An Unforgettable Moment

Text Message:  “Didi as poah ga ha,” was the message I received from a bible study while on vacation on a Sunday.  The PJ word for “forgot” is “pull-gay” so my interpretation was – it’s a typo, thus she must mean, “sister, we forgot to go.”  My response: “koi gal nahee, next time.” (no worries, next time).  You see, she lives too far to attend English or Pj meetings. But 5 min. from her home is a Tagalog cong. Over a year go, we had taken her here there, just once.  Few weeks ago, she was really feeling down, and so we encouraged her to attend meetings in any language – to find solace and a spiritual family.  Left the ball in her court. So Sunday, when I received the message I was not surprised that she did not go.

Jagdish and son. Tagalog cong. Notice something missing?
Yep, me! She's doing it, on her own. And she met a sister
Esther who is now her spiritual mum. 

Few days later, during her study, I was feeling depressed cuz life is so unfair, ‘why does hilary get to go to USA, and attend DC, and see all her friends, get to be cold, and attend PJ Circuit assembly, and sleep in her bed, and get to be cold, and gets to wear a sweater (a sweater!)  and gets to be cold, COLD!, blah blah blah, some chocolate with my “wine” ing would have been just right.  Anyway, that very day, the study just happened to make my absolute favourite aloo-parathas (potato roti), with yogurt, achaar (pickle), and chai.  So I am just enjoying my “I’m in heaven – thank you Jah –moment) when casually the study mentions that she went to the KH on Sunday! As I try not to die from choking and chug down some water,  I am like, “what? wait! but you said. . .. ” and she says, “no, our english is bad  so texting is hard, but we said, ‘didi, as hall ga ha,” – “sister, we went to the KH” . I ask, “but what did you think I said in my text?”, she says, “we figured you said something about ‘next time’ so we asked the brothers what time the meeting will be ‘next time’, next week. “ (ignorance is bliss innit!)   Anyway, I was so happy that I was still here!  That was 5 weeks ago. Since then she, with her son, has attended 5 Sunday meetings in a row, not understanding tagalog.  How does she feel?  She says, “I don’t understand what they are saying, but I know Jehovah says I should go, so I pray during the meeting asking for Jehovah’s forgiveness that I cannot understand anything.”   Wow eh. . . .it gets better.  

Her wrist feels naked now so we got
her a present to wear to meetings.

Few months ago we read John 13:35, true Christians have no physical idenification mark, i.e. cross, idol, turban, or any other relig symbol such as kara’s (the sikh steel bangle)  – love is our nashan/mark.  Apparently, the study had not forgotten this conversation.  4 days before the meeting she was pondering the fact that when she enters the KH, she will not be identified as one of JW’s, but as a sikh because of the kara. So she removed it. She has had it on her wrist for 20 years.  She thought of giving it to her sister in India (it’s gold covered silver) but then said, “why would I help her do the wrong thing?”  I asked her-why. Her reply was, “Jehovah is my creator and I have already told him, pukka, I want to serve Him and Him alone.” -  “Do you view yourself as a JW?”  “Yes, I do.”

So, why am I here?  I think I got my answer that day.