First Week in India

Dear Family:

Okay, so the travel was absolutely crazy. We were treated like kings in Salt Lake City, and in LA we heard every BYU joke I can think of. And then it got really different. After 16 hours from LA to Abu Dhabi, which was very bumpy and had so much turbulence, I only got 3 to 4 hours of sleep. Then I was in Abu Dhabi and was separated from the other Elders and all by myself. I got lost and went to the wrong flight and had to go all the way across the airport by myself practically running to make it on time. I got the weirdest looks because I'm white, christian and had the name Jesus Christ on my chest. I thought it was pretty cool. Then on the flight to New Delhi I didn't sleep either and going through customs was crazy. I had to fill out cards and visa stuff and they didn't like that I was a missionary for the church and I didn't even have my name tag and tie on the entire time. Oh and I got robbed. A man came up to me in a nice shirt and said he would help me fill out the card so I figured he worked there. And then after he got done helping me fill it out he asked for a tip and because I'm stupid I tipped him, and then when I went to the desk he was gone and had totally duped me. Luckily I was smart enough to put all my bigger bills away and only had a 5. I am 100 percent positive he didn't work there and that he totally used me because I was American. It was nice to learn my lesson that fast. Anyways, I didn't get back to the mission home til like 5am I think and only got 2 hours of sleep and then woke up and went to work.

India is absolutely incredibly crazy. The traffic here is like none other. The lines in the road mean nothing, even the direction traffic goes in is just a suggestion. Everyone has bikes and there are motorcycles and cars and everyone honks their horn. It's so loud and everyone gets so close to each other on the roads and in person. There is trash everywhere, it smells everywhere you go. The pollution and air quality are so bad as well. Everything is dirty. EVERYTHING. It hasn't bothered me too much so far, but one thing has: The heat. I am going to die, it is so hot. The humidity is horrible and everywhere we go we have to have so much water. This place is so big and there are so many people, there is no way they could count them all. 

I have seen almost everything crazy you could imagine. People going to the bathroom on the side of the road. Monkeys and cows cover the whole city. Dying dogs are everywhere on the sides of the roads, they look like they haven't eaten in 5 years. I have not seen an elephant yet, but I will soon because everyone has seen them. 

Everyone comes up to me asking for money, but mostly asking for food, especially little kids. They always run up to me and start putting their hand to their mouth asking for food. Everyone is dirt poor and homeless. And then there are rich people who throw their money around like it's nothing, but there aren't very many. I have seen so much poverty, you couldn't imagine what these people live through. It's amazes me. The U.S. has it's problems but it's nothing like this. 

I am the first American in almost ten years to get a full 2 year visa. My companion however is actually American. He served here for a year, and then was sent to the Philippines like I initially thought I would be. He is now back to train me for his last couple months. His name is Elder Huskey, he is from Northern California. We are the only companionship of two white Americans. There are Indian Americans here too, but only three of us Americans are white, haha. He's pretty cool though and I look forward to learning a little more about India from him. We are serving in a suburb of Delhi called Dwarka. We are living in a place called Patel Garden. And for dad to look up on google maps we live in the Excellence Apartments here in Dwarka I think in sector 18. 

Umm what else. I don't know everything is crazy I can't even begin to tell you. People seriously poop on the sides of the roads. I have been eating with my fingers for a week and that's new. Oh and yeah, my left hand has been different. So let's just say it's a third world country. I haven't gotten sick yet and the food is pretty good. When we haven't eaten Indian food I have been surviving off of peanut butter and honey sandwiches. The showers are cold, the beds are dirty. We have lizards in our rooms like crazy. Sorry I'm just rambling out facts here trying to tell you everything. 

Now some spiritual stuff. It is insane here. We are being instructed to teach only English speakers, because all the church handbooks are in English and we are trying to build the foundation here and they need leaders and priesthood holders. We are trying to contact 120 people a week and we need 3 baptisms a month. We are trying so hard to build the first stake here in India so that the Church will be officially recognized. We need about 300 more members. I am in charge of teaching an English class twice a week and on Sundays during Sunday school. I teach for about an hour of nothing but English and we invite everyone, but I teach about 60 to 80. It's free. Then at the end I ask if anyone would like to stay for a short gospel message and most people do which is really cool. That's just one of the ways I am serving and finding people. It's so awesome to teach people English I love it. The people here are so nice, especially the members until they ask you for money.    

I can barely understand anyone, English is not English here. And I'm learning a lot of Hindi so I can get around without being ripped off. Everyone thinks I'm a millionaire because I'm white so they charge triple and without the Indian missionaries here to argue them I would be broke or stranded. That's why I'm learning Hindi so it will be awesome when I'm fluent.

Sacrament meeting was hard to understand as well, they would talk in English and then go to Hindi and back to English. But the entire time I felt the spirit so strongly and I could feel Heavenly Fathers love for them and their faith. We have two members who used to be Muslim and are hiding the fact that they are members of the church from their families. The assistants are trying to find out what to do with them because about 4 months ago a Muslim converted and was killed by his family when they found out. Not joking at all. This place is real. The people have such great faith to follow the spirit and the feeling the get when they hear this message. The spirit and this church are definitely strong enough to make you want to die for it. It's amazing to me.

Okay and last message for this week. When you think of Mormons you think of Salt Lake and Provo, Utah and Idaho. You think of temple square and BYU. But it actually goes much farther beyond that. It goes all the way to India. But it doesn't stop there. It goes from Delhi to Dwarka and from Dwarka you can catch an auto for 10 rupees. That will take you to the metro, or train. That train will take you to Dwarka Mor in sector 13. From there you get off and get on an electric rickshaw for 10 rupees. It will take you a couple miles from the metro station and take a few turns throughout the crowded ally ways of the city. Once you pass two Ansh soda stands, you turn and you'll pass the royal blue soda stand. From there you keep on going until you get to the cement store. You get out and you walk about a quarter mile to a like shack in the middle of all of this chaos and you find the gospel of Jesus Christ being lived by the best little family. When you get here you'll meet Abishak and his family, all who are members except his dad. Abishak, or Bobby as he likes to be called, calls his dad an angry man. He actually was just beaten by his dad who undoubtedly drinks. His mom is a faithful member who is so kind, his sisters are sick and his 7 month old baby sister has a really high fever. Bobby is trying to learn English, we are helping him learn English and read the Book of Mormon. He wants to serve a mission like us, and really wants to come to America when he serves so he knows speaking English could help fulfill that dream. He works in a clothing factory where he bags clothes, its basically a sweatshop. This way he can raise money for that mission. He likes clothes and music and cricket. And he loves the gospel. 

These are the people I was destined to meet. This is why I'm here. I love my calling, and I love this place. It amazes me 100 percent that these people are living the gospel in secret, or at least against everyone else's will. Everyone has a picture of the prophet or of Jesus on their wall trying the best they can to live what they know to be true.

I hope I answered lots of questions. I'll do better next week. 

Love and miss everyone. I miss America, but this is my home for now.

Stay happy and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Love Elder Armstrong

 Me and Elder Huskey

 Me and Bobby and his mother

A typical day in India