Friday, July 30, 2010

an experience

The day after we got back from PNG Alana and I had a really nice experience. We were doing Nepali RVs, and of course, no one was home - Nepali Witno Challenge No.1.

So we decided to call on this Iranian girl I'd met a couple of weeks earlier. When we rocked up at her place a guy came to the door and said he'd never heard of her but that they'd just moved in...instinctively Alana and I were looking at him thinking, "hmmm, $50 this guy is Nepali"...so I said, "where are you from?"...to which he replied, "Nepal"...to which we replied..."Namaste!", followed by a quick succession of sentences until our Nepali was exhausted (approx. 30 seconds later).

He was so shocked that we were speaking his language (though he clearly thought we spoke more than we actually can!) and asked us how we knew Nepali. We explained we are learning so we can teach the Nepali people the Bible in their mother tongue...at which point his draw dropped and face literally lit-up simultaneously, before he managed to blurt out, "I'm a Christian..."!^ - YESSSSS -> Big tick to Nepali Witno Challenge No.2 (culture v religion)

He's from KTM and became a Christian when he's was doing his A level in India* but...cut back for a second: in 1991 he went to a meeting near his home in KTM!!!! He remembered the Prahari Dharahara (watchtower) and remembered thinking at that time (as he was a teenager and still a Hindu) that the witnesses were so happy and nice. So, the little seed had already been sown!

Alana and I got out the BT and were able to show him some scriptures in the Nepali Bible, whereby he proceeded to look wide-eyed and giggle every time we showed him the books in Nepali.

During the next few weeks we met up with Pahal several times in a local park and were able to finish the first chapter of the BT, discussing how Jehovah is unique as a god and how we can have a greater relationship with him.

Alana told me before I decided to join "team Nepali" that they are a very humble and approachable race but this is becoming more and more evident the more Nepalis I meet. Pahal is a very educated man (as are most) and yet when it comes to learning he is not afraid to ask questions or even admit that he does not understand many things. I really appreciate how Jehovah draws these ones. This is a quality of Jehovah's I am very drawn to and hope to imitate.

We were really pleased when our CO recently visited and he came with me on Pahal's study, as he was able to explain more about our organisation, and his public talk (which Pahal also attended) was all about how the kingdom is affecting us now. Yes, spine-tingling stuff, and Pahal luuuurved it!

This has been a definite highlight ministrywise and I guess demonstrates how we never know who we are going to meet when we knock on an Iranian's door!

^all enquiries respecting embellishments in this story may be directed to my eye-witness, Bahini Alanaji (big sissy Alana)

*incidentally before he became Christian he was a kick boxer which may or may not have been influenced by the fact his name "Pahal Man" means "strong man"...but he's told me the story a few times;)

Friday, July 16, 2010

meanwhile back at the ranch...

so I'm officially back in "Fully-sick 5-Dock"!

I moved back on Tuesday/Wednesday and have only slept there twice, but yes, technically, back in "the dock"...

Changes "the dock" has seen in 2 years are as follows:

+ My parents have a 3D 40" digital TV I currently don't know how to use...

+ If it's possible...the piano is even more off-key - hmmm will I go tone deaf if I play it in it's current condition????;)

+ I now have to compete with my niece's rubber duckies when having a bath;)

+ Sydney Buses has finally relented and added a 502 that comes just on 8:00 am...meaning I'm only banging my head against the window in fatigue for half an hour as opposed to the 50+ minutes on the L38*

In all seriousness, considering I've moved home to simplify my life, I've got to admit...home is pretty good...In 2 days my clothes were washed, dried and...folded on my bed for me. Should I ever hit my 'sleep' button on my alarm the maximum amount of times, someone will always ensure I don't miss my bus, and of course, I'll never die of hunger or pine for variety in 'Cafe Marguerite'...

It's funny that it takes moving out of home, washing your own clothes, taking them out of the washing machine yourself, hanging them out to dry, getting them off the line, thinking about what you'll cook (albeit for 1 night a week), going grocery shopping (definitely my most hated task), cooking and then doing your own dishes...to realise how much your parents have loved you. Sometimes my mum and I have fights in an effort to make her stop doing work for me! And I think that really says something:

"my parents are a blessing from Jehovah!"

I just hope these 6 months don't make me too soft...hmmmm.

Another aspect of life "back at the ranch" I'm enjoying is our family worship. I appreciate how mum and dad are incredibly deep thinkers, and have a love for digging for the "solid food".

We've been going through the Acts book, and last week we were reviewing Stephen's speech before he was stoned. I never fully realised what a courageous witness he gave, and yet at the same time, how logical his argument was. The account really impressed on me, how Jehovah uses people who have done their research and examined the scriptures, and then he can empower them to "bear thorough witness."

A moral from that story: Personal Study

* NB there is nothing Limited about the L38 - what a public transport sham!)

Saturday, July 3, 2010

two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both...

Along with the excitement of changing circumstances also come moments of nostalgia for the present. And I'm not the only one embarking on an exotic destination in our house.

Sarah, my sister and truly, my best-friend, is bound in less than a fortnight for Bella Italia. Yes, life is such that the one sister who didn't study 'la bella lingua' should find herself an Italian Stallion, land herself an Italian working visa, shortly to see herself a temporary resident in the alien land of Trieste...che bella cosi!

This is an experience I welcome for Sarah, albeit with a little envy when I daydream of anywhere in the EU;)

I've never doubted that Sarah would embrace living abroad in a foreign culture in its entirety. At times I can see a remote sign of apprehension, but her quiet strength and perhaps her love for a challenge are quick to distill any fears and she is left undeterred.

Sometimes I think of us as the foreigners living in Australia, and these distant places, are our homelands calling us back...

These past couple of years, however, have brought us a peace and happiness living together in our actual home in our actual homeland, and though we are moving on...I couldn't say I wouldn't enjoy and love our life together as much today as I did 2 years ago...



'yet knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I ever should come back' - Frost

learning

so the language...

Well officially 6 months into my studies I wish I could say that I have made some ground...technically, yes, I have made "some ground"...but we are talking millimetres not miles;)

I've decided to blame this on the beginning of the year (yes...just remembered it's July hmmm) make that, the last 6 months having been hectic!

All excuses aside though, when an English couple recently visited from Nepal I was utterly shamed into revising my "study routine"...which on revision was neither study nor routine - pfft!

So...I've decided to defy my own history and rise that extra bit earlier (c. 6:30 am) and endeavour to study Nepali then!

(See below for a glimpse into my early-morning-Nepali-study-sessions - why is it that the same month I attempt to 'defy my own history' Sydney has the coldest June day on record since 1967??? - burrrrrrrr)

At present the process is as follows:

6:30 am - Wake to the sounds of Onella Vernoni
6:30:30 am - Turn alarm off before I start to hate the song
6:31 am - Turn on espresso machine
6:32 am - Put oats in microondus (ooops slipped into Spanish mode...actually I just like saying "microondus" - mi-crrrrrrrro-on-ddus;)
6:33 am - Espresso shot
6:35 am - Froth milk - always a challenge before quarter to 7
6:40 am - Hop back into bed with coffee and oats...take a sip, have a mouthful, breathe contently
6:42 am - Open my Nepali "Examine the Scriptures Daily" and endeavour to read the scripture quoted - I'm getting better at the Bible books and numbers (only know up to 20 though so I'm stuffed on the 21st of the month he he)
6:50 am - Check the English that I've at least got the scripture right - huge disappointment if I get Proverbs (Hitopadesh) and Ecclesiastes (Upadesh) mixed up;)
6:55 am - Copy the Devanagari and attempt (key work: attempt) to romanise...
7:00 am - Attempt to recognise some words - my favourite words I've learnt thus far are:

Tantra Mantra - Practice of Spiritism
Saaraa - Whole
Agrej - English
Bhaawanna - feeling (one of our friend's name...she's a pretty feeling person so it's perfect - possibly an NF too;)
Shanti - peace...as opposed to
Ashanti - unrest - yep just like the singer!
Bharosa - trust/confidence
Thanna baia - apparently it means you're completely stuffed, as in, full...think this expression may come in handy;)
anything ending in "haru" (it pluralises the word - huge sense of satisfaction knowing the word is a plural despite not knowing what the word is;)