Zone Conferences

19 Apr 2014 - found an error. I had the wrong picture for Hyderabad Zone. That now is corrected.

Each quarter we conduct zone conferences with our missionaries. As part of the conference, I try to interview each missionary.

This week, we have been on the road to conduct three conferences for five zones. It has been a rigorous schedule, with three conferences, and many missionary and member interviews in each city.

Hyderabad Zone 

On Sunday evening, we traveled to Hyderabad, where we had our first zone conference on Monday.
 Our emphasis for this quarter is on recognizing the Spirit to aid missionaries in their work. We did some scripture study exercises, and some practice teaching situations. I shared the following experience from two of our missionaries, which illustrates recognizing the Spirit. (I have edited the story slightly to smooth out the English and to protect privacy.)

So last week, on Tuesday, we started our day with effective companionship study and personal study. But I was thinking about the zone training meeting and about what you said that "we need to learn to recognize the spirit." As I was thinking about that I was praying for the help. We left the apartment and our first appointment cancelled. The whole day all our appointments got cancelled. We didn't know what we need to do. At that time, I was thinking like ok, we can go and meet the branch president. We called him and he said he is not free. I was about give up, but a strong feeling came to me saying "go for finding." But we know tracting won't be effective. But I followed that impression and we started to walk, finding Christian homes. As we did, I felt like I need to talk to a brother who was standing outside of his home. I went and spoke to him. He said he is not Christian. We left that home and continued to walk, not knowing where we are going. But I was sure that we were guided by the spirit. After walking for long time we turned to each other and I said "I think God wants us to be more humble." My companion said "its true." Then in my heart I said a prayer like "Father I'm sorry for the things I have done. Please help us." As I finished my prayer, I heard a voice from the next building. A brother called us like "Hey brothers, over here. Are you from the Church of Jesus Christ?" We said "yes." Then he took us to his home. At first we felt uncomfortable because he was drunken on that time. But we shared a small message with him and got a return appointment. On Friday, we got a chance to meet with him. As me and my companion shared restoration of the gospel with him, we felt the spirit so strong and we understood that he is prepared by the Lord. Now, I understand more clearly how the spirit directed work will be. I'm so grateful for this experience

This is exactly the understanding we are trying to help each missionary reach.

On Tuesday, we traveled to Visak for a very uplifting meeting of the combined Visak and Rajahmundry Zones. I did some missionary interviews on Tuesday, followed by several hours of member interviews. 

Rajahmundry and Visakhaputnam Zones

Wednesday after Zone Conference, I finished missionary interviews, conducted a few more member interviews, and then we traveled to Chennai.

On Wednesday, we enjoyed a wonderful conference with the combined Chennai and Coimbatore Zones, followed by some missionary interviews and more member interviews. When we have districts, and not stakes, most of the interviews which would be done by the stake president have to be done by the mission president (or one of his counselors).

Chennai and Coimbatore Zones

Friday brought more member interviews, 8 missionary interviews, and travel back to Bangalore.

Next week we will finish the conference schedule by meeting with our Bangalore missionaries.

Terry (Sister Berrett) is a great help in our doctrinal teaching, in working with the missionaries on health and apartment cleanliness. This round of conferences, we have been encouraging/instructing the missionaries to have a small "emergency" supply of medicines sufficient to treat a few days of the most common ailments (pains, diarrhea, colds, and bacterial infections). While I am interviewing missionaries about their spiritual and emotional welfare, she often is discussing their physical well-being. She often will have several missionaries lined up to see her.

We both are able to keep very busy and involved. We really enjoy meeting with our missionaries and the members around the mission.

I think we will not have much trouble sleeping tonight.

Our Visit to Coimbatore

On 12-16 March 2014, we went to Coimbatore to work with the missionaries and to attend Church in one of the branches. The only challenge is that when the branch president learns that we are coming, he usually plans on us being the speakers. Terry is becoming quite good at speaking in Sacrament Meeting, often without much notice.

Another great benefit of our visits to the districts is that I am able to interview members of the Church, usually for temple recommends or for recommendations for full time missions.

On Thursday, I worked with two sets of missionaries in Coimbatore. I attended the Weekly Planning session on Thursday morning with one set of missionaries. While I was doing this, Terry inspected the apartments of the other missionaries in town. Then Thursday evening we went on three appointments with one of our sister missionary companionships.

These family visits were wonderful. The first was a teaching appointment with the wife of a member of our Church. Husband has been a Church member for several years. His wife now is wanting to learn more about the Church.  The missionaries told us that we were going into the "slums" for this appointment. That meant that we walked down a dirt path to a concrete building where the family lived in a two room place. We entered from the outside into the bedroom. Husband and wife sat on the bed and the missionaries, Terry, and I sat on a bench across from the bed. There was a small kitchen adjacent to the bedroom, and that was their home. I believe the water "faucet" was someplace outside the home, either at the top of he dirt path, or partway down the path, in front of another residence. They seemed quite happy and very comfortable.

The second home we visited was of a member family who the missionaries have been visiting to help with reactivation. I visited the same family about six months ago. We talked about their efforts to be financially ready to attend the temple. Both husband and wife work, though he is starting a new business - construction and remodeling work. The wife is a lecturer in a school. They also live in a two room apartment.

The third home was of some recent converts. Father, Mother and two sons. This family invited us to their two room place, also at the end of a dirt road. They did appear to have an indoor bathroom. We were late getting there, and they had prepared dinner for their guests. The hospitality was most gracious. There was a wonderful spirit in the home.

The next day, we scheduled to travel up into the hill country to a village called Ooty. It has been a place of refuge from the heat for hundreds of years. The road climbs into the mountains, providing some wonderful views. 

 At one point we stopped at an overlook on a very large canyon. We had our picture taken, even though we are not in "missionary attire."

 On our way out of Coimbatore, we passed a man who operates a laundry business. Here you can see him ironing shirts. If you look to his right, you can see his iron. He keeps it hot with charcoal. You can see some burning on a mat on the ground in the bottom left of the picture.

Ironing clothes

 All around Ooty we saw many hillsides covered with tea plants. In several places we saw workers clipping the tea leaves from the top of the bushes.

Harvesting Tea

In Ooty we stayed in a hotel which was first built in 1829. The room where we stayed was constructed in 1840, as I recall. There was a fireplace, which we used, as the temperature in the mountains was much cooler than in the areas where we usually work.

While in Ooty, we went to their local park. There were many displays of flowers. We attended on Saturday, so there were many families and groups of friends. Here are several girls who came together to the park.

In the park, we saw a woman who was sweeping the grass. In India they do not rake the leaves, they simply sweep them.

Early Saturday morning, we went to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, which is about 1.5 hrs drive from Ooty, over the mountains. We did not see any tigers, but we saw:

Wild Peacocks

Peacock with his tail fanned

Guar - Wild buffalo

Wild Elephant

Herd of Wild Elephants

We also saw deer, wild pigs, monkeys, and many very colorful birds.

We had a wonderful weekend, mixing a day or two in the hills, along with a couple of great days with the missionaries.

Visit of an Apostle and Other General Authorities

A week ago our mission was blessed by a visit by Elder and Sister Holland. They were accompanied by Elder and Sister Hallstrom and Elder and Sister Funk. We were grateful to bring all of our missionaries together for a Mission Conference with the visiting General Authorities.

Our week began in Hong Kong with our semi-annual Mission Presidents' Seminar. We were inspired by the instructions from Elders Holland and Hallstrom and our Area Presidency (Elders Gong, Wilson, and Funk). The instruction, testimonies and meal time associations were wonderful. It is such a great opportunity to associate with the nine other couples who preside over missions in our Area. We learned much.

Our discussions emphasized the key responsibility for mission presidents to help every missionary develop a testimony which runs deep into his or her soul. one of our primary challenges is to help every missionary to have at least one enduring convert - himself or herself. In a later session there was emphasis on the importance of each missionary knowing and feeling the love of the mission president and his wife.

Some of our instruction sessions included "The Doctrine of High Priests", a necessary component for helping districts become prepared to be stakes. Here we focused on Alma 13. We discussed the Doctrine of Christ and how it is the foundation for the work of Salvation. We talked about increasing expectations for our missionaries and for our members. We discussed the work of salvation.

Finally, we were blessed by concluding instruction and testimonies by Sister and Elder Hallstrom, followed by Sister and Elder Holland. The conclusion of their instruction was an apostolic blessing from Elder Holland. We were humbled as he blessed us. We could feel that he was speaking on behalf of the Savior, whose special witness he is.

Then the group came to Bangalore. We began our mission conference with a session where the missionaries were instructed by each other, Sister Berrett and me. We talked about the Doctrine of Christ, and how the central element is obedience - the Savior was obedient in that He came to do the will of His Father and we must be obedient as we follow the commandments of the Savior.

Following this session, we adjourned to the cultural hall of the building for a picture of the entire mission. We were joined by the visiting General Authorities and their wives.

28 Feb 2014 India Bangalore Mission

The session which followed was a once in a lifetime experience for most of our missionaries. The General Authorities and their wives lined up to shake hands with the missionaries. For Elder and Sister Funk, this was "coming home" as many of our missionaries served with them. As Elder Holland spoke to the missionaries, he commented that while shaking hands, he had interviewed each missionary by looking into their eyes. He then stated that this is a pretty good group of missionaries. Only one or two of them seemed to be struggling. Based on what I know of the missionaries, he was spot on.

I know that what the missionaries were taught has the potential to impact the rest of their mission and the rest of their lives. Many of them have commented on this in their letters.

The mission conference was followed by a Young Single Adult conference for YSA in the Bangalore District. We had about 175 young people assemble to be taught and inspired.  It was a great session.

The next day, after the missionaries departed back to their areas, we gathered together in a Priesthood Leadership Conference for all of the District Presidencies across India and Sri Lanka. The session was broadcast to Priesthood Leaders in Pakistan. After several hours of instruction including a wonderful question and answer session, Elder Holland said he felt impressed to do something he had not previously done. Since our group was relatively small - about 45 people - he had us all come to the front of the chapel and kneel together. He then offered the closing prayer for the meeting. It was both a prayer and a blessing. The Spirit was powerful and every one there was touched.

For Sunday the general authorities divided up and held special Stake/District Conferences in Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Bangalore. We stayed in Bangalore with Elder and Sister Holland.

As would be expected, the attendance was grand - about 770 people. Certainly, more people in attendance than when I preside at a district conference.

2 Mar 2014 Special District Conference

The program was excellent. We especially enjoyed the Sisters Choir, which you can see seated behind us. We just love their beautiful saris.

We had the opportunity to speak, which is a fairly intimidating assignment when there is a member of the Twelve behind you and you know he will follow you. But, Elder Holland was most gracious and we did not embarrass ourselves. I particularly am impressed with how Terry (Sister Berrett) is rising to the challenge of speaking in almost every meeting we attend. She has become a master of the 7-10 minute "on the spot" gospel message.

2 Mar 2014 Special District Conference

2 Mar 2014 Special District Conference

Late Sunday evening the Hollands departed for their trip back to Utah. We feel so blessed to have had them and the other general authorities in our mission for a few days. One of the common comments we have heard is "Good things happen when an Apostle visits a country." We expect such to be the case for India.

Letters

One of the great opportunities of being a mission president is reading the weekly letters from our missionaries. Though the process is time consuming and never stops as missionaries write each P-Day, it is without question a faith promoting experience.

As an aside, I have no idea how a president with 200+ missionaries keeps up with the letters. I only receive about 85-90 per week and struggle to stay up with the letters.

I have decided that from time to time I will share some of these letters. I will use the missionary's own language, except where I may need to smooth out the English for some of our Indian missionaries. To help preserve privacy, I will not use names. I think they are not necessary to feel the spirit of these wonderful servants of the Lord.

I start with a statement from the mother of one of our missionaries:

"You do not go on a mission to be the person you were when you left your hometown. You go on a mission to be the person you were when you left the presence of your Heavenly Father."

One of our missionaries recently told me of his experience with an investigator walking into our Church:

"It was amazing to see how God has been doing his work, once again. We tried our hardest to get some people to church, but none of our newer people made it. To make up for it, the Lord sent very well-prepared people to us yesterday at church. A man named Stephen showed up in the area near our building, and saw the different churches around that area. He saw "JESUS CHRIST" emblazoned on our wall, and knew that the Lord wanted him to go there. Thank heavens that a member intercepted him, and welcomed him warmly. She pulled us out of Gospel Principles to introduce us. As the story plays out, he told us he wanted us to come to his home that night. Once we got there, we met his wife Mary. We had a great visit getting to know them, and applied what you helped us practice in zone conference. Stephen was able to tell Mary what had happened to him earlier that day, and that the Lord had sent him there. We asked something like, "What is happening in your life that God would send us here?" (It wasn't that exactly, but the same point.) We learned that she has been looking for greater peace for her family. She has been a little upset that Stephen has not been involving her in their relationship a lot. She wants a peaceful happy family. Stephen loves the Bible and going to churches, but is looking for something more. Once we learned everything, we testified to Mary that God had sent her husband to our church today so that God could bless her life with the things she's been missing! Before we even taught anything, we testified that the Lord had brought us together because He knows what they need, and that we can give it to them. She felt the Spirit profoundly and said that it was a miracle!"

We see wonderful results when the missionaries listen to and feel the Spirit as they teach:

"Yesterday we were teaching a new investigator family. As we have entered into their home and as we started to speak we came to know that they are from strong christian background and they didn't show much interest in our message. A thought came into my mind to teach the plan of salvation but we were about to teach the restoration. I told to my companion that I felt like we need to teach the plan of salvation and he said he felt the same. As we were teaching the lesson when we came to purpose of the life my companion explained that while we live on this earth we need to follow the five principles of the gospel. As he started to explain about the faith repentance baptism and holy-ghost, suddenly one sister from the investigator's family asked us a question: "I have faith and I repented of my sins and I took baptism 20 years ago but till now I didn't received the holy ghost, why?" As soon as we listen, we came to know what we need to say now. We started to explain why priesthood is necessary and it really made them to think a lot. The head of the house asked us to explain more briefly about the priesthood and they understood that authority(priesthood) is really important. His next question was "how can I receive the authority?" When we see their desire we know what we need to say. Before, we do not know who they are and what they are going through. But God knows. Not only in that if we give heed unto the spirit we will know how we can find the people which God has prepared for us. All that we need to do is to be worthy to have the spirit of the Lord within us and do the things he asked us to do. I know it is true president."

I am grateful for wonderful missionaries who are obedient, and thereby are enabled to work side by side with their Heavenly Father is the work of salvation. I am thankful every day that we have the privilege and opportunity to work with these called and set apart ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

New Missionaries

Fast Sunday in January was a wonderful mission wide opportunity to seek Heaven's assistance with visas. Our prayers were soon answered, as visas were issued for 11 missionaries who have been waiting for a long time. (See my post of 19 Jan 2014.)

During the past two weeks they arrived.

First, we received back from the Philippines two of our missionaries whose visas were renewed. Elders Britton and Pehrson are wonderful missionaries. We have missed them while they served in the Philippines awainting renewal of their visas. It is great to have them back.

Then, last week we had 9 missionaries arrive from the US. Several of them have been waiting for about 18 months for their opportunity to come to India. For several reasons, their applications were delayed in filing, and then took several months for processing. I am sure that these long term waiters had about given up. I am glad that our prayers, and I think theirs also, were heard. These experienced missionaries should have an immediate impact on the work here in India.

Thank you to all of the family and friends who joined your prayers with ours to bring these great young men to join us. We are privileged to have them here. We assure their parents that we will take good care of them.

Tender Mercies from Heavenly Father (or "I Have No Faith in Coincidences - Part II")

On Tuesday, 14 Jan 2014, we had several experiences which remind me that Heavenly Father is directing and guiding the work in which we are engaged.

One of the great facts about our mission is that we mix about equal numbers of Indian missionaries with those from the United States. Church representatives work carefully and closely with the Indian government so that our missionaries may be in the country legally and lawfully. We are grateful for the visas which are granted.

Sometimes the process takes a bit longer than we would like. In December, we received a batch of visas for missionaries whose applications had been pending for several months. There were two additional groups of applications which continued to be pending with the Indian government. For several reasons, I have been concerned that we might see a hiatus in issuance of visas. Shortly before the first of the year I invited all of our missionaries as well as the members of the Church across the mission to join together on Fast Sunday in prayers for the issuance of the remaining visas and for calls to be extended to more foreign missionaries.

When I awoke this morning, I opened an email from Missionary Travel advising me that all pending visas applications, save one, had been granted. The one missing visa appears to be a simple oversight caused by the fact that we received so many in one group. Then, shortly after I arrived in the office, I received notice from the Missionary Department of the call of a new missionary to our mission. I expect other calls to follow shortly.

Just a few days after our united fast and prayers, the doors of the government opened and pending visa applications were granted.

Coincidence? I certainly do not think so.

Elder Ravi and Elder Coombs (Assistants) Senior couples and departing missionaries.

On that same Tuesday, we had our Departure Devotional for seven wonderful missionaries whose missions have finished. We invited each to share a spiritual experience. One related this story:

At the beginning of his mission he and his trainer contacted a man named Prem. They taught him several lessons, and encouraged him to read the Book of Mormon and attend Church. After a couple of weeks, Prem told them that he did not want to baptized. The lessons stopped. Our missionary was very discouraged.

Departing missionaries in the Mission Office

Then, as he neared the end of his mission, our Elder was transferred back to the same city. Recently while walking on the street with his new companion, the missionaries saw Prem. They called to him. Prem came to seem them. In the course of the conversation, Prem said he was ready to be baptized, and wanted the missionaries to again teach him.

Coincidence? I certainly do not think so.

As we were holding our departure devotional in the Whitefield Chapel (located adjacent to the new mission office), my two missionary assistants left the meeting and were gone for 20-30 minutes. When they returned, they both had big smiles on their faces. At an appropriate point, I asked them to share the cause of their happiness. One of them said: The spirit has been so wonderful in this meeting that we think it has spilled out onto the street. We just have been with a man who walked into the building and advised us that he has felt drawn into the building. He wanted to know how to join this Church. We taught him the Restoration portion of the discussions and have an appointment to teach him again tomorrow.

Coincidence? I certainly do not think so.

We love this work. We know it is Divinely inspired and directed. We are grateful for the tender mercies which permeate our efforts.

Chennai to Bangalore

A few days ago I needed to go to Chennai to visit with a few of our missionaries. Terry was not going with me, so I decided to have Sampath (our driver) drive me, instead of flying. The distance is about 350 km or about 210 miles. Normally, the trip would take about 4 to 4.5 hours. 

As we were returning, we encountered a "bundt" or strike (political protest), which closed the road. With no advance warning, we simply were told we had to make a left turn, leaving the national highway and making our own way as best we could. This resulted in about 70 km (40 or so miles) of driving on dirt and narrow blacktop roads, through some very small Indian villages. The detour added about two or three hours to our trip.

I was negligent in not getting many pictures, (I did not want to slow down our travel by stopping for pictures) but I did try to be observant as we traveled about. (It is not hard to watch what the countryside when the vehicle is only traveling about 15 km per hour.)

Hindu Shrine along the National Highway

Without implying any criticism or judgment, here is a list of my observations - in no particular order:

Dusty, dirt roads

Old women carrying bundles of sticks home for cooking fires

Dirt roads through mango groves

Woman in the middle of the blacktop road thrashing grain

Tractor dealer in a small village with three new John Deere tractors lined up for sale

Man working on road repair crew spreading tarred gravel with his bare hands

Farmer with two, yoked oxen plowing his field

Sari clad women with  garlands of flowers, often jasmine, woven into their hair to enhance their femininity and attractiveness

Women and men carrying pots of water from the village well to their homes

Gaunt frail men sitting outside buildings with nothing to do

Dwelling places which ranged from large multi-roomed houses to thatched lean-to's

A small, dark one or two room dwelling, with a TV playing inside

Flocks of goats herded by the young and by the elderly

Smiling couples of all ages zipping along on motor scooters. Sometimes the women straddled the bike, with arms wrapped around their male driver. Others sat side saddle, in the most graceful manner imaginable.

Cattle grazing along the road, sometimes tethered, sometimes in herds, and occasionally being led on a rope by young people

Another Hindu shrine along the Highway

Groups of 4 - 10 bent over workers planting rice, in hopes of raising food and perhaps a little cash

Men and women carrying on physically demanding tasks, with faces showing little hope that tomorrow would be any different or better than today

People with a bright smiles for a spouse or child

Love manifested in the way a father walked a young child to school

Discouragement  or resignation on the face of a young mother with a toddler holding her hand and another child balanced on her hip  as she walked barefoot along the road

Well tended fields of sugar cane, bananas, coconuts, mangos, vegetables, and other food crops I did not recognize 

A view of a portion of the road we just traveled

Dry dusty fields showing the effects of years of insufficient rain

Tents and lean-tos of tarp and other makeshift materials set up under a bridge in a dry riverbed, constituting "home" for the very poor

A woman bathing in a stagnant pool in the same riverbed, as it was the only place she had to clean herself

Villages with streets lined with stalls of vendors selling colorful arrays  of onions, green vegetables, bananas, pineapples, and other fruits

Travel in India is very egalitarian. Everyone has the same claim to the road, be they walking, driving animals, traveling on a two wheeler, or ox cart, or pushing a bicycle laden with cargo, or driving a car a lorry (truck).

As we drove, I was impressed that these were Heavenly Father's children. He is as mindful of them as he is of me and my family. He loves them and expects me to do the same. Regardless of their circumstances, the Spirit testified that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will benefit the people of India.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be here in the wonderful, complex country, among wonderful children of Heavenly Father.