Things to Be Thankful for in India



We are having a "Thanksgiving" Theme because tomorrow (October 14) is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Now, as you read this week's blog, don't start to think that our life here in India is a life of fun, games, and food - hmmm . . . maybe, it might be a good description after all! Honest, we WORK here, too. Sometimes, we have a lot of stress, and we enjoy the fun, games, and food that helps us relieve the stress from the office. Our week of fun, games, and food began on Sunday evening with having the Smith's and the four elders from Indiranagar Branch for spaghetti leftovers. The leftovers were from the youth activity we had at our home last Saturday. We are thankful for missionaries like Elder Mills (front left), Elder Ravi, Elder Prakash, and Elder Ramaraj (middle back). We are also thankful for Elder and Sister Smith. We have become good friends, and we look forward to being with them.

Elder Mills is a very spiritual missionary . . . . Elder Mills, please be serious for at least two seconds so we can show everyone how conservative and calm you really are! We are thankful for goofy elders who make us laugh.

On Sunday after our spaghetti supper, we went to the church for a farewell gathering for Elder George Anthony. We are thankful that everything worked out for him to leave on his mission. He had to wait for his brother to return from is mission before he could go. We are thankful that his parents consented to allow him to go on a mission. For this small farewell, we had a short program and then we had cake.

Elder Anthony kept with the Indian tradition of feeding cake to the guests. Smashing cake into someone's face seems to also be a common occurrence, too. This is our branch president, President Anthony (no relation to Elder Anthony). We are thankful that Elder Anthony did not feed the cake to us!

We and the Smith's have been working with Elder Anthony to make sure he had everything ready for his departure to the Philippines. He will be in the Philippines for 12 days, and then he will return to labour in the India Bangalore Mission. He will be a great asset to our mission. We are thankful for the great opportunity we have to help so many young people prepare for their missions. This has been a great blessing in our lives.



 On Wednesday, we went to the Ramamurthy Branch building for a stress management presentation given by President and Sister Berrett and the assistants. During the presentation, Sister Tiefenbach enjoyed identifying the psychological concepts and principles on which the concepts of the presentation were based. She had a great time doing that. Don't worry, she did not announce all this to everyone; she kept her academic tendencies to herself and to Elder Tiefenbach. On the way to and from the presentation, we had the opportunity to see many common sights along the streets of India. Here is an array of pots for plants and other things that people passing by can purchase. We are thankful for the unique things we see in India.


 Away from many shops and street stands, we came across a fruit stand. Although it seems quite isolated, it in reality is not. There were many road side "shops" along this street. We see MANY fruit and vegetable stands on just about every street. We have two fruit and vegetable stands within a one to two minute walk from our apartment.

Bangalore (and most other places we have been) seem to be in a constant state of construction. We saw a huge deposit of sand here. This is still on our trip between the office and the Ramamurthy Branch building. We are not sure whether this is for a new roadway that will eventually replace the small road on which we were travelling or for the above ground metro. Perhaps, they simply store the sand here. Nevertheless, it is a reminder of all the construction that is happening in Bangalore. We will be thankful when some of the expressways are completed so traffic won't be so congested.

Another thing we love about India is the absence of parking meters! We haven't seen a single parking meter in India. Some malls have parkades that cost money to use, but the streets are void of parking meters. But, that leads to some interesting parking practices. Often, cars simply drive right up onto the sidewalk (where there are actually sidewalks) and park close to the buildings. We never cease to be amazed by all this.

We are also continue to be intrigued by the versatility of motorcycles and scooters. People haul things on motorcycles and scooters that we would never think of. Usually, the load is carried by the person on the back.










This picture was taken on the road just down from our office. This is a typical street in the area around the office and our apartment. This street has a sidewalk, but many people, including us, often walk on the street. The sidewalks often have too many blockades, uneven places, and holes in them, so we opt for dodging the traffic on the street. We would never have thought we would have such extraordinary experiences in our lives. The streets and sidewalks are always bustling with vehicles and people. Yes, the sidewalks are sometimes bustling with vehicles - especially motorcycles!


Elder Anthony arrived in the office on Wednesday afternoon to be set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We always look forward to greeting these eager young people as they set off for their journey to the Philippines. They all seem to be somewhat apprehensive about their flight, so we do our best to educate them on the processes at airports and what to expect when they travel internationally. Here is Elder Anthony with us and the Smiths.




 We have noticed that everyone has bigger, brighter smile after they come out of the President's office than when they walk into the mission office. Elder Anthony had many questions about his flight. We gave him our cell number and told him to call if he had any problems. Well, at 11:30 p.m. the phone rang. It was Elder Anthony. His flight was over booked, and the airline wanted to put him on a flight with a different airline. He called to get permission! We said, "Yes!" We were thankful that Elder Anthony phoned us because we were able to immediately send an email to the Philippines to let them know that he would be arriving at a different time. The Philippines MTC always has someone waiting at the airport to pick up the new missionaries. By the end of our work day on Thursday, we received word that Elder Anthony arrived safely. By Friday morning, Elder Ferrin (our In Field Representative for Asia Area), who is in the Philippines, informed us that Elder Anthony was asked to be one of the two zone leaders for the new batch of 150 missionaries. We were delighted to hear the news!

 We spent Saturday morning and afternoon (and evening for Elder Tiefenbach) at the church for General Conference. We have a one week delay for the conference. Someone is asked to download the conference sessions, and then they are shown a week later. We have to have it a week later because of the time difference. Most of us would not want to stay up all night to view the sessions. Mind you, several people actually do that! Between the showing of the two Saturday sessions, our branch had an activity. We played some games, and then we had pizza (from Dominos Pizza). The pizzas from Dominos Pizza are a bit different here than in North America, but they are still good, although we prefer the Pizza Hut pizzas.

One of the games we played was "Giants, Wizards, and Elves."  Sister Tiefenbach organized this game. "Giants, Wizards, and Elves" is similar to a group game of "Rocks, Paper, and Scissors." Giants beat elves; elves beat wizards, and wizards beat giants. Each type of fantasy person has its own action. Each team decides on which fantasy figure they are going to be. Here we see one of the groups making its plan.




After making their plans, the two groups form two lines facing each other. On the count of three, the teams perform the actions of their fantasy figures. The team on the left were giants; the team on the right (with Elder Tiefenbach) were elves. Giants beat elves, so the giants would run toward the elves to capture them. The elves run back to their place of safety. Any elves that are caught join the giants' team. And so the game progresses. Everyone had a great time playing that game. We are thankful to participate in fun activities with the branch members.


Some of the youth wanted to play half court basketball after the other games were over. Following the games and pizza, we went back into the chapel for the second session of conference.










Between the second session of conference and the priesthood session on Saturday night, we invited the missionaries in our branch to our apartment for homemade cinnamon buns (or rolls, for our USA friends). They did not need much persuasion to have a second one. Oh, and we also gave them a piece of cake. Interestingly, we just learned on Wednesday about eating properly to help alleviate stress. Oh well, tomorrow we can begin to eat better!

While Elder Tiefenbach was at the Priesthood session of conference, Sister Tiefenbach decided to be industrious and bake some bread. She made two regular loaves and a mini loaf. It smelled so good, and it tasted even better. We are thankful for the yeast that was sent to us by our daughter and by Sister Ram, from Hawaii, that makes homemade bread possible in India. We can find yeast in India, but it is different, and we don't get the same results. Having homemade bread is a reminder of the love at home. It is basic just like family. It is the foundation of life. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration! But, it makes us feel good.


 On Sunday morning (today), we heard a familiar noise: a drum being beaten and some kind of horn being played. We knew when we heard it that the people would have a decorated cow with them. These are beggars that go around the streets playing a tune on their horns and beating their drums. It is interesting to see.







This afternoon, after the second session of the Sunday General Conference sessions, Sister Tiefenbach helped this young woman, Sister Aswini, with the written part of her application to BYU. Her father drove her on his motorcycle from Whitefield Branch so she could get some advice from Sister Tiefenbach. We are thankful that we have been able to get to know people from all the branches here in Bangalore.





Tomorrow is a holiday, not Thanksgiving, but a holiday nonetheless. We, however, will not be having a holiday; we will be at the office as usual. That means that we will not be having a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, etc. Hmmmm . . . are these turkeys?????? Maybe . . .








We have much to be thankful for. We are thankful for our family who support us and show their love to us. We are thankful that they communicate with us often. This gives us incentive and courage to continue our work here. We are thankful for friends back home, friends we have made in other parts of the world as a result of our mission in India, and of course our friends we have made in India. We have seen the hand of the Lord in the lives of our children and in the lives of so many people in India. As we think of the blessings we have in our lives, let us remember that the Lord promises us that "inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances . . . with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance . . . the fullness of the earth is yours . . ." (D&C 59:15, 16). Our Father in Heaven is anxious to bless us as we keep the commandments. He lovingly tells us to "[ask] for whatsoever things, [we] stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always [return] thanks unto God for whatsoever things [we] do receive" (Alma 7:23). As we offer our thanks, the Lord will bless us again and again.

Beacons in Our Lives

The crane (not the bird type) continues to stand as a beacon of sorts as we look out our bedroom window.  A beacon is designed to draw attention to a particular location and is often used to give information. Beacons help us navigate toward our destination. Whenever we see it, we know for sure we are at our Bangalore home. It's orientation has changed, but it continues to stand prominently against the sunlit skyline. We wonder if it will still be there by the time we go back to Canada.

This is the clothes drying rack we use. We have a clothes dryer in the apartment, but we have never used it. It is not hooked up to blow its air outside, so we think we would have to move it to a window and fasten the hose to the outside through the window to use it. That sounds like way too much work, so we continue to hang our clothes on this drying rack. How can this be a beacon in our lives? Well, it certainly stands out. And, it gives us information. When it is full, it means we have to fold some laundry and iron some clothes (although the person that we have hired to do some of the household work does a lot of the ironing). So, it stands as a beacon, or a reminder, that we need to work hard to be presentable, especially and most importantly, we must be diligent to prepare ourselves for when we present ourselves before the Lord.

 We bought some oranges and bananas early this week. Wait a minute, those look more like greens, not oranges. Yes, the skins are very green; We think that they must pick them when they are still green. But they, indeed are orange on the inside, and they taste good. These oranges remind us or stand as a beacon telling us that as we travel through this life, we may not look ripe (or perfect), but must be true on the inside; our hearts and desires must be turned toward the Savior. As we turn our will over to the Lord's will, we will become as He would have us become.

We seem to always be celebrating birthdays at the office. Monday was Elder Ramaraj's birthday. He turned 20. He is a great missionary! He is hard working, kind, and considerate. A birthday celebration can be a beacon to us as we are reminded that we have been born into this beautiful world that Heavenly Father created for us and that we can return to Him one day if we keep His commandments. A birthday can be a time to reaffirm the direction as we walk along the straight and narrow path or to make a course correction if we have lost our way.

We had banana cake for the birthday celebration. Elder Tiefenbach made the cake, and Sister Tiefenbach made the icing. It was delicious.  

The assistants to the president, Elder Ramaraj (left) and Elder Mills always stand as a beacon to all who enter the office and to all the missionaries with whom they serve. They are a great example to all the missionaries and are always available to help and guide them.

President Berrett is always a beacon of strength. He is the guide in our mission. We are sure that he and Sunil (right) were discussing some weighty matter pertaining to the functioning of the mission. Or, could it be that they were discussing the great cake that Elder Tiefenbach made? It was a good cake. He impressed everyone. He is so talented.

President Berrett took us all out to lunch to celebrate Elder Ramaraj's birthday. Our first choice was to go to a place called Sue's, but it was closed. Our next choice was Kund (or something like that), but it, too, was closed. So, our last choice was Pizza Hut; we were successful with that one. That is a lesson to be taught: always know your destination. We need to follow the right beacon that gives the right information. Both Elder Mills (left) and Elder Ramaraj ordered the all you can eat pizza. The rest of us "more mature" people did not. We were far too sensible for that!

Tuesday night we had a farewell for three missionaries as they finished their missions: Elder Sambaria (2nd from the left, back row), Elder Jurial (next to him), and Elder Simson (next to Elder Jurial). As usual, the meal was great! We love to attend the farewell dinners and devotionals with the home bound missionaries. The gospel has been a beacon in the lives of these missionaries as they have given two years of their lives to the Lord. The blessings they have received from their selfless service shall be poured out upon them and their posterity for generations.

Here is a close up picture of our three returning missionaries with President and Sister Berrett. President and Sister Berrett are wonderful to work with. We are thoroughly enjoying our service with them. We have been blessed to have had the privilege of working with two great mission presidents and their inspiring wives. We couldn't have asked for greater people with whom we could associate. They have touched our lives in so many ways.



Elder Jurial wanted a picture with us. He served with us in Coimbatore for several months. He is so much fun to be around. He made sure he posted a picture of himself by Sister Tiefenbach's workstation.

We spent some time in Coimbatore this past week. Our driver is our beacon in Coimbatore because he can always safely get us to our destinations. He knows how to get anywhere we need to go. We are so thankful that he knows the city well, and we have complete confidence in his driving. We needed to go to the mall, and of course we were still there during lunch, so we took him to Subway. He loves to order a salad; he keeps saying that he is so happy to have a meal of all vegetables (plus the roasted turkey luncheon meat).



This is the member custodial cupboard in our chapel in Coimbatore. It has been cleaned up and arranged so that all the cleaning supplies can easily be found for the members as they clean the building. It looks so much better than it did a few months ago.








Brother Augustine has been building a house (he calls it a room because it is a one room house) for the past several months. He is so happy that the Lord has blessed him to be able to have his own place. It should be done in a month or so. This is inside his house. We are very happy for the progress he is making in his life. He readily acknowledges the Lord's hand in this great blessing. We can tell that the gospel is a beacon in his life. We are grateful that we have been a part of his life.

 This is the outside view of his house (back view). He has re-used the windows from his parents' old house that is nearby. His parents' house is not habitable, so he is pleased to be able to preserve a part of his family's home. He said that he will now always have his mother and father with him. He is the youngest of 13 children. One of his brothers lives behind his house (toward the front of this picture).





On Saturday night, the Smith's organized a youth activity for the Ramamurthy Branch. Because their apartment is quite small, they asked us if they could have the activity at our apartment. We readily agreed to have the activity at our apartment, and we readily agreed to help them with the activity. The activity was a "Dinner with a Difference." The youth were able to choose several items from a menu, but the trick was that they had no clue what they were ordering. For example, they might order a manure spreader, some clotted cream, and a splinter. In reality, they received a fork, a pat of butter, and a toothpick. There were 5 courses, so the chance of them order something good was pretty good. At the end, they were able to ask for anything that they saw others get that they missed out on. Ice cream was a VERY popular request. From this game, we can learn that we need not be tricked by fancy promises made by worldly beacons if we know the true beacon that will navigate us through our earthly journey.

We also played a few games following the dinner. This game was exciting. A chocolate bar is in the center of the circle. Each person rolls a die. If the person rolls a one or a six, s/he cuts one square of chocolate using a knife and fork and eats the chocolate. The person continues to cut and eat squares of chocolate until someone else rolls a one or a six. Many times, the person doesn't get to eat any chocolate because the next person rolls the required numbers. The game gets quite intense. We hope that the youth will always remember this activity and will remember the good associations they had during the evening, and that this will help follow the righteous beacons in their lives that will keep them on the path that leads to eternal life.

The crane that we see out our bedroom window has lights lined along its great beam that shine brightly in the night sky, warning pilots of its presence to help them navigate safely to their destinations. It sends out a warning signal, showing the danger areas and showing the right path that must be taken to go to ensure a safe arrival. We, too, have many beacons in our lives that the Lord gives us to help us navigate safely to our Heavenly Father's presence. We have living prophets and apostles and other church leaders that send out a warning voice and show us the path we should take. We know as Amos of old knew that "surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). The temple stands as a magnificent beacon to the world inviting all to come unto Christ and reminding us of the covenants we have made with Him. When the people of King Benjamin came to hear his words, "they pitched their tents round about the temple, each man having his tent with the door thereof toward the temple" (Mosiah 2: 6). We bear witness that as we turn our hearts and our thoughts toward the temple, keeping the temple foremost in our minds, we will be endowed with power from on high and the "angels [will] have charge over [us]" (D&C 109:22).

Gifts to Warm the Soul

We began our week by travelling to Erode to do an inspection of the missionaries' apartment. Now, you may wonder how that can be a gift, but we will work it in some how. On the way to Erode, we saw this tree with numbers on it. We have no idea why this tree has numbers painted on it, but we found it interesting. This was a gift to us because we had something out of the ordinary to see on our way. The highway to Erode has improved dramatically since we first arrived in India. Most of the new highway is complete, and we had a nice smooth highway for most of the trip. That, indeed, was a gift. The first time we went to Erode, the highways were bumpy with many diversions (detours) that jolted the vehicle and consequently, our bodies. This trip was much more pleasant.

We arrived at the missionaries' apartment safely, and we found them smiling and cheerful, even when we gave them a list of things that they needed to do to get the apartment in shape. Elder Wadsack-Stewart (left), Elder Dharavath, Elder Nepali, and Elder Dondapati were excited to have us come to see them. Elder Tiefenbach fits right in with the young elders! Elder Dharavath and Elder Dondapati are two elders that we helped get ready to go to the MTC in the Philippines. We always enjoy seeing how "our elders" have progressed since they first came to our office prior to their departure to the MTC. Of course, we showed increased love to them after we gave them a list of things they needed to improve upon - we gave them a gift of cookies. They were thrilled with that gift. We also gave them an extra gift; we took them out for lunch to BoomBoom Chicken. They loved that, too. BoomBoom Chicken is similar to KFC, only better.

On the way from Erode back to Coimbatore, we saw clouds dressed in pink, green, and purple. Back home in Canada, we often see the beautiful sunsets and sunrises with wonderful colours lighting up the sky, but these colourful clouds were in the middle of the day. We do not know the exact cause of how this happens. Obviously, it has to do with the way the sunlight hits the particles in the air, but we are still amazed when every once in a while we see coloured clouds. This was not a rainbow. These were clouds. This was one of those surprise gifts that nature generously gives to those who look for them.


This was the car we used for our trip. Our Coimbatore driver, Augustine, arranged for a friend to drive us to Erode (and back). Augustine's car would not make the trip; it is getting quite old and would not be safe to travel long distances. The car was small, but it had air conditioning! The air conditioned car was a great gift.







We arrived back in Coimbatore late Monday afternoon. One of the fist jobs we had when we returned was to make two cakes that would be given as gifts. When we left Coimbatore for Bangalore, we took most of our baking items, such as baking powder, baking soda, etc. because we assumed we would not be doing any more baking in Coimbatore, but that proved to be an erroneous thought. We have done baking three times out of the last four times we have been in Coimbatore.



The first cake was given to the missionaries in the Coimbatore District as a treat for their weekly district meeting. The gift was enthusiastically accepted. On Sunday, the District Leader, Elder Pydimalla, invited us to attend the district meeting. Now, the question is whether they wanted us there because they value our input or because they were hoping for a delicious treat! Maybe, they had both thoughts in their minds.




As things turned out, we could not have the district meeting at the church because the church building and grounds had just been sprayed for SNAKES!!!! Yikes!!!!! We are SO glad we did not see any. That was a heaven sent gift for us. We suggested to the District Leader that they could hold the meeting in our apartment. They ran it through the approval chains, and we had the wonderful opportunity to have the district meeting in our apartment.


This was the last part of the meeting when the missionaries broke into two groups. The above picture shows Elder Pydimalla (back left), Elder Massey, Sister Jackson (front right), and Sister Amala (a newly arrived sister from Delhi). The second group (to the left) consisted of Elder Stoll, zone leader (left); Elder Watts, zone leader; Sister Dhikao, and Sister Peddinti. The missionaries enjoyed being in our apartment. But, as all good things must come to an end, we had to tell them it was time to for them to leave. Having the missionaries in our apartment was a gift to us, indeed.


We were invited to the home of Sister Alice (not shown in this picture) and Sister Nisha (right). Their mother and father came home from their work to make some food for us, and then they went back to work. They prepared a special meal for us without chili and without coriander. The absence of spice was a wonderful gift to us. We expressed our great appreciation for the consideration they showed us. Sister Sweetie (not her real name) was also with us. She is a cousin to Sister Alice and Sister Nisha.



Sister Alice is in this picture standing beside Sister Tiefenbach.












 After our meal, Sister Nisha picked some roses from their rose bushes and presented them as a gift to Sister Tiefenbach. The were beautiful pink roses, and they had a wonderful, light fragrance. We were sad that we could not take them with us when we flew back to Bangalore.

The second cake was given as a gift for a little boy's fouth birthday. He is the youngest son of Sister Shanthi and Brother Suresh. We still get confused at people's ages here. For example, we had to ask if this little boy was four complete or beginning his fourth year. He is beginning his fifth year, so they would say that he is now five, but in reality, he is four. Another interesting custom they have in Coimbatore (possibly all of Tamil Nadu) is that if the person is born after 12:00 p.m. (noon), his/her birthday will be celebrated the next day. If the person is born before noon, his/her birthday is celebrated on the day s/he was born.

Sister Shanthi (left) had invited us for supper (dinner) to their house. When we showed up at her house with a cake for her son, she insisted on inviting some of her neighbours. We had met these neighbours before, and we were thrilled to share this gift with them. They were so happy to have some cake with us.







Elder Tiefenbach bought some bangles as a gift for Sister Tiefenbach about a month ago. So many people in Coimbatore were thrilled that Sister Tiefenbach was wearing bangles. They love to see us participate in their culture. They were very surprised when she told them that people in Canada wear bangles. One of the first questions that many of the people in Coimbatore asked was whether or not they were gold. Sister Tiefenbach quickly let them know that they were NOT gold. She explained that gold would be way too costly. Elder Tiefenbach would like very much to buy a gold bracelet for Sister Tiefenbach, but Sister Tiefenbach is resistant to the idea.

Sister Tiefenbach received some very special gifts while we were in Coimbatore. Sister Lakshmi painted this cloth. It is truly beautiful. She is highly artistic and is hired by many people to do paintings on many mediums, including sarees. Sister Lakshmi does beautiful work.








Sister Lakshmi presented some egg shells that have been decorated with a type of clay as another gift.

She also presented a beautiful traditional painting as a gift for us. This entire painting was done with a sponge. The picture was painted directly on the back of the glass. The outline of the figures are done with a pen, but all the paint was applied with a sponge. The greatest gift that Sister Lakshmi gave us was her love. Each gift she gave was filled with her love for us. We shall treasure her love forever.





We returned to Bangalore on Wednesday night. The next day was Sister Smith's birthday. We didn't have time to make a cake for her, so we asked the elders to pick up a cake to bring to the office as a gift for her. It was delicious! It had a very thin layer of cake on the bottom, and the majority of it was a creamy mousse covered in a layer of chocolate. Now, that was a YUMMY gift that we as the gift givers were able to benefit from.

We shared the cake with others who work in the offices upstairs. The two other missionaries from Indiranagar Branch were also there. Hmmm..... Did they hear that cake was going to be served that day? Elder Ramaraj, Elder Ravi, President William (counselor in the mission presidency), Elder Prakash, and Elder Mills thoroughly enjoyed the cake(s). Oh, we didn't mention the plural form. Yes, we had three cakes all together. We were in the office beginning our work day when Elder and Sister Smith came into the office. They brought in two boxes with what looked like cake boxes. Sister Tiefenbach asked what they were. "Cakes for Sister Smith's birthday and our anniversary," Elder Smith replied. The expression on Sister Tiefenbach's face was a dead give away that she had already made plans for Sister Smith's birthday. The surprise was out of the bag! Three cakes! This was a great gift to share with everyone.

Elder and Sister Smith accepted the invitation to feed each other a piece of their anniversary cake. On the outside, Elder and Sister Smith seem very quiet and conservative, but put a piece of cake in Sister Smith's hand and another person emerges. At first, it didn't look like she was going to do anything nasty, but at the last minute, she shoved the whole piece of cake in Elder Smith's mouth. That was a great anniversary gift!

Well, Elder Smith wasn't about to be out done by Sister Smith. He gave his own gift to her. He literally threw a blob of icing straight at her face. It landed all over her mouth and her chin. She laughed, and we all laughed. After the laughing they gave each other a sweet kiss. Awwwww, that was great!







We had a surprise gift during our celebrations. We had an unexpected guest, the former Elder Srigris (now Brother Sreedhar), who was one of the assistants to the president for President Funk. Everyone goes by their first name; very few people use a surname. It is something that we are slowly getting used to, but we have to really switch our thinking when we meet a returned missionary because we have to begin addressing him or her by an entirely different name. Brother Sreedhar has been hired as the membership record person. Brother John, in the back, had been hired in this position in a temporary capacity. He will likely be returning to Delhi next month. Brother Sreedhar will be wonderful to have around the office.

We truly have been blessed to have given many gifts and to have received many gifts this past week and throughout the entire time we have been in India. As we think of these great gifts, we are always reminded of the great gifts our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us. He has created this beautiful world for each one of us. When Moses asked the Lord why he created all of what he saw before his eyes, the Lord replied, "For mine own purpose" (Moses 1:33). The Lord then explains further that "this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). Our Father in Heaven loves us so much "that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Nephi teaches the sublime eternal truth that "there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God" (2 Nephi 31:21).