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;)