Tri-Zone Conference

We attended a tri-zone missionary conference in Bangalore on Thursday. Missionaries from our Coimbatore Zone and missionaries from Chennai and Bangalore Zones attended.

We travelled by bus. Here we are waiting at the bus stop for our bus to Bangalore.  We arrived at the bus stop at about 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4, 2012. Elders Ramaraj, Jurial, and Bean are sitting opposite Sister Tiefenbach. Elder Massey is beside her. Inside the building are Elders Tanniru and Hodgson. Actually, this was a pickup location.

We took this small bus to another location, the Coimbatore by-pass, to catch the bus to take us to Bangalore.

This is the beginning of our trip in the small bus. Everyone was excited to be leaving.

While we were waiting on the side of the road for the big bus, we noticed this small truck in front of our bus. We all thought the sign was funny because in our church C.T.R. stands for Choose the Right. We were all amused by it.

The bus finally arrived about half an hour later. Here we are at a rest stop - bathroom break. The buses here have no toilets on board. Hmmm..... we didn't know that when we said we would be willing to go by bus. The bus arrived in Bangalore between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. It was a long day. Bangalore is only about 400 km from Coimbatore, but the roads make travelling much longer than at home.

About 44 missionaries were included in this tri-zone conference. We had general sessions, as well as smaller break out sessions.

We were happy to see Elder Neelapu, a missionary who helped us get established in our first apartment when we arrived inCoimbatore. He is now servining in Chennai and will finish his two year mission in August.

On the right are Elder Ram and Elder Kumar in a break out session. They are the zone leaders in our zone. They are the ones that live close to us. Elder Ram conducted the meeting. He did a good job. The conference was over at 5:30 on Thursday. Our bus was scheduled to leave at 10:45 p.m. that night. We had to fill in some time. We hung out at the church for a while and then walked to McDonald's, which was "close by," according to the missionaries. It was NOT close by, but we were able to get some exercise. We walked back to the church, but we took a short cut that one of the missionaries knew. It took half the time to walk back to the church. So, we wondered why we didn't take the short cut when we walked to McDonald's. After we arrived back at the church, we collected our bags and headed for the bus stop. The security guard wanted to lock everything up, so we had to leave. It took a while to find the right bus to take us to the bus stop. Even then, the bus did not take us right to the bus stop. We had to walk a fair distance to the bus stop through and "interesting" part of the city. All we can say is that we were glad that we were with a whole bunch of people.

We finally arrived at the bus stop where we waited for about an hour before we could board the sleeper bus at 11:00 p.m. The missionaries looked very alert and enthused at the beginning of the trip. They did not look this alert when we arrived in Coimbatore. This was the first time we have ever been on a sleeper bus. It is what the name suggests. It is like a train with sleeper compartments, except it is a bus. It is air conditioned and fairly roomy, but we couldn't help but wonder who had slept in the bed before us. The "beds" are not cleaned in between passengers. However, if we think about it, it is not any different than sleeping in a bus seat that is upright that has been slept in by a previous passenger. We kept telling ourselves this logic so we could force any thoughts of unsanitary conditions out of our minds. Oh yes . . . no bathrooms on this bus, either. We did not sleep well because we were at the front of the bus and we felt every movement and heard the horn honking all the time. They honk horns A LOT here. Traffic moves in and out like water running through a field, so there is a lot of movement. If a space opens up, a vehicle moves in to fill it, even if another car is heading straight toward it. Ahhh, the traffic here is interesting. We arrived in Coimbatore at 6:30 a.m. on Friday. We then took an auto to our apartment. We were tired. When we got to our apartment, we slept for 2 hours.

We have decided that, although we enjoyed travelling with the young missionaries, we will fly next time.

Today, we went to another town called Erode. We attended church there and went to visit an older man that cannot get out to church because of his failing health. The trip took 2 hours of travelling each way. We hired a driver with an air conditioned car for the trip.We left Coimbatore at 7:00 a.m. and arrived back at about 4:45 p.m.  When we returned to Coimbatore, we went to the church so we could attend a branch council meeting (an adminstrative meeting) for 2nd Branch. We arrived in our apartment at 8:00 p.m. It was a full day, but it was good. We took a camera with us to Erode, but we forgot to take pictures. Can you believe that? Next time, we will take pictures.

Our Daily Walk and Other Activities

Every day, we walk these streets from our apartment to the church at least once. We are about .7 km from the church. We walk by other apartment buildings, shops, and homes. Some apartment buildings are modern, while some of the homes are small and less than modern. We think that many of the homes here do not have running water, as we see many people going to the taps on the street to fill their vessels. The streets are usually very busy, no matter the time of day we are out.

On this stretch of the walk, we tend to walk quite quickly. The mounds of garbage along with the sewage in the gutters leaves this area . . . well, you can imagine.











This stretch looks very quiet. Normally, many cars, motorcylces, and people are coming and going here. We have to be constantly on our guard to make sure we don't get in the way of the vehicles. When we took the picture, everything must have stopped momentarily. Again, the street is lined with all types of shops and people's homes. Some of the shops include barber shops, stationary shops (not the kind we think of in Canada), small food shops, motorcycle repair shops, etc. We particularly like to walk this part of the street on hot days because the trees provide welcomed relief from the hot sun.





We see a lot of construction in Coimbatore. This apartment building has been under construction since we arrived. Construction is a much slower process here. The support beams are very different than the ones we are accustomed to. When a construction site has debris to be hauled away, they do it by hand. They fill small bowl type containers, lift it up on their heads and take it away. We wonder what all that weight is doing to their spinal cords.

The main street is just ahead. As we approach the main street, the traffic gets very busy. Some days, we feel we are going through an obstacle course.

 On the main street, we see everything from modern trucks to donkeys.

This week was a typical week, and we walked this path several times, as we went to the church to teach our English classes, attend planning meetings, missionary district meeting, and accompanying missionaries on their appointments.

On Thursday, a brother from 1st branch took us to meet a friend of his who has a tailor shop on a street close to us. He is apparently a famous tailor for women's blouses (the blouse part of the sarees). He also took us to see a friend of his who owns a cylce repair shop on the same street as the tailor. His family was out of station (out of town), so we could not go to his house that day. We made arrangements to go to his house next Sunday.


This past Sunday, we left our apartment at 9:15 a.m. and did not return until 7:45 p.m. We spent an extra long day at the church.

One of the reasons, we had a longer day was because the 2nd Branch had a fireside/activity after the meetings. The idea was to help the members of the branch get to know each other better.  Not everyone was able to stay. This activity was helpful because the branch has several new people in the branch.

For the activity, the men and the women were divided into separate teams. Within each section, the participants were divided into pairs. We then talked to each other about 10 pre-assigned topics. Following the discussions, each pair stood and received questions from a pair on the opposing team. If the question posed was about information for Sister Tiefenbach, for example, her partner would have to answer the question.

 Today (Monday) was a fun day. We spent the afternoon bowling with the missionaries. Elder Tiefebnach did not win this time. That honour goes to Elder Bean, with a score of 112 (above: second from the left). Sister Tiefenbach . . . well, she does NOT want to discuss it. Elder Tiefenbach came in second, with a score of 109. The Elders (above, left to right: Ramaraj, Bean, Ram, Jurial, Hodgson, and Kumar) had fun. So did we.

 Elder Ramaraj, Elder Ram, Elder Jurial

After bowling, we went home to make pizza for supper. We have interesting pizza pans. But they do the job.

We invited Elder Ram and Elder Kumar (the zone leaders) for pizza after they were done their work for the day. They also had salad, so they were able to get their veggies for the day. They had to eat quickly so they could get back to their apartment on time. Both Elder Ram and Elder Kumar are hard working, obedient missionaries. We have always been impressed with Elder Kumar when he was with Elder Ganaparum. We are equally impressed with Elder Ram. We are thankful that they live so close to us. We enjoy inviting them over. We appreciate their interest in us and their care for us.

People and Cleaning

This is Raju Joseph with Elder Tiefenbach. We met him at the fireside about temples that we gave on Sunday evening. He is a pioneer in the history of the church in India, having been baptized in 1971. He was one of the first missionaries from India to serve in his home country. Raju Joseph was the branch president of Semmedu Branch for about 18 years. He has a strong testimony. We met with him at the church the next day and listened to his many stories. One of the stories he told us was about the time he encountered a wild elephant about 7 to 8 years ago. He had gone down to the river to bathe and did not see the elephant until it was too late. The elephant picked him up with its trunck and threw him through the air into a bunch of bushes. He suffered broken bones, cuts, and bruises. He had about 20 stitched in his head as a result of this.

We had a district missionary meeting on Tuesday for District 1 (District 2 was on Wednesday for this week.) One of the missionaries (Elder Aruldoss) from District 1 received a transfer to Erode. An announcement was made that Erode would be getting another set of missionaries. That means that Erode would have its own missionary district. Presently, the missioanries are part of Coimbatore District 2. Elder Aruldoss will be the District leader with Elder Thom as his companion. Elder Thom is new to the Coimbatore area. Elder Dangwal, from Erode, is being transferred, and we do not know the name of his replacement. (Missionaries are divided into groups called districts. Each district is responsible for a particular area within their assigned branch. Several districts make up a zone.)

District 2 elders also showed up after the meeting. Here we are with Elders Ganaparam (next to Sister Tiefenbach) and Elder Massey. Elder Ganaparam is being assigned to Visakhapatman (also called Vizak). Elder Ganaparam was the District Leader for District 2. Elder Massey is great fun. He is always smiling. He will be turning 19 in July. He received special permission to begin his mission prior to age 19.

The entire zone posed for a picture before transfers. The zone includes: (beginning left of Elder Tiefenbach) Elder Massey, Elder Tiefenbach, Sister Tiefenbach, Elder Aruldoss, Elder Dangwal, Elder Ganaparam, Elder Hodgson (behind Elder Massey), Elder Kumar (to the back of Elder Hodgson), Elder Jurial, Elder Lara, Elder Bean, and Elder Braun.

The elders had great fun setting their cameras on auto to take pictures of the zone. Here Elder Jurial is excited for the picture. We all went to KFC for lunch one more time before those elders with transfers left.

On Saturday, we went to a village called Chavadi to help clean up the church building and yard. We waited on the front steps of the church in Coimbatore for our ride with President Allwyn (second counselor in the District Presidency). One of the security guards, Brother Prakash, and his son Hari enjoyed visiting with us while we waited. One of the youth (seated beside Sister Tiefenbach) from our branch also went out to Chavadi to help. President Solomon (Branch President of Chavadi) asked us to stop at a particular nursery to pick up some flower pots.


We arrived at the nursery and noticed that the nursery people had just laid some fresh sod outside the nursery and watered it. We stepped over the sod. The ground was muddy. Well . . . the skid marks are apparent. We are thinking of calling the accident reconstruction team to measure the skid marks to determine the speed at which Sister Tiefenbach was travelling before she hit the parked motorcylce.

This was the result - 3 stitches and a swollen eye. It was  a good thing that the KJ hospital was only one block away. So, we had the experience of going to the hospital in India. The purple is NOT eye shadow. Look at it this way, Sister Tiefenbach can save money on eyeshadow for that eye for the next week or so. Actually, this was not a good experience. She hit very hard and twisted her body very badly. She will be sore for several days.

This was a sign in the hospital. We thought it was quite funny, so Elder Kumar (left) and Elder Ram posed for a picture. The sign says that the lift is only for Patients, Elders, and Physical Handicapped. Elder Ram was just assigned to Coimbatore 2nd branch. He replaced Elder Lara.

 


We returned to the nursery to purchase the flower pots. Sister Tiefenbach stayed in the car. We continued to Chavadi.








This is the church building in Chavadi. It is a one-room small building. The large sign is in Tamil, the language spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu.

President Vincent Paul (District President), on the left, and President Solomon (Chavadi branch president) take a break to discuss church affairs. They worked extremely hard on this project. In the background are members of the branch cleaning up the yard.

Elder Tiefenbach is hard at work. The entire dirt area that is seen here was completely covered with weeds when we arrived. We were amazed at how quickly we were able to pull all the weeds. Sister Tiefenbach did not work hard. She moved slowly as she pulled weeds.

This is an example of a house in the village. Not all the houses had straw roofs.

Coconut groves are common here. Here is one near the church in Chavadi.

The entire area around Coimbatore is surrounded by mountains. This is one mountain as seen from Chavadi. The mountain ranges are different here. In Canada, the Rockies are massive, and they are all connected. Here, we will see one mountain, then flat landscape, then another mountain later.

Roof Construction, Food, and Celebrations

Last week, we told about the roof that was being removed. This week, they built the peak and the walls higher.

Then, they began using lumber (4x4's) to form the framework. Previously, the framework was made from poles.

Lastly, they put the tiles back on. They look like the old ones. The ends are still open. We are not sure how they are going to finish the edges. We are assuming that no one lives in the house, yet. We don't think anything has been done on the inside.

We bought curtains, a coffee table, and two end tables. Now, the livingroom looks like a real room instead of a cement area with a couch and two chairs thrown in it. We even have the family picture up now. This all makes the apartment feel more like a home. The coffee table is hard to see. Only the left hand side is seen in the picture. The table has three levels, and the top level is made of clear glass, making the table more difficult to see. The coffee table is also very small, but it is the right size for the space, and the price was right.



We had a local shop owner make the curtain rods. They were very cheap, cost wise. He came to install the rods. Because the walls are all made from cement, a special drill needs to be used to drill holes. In an earlier post, we mentioned that electric tools do not have plugs at the end. This is the way they plug in their tools. The simply stick the wires into the holes.







  We had a great week of cooking. We made chicken and pineapple pizza. It was yummy.

 We made jumbo raisin cookies for the missionary district meeting on Tuesday.

   Do you think they liked them?

All the elders seemed eager. Elders Dangwal, Hodgson, and Bean (above) are typical of all the elders' eagerness. The elders hung around for a while enjoying the treats. In the picture on the right, we see (left to right) Elders Ganaparum, (Elder Braun is hidden), Bean, Jurial, Kothangi, Lara, and Aruldoss.



 
 
We also made oriental chicken with beans and boccoli. This is the first time we tried this recipe. It was very good.


 Sister Tiefenbach made bread this week, but we did not take a picture.

We thought the kids next door might like some of our new dishes, but they were not interested. They seemed to prefer the paper on the walls.

On Saturday night, we had the opportunity to go the our first Indian "function." A function is any kind of celebration. This celebration was to acknowledge that a 13-year-old girl had "come of age." We shall leave it at that about what that means. This custom originated a long time ago. At that time, the family of the girl used this as a way to announce to the world that their daughter and the family was now ready to begin taking possible suitors. Interested families would then have a couple of years to get ready for the negotiations. They no longer use this as a time to announce they are ready for suitors.

We have accompanied the elders on several of their visits this week. We enjoy being with them. Some have "stopped by" our apartment just before they have to report in to their apartments. Could it be that they drop by because they always get something to eat??? We love it when we can be with them.

At about 9:00 tonight, we heard loud bangs. We often hear fireworks in this area, so we didn't take a lot of notice, except that there seemed to be more. The noise got louder and louder, and we heard music. We investigated, and found that a parade was going by our apartment. The security guard for our apartment said that it was some kind of Christian celebration. We do not know how wide spread this was throughout Coimbatore.

  

 We were at the church from 9:40 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. today. Normally, we are not at church that late, but tonignt, we presented a fireside about temples. All the people seemed to enjoy it, and we enjoyed the time with the people. The members of the church here do a good job of taking care of us. They are always appreciative of the help we give.