Concentrated Gratitude

 If there was ever a scenario set up for us to feel genuine gratitude for everyday things we enjoy but take for granted, this week was perfectly designed. We knew going into this mission experience, we'd be away this Thanksgiving from the comfort of our home, and sitting around a table with family and friends, enjoying a feast of favorite foods. How we would've loved to have been with our children and two new grandsons, or eating with our siblings and talking turkey! We had two offers to eat a traditional meal; one with the Expat families in our ward and another with Avi and Juli at the Marriot Hotel. But we were scheduled for our final Zone Conference/outing in Coimbatore (our first love), so that took away a little of the sting of missing out. Eating biryani at an open air cafe with the Elders and the Bushis came in as a close third choice. It was an apt reenactment of 2 pilgrims coming together with the native Indians.

 Lord bless this bounteous feast!

The first of a few trying events happened when our flight was cancelled just two days before we were scheduled to leave. President Bushi had a ready Plan B for us to drive down with him, Sister Bushi, and Brother Micheal of the office staff. We were in great company but I've described before how 6 hours of Mario Cart swerving, darting, accelerating, braking, and incessant honking can test our nerves to their limit. We volunteered to sit in the very back of the van so that helped reduce the stimulus overload and we listened to conference talks and BYU devotionals and so the time passed quite pleasantly. It all depends on what you choose to concentrate on. Upon arrival, first thing we wanted to do was walk (!) and to visit our favorite haunts, get a chocolate shake with ice cream and Kolkata Roll at Bengaluru Juicy, and walk the Race Course.

Hey, wouldja look at that! They installed a crosswalk light across the Spaghetti Bowl intersection since we've been gone! But sorry, only for yetis. 

               Nice to see you again, Juicy Boys! 

No sooner had we stepped out when it began to downpour in monsoonal amounts! The streets quickly became lakes and we were without our umbrellas. But no matter, in every life a little rain must fall and so we sang Laughter/Singing in the Rain as we proceeded to get absolutely drenched. Had our old apartment been available, we could've dashed there quickly but we were set up in a newly acquired place, that cosmetically looked brand new, but we soon discovered it was not quite ready for prime time dwelling. We had beds with pillows but that's where the creature comforts ended. We soon discovered our deep gratitude for many of life's basics; top sheets or any kind of covering deterrent from mosquitos, (I improvised with a towel, it sort of worked but they still bit me in divers places) potable water, hot water for showers, refrigeration, wifi, A/C, stoves to cook on, plates, glasses, utensils to eat with, waste baskets, bathroom mirrors to shave and apply make up with, a plug in the bathroom would've been the ultimate convenience, oh, and shower curtains. Thank you Lord, for life's many luxuries we take for granted daily!  And may I add, thank you America for the generous flowing supply of toilet paper you share liberally at any given restroom! Blessed be this great convenience!!! As it was, we were compelled to play the Glad Game for 4 days and put all these inconveniences into context. If we were camping, displaced from a natural disaster, or worse yet, in a concentration camp, how glad we'd be to have mattresses, pillows, bottled water, sinks, toilets, walls for privacy, and a shelter from the storm. Concentrate on what you have, not what you lack and you too can feel gratitude in concentration camping. 

                      All one could ever need

Our Zone outing on Thanksgiving day was fraught with challenges from the get-go. The rains proved problematic, and all roads to Ooty were washed out with mudslides. So rather than be Mudslide Slims, we chose other venues for photo ops, like parking lots:

      Handsomeness reigns supreme in India!

    Sunglasses were necessary only to look cool

Due to a lack of sisters in this Zone, there was far less chatting and much more napping on the bus rides.

                                  Zzzzzzz

                             An holy nap

But they did get in a rousing game of "Yo, Who Slapped my Head?"

And Skittle Wars, introduced by Elder Dunlap

We visited some other nearby sightseeing places, although it was chucking it down pretty heavy everywhere. We found it ironic, though through no choice of our own, on our two personal favorite religious holidays of the year where we focus our thoughts on Jesus Christ; Easter and Thanksgiving, we instead visited the very same pagan idol. What irony.

    Once in the heat of April on Easter Sunday

 And in the rain of November on Thanksgiving

For contrast, we visited a Christian compound, that depicted, though a little too graphic for our sensibilities, the Stages of the Cross. We're thankful, that although we reverently acknowledge the agony Jesus endured at Calvary and in Gethsemane, we don't focus on or depict the gruesome aspects, instead we choose to concentrate mainly on the reality of His glorious resurrection and enabling Atonement. It's what you choose to concentrate on that provides the gratitude.

           The least gory depiction of the bunch.

It was also interesting to see in their visitor's center many LDS images of the Savior, due to it's free public domain access. So it felt a little familiar in that regard.

We stopped by the nearby Semmedu branch.

It was the only scene that gave any sense of harvest.

                          Indian Scarecrows

                     Be grateful for lawnmowers

 Last stop before the bus broke down, was a trip to the Gedee Car Museum. Since we'd been there before last summer, we thought it would be all the same but they had since added a wing of India transportation history which was very fascinating.

                They've come a long way, baby

                     Rob and his Ambassadors

The bus got a flat tire in the parking lot and we didn't stick around for the repair or another round of eating since we knew we had walked this town many times before and could find our way home. So we bid farewell to the gang. Brethren, adieu. 

Saturday was the ultimate wonderful day! BFFs Mani and Kati came over to our place with a lunch they had cooked with all the necessary items we lacked for the best Indian food kitchen picnic ever and games. 

           A bit of biker/hippie vibe going on

                   We're tight like unto a dish

 The final activity of our journey was like the best family reunion you can possibly imagine. You'd think it had been 6 years instead of 6 weeks! All the "yutes" looked older to us. I was told straightout I looked fatter. Maybe it's a compliment, I don't know. But it's true, we walk less and sit in an office alot more now. 

             YW Pres Rithi and Primary Pres Beni

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 Ang Women Keyboard students Niki and Nikhi

And so many other dear souls too numerous to include. Here's a really gratifying story to end with. We visited with Thila when she was going through a very rough patch. She and her mom had just started coming back to church about the time we left. Just tonight, as she was sitting in the adult session of District Conference, the Spirit pricked her heart and told her she should get her life firmly on the covenant path and serve a mission. She was not expecting that prompting at all but suddenly she knew it was the Lord telling her what His plan was for her life. I told her that was just how it happened for me too. I knew exactly the exhilaration she was feeling! I'm so thankful I could share those fresh feelings with her. Personal revelation from God is a joyous experience. Tomorrow we have one more time to gather with the saints but I'll count it as next week's experiences so I can post this tonight. We have felt a concentration of gratitude for all things the Lord is having us experience on our mission, the good, the hard, and the best. We thank him for it all! And paraphrasing Corrie Ten Boom, "even the mosquitos!"

"And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with."

D&C 46:32