northern India usually last from June until September. Several weeks ago we related the news of how torrential rains caused by a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal hit the Darjeeling hills quite hard and caused hundreds of landslides that killed people and wiped out homes and other buildings. This happened at the end of May. We were praying that God would hold back the monsoon rains until people were able to repair the damage caused by the landslides, and God answered our prayers! The monsoon rains finally came about two weeks ago, several weeks late. This gave families and communities throughout the Darjeeling hills enough time to repair the damage to their property and reinforce the unstable land around the slides. We know that Jesus still calms storms even today.


A local Nepali woman making her way home during a
downpour.

history & hermeneutics

For the past three weeks, Jared has been teaching a class to our Bible workers Naresh and Pranai for two hours each day, Monday through Thursday. Naresh's wife, Madhu, has also been attending the class as well as Pranai's friend Mamta. Jared has been teaching them the history of how the Bible came into existence as well as hermeneutics, which are rules for interpreting the Bible. The four eager students are gaining new knowledge and insight everyday into the Bible as they wrestle with how to read, interpet, and apply the Scriptures in a Nepali cultural context.
Mamta, who is a Roman Catholic Christian, recently started attending our church on Sabbaths because of her friendship with Pranai. When she heard that Jared was going to be teaching a class about how to study and interpret the Scriptures she asked if she could join. She has faithfully come everyday and it is very easy to see that she is a real truth seeker.
Just a few days ago she told Pranai and Naresh that she had stopped worshiping the Virgin Mary because she realized that it was an unbiblical practice and nothing more than a tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. In addition, Jared had several discussions in the class about how to interpret whether a teaching in the Bible is meant to apply universally to all cultures or only to the culture to which the Bible writer was writing. The discussions were lively and challenging, and as a result, Mamata expressed that she had come to understand that the Sabbath was not just a religious practice in Jewish culture, but that the Sabbath is a holy day created by God for all cultures.
Please continue to pray for Jared as he continues working with the students in his Bible class. Please pray for the spiritual growth of Pranai, Naresh, Madhu, and Mamta that they will learn how study and interpret the Scriptures for themselves as well as teach the Scriptures to others.


Mamta and Pranai standing outside of our church after class.
Mamata and Pranai have been friends since they were in school
together as children. Pranai is a very outgoing young man and he has
many friends. Pranai always tries to share his faith with his friends
as well as invite them to church programs.

Landslides

Earlier this week, the Darjeeling hills were hit hard with heavy rains caused by cyclonic weather in the Bay of Bengal several hundred kilometers to the south. It rained for nearly 48 hours non-stop and the downpour caused hundreds of landslides throughout the region. Many were very small and didn't cause any significant damage. We had four small landslides in our neighborhood that blocked our road, knocked down some large trees, severed water and power lines, and just made a general mess of things. However, there were larger landslides that destroyed homes and claimed lives. We don't know for sure, but we've heard that around 20 people were killed by the landslides just in the city of Darjeeling alone. The rain has let up now, and people are working across the city to clean up the damage. Jared helped some men in our neighborhood clear the road and fix the water line to our house. We're very thankful that water is coming to our house again and that we can get to the market to buy food, but we're still mindful that many people lost all their possessions, homes, and loved ones. We just ask that you please remember the people of Darjeeling in your prayers during this difficult time.

This large landslide (between the yellow dots) happened down below

our neighborhood. The house near the yellow dot at the top of the

hill is still in danger of sliding down. 

Jared is pictured here helping some of the men from our neighborhood

clear mud and debris out of the road just in front of our house. Jared 

spent most of the day on Tuesday working outside in the pouring rain and

was very wet and cold by the end. Tonya made him some hot noodle soup,

and Jared was very, very thankful!

The men in our neighborhood are working to cut and clear away

this large tree that came down on the road near our house.

On the playground

Village Kids from ghorkhaproject on Vimeo.

Jared took this video of the neighbor kids on the teeter totter. If you listen close, you can

hear them begging Uncle Jared to take their picture.

Playing around

Our Bible worker who hails from the state of Jharkhand recently told us that people in his home village have this saying, "If you want to catch the cow, first catch the calf." We've taken that to heart and found that it works. Many of the neighbor boys really enjoy playing with "Uncle Jared", and through his relationship with them we have gotten to know their parents. 

Jared took this picture of some of the neighbor kids playing on

a tree that was uprooted in a storm some months ago. It makes

a great jungle gym for the kids though.

Jared snapped these photos of the neighbor boys

while playing with them at a nearby playground.

2009

Jared is pictured at right shopping in the market.

We've been in Darjeeling just over a year now. As we look back on 2008, we have reason to celebrate. First, we survived! Several cases of intestinal parasite, a few motorcycle accidents, a bone-chilling winter, monsoon rains, civil unrest, new language, new culture, no Taco Bell... We are so grateful to our Father for being there with us as we struggled to adjust and adapt.

Second, we have quite a bit to be thankful for. We've made many friends. The church here is growing. Jonathan and Karen Lovitt are great teammates and are always a source of good advice and counsel. We're slowly but surely learning the Nepali language. We've gained some valuable insights into the culture. The Taco Bell cravings are starting to subside... we can definitely celebrate.

So, what's new for 2009? The following is just a short list of what we have planned for the Gorkha Project in the coming year.

We now have two full-time Bible workers. One is primarily working to translate Bible story lessons into the Nepali language, and the other will be giving those Bible lessons in the community.

We just recently started having weekly home meetings in the homes of different church members. We want to build up the current members in Christ as well as connect with new people in the various neighborhoods where the members live.

We will be shooting the next Gorkha Project video in March. It should be in theaters this summer... OK, in your living room this summer.

We will be attending a one-month intensive course this May through Cambridge University to become CELTA certified to teach spoken English. Mid-year we will be starting a new language school here in Darjeeling as part of our outreach to the community.

We also plan to take a little vacation time to head over to Nepal and trek to Everest Base Camp. Be on the lookout for a post from that trip in a few months.

And, as always, we expect the unexpected in 2009.

A sample of Nepali culture

Earlier this month, we attended a Nepali cultural program in Chowrasta, the main town square in Darjeeling. Every night for one month, from the beginning of October through the beginning of November, audiences could watch cultural dances, listen to music, and hear stories.

The following videos are just a sample of Nepali dance and music.

Tonya and a close friend enjoying the cultural program and trying to stay warm!

Goals

Our field director, Tim Holbrook, was here to visit us in Darjeeling for about a week and a half in October. We worked with him to set some new goals for the project for the next couple of years. One important decision that was finalized was our plan to open an English-language school next year. Our teammates, Jonathan and Karen Lovitt, completed a course last year through Cambridge University to be certified to teach English as a second language. We will also be attending this same month-long course in May, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. There are many intelligent, educated and ambitious Nepali youth living here in Darjeeling who need jobs. English is the trade language of India and the key to getting a decent job. Many young people here want to improve their language skills in order to get good jobs. Unemployment is a serious problem in our part of India, and competition for work is fierce. Our hope is that the English-language school will connect us with more youth and demonstrate to the community that we care about the problems they face every day.
In addition, Jonathan and Karen will be in Thailand at our AFM Office on the campus of Mission College two hours outside of Bangkok from October 20 thru November 20. They will be writing a series of Bible lessons in the Nepali language that we will use in our first phase of evangelism. The Nepali culture is primarily an oral one, and important lessons and information is often communicated through stories. Rather than the usual topical/analytical Bible-study approach, Jonathan and Karen will be crafting an extensive set of Bible stories that teach scriptural truths through a narrative/inductive approach. We want to spread Bible stories that people will easily remember and share with others.
Please continue to pray for our team as we work towards opening the new language school and dive into evangelism. It's a daunting task, and we need your prayers.

Jared & Tonya Wright

Feast for the senses

(Pictured at right - Nepali tea workers picking tea in the Pandam tea estate about 3,000 feet below the city of Darjeeling in a valley near the Rungdung river)

A few weeks ago we woke up one morning in a different city. At least that is how it seemed to us. During the monsoon season, late May to early September, Darjeeling is usually cloaked by enormous rain clouds that pile up against the Himalayas like a five o'clock traffic jam. Even with an umbrella and rain jacket it is impossible to not get drenched by rain blowing in sideways and sometime straight up from underneath. After three months of living in the clouds, all of our furniture, clothes, shoes, and anything else that absorbs water smelled moldy and musty. We were starting to wonder if the sun would ever shine again.

Then one day we got up, looked out our window, and saw the Himalayas bathed gloriously in golden sunlight. It was like someone simply turned the faucet off. And just as quickly as the monsoon had arrived, the monsoon left. It still rains quite often now, but not everyday all day long.
The blue sky and warm sunshine has been good for the soul, and people in Darjeeling generally seem happier now. People are starting to spend more time outside now just sitting and chatting with one another. More and more tourists are arriving each day. Shop owners are gearing up for the October festivals and pujas (Hindu worship rituals). Families are anticipating visits from loved ones and friends. It feels like Darjeeling has woken up from a long nap.
Late September through early November is a special time for the Nepali Hindus. They celebrate a number of pujas as well as the multi-day festivals of Dassera and Diwali. Dassera commemorates the mythical victory of Prince Rama over the demon king Ravana in the epic battle between good and evil related in the ancient Ramayana. Diwali is known as the festival of lights, and many other mythical stories will be told and celebrated through rituals and offerings to the gods.

For Nepali Hindu families, October is very much like December for Americans because it is the one time of the year when relatives who live and work abroad come together in mass to celebrate and give gifts. Idols of Hindu deities will be draped in wreaths of marigolds. The sweet stench of incense will draw devotees to various temples and high places. Decadent sweets made from milk, sugar, and various spices will be offered to the gods and shared among friends. Everyone will wear brightly-colored costumes, and neon blinking lights will light up the city at night. For the Nepali people, October is a feast for the senses.

We are just happy to feast on the blue sky, golden sunshine, green valleys, and white-capped mountain peaks that our Creator has given us to enjoy.

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

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.

When it rains...

It's been said that when it rains, it pours. And here in India during the summer it pours everyday. But the monsoon rains are not our biggest challenge. It seems like everyday we face new obstacles in our path, and sometimes they cause us to fall hard.

Early in July, Jared & Jonathan made the half-day trip down the mountain into the sweltering heat of the plains by motorcycle to deliver the tithe and offering from our small little fellowship in Darjeeling to the SDA conference office. Due to heavy traffic and monsoon rains, the highways here have become treacherous to drive on. On the return trip, Jared & Jonathan swerved to miss one large pothole and unfortunately dropped the front wheel of the bike into another one. Jonathan was tossed off the back, and Jared was thrown over the handlebars. Jonathan injured his tailbone, and Jared got some serious road rash on his legs and arms. Still at least four or five hours from home, Jared and Jonathan limped home as best they could. Because the bike was damaged, the trip took much longer. In addition, they got a flat tire about an hour from Darjeeling and had to push the bike home in the dark, still bleeding and bruised. Instead of four or five hours, it took them over eight hours.

While still recovering from his accident, Jared also came down with another bad case of Giardia (intestinal parasite) for about a week. Then, just when Jared got over that, Tonya came down with a nasty sinus infection and was put out of commission for a week as well.

And then it really poured. The first day we were well enough to study with our language teacher she informed us that she has accepted a job to work for two years for a retail company in the Middle East. The news hurt worse than the motorcycle accident. We have gotten to know our language helper really well, and she is our best friend here in Darjeeling. She is a great teacher, and it's hard to face the reality of finding someone to replace her. But what really hurts the most is that two weeks before she broke the news about her new job to us she told us that she wants to become a Christian. It's difficult to say goodbye when we so desperately want her to stay and get to know Jesus better.

Please continue to pray for our friend. Your prayers are important. Thank you.

Jared & Tonya Wright

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

Closer in

In the Nepali language, there is an honorific scale for pronouns and verb conjugations. If we meet someone on the road who is older than us we might ask, "Tapaai kasto hunuhuncha?" ("How are you?") If we meet a child we ask, "Timi kasto chhau?" Notice the change from "Tapaai" to "Timi." Both words mean "you", but Tapaai is the more respectful form. Also, the verb ending changed from "hunuhuncha" down to "chhau" according to the honorific scale. This "Tapaii" form is also used between people who have just met and do not have a close relationship. Even people the same age will use "Tapaai" sometimes if they don't know each other. They are simply being polite.

That's nice, but so what? Well, most people here refer to us in the "Tapaai" form. It denotes respect, but it also means that we don't have a close relationship with them.
We study with our language helper five days a week for two hours each day. We really like her a lot, but even after 3 or 4 months she was still using "Tapaai" when addressing us. We felt a little sad that even though we are the same age as her she was still keeping us at a distance.
She has been coming to our church regularly now for the past 5 months. Recently, her sister in Kolkata became very ill and the doctors decided she needed surgery. Our language helper was very worried about her sister and asked us to prayer for her. The very next day she called us and said that instead of surgery the doctors had discharged her sister from the hospital. We knew God had healed her sister. But what is even better is that now our language helper only refers to us in the "Timi" form.
Tonya has also gotten to know some of the women in our neighborhood very well over the past month. One lady, who is just a couple years older than us, has a small, bamboo-roofed store next to our building. She is married, and they have a 6 year old boy. Often Tonya sits inside her store and talks with her during the day. Some in English, and some in Nepali. Sometimes she makes momos, noodles, or aloo dum (potatoes in spicy tomato sauce) for us in the evenings in her small apartment. She knows the sound of our motorcycle and will often come out of her store to smile and wave at us as we come around the last corner up to our house.
At first, even though she is older than us, she would refer to us in the "Tapaii" form. But now she addresses us in the "Timi" form as well. It feels great inside whenever someone here makes that shift in how they address us. It means they are drawing us closer in.
Please continue to pray that more people here will draw us closer in.

Jared & Tonya Wright

Receiving the Spirit

Remember the story in the book of Acts when God called Peter to go preach to Cornelius? The Bible says that before Peter and his companions arrived, "Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends" (Acts 10:24 NIV). After Peter preached the Gospel to them, everyone in Cornelius' home received the Holy Spirit. Peter and his Jewish companions were amazed. Peter then said, "'Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.' So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:47-48).
As Americans, we often stress individualism. The same is true of the Christian Church in the West. Evangelistic strategies often stress individual choice. But individualism is not a high value in Eastern countries. And, from the story of Cornelius in the book of Acts, we see that conversion isn't always an individual choice. The Holy Spirit can move on one person or an entire group.
We have a friend here in Darjeeling who is in his mid-twenties. He had been attending church and studying his Bible over the past few years, but in the past year he took a job working at a large retail store about three hours down the mountain. He had come to learn about the Sabbath, but his job doesn't allow him time off on Saturdays. So, he stopped attending church, and his spiritual life has suffered from his lack of Christian fellowship.
A few weeks ago, he approached our teammate, Jonathan Lovitt, and said that he had been offered a job in the Middle Eastern city of Dubai where he would make about 5 times what he makes now. But he said that he wasn't happy. Surprisingly, he said that he would rather not take the job in Dubai, and that he wanted to quit his job in the retail store. He said he wanted to move back to Darjeeling and work for the Lord to reach Darjeeling with the Gospel. Our teammates, Jonathan and Karen, were blown away by his change of heart. When he left Darjeeling, they thought he would probably never come back. In addition to stating his desire to work for God, he said that he and his family, including his mother and siblings, should all be baptized and join the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We can see the Holy Spirit moving like in the story of Cornelius.
This young man, who speaks Nepali and English, will be working as a translation assistant in helping our team develop culturally sensitive Bible lessons. Unfortunately, the devil is really upset about this young man's decision to dedicate his life to serving God. Just a few days after he told us that he wanted to serve the Lord in Darjeeling, both his mother and older brother lost their jobs. Please pray for him and his family.

Jared & Tonya Wright

Settling in

The political strike here in the Darjeeling district ended a few weeks ago, and we were able to move into our new apartment. We have some very friendly neighbors, and we are enjoying getting to know them. It’s also nice to have our own bed, and Tonya is happy to have her own kitchen. Life definitely isn’t easy here, but Darjeeling is starting to feel a little more like home everyday.
From April 11-28, we will be in Thailand for a missionary retreat and a little vacation time. During the retreat we will share our experiences with AFM missionaries from other projects throughout Asia, and continue working on our evangelistic strategy for Darjeeling. Having already been in Darjeeling for three years, our teammates, Jonathan & Karen Lovitt, are ready to launch into the first phases of evangelism. Well we continue to study the Nepali language and provide support for them, and they will be starting to develop Scripture lessons and other tools geared to create hunger among the Gorkha peoples for something better in their lives. Please continue to pray for our team as we launch into this new phase of ministry.
Also, please pray for our relationship with our neighbors. We want them to see us as a welcome addition to their community. As always, please continue to pray that we will stayed focused and motivated in our language and culture study.

Jared & Tonya Wright