Week Sixty-Nine

Note from Mom:  HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY PRESTON!!!   WE LOVE YOU!!! Don't know where those 20 years went, but I am so proud of you!  

Hello family and friends!

I'm just sitting here in a cyber cafe humming the tune of Piano Man by Billy Joel, I can't remember any of the lyrics anymore, just the la didi da's. I can't help it because I was raised by good parents in the greatest country on Earth and so on any good day a good song can come to mind. And yes today is a good day because I am feeling much better than last week. I am still recovering, I have no idea how it's possible to be so sick, but with many of our missionaries having both Dengu fever and Typhoid fever, I consider myself blessed and lucky to have only had intense food poisoning. 

This week was great though, a lot of great faith building experiences and moments I'll never forget. On Friday we received a call from our investigators that we have been teaching for some time saying that their mother was sick, and they asked if we could give a blessing. We loved that because it can be such a testimony builder to see a Priesthood blessing in the home of an investigator. So of course Elder Openshaw and I ran out of the apartment to make it down to where they live in a village area called Gautampuri. We took the metro and it started to rain, and that's when we realized we had no umbrella or plastic bags to protect our scriptures, so we were going to have to improvise. After riding the metro, we had to get off and get a pedal rickshaw, and I always feel bad taking them, but they are the only mode of transportation sometimes. I feel bad because these guys who drive these little tricycles are seriously 80 pounds, and when Elder Openshaw and I get on combining for about 400 pounds, it's not the easiest task for him to pull us about 2 miles, for a cost that would blow your minds. So we always try to tip the man, he needs the money to support himself and his family. The guy we had was probably in his late 50's, should be at home retired and spending time with grandkids or something, but that's just not even close to reality here. But he was a nice man as we conversed back and forth a little in Hindi and tried to stay warm and dry under his cardboard roof above us, unsuccessfully I might add.

Finally we had reached the little village area of Gautampuri and it was now a complete downpour of what we believe may have been acid rain from the pollution in Delhi ha ha. Then we had to make it into the colony to the correct house, which proved to be a challenge in the rain. You see, in India, in these small low caste areas where there is a lot of poverty, even in some higher caste areas they have completely different plumbing systems than the USA. Basically what happens is there is a pipe that just comes out of the front of your home and empties the waste into a little canal about 8 inches wide to a foot deep, and it all runs above ground, to a destination I never want to find.  The funny thing is, in the rain those canals just rise up and run wherever it pleases, making it very difficult for us Elders to walk through the small alley ways without ruining a pair of shoes. Long story short, after multiple hops, skips, and jumps, I ended up with some smelly shoes and a pair of pants that might not see another proselyting day.   

Look Closely and you can see why I can't wear these shoes anymore!

The best part is that the blessing was administered and our investigators are doing well and so am I. Life in Delhi is fun and exciting, interesting and sometimes unpleasant, but there is no place I would rather be and I love having experiences like these. I know I was sent here by our Heavenly Father, and I know that the Savior directs this work. Two years ago I wouldn't have walked through what I did for all the money in the world, today I understand that those people are my brothers and sisters and that if Christ could suffer everything for us I can suffer the smallest portion for Him and His work. If needed I would walk all over India and get every sickness possible if I was asked, and I hope all of us can learn to sacrifice for the Savior and for the support and service of our brothers and sisters.

Fight, Fight, Fight, Team Fight, Go Eagles!

Love,

Elder Armstrong