Tonya, I want to say thank you and tell you how much I’ve appreciated your support in our ministry over the past five years. We’ve been through some tough times together, and we also have some amazing experiences to remember because you kept me going.
I remember when we first got to our project site and everything was so weird. We hadn’t slept in more than 40 hours, and I was a total mess. You stuck by my side.
A short time later, I came down with my first serious case of giardia. I could barely get out of bed to get to the bathroom, let alone clean myself up. You nursed me back to health, and made several trips to the shop near the house to buy me Tang and sour-cream-and-onion potato chips. I don’t think I would have made it through that sickness without you.
Remember our first language helper? She was great, and she really liked you a lot. I’m glad you got to know her so well because she helped so much when we were first learning the language. It was hard at first, but you persevered. Pretty soon you weren’t just speaking the language, you were reading and writing it, too! Thanks for transliterating all those hymns for me so I could learn to sing in church better. It really helped us get more connected with the believers.
I also don’t know how I would have managed to keep track of our finances with everything else I was doing, especially all the expense reporting. Thanks for helping me make sense of my project balance statements and the endless spreadsheets. With your organization and number skills, you have made my life so much easier.
I was telling some friends recently about how we started the English language school and how much work you put into making it a success. You planned out our entire curriculum, deciphered all those crazy government forms, trained teachers and really went the extra mile. I know that some of our students will be with us in Heaven because of your dedication.
Oh, and you also helped me write all those Bible lessons, plant a church and parent a teenage Nepali girl while still managing to be a super awesome wife!
I’m sharing this letter with Adventist Frontiers readers because I want them to know how much I appreciate all you do to help us reach the unreached. I would give you a million dollars if I could, and it still wouldn’t be enough to repay you for all the time and energy you’ve generously volunteered to AFM and the Gorkha/Nepali people of Southern Asia. Thank you.
Love,
Jared
Dear readers,
For the past five years, my wife Tonya has faithfully labored as a volunteer to help establish a strong Seventh-day Adventist presence among the Gorkha/Nepali people in Southern Asia. I couldn’t have done my work without her. If you would like to make a pledge of support to help Tonya begin receiving a salary for the work she does, we invite you to contact AFM. Your financial commitment is what makes it possible for Tonya and me to do what we do. Thank you for your dedication to help us reach the unreached.
Sincerely,
Jared
