Are You Happy? (Nepal adaptation)

SE: MAN gathering his vegetables for the weekly market. He's singing a song about money to himself. (Refers to a song in Nepali that is well known, which basically says that money is not the way to happiness. )

MAN: Where is my shirt? What's happened! Half the buttons are missing! My wife will have to fix that. Where are my trousers... what's wrong with my wife...doesn't she know I'm a busy man? Weekly market...it's getting late. The zipper is broken. Ahhh! I must be crazy singing that song. Money would mean a LOT of happiness for me. And success would be very nice, too. I'd even be happy if I just had a wife who knew where to put things.

SE: MAN opening the door of his house and struggling out the door with his vegetables.
WIFE: (Calling to him from inside the house.) Are you leaving now? Please don't forget to bring the rice home this time. Don't buy other things with the money. We can't eat liquor and cigarettes for dinner. You know what I mean!

MAN: (Calling back to her, annoyed.) I'll buy what I want to buy!

SE: MAN is walking along the road or path to the weekly market. He begins to sing the song to himself again. He bumps into someone and starts to complain.

MAN: Hey, are you blind??? (Sees that the person is his friend, to whom he owes money.) EHHH - NAMASTE I must be blind. I bumped right into you. So sorry! How is your family, your work?
FRIEND 1: Namaste. Everything's OK. Say, friend, I've been looking for you in fact. I really need that money you borrowed from me. Do you have it yet?

MAN: Ahhhh...soon. Yes, very soon. You see I'm going to the weekly market right now with my vegetables. I'm working hard to get that money; yes, very hard.
FRIEND 1: Well, I hope it won't be long. I do need that money.

MAN: Yes, I'm sure you do. I will be working hard for it. In fact, I have almost all of it now. I should hurry now so I can sell my vegetables. Goodbye.
FRIEND 1: I'll be coming to you soon. Goodbye.

SE: FRIEND 1 walks away. MAN continues walking.

MAN: (Grumbling to himself.) Ahh! I forgot all about that debt. I wish he would, too. He doesn't need the money at all. Ahh~ These pressures of life. If I could get them off my back, I would be happy.

SE: MAN reaches the market to sell his vegetables.

Market sounds.

MAN tries to find a place

SELLER 1: Don't set up too close to me. You're blocking my customers. ~{MAN: And what about my customers? (He tries to move.)

SELLER 2: Hey! Watch where you're going! You're knocking my stacks of oranges down!

MAN: Sorry! (Then to himself.) What a headache! I'm going to have to earn a lot to make this day worth it.
BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: How much for a kilo?

MAN: Ten rupees a kilo for the good quality, fifteen for the best quality.
BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: ~ I'll take three kilos of the best quality.

MAN: OK.

SE: Man is weighing the vegetables and putting into plastic bag.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Hey, you will have to give account for what you are doing one day.
MAN: What?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: You put some of the lower quality ones in with the better ones. Even if I never saw you do it, you would pay the price for cheating me some day, because God sees what you are doing.
MAN: What are you talking about? I didn't do anything wrong. But here - take your money. You can buy from someone else if you don't like my vegetables.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: I said I wanted to buy your vegetables. I just don't want to be cheated. Friend, you look very unhappy.
MAN: You expect me to be happy when you call me a cheater?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Your unhappiness looks like it goes deeper than that. Do you know the way to find true happiness?
MAN: True happiness! What kind of question is that? You're quite a strange one. I can tell you it would bring me true happiness to have enough money so that I wouldn't have to stand out here selling vegetables to people like you - or to anyone else for that matter.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: So you think money will bring you true happiness?
MAN: Well, maybe not just money. A bigger house and a decent job would be a big help, too. This weekly market doesn't get me anywhere.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: What about peace of mind, real contentment? Do you think money can buy these? Have you ever heard of rich people who were restless and unhappy?
MAN: Yes, but I can't understand them at all. They must be crazy.

CUSTOMER 2: (CUSTOMER 2 comes up and breaks into the conversation. ) How much?

MAN: Fifteen rupees a kilo for the good quality and twenty for the best quality.

CUSTOMER 2: What! That's robbery. Give me a kilo of the best quality for 17 rupees.

MAN: I'll make this deal for you only. Don't tell anyone.
CUSTOMER 2: Hurry. I have to get home before dark.

SE: MAN puts the vegetables in a bag. CUSTOMER 2 hurries away.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: You are putting obstacles in the way of your own happiness.
MAN: What are you talking about now?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: I saw you do the same thing to that man that you did to me. You mixed lower quality vegetables with the best ones. And you charged him even more for them than you charged me.

MAN: You are like a fly buzzing around my head. You probably don't know what it's like to have only a little money. I have to take care of my family, don't I? Rich people can afford to pay a little bit more so that my family can live.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Friend, the greatest riches and the greatest happiness a person can have are within your reach if you are willing to have them. But you have to stop putting obstacles in your own way.
MAN: You're giving me a headache. Why don't you talk clearly? What obstacles are you talking about? And what riches?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Do you agree that a man who has peace of mind and real contentment is a happy man?
MAN: Yes.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: And that being rich or famous doesn't necessarily make a person happy?
MAN: So it seems.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: That means that you could be truly happy even if you didn't have money and the other things you talked about. But you're not happy. There is something keeping you from being happy. You might not want to think about what it is. Many people don't.
MAN: I do. Just tell me what you're talking about.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: The obstacle that separates you from happiness is (your) SIN.
MAN: Wait a minute. Just because I put a few of the lower quality vegetables in with the best ones, you say I am a sinner? You don't know what you're talking about. I do a lot more good things than bad things. I work for a living. I don't steal. I'm faithful to my wife. I've never killed anyone - I don't even beat people up.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: But God says that is not good enough.
MAN: And why not?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: You see that pile of garbage over there?
MAN: See it? I don't have to see it. I can smell it. I wish they would take it away.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Look at the rags on the top of the pile. What if you were a great king and one of your subjects brought those rags to you and said, "I know I should bring an offering to you when I come into your presence, 0 King. So I have brought these rags. They are the best I have to give."
MAN: Hah! That's a joke! Who would dare to bring filthy rags to a king!

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: God says that all the good works which we try to do to impress Him and earn His favor are just like those filthy rags!
MAN: Really? How can that be?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: God is holy. That means that God never does any wrong things. All that God does and even all that He thinks is pure, right and good. When God created the first man and woman He made them in His own image. This doesn't mean that He made them to look like Him, but He made them to have a character like His character. He intended every person to have His character; including His goodness and purity. But the first man and woman chose to disobey God and since then every one of their descendants - and that means every person who has ever lived - has also sinned. None of us has lived life in the pure and good way He intended us to live. Just think honestly for a few minutes about your own life. How are your relationships with your friends? Can they trust you? Are you doing your work faithfully?. How are you treating your family and other people? When you think of the answers to even these few questions, can you say you have never sinned?
MAN: This is quite discouraging. I thought you were going to tell me how I could find happiness.

CUSTOMER 3: (Interrupts the conversation.) What's the price of your vegetables?

MAN: (He is thinking deeply and hardly notices the customer. ) What?

CUSTOMER 3: I said, "What's the price of your vegetables?"

MAN: Oh. Ten rupees for the lower quality and fifteen rupees for the higher quality.

CUSTOMER 3: Give me half a kilo of the ten rupee quality.

SE: MAN is weighing the vegetables and putting them in a plastic bag.

MAN: Here...half a kilo of sin...

CUSTOMER 3: What!

MAN: I mean half a kilo of vegetables...here they are.

SE: MAN hands CUSTOMER 3 plastic bag with vegetables.

CUSTOMER 3: And where is my change!

MAN: Sorry, sorry, sorry...here...

CUSTOMER 3: (CUSTOMER 3 calls back to MAN as he walks away.) Your mind seems to be slipping!

MAN: Yes, my mind must be slipping. You're confusing me with all your talk of sin. Maybe we can talk about this later. I need to get on with earning my wages!

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Friend, you are indeed earning your wages, and that is what I'm concerned about! You see, God says that the wages of sin is death.
MAN: And what is that supposed to mean?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Wages are something a person deserves, right? That person worked for them and that person earned them.
MAN: Yes.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: We have already seen that we all sin. And we deserve the payment for those sins. God says that sin deserves payment, the punishment of death - not only physical death but spiritual death. That means that after we die we will be separated from God, suffering for our sins forever.

SE: Market sounds. The MAN doesn't talk for a few moments because he is thinking, so we hear the sounds of the market more clearly.

MAN: If what you are saying is true, I definitely don't have anything to be happy about... (He pauses because he is thinking.) I don't understand why you were telling me that I could have true happiness.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Friend, we have to confront the bad news about our sin before we can understand the good news, about what God has done to give us a way out of our predicament. We can't solve this sin problem by ourselves. We have seen that sin keeps us from having real peace of mind. How can we expect to be really happy and peaceful in our minds if we are out of favor with God, who made us and sees our lives day after day? Maybe we can forget about God, and try to make ourselves happy with good education, nice friends, a good job, plenty of money...
MAN: I'm trying to get those things, but it's a hard struggle...

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: And if you got them, after some time you would discover that you still did not have true happiness, because God is the source of true peace, true joy, true happiness. When we are out of favor with Him, we cannot really have these things. And we have already seen that we can't earn His favor by our good works.
MAN: Hopeless! It's an impossible situation.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: But thanks be to God! What is impossible for us is possible for God. God knew that we were hopelessly trapped in our sins. Because He loves us, He Himself has provided a way out. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to become our Savior - the One who would save us from our sins. Jesus lived on this earth as a man. He suffered and faced the same struggles that we face day after day. But he never sinned. He never disobeyed his Father God. He never thought, said or did anything that would deserve the punishment of God. But, at the right time, He was put to death in a cruel way. At that time, He willingly took all the sins of all people who have ever lived, upon Himself. Remember that God says, "The wages of sin is death." Jesus paid the price we deserve to pay for our sins. God was completely pleased with the sacrifice Jesus made for us. So now, if we trust in what Jesus has done for us instead of trusting in our own efforts, we can have favor with God.
MAN: Hmmmm... (He is thinking.)

SE: For a few seconds there is silence. We hear the market sounds.

MAN: (MAN makes a shivering sound.) It's getting a little cold here. When I first set up, I was in the sun, but now it's shady here. I think I'll move over there, where the sun is.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: I was feeling the same way myself! Let me help you.

SE: Sounds of them gathering things up. These sounds continue until they have moved to the other location.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: You know, confronting our sins and trusting in Jesus is a little like what we are doing right now. If we want to leave our sins, which are like this dark, cold place, we cannot just sit here and think about doing it. We have to get up and move - move into the warm, bright light. Leaving our sins is called repentance. Often it is not easy to do, but we are not alone when we do it. Jesus is with us to help us. When we really turn away from our sins and obey Jesus, we will experience blessing, joy and peace. In fact we will begin to live a new life.
MAN: If I wanted to repent, what would I do?

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: You would find a place where you could be alone just a simple place where no one would interrupt you. You would talk to God simply, right from your heart. You would tell Him that you are sorry for what you have done and that you want to live in the way that pleases Him. You would ask Him to forgive you and to help you live in a right way. If you do this, God will hear your prayer and will definitely forgive you. He can forgive all your sin, even those that you have forgotten and never realized that you committed. Little sins and big sins - God will freely forgive them all because Jesus already paid the penalty for all of them.

SE: Some dogs come barking around the area where they are set up.

MAN: La, la, la! Get away: (Chases the dogs away.)

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: It's getting late. My wife must be wondering if I'm ever going to come home with the vegetables! (He laughs.) Here's the money I owe you.
MAN: Thank you. (Pause. MAN is trying to decide if he wants to give the BELIEVER/CUSTOMER a few extra vegetables, since he cheated him earlier.) Uh...here...please take these...

SE: Sound of MAN putting more vegetables in the BELIEVER/CUSTOMER's bag.

MAN: Your wife might wonder why you mixed lower quality vegetables with best quality ones. (They both laugh. )

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Listen friend. There's one more very important thing I want to say before I go. It is good to repent of our sins. We must do this, in fact, if we want to find peace of mind and true happiness. But it is not enough to just begin trying to live a good life. We need to ask Jesus to be the Savior and Lord of our lives. That means that we trust in the sacrifice He made to pay for our sins. We don't trust in our own goodness to win us favor with God. Also, we trust Him day after day to show us how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. We want to please God because He has been so good to us. We can talk to Jesus just as we could talk to our closest friend. Just as you accept your friend, if you accept Jesus honestly, He will be near to you, helping you each day. Think of these wonderful words from Jesus: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." Isn't it clear that Jesus understands our struggles and knows how we feel? I tell you, He is the true Savior and Wonderful Friend. Everything we really need for true happiness is found when we are in friendship with Him. Do you want to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Do you want to accept true peace of mind, happiness, joy?
MAN: (After a pause.) What you have said really reaches my heart. But I feel that I need to think about it more carefully.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Yes, I understand that. You have to make the choice yourself. No one can do it for you. Before it's too late, everyone should think about this and make a decision. I hope you will be bold and make the right decision. After you've made it, you will be able to say with confidence, "Yes, I am happy." See that house on the corner there? That's where I live. You and your wife are invited to come to speak with us and ask questions, any evening.
MAN: Thank you.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: Goodbye for now. Please come to see us.

SE: BELIEVER/CUSTOMER walks away.

MAN: Thank you. Yes, I think we will do that.

SE: MAN is gathering up his things. He counts his money.

MAN: Hmmm...enough for cigarettes...or rice.

SE: Sound of him walking to RICE SELLER.

MAN: Three kilos of rice.

SE: RICE SELLER measures out rice and puts in a bag.

RICE SELLER: Here.

SE: Hands the bag to the MAN. MAN gives RICE SELLER money, takes bag and begins to walk. Sings the money song as he goes. Maybe talks to himself a little about the song and what he's learned that day???? The sound fades away. Then the sound fades up on him arriving at home. He opens the door, puts down his load.

WIFE: (Calls from other room.) Are you home already?

MAN: I'm home.

WIFE: (Comes into the room. Sees the bag of rice.) You brought the rice!

What's happened to you? You look a little different.

MAN: I've had a good day. Yes, a very good day. Let me tell you about it. I got to the weekly market and set up and my first customer came up to me...

SE: Sound fades out as he begins to tell the story. Music fades in behind speaking and then fades up - cross fade. After several seconds of music, the voice of the BELIEVER/CUSTOMER comes in, music fades down behind while he's talking.

BELIEVER/CUSTOMER: --And what about you who are listening?. Do you want to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Do you want to accept true peace of mind, happiness, joy? Or do you want to live your old life? You have to make the choice yourself. No one can do it for you. Before it's too late, everyone should think about this and make a decision. I hope you will be bold and make the right decision. After you've made it, you will be able to say with confidence, "Yes, I am happy!"

SE: Music fades up again from behind speaking, plays at full volume for 30 seconds, and fades out. Followed by a song if there is a good one that is appropriate.

Ref: Rom 6:23, John 3:16, Heb 13:5, Matt 11:28