Week 37: Progress with Franklin family, eating non-Indian food for Christmas

This past week we were able to set a date for 3 members in the Franklin Family on January 10th. It was with the daughter, mother, and father. The daughter is progressing well towards baptism. The parents still need to come to church. The daughter has already been twice. Other than that there wasn't really a whole lot that was new. We visited a lot of the members to share a Christmas message with them.

Christmas morning we had breakfast at the mission home. We had crepes, sausages, and hashbrowns. It was so refreshing to have breakfast food that wasn't Indian. Then we had a gift exchange with all the missionaries. Then we made blankets for poor kids at a nearby school.  Then we went to a members home for dinner. His name is Beesa. He's super cool. He had family and friends over includng us missionaries. He ordered a cook for the evening and the food was super good.

This week Elder Singh leaves to the Philipians. Then Elder Roberts and Pedely finish their missions. I'm going to miss Elder Singh and Pedely. Transfers are this week so we will see what happens. Happy New Year Everyone!

Be Safe
Elder Dusara

Week 36: Notes from Skype call with Elder Dusara

We had the opportunity to Skype with Elder Dusara. It was great to get answers to many of the questions we have been asking the past few months which always seem to go unanswered.  Here are some notes that we thought might be good to pass along.  He is currently serving as a district leader.

Who is your companion? Elder Braganza from Hyderabad is his companion today

Which area is he serving in today? Malvia Nagar, New Delhi  He is serving in a small branch there. The mission has branches in Islamabad, Katmandu, Mumbai and New Delhi. As for american missionaries, they will spend their two years in New Delhi for safety purposes.

How many missionaries are in the New Delhi mission?  Today there are 40 missionaries, however, between now and March 2016, 13 missionaries will be going home which will leave only 26 missionaries in New Delhi by March.

What do you eat? Elder Dusara loves butter chicken, and other types of chicken dishes, however, because a street vendor near his apartment serves Chinese Stir Fry, he pretty much eats that every day for lunch.  Also, he loves going to Johnny Rockets for shakes.  Also, he hasn't eaten chicken strips (his favorite) since going to India. They don't have them.  Also, he gets fed by the local members about 2-3 times a week.

What's the weather like? Temps in New Delhi range from between 60 degrees down to the high 30's for low temps.  It can get a little chilly for a few months. It should really begin to warm up by March.

What about the Taj Mahal? It's a 3-4 hour drive to the Taj Mahal and after missionaries have been in the mission for over a year, they have the opportunity to go down there and take some photos.

What are the churches like? The church buildings are like converted office buildings and for an activity room, they include ping pong tables.

How do you get around? Depending on where their meetings are, they are in public transport buses or they take "autos"...three wheeled taxis.

We spent most of the time remembering times with his friends that were with us and he is very mindful of the value of good friendship.  He loves his friends and really misses them.

Skype with Elder Dusara

At the mall with Braganza

Week 36: Christmas week in Delhi

This past has been slow for my area. There was no new investigators and we were having trouble meeting with investigators as well as RCLAs. We also found ourselves busy with planning for our Christmas Skit and preparing for our Christmas Party. This upcoming week seems very promising. We have a handful of set appointments ready for this week.

At our Christmas Party we had about 120 people in attendance. The missionaries had to preform a song (which I forgot about until 5 minutes prior to our performance). The missionaries and some of the youth also performed a comedy skit which everyone loved. I played a doctor and after the performance all of the members were calling me Doctor Dusara.

This week is Christmas which means that we are going to have breakfast and and activity at the mission home this week. Also I have few American restaurants on my hit list for this week. This past week I finally found somewhere that had decent chocolate chip pancakes. I'm missing American food like crazy.

Anyways in my non native tongue Feliz Navidad  Fam & Friends & Foes

Elder Dusara

Naptime

Week 35: Franklin family gets taught; Cricket and Soccer this weekBro

My area has grown a lot the past week. We received a referral from the Munerka Elders this past week for a family of 5. They are the Franklin family. They already are Christian. We shared one of the new Christmas videos with them and during the lesson there was something that was biting my leg. When I looked down there was a 30 day old German Shepard puppy nibbling on my shoe laces. After the lesson I got a picture with the puppy. Then they fed us cake and cookies. I have a great feeling about this family. Two of the 5 family members were able to make it to church.

This past week we had a great activity at the mission home where we ate Pizza Hut pizza and had deserts. Then we played board games as well. Then I played cricket and soccer this past week for the first time in a while. No broken windows this time during cricket. I actually was able to to make good contact with the ball and score a lot for my team. For the first time in my mission I was able to bust out my soccer cleats and I now have blisters because my shoes are slightly small. Turf fields don't exist out here so we were forced to play on a dirt field with tons of dust and pot holes.

Elder Braganza has been doing well this past week. He is very nervous to hear back on his results for his exam. But we have been doing a lot of work with visiting members as well as spending time with the youth. I took a couple of the youth in the branch out for shakes at Jonny Rockets this past week.

My district is doing well. The Sisters were able to have a baptism. I had the opportunity to baptize their investigator Brother Sunil John.

I'm doing well. This past week has treated me well so I have nothing to complain about.

Lots of Love From India,
Elder Dusara

Pday in Delhi

Franklin's new German Shepard

Bro Sunil John gets baptized 

Cricket with the boys

Week 34: Found new people to teach, challenge to do something nice

My area has grown more this past week. We were FINALLY able to find some new investigators to teach. It's been about 6 or so weeks since our last time that we found new investigators. All three of those investigators were able to attend church this past week. They are all youth (about 10-15 years old). A couple of them already have really great fellowship from the youth. I have a great feeling about these kids. Yesterday after an appointment we ran into a less active member that no missionaries have been able to get in contact with for over a year now. So we were able to get her updated contact info and set up an appointment for this week. There was also 83 people at church.

My companion is doing well. Elder Braganza has been busy this past week with planning for zone meeting, as well as preparing for his TOEFL exam. If he passes then he can attend BYU-Idaho this spring.

I went on an exchange with Elder Karnikaraj and we had a lunch appointment that we went to. It was with President Pokru. Him and his wife are awesome members and they are both return missionaries. They both understand the struggles of being a successful missionary. We ended up sharing a Christmas message with them and invited them to do something nice for someone else this holiday season. They both accepted and said that for everyday this week they have been posting a spiritual message for each day in December on their Facebook accounts.

This Sunday I'm going to be baptizing one of the sisters investigators. Stay tuned for pictures. Love ya fam! Happy Holidays

Elder Dusara

Bunny buddy

Pday activity

Elder Braganza

Delhi train station

Smart phone-Delhi style

Delhi streets

Week 33: Thanksgiving dinner, the work keeps going

Some people have asked what the climate is like this time of year in New Delhi. The weather at this time is 80's during the day and it can get into the 50's at night. Occasionally we will get a picture of him in a long sleeve shirt, so there are days that are cooler than others.

The past week we've had a lot of great conversations with people on the streets as well as at restaurants about what our purpose is as missionaries. We hope that a couple of these conversations turn into a little bit more than that in a week or so. We also visited a less-active family that Elder Braganza remembered. That family of five attended church the following Sunday. We also had a 96 people in attendance at church yesterday. My recent convert Bro Kolhi just got called as the 1st counselor. I can tell that he will take over that position in just a few months to the BML. That is the most we've had in attendance in the 3 months that I've been serving in this branch. Also we had 13 people that attended English class this past Saturday. Which is double what we usually have in attendance.

I'm going good. I just found out that a couple brothers in the branch plan on putting in their mission papers in the near future. They are working on getting their passports now. That was probably one of the highlights of this week as well as the great tasting Thanksgiving Dinner. It tasted just like food from the US. Having bomb turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy almost put me into tears. I miss momma's home cooking.

We also had a training from President Gong who is the Asia area seventy. I bore my testimony in front of him and he came up to me after the meeting and said that I have a great testimony of this church. Also he said that Delhi is very close to getting a stake. He said that he could see Delhi getting a stake in the next year and a half or so. Also Bangalore got a stake last month. So it's the second stake in India. Delhi is hoped to be the 3rd. The church is also growing a lot in Pakistan as well. Believe it or not but there are more members in Pakistan than there are in Delhi.

Some missionaries have found Wendy's here in India and I will try to make the 1 hour metro trip to get there this week. Stay frosty my friends. This is what beach volleyball in India looks like.

Elder Dusara

Also another good thing about this Thanksgiving that I didn't have a missionary break my collarbone like last year lol

Volleyball Delhi style

Week 32: New companion and new role as a District Leader

Last week was a bit busy for Elder Dusara. He was given a new companion and a new role as a district leader.  The district leader is there to support 4-6 other missionaries in his area and assist them with their teaching, finding and service opportunities.  Basically, he has been asked by his mission president to assist others in being the best missionaries they can be.

So I was called to be the new district leader. I have a new companion and his name is Elder Braganza. He's from Hyderbad. He is hometown friends with my last companion Elder Jalagam. I can tell that he's a hard worker and our motto for this transfer is going to be "work hard, play harder". This transfer we are going to work well together. So in my apartment is Elder Braganza (Hyderbad,India) then Elder Roberts (Plattville, Wisconson) and Elder Singh (Sacramento, California). My nickname for him is the Hotline Singh.

In the few days that we've been together we've been doing a lot of finding. We have both started to see success already with having strangers come up to us and start talking first.

This week we are having a big Thanksgiving dinner at the mission home. I'll try to take some pictures to show everyone how we celebrate Thanksgiving on the other side of the world. Also all of us missionaries are building the Nativity scene outside of our chapels. I'm in charge of bringing a star to light up. Lets hope that I don't mess that one up.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I'm thankful for my supportive family, friends and for fast cars. Amen.

Elder Dusara

New companion - Elder Braganza

Bollywood hero on a CBR 

Delhi Playground

Chilly day

Week 31: Diwali in India, no letter this week (Photos instead)

We didn't get a letter from Ajay this week, but we did see plenty of pictures. He loves to blow things up on the 4th of July at home and I am sure he was more than in his element during Diwali.  From what we understand, he is doing well and continues to help the missionary work progress in New Delhi.  Below are some pictures we received this past week.

He did tell us of an event he happened to be at where he won 5 designer shirts. He gave 4 of them away to another missionary and some members in the area. Here is some background on the areas in which the church has in New Delhi.

Transfers are next week. I could be sent no further than an hour metro ride away. We have missionaries in Mumbai as well. But our mission president doesn't sent American missionaries there because he thinks it's too dangerous. But from what I've heard from missionaries that have served their they say its not that bad. Plus I hear there is a couple of American families in that branch that spoil the missionaries.

There are 7 Branches in Delhi:

Delhi 1st Branch  Lajpat

Delhi 2nd Branch Vasant Vihar

Delhi 3rd Branch Munirka

Delhi 4th Branch Malviya Nagar (Where I Am Now)

 Dwarka

Noida

Forgot the last one

Go Hawks

Week 30: Meeting an apostle, and a fellow Washingtonian

Dear Friends & Fam

No earthquakes this week! It's starting to cool down a bit in Delhi. It's about 80ish degrees during the day. But during the nights it's about 50 degrees.

<Elder Russell M Nelson one of the 12 apostles in our church leadership. He  travels all over the world meeting with missionaries as well as other world leaders to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations> 

I've met countless professional athletes and I have no fear in talking face to face with them.But when I saw President Nelson I was slightly scared. When Russell M Nelson came to speak to our mission and he spoke to us about being more obedient. Then he went to an auditorium to talk to about 200 members in the New Delhi area. He spoke about doing missionary work and what needs to happen in order for a temple to come to India.

Also he told us how mission calls work. He said he comes into work in the morning and on the computer is a list of all the missions in the world. Then at the top of the page is a list of missions that are in need of missionaries.So their first priority is to fill those spots in those missions that need missionaries. He says that they view your profile to see if you have any restrictions. Then they place you where they feel the Lord needs you most.

At church on Sunday there was a tall white gentleman by the name of Brother Daines that was present. I asked him where he was from and he said "the United States". Well Duh! Then I asked where and he said "the west coast". Then I asked which state? He said "Washington State". In my mind I was thinking "Yes! That's my fellow Washingtonian". He is from Spokane. Which is about a 5 hour drive from my house. He has 7 kids and has one that's serving in the St. George, Utah Mission. He's and Engineer for a telecom company called Ciena.

Overall this week was great. Our main focus for the rest of this transfer is going to be to focus on the less- actives.

Elder Dusara out 

With Bro Daines from Spokane WA

New Delhi crew

Week 29: Earthquake! Beast-mode out of the hospital...Bro Kohli's baptism

Well today was going pretty normal. I was sitting on the 6th floor of a hospital waiting for some elders to get some tests done. The I noticted that the sign above me was starting to shake. It was almost as if an earthquake was happening.About 10 seconds had past and it was still shaking and I was thinking in my head "Oh CRAP, this is an earthquake"'. I was the first person to stand an yell ''EARTHQUAKE''. It remined me of the episode of The Office where Dwight set fire to the office to see if everyone was going to follow the proper procedures. The old lady sitting accross from me was laughing and pointing at the shaking sign. I think she was ready to die. But I'm 20 years old so now was not my time. I channled my inner Marshawn Lynch and rushed down the stairs while weaving in and out of people. Ironically I was wearing my Seahawks shirt, socks, and shoes while doing so. No I was not injured.

Also Brother Kohli was baptized yesterday and Shreya was confirmed. Brother Kohli was introduced to missionaries 7 years ago and was baptized yesterday. It just goes to show that no effort is wasted. You never know when people are going to be fully ready to accept the gospel. His wife was estatic for him. She's been a member for about 20 years. I'll send pictures this week.

Russel M Nelson is coming this week. But in bigger news I found a place out here that makes really good Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Hashbrowns. I hope the US is treating everyone well. I know I miss it each and everyday.

Elder Dusara

Ajay and Kareena

6 month tie burn

Bro Kohli's baptism

P-day lunch, before the earthquake

Week 28: Sherya's baptism, blessings of strong families, an Apostle coming to visit

My area is doing good right now. We just had a baptism yesterday for Shreya. She was a referral from a family in the ward from a little over a month ago. So she has a solid fellowship through that family. Then we have a baptism scheduled for brother Kohli for this Sunday. All of our other investigators are hard to catch. We are hoping to do a little more finding to help the area as well as focusing on any less active families as well.

Elder Jalagam and I are doing well with all this success that we've been able to see this past month or so. We are both getting the feeling that this might be his last transfer so we are going to do the most we can with the time we have.

My testimony has grown this past transfer with teaching Shreya. I've noticed that her family has become more closer since she started taking the lessons. I've noticed on my mission that once there is a household of active members in the church then it just makes the home life much easier and less stressful. I know this as a fact because this was something that I was beginning to notice right before I left on my mission. I know that it's because of the restored gospel that this is even possible.

This past week I had Johnny Rockets, Chilli's, McDonalds, and KFC. Also Russel M. Nelson will be visiting my mission at the end of the month. Today, one of the Autos that I was traveling in was playing Imagine Dragons and had a sweet sound system as well! We tipped him and got his phone number so he can drive us more often.

Elder Dusara

Elders Jalagam and Karnikaraj

Ambassador of Mali, Brother Samake

Elder Dusara with Sherya

Sherya's baptism with family