So this past week was absolutely amazing. I forget how glorious being a missionary is. The tender mercies of the Lord are just the best testaments of his existence as a loving Father in Heaven. He loves us all so very much. I cannot begin to explain how much I love these wonderful people that the Lord has blessed me to serve. I love these people so much.
So many miracles have been experienced by Elder Hord and I, we are loving it over here! Just amazing. So this week has been officially dubbed "Tamil Week" here in PJ English companionship.
Elder Hord and I have been just hitting up all the Tamil speakers in the sketchy areas across the area. I have never felt more love for a people. I need to go to India someday, the Indian people are so loving and just real. They are always there to love you (maybe a little too much at times) and just be your best friend. And of course, a dose of sketchiness or it wouldn't be Indian.
So Monday we went to go play basketball in the rain and it was wayyyyy too slippery in the pouring rain. And I mean POURING rain. So we decided to go play some rugby in the most flooded field I have ever been too, we could just slide like a mile in the puddles. and just had a blast. Rugby is my favorite sport, if only the Australians weren't so dang good at it! Elder Kovapalu, who recently got emergency transferred :( was a pro rugby player before the mission and then decided to play. That guy is a BEAST!!!! Anyway, such a blast.
Tuesday was great. We had District meeting with THE best District in the world!!! I love these missionaries, such great servants! So honored to be leading them. We later went to Nisha and her family's home and had a lesson with them. They are getting baptized on December 20th! WOWWWWW!!!!! Alvira just testified of baptism and then we just looked at the family like, "Ya wanna try?" and they were so excited!!!! David, the 16 year old is just amazing, he has been coming to church for a couple weeks and he was just stoked for it. Tuesday is when it all went down. We went to Nisha's flat building and went contacting. That place is GHETTO!!!!!!!!!! Some preacher sometime earlier got beat to death by Muslims so we were a little sketched out but seeing Elder Sabin (we were on exchanges) and he being 6 feet 5 tall, I think we would have been fine. We taught Nisha and the family a lesson and gave Brother Thinagaran a blessing, we were thinking the house might have had an evil spirit or two so just gave them a blessing. Then Jab and Jezreel with David took us to another house, Ramaiah and Tangamani with their daughter Gloria, and taught them a lesson. So they don't know English, maybe like 5 words. So Jab, David and Jezreel taught the entire lesson in Tamil. With out our help. Like we literally just sat there cause we had NO idea what was going on until they would give a demonstration. They did such a great job (we think. They could have been dealing for all we know) and we gave them Book of Mormons. We then walked to Alvira's home and taught a lesson to a family over there. Alvira took over in that lesson. Suresh has been having really bad medical problems so all he wanted was to have money. So he said he would only got to church if Jesus gave him money. He said since he started praying to the Muslim God he got money..... yes, he is Hindu.... and Elder Sabin and I were like, "ummmm it doesnt work like that boss" and then Alvira took over and told him the blessings of baptism she has seen and how happy she is, and how he could not let his family suffer by not trying to have the lessons and learn more. Suresh didnt turn out to want, so we just left. The next morning we got a call from Jezreel about something that happened. I guess Suresh got a *cough man problems *cough and was back in the hospital. All Jezreel said about it was "God cured him lah". Don't mess with the Holy One of Israel.
On Friday we went back over to Ramaiah and Tangamani's home, Elder Hord and I, and tried to teach them. Yet again, Jab, Jez, and David with Alvira at the end did it all. Yet again, we have no idea what was said, but they got them to church the next day even though the family is poor as you could ever imagine. And the family is now thinking about baptism as well and going to pray about it. Well that's what Alvira told us, yet again, we have no idea hahahahaha but we'll figure it out! There is also little Grandma Mary who comes to the lessons, no idea what she says either, but she came to church as well! She is known for singing to the Muslims, Jesus songs. Pretty funny. You go grandma. They all loved church so hopefully we will see them next week as well!!!!!
I just love being here. Alvira and her family are just the best missionaries. They are gonna take our jobs for sure, no doubt in my mind! They won't need us here any longer with how much that family is spreading the Gospel.
I am so grateful to be a District leader here. So our District at the beginning of the year made a goal to get 18 baptisms as a District by the end of the year. President Mains has a mission baptism goal as well and we have a Zone goal. The District needs 13 more in the next month. The Zone needs about 70. The mission about 250. This month is gonna be SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are going to see 13 baptisms in this District this Christmas season. How awesome is that?!?!? I love bringing families closer to Christ. That's what it's all about.
The scripture that keeps me going for this goal is 2 Nephi 4:34-35. In anything that we do, if we never ask amiss, God will help us. That is a promise. We trust in our God and not in our own arm and desire. God is not dead. He works miracles today and I cannot wait to just see them this month!
I invite all of you to watch the "He is the Gift" video on lds.org. Gives me chills every time I watch it. This week is going to be AMAZING!!!!!! I hope and pray it will be for all of you as well!
I end this email with the PJ District hashtags: #PJAllDay #ThisIsTheGlory #BallIsLife
Enough said,
Elder Holmes
Rugby in the rain
No comments:
Post a Comment