So this past weekend was an Indian Festival holiday of Taipooism (Thaipusam). Very simply, because I know this from every Hindu person we contacted would tell us, it is a festival of thanks for one of the major Hindu gods. If I am not mistaken it is the one that is a blue man with an Elephant head. To celebrate they get massive decorations and float like things and put them on top of their heads and parade all day and take a massive trip to a certain temple in Penang. The trick is, that the floats are positioned and stabilized by poles and hooks that they insert into their flesh, and they also add other rings and stuff, since the pain obviously isnt enough already. They have to fast for 45 days only eating vegetables and drinking no alcohol or else they couldn't be able to survive the pain of the poles and stuff sticking into their bodies. How do they endure the pain you ask? How do they not bleed to death you are thinking? Well, everyone comes to cheer them on and plays this loud as music. The music is a mix of traditional Hindu chants and super loud bass and they line up and have stalls that play them. Each stall has different songs playing but they blend together into one similar beat so that the people having the crap poking into their bodies start to go into a frenzied trance by the beat in order to make it through the pain. If they can't go into the trance, it is soooo darn painful and kind of disgraceful. So all the other Indians get way drunk and dance with the guys helping them get into the beat and trance. And at the end of it, when they pull all the stuff out of their skin, they don't bleed at all because of the fast that they did before. It is literally insane. It was awesome to see, but I wish I could be there not as a missionary because the Spirit just left when we went into the celebrations. It was not there whatsoever. Really cool, but dang it was demonic, especially the whole trance thing.
Other than that, Zone Conference was wicked!!!!! I loved it! The main thing that I got out of it was to minister unto the people more and truly make their needs your needs. We also had an MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference) with the District leaders of the mission as well, and we got to discuss how to resolve concerns in the zone. We talked about it, and we decided to push more immediate repentance. The biggest concern we were having is getting potentials but none of them wanting when we call the next day. So we are really focusing on helping them repent and take action in the first contact. By teaching them how to pray and having them pray right then and there, sharing the First Vision right there. Reading the Book of Mormon in the contact and other things. It has been WAYYY boss! as we are doing it, God is putting prepared people in our path and we are finding even more people interested. We even invited someone to be baptized in the first contact this week! She said she has thought about being Christian but not too into it, so we popped the question with boldness and testimony and she said yes. Way cool. It has been a great week, I am tired of being a darshwad and I dont want to suck anymore, so I choose not too.
Shout out to my PANTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHATSUP HATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are going to go bike to some orchards today, so hope you have a great day too :)
God Bless!
Elder Holmes
What is a darshwad you ask? a darshwad is just an insult emeritus Elder Mikovits made up hahaha
click here to understand Thaipusam
These Muslim kids are so cute
Views from our apartment
Thaipusam Festival
Family in Penang
The English speaking missionaries
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