Church in Chennai

Vanakkam!

What an incredible day this has been!  Today, me and the other four volunteers that are here right now went to church here in India.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has three small branches here in southern India.  They meet in the city of Chennai, which is about a two or three hour drive from Rising Star.

We set out on our journey at 7 in the morning.  We were accompanied by two drivers from Rising Star, and on our way to Chennai, we picked up Vennila Mary (a housemother here at Rising Star) and her two sons, Stephenraj and Michaelraj.  As we continued on our drive, I found myself struggling with feelings of doubt and uncertainty.  I am loving my time here in India so far, but today I felt slightly ill because of my anti-malaria medication, and the heat and strangeness of India seemed intensely discouraging. I kept trying to mentally pick myself up, but the uncertainty and discouragement seemed to be overwhelming.  I began to question my ability to live here and my aptitude for providing service to the children of Rising Star.

Finally, we pulled up to the church building.  The building is completely beautiful and brand new. One of the volunteers, Carl, was here a year ago and said the branch met in the basement of a warehouse. However, this year, we have a beautiful temple-like chapel in which to meet.  As we pulled into the tiny parking garage of the church, I felt a touch of relief enter my heart and mind. We walked into the wonderfully air-conditioned building and I was immediately hit by how much this beautiful place reminded me of home.  Amidst the chaos, heat, and foreignness of Chennai, we had found an oasis of peace.

All of the meetings of the day were simply incredible.  We laughed, we learned, and I felt such an intense feeling of comfort and peace of mind.  I have struggled with my testimony of the gospel and with my feelings about the church for many years, but today I felt assurance and hope.  Church here is so different than in Utah.  Here, the meetings are so interactive and intense.  These people come with a true hunger to understand and learn.  They come seeking answers, faith, and comfort.  The branch president and a couple other families discussed how they are leaving tomorrow for the Hong Kong temple. It will be their first time setting foot inside a temple. They have been struggling to save up enough money and make arrangements for months so they could go be sealed to their families.  I was so humbled by their faith and determination, and immediately felt my concerns and fears begin to shrivel in the shadow of the sincere trials the people here face every day. The spirit of the branch is so sincere and welcoming to anyone who arrives to the meetings.  It was truly a wonderful experience, and I am so excited to continue to participate in this branch.

During sacrament, one of the speakers was discussing trials and the way to overcome them. He told a story about how he was walking to his office in Chennai one day recently and felt overwhelmed by the heat of the day. As he entered his air conditioned office, he felt relief and calm.  However, he continued to describe how an air conditioned room was not the solution to his problems.  No matter how good it felt, he couldn't stay in the room all day. The only real solution was to acclimate and adjust to the heat of summer. He then used this experience as a metaphor for our lives. I was tremendously impacted by the truth of his words.  When, in life, we face the heat of the refiner's fire, God will not deliver us to an air conditioned room. That is not the solution. The only solution is for us to change, to adapt, and to continue on a better, stronger, more loving person than we were before.

This talk struck me as so profound and applicable to my time here in India. I feel like the heat and struggles here are the refiner's fire. How wonderful it would be to remain in my cool bedroom and never have to face the cruel Indian sun.  However, that is not why I'm here.  I'm here to serve, to give, and to grow.  I'm here to face the fire head on and emerge having done some good for the beautiful people here and, perhaps, for myself as well.

After this realization, my outlook turned around completely.  The heat of the day didn't seem so significant anymore. My eyes were again opened to the beauty and wonder of this incredible country and every single person who lives here. The people here are so warm.  Complete strangers on the street greet us with sincere smiles and waves as we pass them.  I no longer felt foreign and out of place, rather, I felt surrounded by beautiful friends and the welcoming spirit of our Heavenly Father.

After church, we went to the Marriott to pick up Danielle, a coordinator who flew in last night. We then went to a small grocery store for some supplies and got some pizza from Domino's.  It was seriously the best pizza I've ever had.  It was another small touch of home that brightened my spirits further. We made a final stop to get strands of jasmine to put in the hair of the short-term session volunteers that are arriving tomorrow.  The bus ride home was full of laughter, love, light, and the sweet smell of jasmine.  We dropped Vennila Mary, Michealraj, and Stephenraj off at the junction, and I felt such love for them and their incredible spirits and attitudes as we pulled away from their beautiful, smiling faces. It's funny how quickly you can love people if you open your heart to it.

Now, as I sit in my bedroom, I feel such gratitude for the lessons I learned today. I feel invigorated and excited for the kids to arrive and for school to start in the next couple weeks here. Thank you again to all of you for your love and support, and thank you to my Father in Heaven for answering my prayers and lifting my heart today.  I love you all!