Hello from Noida, the strangest
place on Earth.
This week we found rats in the
apartment. They are big too, and I think we scared them out, but we are trying
to secure the place like Katrina is coming. Yuck. It's hot here, and our swamp
coolers and ceiling fans are going 24/7 to keep us cool. I get cold at about 65
degrees though...Idaho winter is going to kill me when I come back. What else?
I explained where I live to the Indians and I explained Robin, it blew their
minds. When they think of America or even Idaho they have the idea that it's
all like New York City, but the fact that my school had 300 students and that
Robin had practically 70 residents was crazy to them. Their
"villages" have like 50,000 to 500,000 people in them. That's a
village here. I wish I could show them the Google Maps version so they could
see how open it is. Also when I told them we own cows and that I have worked on
farms it was a big shock. Farmers here
are very poor and it’s a job that is looked down on, not much respect for
farmers. Just a very big, different world.
Church was good this week. We had
about 26 people...but then subtract missionaries and branch presidency
members and you only have 7 or 8 normal members. So the work continues on and
we are getting some people to start making progress. If you can get an
investigator to Sacrament Meeting you have a real chance of getting them to
accept the gospel. The Spirit felt even in a small quirky Sacrament meeting is
enough to help someone find the truth. We are working with members to be
missionaries by introducing their friends and family to the gospel. I just love
the members here. I will be honest, I have met a lot of really bad people in
India, but it's amazing to see how big of a difference there is between Church
members and regular people. When you have values and morals and a sense of
humility and understanding of where you stand in the big picture, your actions
are so different. You become more loving and patient to those around you, it's
a wonderful thing.
How is March Madness? I hope BYU
wins ;) ha-ha maybe in a few years when they can win and actually get in the
tournament. How about my Jazz? I keep hearing good things so I'm rooting for
them.
Yesterday I went to less active
man's home. He is an older guy and his name is Romi Hukil. He has a pretty
amazing story. He has been to the States, Australia, and Canada. He was baptized in Canada and came back to
the church here. His kids are lawyers and studying in America. He's a brilliant
man and his wife Sheela is extremely kind. But they haven't been coming to
church and Romi is smoking again. He gave it up to be baptized years ago, but
he relapsed not long back and he is having a hard time quitting. He gets chest
pain and he knows that he's hurting himself, but he can't stop. He calls
himself a chain smoker and his wife is begging him to stop. It's a sad
situation and if the only good I do while I'm in Noida is help Romi then that's
what I'll do. He trusts missionaries and he loves to sit and talk with us, so
if we have time we'll be at his home every other day to just sit and talk, and
help him pass time while he tries quitting. We will share scriptures and help
him do his best. It's just a reminder to me that the best of us have problems,
and that no one is perfect. This life is a giant battle between the desires of
the flesh and the desires of the spirit. We know that the Natural Man is an
Enemy to God. And it's those natural desires that Satan uses to pull us down.
Whether it’s the word of wisdom, or the law of chastity, lying or not paying
tithing, our natural desires are not the desires of God. Part of this human
life is do our best to not be human and to not choose the easy route that leads
to temporary happiness. It's harder to choose the right, it's harder for Romi
to not smoke. It's harder for all of us to give in to desires of the flesh, but
it's not the right choice. We can choose the harder right. We can pray. We can
read. We can exercise, we can do anything we choose. But it starts with a
choice, and you make that choice.
"If you're on the right path,
it will always be uphill." President Henry B. Eyring
Love you, be happy this week.
Elder Armstrong
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