How to Microwave Curry

Here is a picture of me and some other missionaries. The girl in middle with the green shirt just got set apart as a missionary (I even got to participate in the setting apart! So cool!!) She is going to serve in Arizona! I told her over and over how excited I am for her to get to go AMERICA! So awesome!

July 13, 2014

For me, this week has just flown by! Working hard makes time go faster, and I am definitely working hard right now on my mission. Training and learning the area are still both pushing me quite a bit; fortunately, I don't feel too stressed about it anymore. We are definitely making progress each day. :-)

And good news, my Indian English is as strong as ever once again! I even did a little bit of English-English translation for one of the new American elders that was trying to ask a guy whether he liked chicken or mutton Haleem better (haleem is like liquid meat. I had it once, but I'm not too big of a fan of it. Haleem shops are eveeeerywhere though!) Anyways, ya, English-English translation always cracks me up!

I've found that I train Elder Bandi in a very similar way to how Elder Watts trained me. I heard as I was growing up that you tend to parent in the same style that your parents parented you, so I guess I can now attest to the truthfulness of that because I train my missionary son the same way my "Dad" trained me! 

And really, it is like raising a son... haha you wouldn't believe how many things I need to teach Elder Bandi! Naturally, he doesn't know missionary work, but what really cracks me up (or sometimes frustrates me) is he doesn't know how to live outside of home/away from his ever giving mother. One funny example... so, we bought some curry from an outside shop, and then the next day we wanted to heat it up in the microwave. He asked me if he could put it directly into the microwave. I told him no, because the curry was only in a very thin plastic bag, so the microwave would melt the bag. I handed him a glass bowel and told him to put the curry in that, and then he could heat it up in the microwave. Well, he followed my instructions word for word! He put the plastic bag of curry into the bowel, and then asked if he could heat it like that. Yes, as in there was a little plastic bag filled with curry sitting inside a glass bowel.. haha I thought that was pretty funny! Kind of reminded me of an Amelia Badilia experience. Next time, I will be more clear; EMPTY the bag of curry into the bowl! 

Super awesome thing about Hyderabad: they have RUNNING buses! Which, as the name implies, means you have to RUN when taking a bus! The buses stop at the bus stops, buuuuut, they only stop for like 5-10 seconds, and then they get going again. So if you haven't made it on the bus... better run to catch up! And getting off the bus you need to get off facing the same direction as the bus is moving, otherwise you could very well fall over if you try getting off against the way the bus is going... danger. Fun. Excitement!

Speaking of buses, today we were taking a bus and all of the seats were taken except one, but the seat was in the senior citizen section. Well, as I was scanning around to see if there were any other seats available, one of the old gents invited me to join them in the Senior Citizen section! Haha all of the other missionaries that were traveling with me were laughing and motioning for me not to sit there, but sit there I did! I felt honored to get to sit next to three old Indian men, as the rest of my missionary friends stood for the whole bus ride. Haha good times.

We have been spending most of our time trying to find members and less actives and recent convert's homes. Our investigator pool is... slim to none. BUT, this week one of our members that recently returned from his mission gave us a GREAT referral named Lavanya! Look at him, actually doing missionary work after his mission is over! Huzzaw! I'm very grateful for this opportunity to teach her, because I want my companion to get a chance to teach an investigator. Every missionary years to have that experience, and as of yet.. he hasn't gotten to yet. But this week we begin teaching her! A true tender mercy!