AWR News

This Truth is for Me as Well

RajeshMy name is Rajesh Hada. I am the studio technician for Adventist World Radio’s programs in the Nepali language.

I come from a middle-class family. I am the second son, the youngest son of my parents, and have always been very much loved by them. Life always has been full of different activities and fun in my hometown, Bhaktapur. This town is known as an ancient town, full of temples and shrines, and is about 13 km from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.

I have an older brother, Rabi Hada, and both of us enjoyed our childhood, doing all of the exciting things that boys do. In his time, our father, Nagendra Hada, was a talented and popular singer and composer, a great lover of music, so our house used to be full of musical activities, and I came to love that environment. My brother Rabi also sings very well, but he is now mostly engaged in business.

I was born into a strict Hindu family. There are many festivals in this religion. In Bhaktapur, there are many local festivals, coming every week, some quite big. As most of the people live on agriculture, these festivals are the main means of entertainment, where people drink and have special food for days. It is like a family gathering.

I have done a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology. Originally, I was involved in my family’s business, but seeing my great interest in music and technology, my parents advised me to go for it. Thus a recording studio was established in 1995 in our home.

Ours is a joint family: Rabi’s family of four, my family of four, and our mother, Janaki. I have one daughter, Dikchhya, who is studying in eighth grade, and a son, Yash, who is in third grade. My wife, Nilu, and I studied together in college. Ours was a love marriage, which was (is) not common in Nepal. My father, Nagendra, passed away on the sixth of June this year. Now all of us, nine members, live and eat together in one house.

One day, years ago, while I was working in my newly-established recording studio,

Pastor Naseeb Basnet came to visit, looking for a studio and a technician who could do the recording of AWR’s Nepali programs. We met there for the first time, and since then we have continued to work together.

It has been 13 years since I started working with Pastor Naseeb, and his wife, Rama, who also produces programs. The stories from the Bible, their sermon presentations, talking with them and seeing their own life witness won my heart to turn to Christianity. As I listened more, I found more joy and happiness, and I thought, “This truth is for me as well.”

Baptism

Actually, as a growing boy, I had a very keen desire to learn more about Jesus, about church and the different songs sung in church. Maybe this is the reason God chose me to join His fold. I had musically arranged and recorded more than 1,500 Nepali secular songs, and composed more than 300 songs and some music for Nepali TV serials and feature films. When I used to do only the songs and music recording, deep in my heart I felt a void, a feeling of dissatisfaction. But as soon as I started working with the Basnets, I felt this was my path. I felt the 10 commandments could make a person totally happy and at peace with himself and with his fellow beings.

Even though I was not showing it publicly, I was obeying all those commandments in my heart.

I never faced any difficulties from my family. They respect all religions, so they are always supportive of me. I face troubles from our relatives now and then, which is not going to affect my trust in Jesus.

I do not remember the specific time that I started trusting in God, but I remember, in 2003, when my mother became very ill one day. We took her to the hospital, where they put her on a ventilator for 41 days. She fought with life and death for one week.

I prayed to God for her life, and even though everybody thought she would die, God heard my prayer and gave her a second life. This became very strong evidence of His truthfulness, and after that event, my trust in Him became even stronger than before. This was just a miracle for our family.

My father died in June this year, at the age of 70 years. We had been taking him for hemodialysis every third day. All this time, Pastor Naseeb prayed for my father, and prayed with him. Father was very happy and looked forward to the prayer time. Actually, he used to listen to Ashako Bani [AWR’s Nepali program], and liked it very much. His death was very sudden, just after we celebrated our mother’s birthday. He had silent heart attack, and we rushed him to hospital. But within three hours after the celebration, he died, without any suffering.

In all these situations, however, we see God’s hand working. I know He controls the time, and only He controls the circumstances of our lives.

I have been working for AWR for the last 13 years. In the beginning we had a half-hour shortwave program, but now we have programs on 12 local FM stations all over Nepal. (This will increase to 15 local FM stations on October 1.) Now I am giving my total time for AWR, and I wish to work for the Lord always.

I have a very good relationship and coordination with the Basnets. I feel I have been chosen by God to work for Him. Though I trusted in Jesus for many years now, I took a public stand for my faith and was baptized by Paster Naseeb Basnet on April 16, 2010. My wife, my son, my brother, and other church members, along with Rama, were present in that solemn occasion. I enjoy church services.

There are no churches near my place, but I do not mind; I do not like to miss church services on the Sabbath day.

FamilyI have found new life in Jesus, without which I feel I would not have so many blessings. I am really blessed. My family supports me, I have a blessed wife, and she supports me in my recording. She is very talented and has learned to record, edit, and even mix the Voice of Hope programs. She supports all of my activities. I know one of these days, with God’s calling, my wife and my whole family will come to Christianity. We need to pray together.

I am very happy to be a part of AWR’s ministry. I have acquired much knowledge in my field, I have become very strong spiritually, and I have become more health-conscious now. The directors of AWR are very good and supportive. I would like to continue my service for AWR in a very efficient and effective way always. Because of this excellent teamwork we have in AWR Nepal, now AWR Nepali programs have been able to receive a very good name, in Nepal and abroad, and have thousands of well-wishers. My goal, my desire, is to let all people in Nepal and also outside the country listen to AWR and come to know about the love of God for mankind.

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