Bangalore Airport

 This week was filled with lots of new things.  We made our first trip to India.  We arrived in Bangalore on Monday morning.  Elder and Sister Fluckiger and Elder Michael Senevirtne went with us.  Elder Senevirtne was set apart by  President Funk on Monday afternoon. Late Tuesday night he was taken to the airport by Elder Teki and Elder Anderson.  Elder Tikki and Elder Anderson both work in the mission office.  They were both wonderful young men.  Elder Tikki tried to give us everything that was in the mission office.  Elder Meyers asked for a military copy of the scriptures.  Elder Tikki said he only had a small Book of Mormon.  Elder Meyers asked for two copies.  Elder Tikki kept bringing me Book of Mormons, by the time we got home I had ten in my bag. 
All the couples were invited to President and Sister Funk's home for dinner on Monday evening.  There were four couples: Fluckigers,  Funks,  Pratts, and us.  Brother Pratt is a member of the First Quorum of Seventy.  He and his wife were wonderful people.  He said that he will be 70 in October so he will probably be replaced at that time.  He talked in depth about getting some young elders back into Sri Lanka.  He said that they would need to look like the people of  Sri Lanka. He was very excited that Elder Meyers and I had been given a visa as religious workers for the Church.  After dinner, Sandpot( Funks driver), took us back  to our hotel.  I loved the hotel.  It had balconies all over.  I loved sitting on the balcony on the third floor and watching the people as they passed.  There was a school just down the street and the children would walk by in their uniforms.  Some of the children wore regular shoes, others wore sandals or flip flops.  Many wore no shoes at all.  They all seemed so happy.  Each morning we went to the roof of the hotel and there we were served breakfast.  It was lovely having breakfast outside amongst the beauty of nature. 
On Tuesday we attended the Bangalore/Chennai Zone Conference.  We were taught and trained by the Funks and the Pratts.  It was an awesome experience to be among these people.  There were also 20 young elders in attendance.  The elders are having a hard time getting visas into India.  When the Funks came in July there were around 80 young elders.  Now there are just over 40 in the whole mission.  Even though the numbers are down the baptisms have remained the same.  Elder Pratt pointed out to us that we were in on a miracle.  He said that in years to come we would be able to look back and say that we had been in the Bangalore Mission when things were just beginning.  He said that this mission will grow and people will come into the Church.
On Wednesday we had the day to do what we wanted.  Elder Fluckiger had a cold so they stayed in most of the day.  Elder Meyers and I went to a book store, the mission office, to a sandwich shop for lunch and on the way home we stopped at the grocery store and bought a few items that we can't get in Sri Lanka.  At 5 pm our driver came to take us to the airport.  We were able to leave about a 1/2 hour early because everyone was there and boarded onto the plane.  It was a wonderful adventure but we were tired and glad to be home!

Elder Michael Senevirtne after setting
apart with APs and President Anton

    


Hotel in Bangalore



View from breakfast



Streets of Bangalore