Jeffrey Rasley
Light in the Mountains traces the development of the author's unique relationship with the Rai people of Basa Village. Jeff Rasley has worked with this remote village in the Nepal Himalayas to help build an elementary school, a hydroelectric system and smokeless stoves. But Rasley claims that he has received more than he has given.,Reviewers have praised Bringing Progress to Paradise, the prequel to Light in the Mountains, as a more honest Three Cups of Tea. It is "Part memoir, part travelogue, part documentary, this true adventure captures your interest in the opening pages and leaves you yearning for your own personal pilgrimage through the remote villages of Nepal." Cherri Megasko,"It really is an inspiring story, beautifully written, and beautifully illustrated." Andrew Olivo Parodi,"This book reminds me of Three Cups of Tea in that Rasley went to Nepal, saw the needs of the tiny village in the Himalayas, which had no running water and no electricity and badly needed teachers and a school, returned home and made it happen." Bonnie Neely,"Well written and full of colorful descriptions and insights about the mystical Nepalese, this book made me want to get in high-altitude shape and go trekking under the shadows of the Himalayas to meet these wonderful people." Glen Craney,Light in the Mountains is a clarion call to those living in urban North America and Europe to regain the connectedness of community. The wisdom offered to "us" by Basa Village is to sing, dance, cultivate flowers and enjoy life in community.,Readers of Bringing Progress to Paradise demanded the rest of the story:,"But the central issue ... demanding a sequel, is the question of whether the "Progress" he is bringing, while admittedly of material value to the villagers, might lead to some degree of corruption of their way of life, a consumerist, Western-oriented degradation of a spiritual depth and sensitivity to their surroundings... I can hardly wait for the necessary follow-up in the next book of the series." John McLaughlin, PhD,"The reader is taken on a fascinating journey to explore, compare and contrast, as well as debate how the meeting of the East and West has altered the landscape and lives of people in this remote part of the globe." Erika Borsos,"If I could picture a time pre-written word and be sitting around a campfire with the people of my community listening to the old story teller sharing stories of the quests of our people, I could picture Mr. Rasley being that story teller." DJ Sauer,If you liked Seven Years in Tibet, read Light in the Mountains to find out whether "progress" has damaged the village called a beautiful little flower in the mountains.
Light in the Mountains -- A Hoosier Quaker Finds Communal Enlightenment in Nepal (Himalayas Philanthropy Trekking, 3)