Week Fifty-Six

Namaste from the INDM! 

This week was awesome, so much work got done. We are super pumped with our zone right now. We have awesome missionaries in this mission. In the Delhi East Zone we have nine companionship's in three branches, and we got 45 new investigators this week, probably some of the highest numbers this zone has seen in a long time. It's really hard to get new investigators, because to count them they have to be taught a lesson and accept a return appointment, getting the return appointment is always so tough, but we did awesome this week so I am super happy. 

I just love where I am at in Delhi; I know this entire city like the back of my hand. I probably know this place just as good as Pocatello, and I think that's pretty cool. I can get anywhere, at the best price.  I understand about everything that is said in Hindi, but speaking is still a little rough. I know the people and the cultures, and I just can't get enough of it. Except for the heat and humidity, there is plenty of that. 

On my blog there is the picture of Rakesh, and he is a legend. He has an amazing conversion story and is so strong in the gospel. He grew up in Calcutta and in 7th class he started smoking and drinking. Then later he got into a lot of trouble partying and hanging around the wrong people. He came to Delhi about 4 months ago and was looking for a job and knew that he had to change his life and stop smoking, so he could save money, and live somewhere that would get him a good job. He prayed and asked God to help him stop smoking, the next day he met the missionaries and he has never looked back. He wants to serve a mission and talks about it every day. He gives us referrals, and invites all of his friends to learn. We just started teaching his younger Sister Rabina, and she is great. She wants to be baptized and she loves going to church with her new friends. They lost their father a while back, and they want to live good lives for him because they say he was a good man who believed in God. Their mom is a strong Hindu, but is pushing for her kids to stay active in church because she has seen so much change in Rakesh. Rabina is amazing and I'm so excited for the day Rakesh will baptize her, she moved the date just because he is the only one she wants to baptize her. The gospel is a wonderful thing, and the people I meet everyday just prove to me that it is true. It changes lives and that is the ultimate goal.

I know I will be coming back home in a year as a changed person, with a stronger testimony, a million memories, and pretty bad English. I hope we all will learn to change every single day by repenting and becoming who the Savior wants us to be. 

Love,

Elder Armstrong

Week Fifty-Five

Hello everyone!

This week was awesome and we are having such a good time in Lajpat Nagar! This area is so much fun and there is a lot to do, both missionary stuff, and fun crazy sightseeing stuff. I hope you can see some of the cool pictures I sent home. This week the work carried on and everything is going in our favor, Elder Karkala and I are having a great time and are working so well together, I seriously still haven't had one fight with any companion. It's a huge goal for me to make it the entire way without an argument, and I think I can do it. I have learned a lot of patience and love, even when it's tough, but I always want to be the companion that lifts the other and always loves. I think if we all try that, we will see great results. 

Sightseeing at Humayun's Tomb in Dehli

Elder Karkala and Me

This week all I have to share is a BIG Happy Father's Day! 

 

First to both of my Grandpa's, it is such a blessing to have you in my life. I have learned so much from both of you and both of you serving missions was a great example to me growing up. You raised my two awesome parents and I am so thankful for your love of the gospel and faith so that I could have the gospel in my life and share it with others. I love you guys so much and cannot wait to see you again soon! 

And of course, my dad. Mom to this day says I'm a Daddy's boy, but I love you both the same and couldn't choose either one, so I'm glad I get to choose both! But Dad, I love you. I know you love to be called Coach, but you're the man that even on the football field was hard to call coach, because you've always been Dad first, and that's the title I'll always remember you as. 

There are 4 things that come to my mind when thinking of my dad. Love, Integrity, Hard Work, and Service. No one who ever reads this will be able to count the lives you have changed. You love everyone (excluding bad refs and Snake River). The kids who played for you will always remember you as a man who loved them, and then as a coach. You never did your job as a police officer just to do your job. You have always done it to help others and you have always been a man of Integrity. You tell the truth, you honor your word, and with a handshake you know it will get done. You do what you say you will do, and that's a rare thing in today's world. You have always served, and I think you will never understand how much you have actually served the Lord, even though you didn't serve a mission. You're the best example the World has, that the mission isn't the only place you serve your fellow men and help them change. I promise the Savior is so grateful for your service. 

Finally, how could I leave out Hard Work. Holy cow! You taught me and the brothers to work, and that's exactly what we do every day. Parker on the farms of Marsh Valley, Price 12 hours a day 6 days a week, and Preston in India as a missionary. You once told me the best thing you could teach us, was how to work hard. And I didn't understand that as an 8 year old boy, but I do now, and will always be grateful that hard work is instilled in my body and mind, because of a dad who made life tough when it needed to be. 

I want you all to know that I am proud to say my last name, Armstrong, in India and America, because my Father continued the pattern of being a good man and honoring the family name. I am proud to tell people in America that you are my dad. And I hope to always follow your example in everything I do. You honor the Priesthood, and you have been a good husband to mom.  You are the definition of a good man. 

Love,

Elder Armstrong #StayWard 

Dinner with the Aslami (Not Islami) Family

The Aslami Family from Afghanistan:    The Grandpa, mom and dad and

Zechariah, Tanya, Shakib, Sheebah, and Mary. I seriously love them and I would do anything for this family.

Recent Convert Rakeesh  He is so strong in the Gospel.

Week Fifty-Four

Hey MACHA's and MACHI's!

This week was so crazy! I love my mission!

 I have awesome investigators, and the members here in Lajpat are awesome at missionary work. They are always helping. I love just teaching lessons and helping people build faith. It makes everything worth it.

My week was awesome for two reasons, I'm in India and I'm a missionary that gets to do cool things. So I will share two awesome things that happened this week. First, we had MLC, Missionary Leadership Council and I gave a Skype training for 45 minutes to the Elders in Pakistan. It was the coolest thing I think has ever happened to me.  To train and help the missionaries and to see them through Skype was so cool. Having them as missionaries in my mission is such a blessing, the faith is unbelievable. I have met a lot of good missionaries, but the six in Pakistan are on a new level. If only you knew what type of missionary work they are doing, I don't even know all of it. The coolest was that I have no idea what they are truly going through, or what they serve through, but I felt the Spirit working so strongly through me to tell them what they needed to hear. This church is so true, and I am in the coolest mission ever.

The other cool thing that happened, and is totally another testament to the church being true is...we have a family from Afghanistan in our branch here in Lajpat Nagar, and they are awesome.  Not only are they people from Afghanistan, they are refugees. They are the most humble, down to earth, amazing, cool family that I have met on my mission. The father has been stuck in home for over a year with a back problem that he received when he was beaten in Afghanistan for having Cd's and media in his home. Then they came to India and found the church, got baptized, and have the most amazing family. The daughter is 15 and learned to play the piano, the son is learning English with us in our weekly class and the mom is a faithful member of the relief society who would do anything for anyone. Last night we went to their home and had an Afghani dinner, which was awesome, I love all the food here. 

I am just having the best time, and the experiences I am having are changing my life each week. The gospel literally changes lives. I have seen it so many times. It's all about change, it's all about becoming happier, and that's a cause I can get behind. I love this church. I love my mission. I love that we can all choose to change, and become better, and to repent. And I love my Savior, because he made all of this possible. 

Love Elder Armstrong

Making Aloo (Potatoes)  Just like dad makes

 

Week Fifty-Three

Hey Family,

Me and Elder Karkala, My New Companion

Goofing off at KFC

This week was one to remember that's for sure. One year down and officially on the countdown, I am so scared that it will be here before I'm ready to go home. But we had a lot of fun celebrating my year mark and we had a big dinner with tons of chicken and thums up! I have some really great friends here in India and I was so happy I got to celebrate with them! I also got to share it with my MTC companion Eder Stephens.  We live in the apartment together.  It’s great and of course burning my shirt was awesome.

Me and Elder Stephens (MTC Comps)

Getting Ready to Burn our Shirts

This week was extremely hot...triple digits everyday now, and there honestly is no trick or tip to beating the heat. You just endure it. You can't do anything else, and it gets easier if you focus on something else. We have AC in our new apartment, way better than Noida, and it's a really nice apartment, but right now we are having water problems.  Our water pump isn’t working and I haven't showered in two days.  We have to walk to the church to use the washroom. It's crazy and we hope it gets fixed soon, but it may be a few more days before I take a shower again. 

The work I get to do now as a zone leader has increased and has kept me busy, which is nice, the days go by quicker and you feel good when you are working. We also had a baptism yesterday for a kid named Aman. He is 18 years old and he was taught by Elder Karkala last transfer and I just kind of walked into the baptism, but he is a good kid and I have had fun teaching him the few follow up lessons. We also tease Elder Karkala that he is the cleanest in the apartment since he got to do the baptism and we have no water.

Notice the more upscale baptismal font in the background

Baptism of Aman

 

Not much other news this week, just enjoying my mission and doing my best to help people. Not everyone will accept the gospel, but I just follow the Savior and "Go about Doing Good" I feel like that's something all of us can emulate from our Greatest Exemplar. We may not be the best at everything and we may not have the strongest testimonies in the world, but we all know the difference between right and wrong. So go about doing good!  You will be blessed for simply being a good person and you will feel the Love of Christ grow in you.

Love, 

Elder Armstrong

More pictures from last P-day

 

Billboard in India