The twenty-first week...

Namaste~
This will be known as the week of a few losses. First, we had an exchange on Friday, when we went to English class and I met with my companion I saw that none of our investigators were there. James Lowmanth and his wife, Venkat Rutnam, told Elder Castagno that they will only be going to the Allipurum Baptist Church from now on. It's because of the lack of English they know. Oh well. We went over there and they told us again that they don’t want an English church…it hurt. So the Abominable Church of V-Shack won round 3.

On Saturday morning we went to an investigator’s home. Her name is Gayatri - she has been investigating for 4 months - and her mother would not allow her to join the church though. Her mother has been on dialysis and has been a huge road block. But, on Saturday morning we went over and there was a big tent up with people around it. That’s nothing unusual for India - it happens all the time. This time her mother was lying on a bed in the street with flowers covering her body from head to toe. She dies 10 hours before we got there. She didn’t really feel all that different. I think she was prepared for it, and that it hadn’t quite hit her yet.

The next morning we went to pick up Rama Laxmi for church. We got there and she was crying - her uncle had died in the night. She didn’t go to Hyderabad with her brother because she would miss her baptismal date. I was very sad for that one. After church we went over the Plan of Salvation.

Enough sadness, some funny things about the week. We were chased for 10 minutes by a beggar. That’s not too unusual, but this time the guy was quacking and waddling like a penguin. We tried to hide in stores and everything, but he kept following us. He almost got ran over by a bus when I ran in front of it. He was funny. Then, we went to a new investigators home, he is a 7th day preacher…enough said. He brought us into his home and within 5 minutes - 30 aunties and kids were there asking for a prayer - everyone in India asks for a prayer. After 10 minutes of telling him we wouldn’t do an apostate prayer, my companion gave in. It was really weird, because in India everyone chants in the middle of prayers. Some words are in Hindi and some are in Teligu - but they are all saying the same thing, praise. After I lost my patience I just told the man, “Brother, we need to go. We will try and visit you all again.”

I also found out this week why I have been sick for the last 2…I don’t have malaria; I have something better…little friends living inside stomach, eating my chicken biryani. Lol. No problem. I actually think it’s quite funny, even though my mom probably doesn’t. Have you ever had one of those hot days where you think, “It doesn’t matter how much hotter it gets, because once it’s over 100 its all the same?” Well - that’s the kind of week I have been having. It’s so hot here, but I love it.

It’s time to go. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss Texas, but the V-Shack is starting to rock.

Dad- Philmont=Wilmont
Mom- What are you doing at Kroger?
KC- shift bus driver, shift!
Burke- did u want pearls too?
Gavin- send me pics of dad “playing” softball
Chance- can u beat burke @ rock band yet? Its not too hard.
Boudreaux-keep doing you thing man