This week, we had a surprise visit from an old friend of ours. We first met Dargye in 2005. He was a student of Jamin’s when he taught at a school for Tibetan adults. He was one of Jamin’s students for nearly 2 years. From 2005 to 2007, Dargye was at our house dozens of times and we got to know him well. We shared with him several times about the Truth of God while he listened intently. After he graduated from the school program in 2007, Dargye moved back to his hometown on the high altitude nomad grasslands of eastern Tibet. The last time we saw Dargye was in June 2010 when a good Tibetan friend of ours got married. After this, we lost contact with him as he lived in a remote nomadic region that was far from where we lived.
Dargye contacted us recently as he had to come to the city to take a series of tests for a government job he is applying for. Jamin was able to meet up with him and here what Dargye has been doing the past 3 years. Dargye told Jamin that in early 2012, he and his brother bought a long distance truck that they used to transport tsamba (high altitude barley flour that is a main food for Tibetan people). He went on to tell Jamin that in December 2012 he was transporting a large load of tsamba across a narrow dirt road in a remote region at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. Then suddenly the road gave out causing his truck to roll multiple times off the mountainside. Dargye’s brother was buckled in while sitting in the back street and was uninjured. However, Dargye’s left leg was compound fractured in 2 places, just above the ankle and slightly below the knee. The bone between the 2 compound fractures was completely crushed. Dargye had a long rod inserted in his leg and nearly a dozen screws. He spent 2 months in the hospital recovering and still walks with a severe limp.
Jamin with Dargye, who is sitting on the right.
With Dargye, who is on the left.
After Dargye finished telling me his story about nearly losing his leg (and, if the truck didn’t stop where it did, losing his life), he told me that he was very lucky. For Tibetan people, everything in life revolves around “karma”. Karma are the good and bad things that happen to you in life that are a result of your good and bad deeds. If you live a life doing “good deeds” then your life will be full of good karma, while if you live a life doing “bad deeds” then your life will be full of bad deeds. Dargye basically said that his luck or karma prevented him for being more hurt than he was.
After Dargye said that he was lucky, Jamin proceeded to tell him that it wasn’t luck that had saved him, but the mercy of God. When Dargye was one of Jamin student’s, he had a several opportunities to hear the Gospel by both Jamin and some colleagues. Jamin told Dargye that it wasn’t luck that had saved him from further injury or death, but the mercy of God. Dargye listened quietly as Jamin took just a few minutes to explain the truths of the Creator to Dargye.
Pray with us that our friend Dargye will understand the Gospel message and come to be in relationship with Jesus. Dargye has to return to his remote home in the coming days so it is hard to say when we will see him again. Your prayers are appreciated!
With Dargye, who is on the left
