Taking Shape

The grass at the Coimbatore Chapel is beginning to take shape as the small tufts grow upward and outward. It looks like we will have a complet lawn in a few months. The workers water it frequently. We are not sure if they water everyday, but everytime we are at the church, we see them watering the grass. We wonder if this way of laying sod would work in Canada (or the States for that matter). Our neighbours would certainly think we were strange. The results are looking better than if they had seeded. The draw back of planting small bits of sod is that it is so time consuming, and we are sure it would be hard on the back with all the bending that is involved.

 

 

On Tuesday, we had our regular district meeting for the missionaries, where our trusted zone leaders do their best to get our district into shape. One might think that having a meeting every week would be boring for the missionaries, but they always seem to be happy as they come to the church. We can definitely see our meeting begin to take shape as our three missionaries from Coimbatore First Branch arrive: (left to right) Elder Sambaria, Elder Justesen, and Elder Smoot. Elder Sambaria is new to Coimbatore. He arrived Saturday, January 19. We expect his companion to arrive in the next week. Until then, these three elders will join with the Coimbatore Second Branch district for reporting purposes. Elder Smoot and Elder Justen told us that they are not sure whether or not they liked being the only two in their apartment. The biggest advantage they said was that it was easier to keep clean. We have to admit, their apartment was in great shape. Elder Smoot was in charge of cleaning the kitchen, and he did a great job!

 

 

Things really begin to take shape when the sister missionaries are around. They are ALWAYS smiling and excited about everything. We love them! Sister Madabathula and Sister Dhkao arrive at the district meeting sporting a fashionble umbrella to sheild them from the sun. Umbrellas are a welcome addition right now because lately the temperature has become much hotter. The sun is shining almost everyday. We can't imagine the snow back home. When we look at pictures of the storms and the piles of snow at home, it seems like a totally different planet.

 

Brother Appasamy (the one standing) keeps the church building and grounds in great shape. He has been given major responsiblities to make sure everything in the building and on the grounds is running properly and aranges for repairs, etc. for things that need attention. He has been recovering from a terrible motorcycle accident that he had about 2 years ago, and only now has been able to do anything. He sustained some severe memory loss because of the accident. He did not even know his family. He is so grateful that he is able to remember most things now and that he can contribute to the church and his family. He and his wife have two daughters and one granddaughter. They are one of a few couples in Coimbatore who have a love marriage (which means it was not arranged), and they were not related before they got married. They are both form the same small village around the Erode area, but they moved away because their families were not accepting of their marriage. Over the many years they have been married, their families have come to accept them more. Brother Appasamy was a chemist before retirement.

 

While many things are taking shape here, some things are not in good shape. We received a package from our daughter, Chantel. One of the items in the package was a chocolate bar. Well . . . it did not like the 10 week journey. The chocolate bar melted, which made the wrapping wet, and the wrapping became moldy. Also in the package were some pictures that our grandchildren drew. The pictures were right next to the moldy chocolate bar wrapping, so the pictures became moldy, too. We appreciate the pictures, but we decided that we would not keep them.

 

One more thing that has NOT taken shape is our microwave/convection oven. It quit working in the convection mode. That means Sister Tiefenbach cannot bake! We don't know how we will break the news to the missionaries that there will be no homemeade treats on Tuesday. We can use the convection mode for only about 15 minutes before it shuts off. The fan does not work, so the oven overheats and automatically shuts off. We suppose we can make cookies for the missionaries for the Tuesday district meeting. Cookies don't take as long to bake as cakes. We think they prefer the cakes, but they will have to settle for homemade cookies.

 

 

We are happy that Sister Shanthi's mouth is taking the shape of a great big smile. Sister Shanthi smiles a LOT, but whenever we take pictures of her, she has a super serious look on her face, which seems to be typical of most of the people who live in India. She was not expecting this picture, so she did not have time to put on her serious face. She is so fun, and she loves to laugh! She brings great happiness to us as she shows the joy she has felt since accepting and living the gospel.

 

Coimbatore District is taking great shape with President Vincent Paul leading the churh here. He has a great desire to do things the Lord's way and is eager to learn. Elder Tiefenbach has the opportunity to work closely with him, as Elder Tiefenbach is on the District Council. President Paul often consults Elder Tiefenbach on a variety of things. His wife, Sister Christy, and their two sons, Britzer (left) and Allan (right), are dedicated members and work hard in the church. Every one in the family has a great voice, and they all enjoy singing in the choir.

 

Our week has taken good shape. What better way to end the week (or begin a new week, depending on one's view) that to sit back and sip on mango/papya/banana/pineapple smoothies and eat handfuls of freshly popped, buttery popcorn. Mmmmmm . . .

As we begin a new week, we pray that we will all allow the Lord to mould us into the shape that He knows will be best for our happiness. May the Lord bless you.