Baptisms and Birthdays!

This last week was pretty crazy with my birthday and all. We had the Vizak zone come to Rajahmundry for a mission tour so that was pretty crazy. It was the first time I had quite a bit to do as zone leader to accommodate the total of 36 people. From arranging places to sleep to providing lunch the next day it was all on me and Elder Kommalapati! We also had 4 Baptisms from all walks of life. One guy who used to be a beggar who turned his life around to a small 8 yr old  boy whose whole family is not members but the parents wanted him baptized. All come to church regularly and I am so happy with the work here in Rajahmundry.  My companion is debating whether we should have a Monitor Lizard prepared for us. This is a super strong Lizard with lots of protein apparently eating it will fix spinal problems so maybe we will try it if we get the right price.  My birthday party was celebrated on our terrace at midnight.  We had lots of cakes but it was quite intense I got a cake planted in my face and a shower of mountain dew. Indians celebrate birthdays crazy.  I got hit by  a motorcycle this week while I was riding my bicycle.  I just wanted to freak out at this guy and scold him for his crap driving.  I got up and my words stopped,  I just said everything is fine. We didn't have any problems I know the spirit halted my words ha.  God bless all of you! 

Love, 

Elder Erasmus

Week 2 in Rajahmundry

 Exciting news for me!  Sometime next week me and my companion will travel to Vijawada to see the people there and do some work. Apparently President wants to open that up as a new area for missionaries but I get to go check it out first, I never thought I would open new areas! We had 2 baptisms yesterday and also had beef.   If you have Indian food prepared for you ask for beef fry and tandoori roti! Love you all!

1st week in Rajahmundry

Well miracles do happen I have finally been transferred from Hyderabad to Rajahmundry. Things are more different here, there is quite a bit less people here, there are villages we travel to, barely any English is spoken and now I am a zone leader.  My mission did a 360 on me! 

Here in Raja my first day I flew in and we had a lesson 30 minutes after landing. I didn't even get to unpack because we had to go meet a new investigator a member referred to us.  Her name is Swarthi and she is already getting baptized this Sunday! Positives! The church building is crazy nice here! but a negative is the food is even less than what I was use to.  I only eat Rice. Rice every meal of the day gets... difficult. 

This week we traveled to a village called Turedu while traveling there we caught a 3wheeler auto. There was no room inside so we had to hang off the back. We taught a lesson to a family but had to split a little early because of a storm approaching. We quickly got out of there but had no luck getting an auto. We had to hitch-hike and get a ride on a Lorey ( like a semi truck,  bigger than a bus ) We outran the storm but the storm killed the power for the night and part of the next day. It is really hard with no AC in a place with temperatures over 110 degrees each day.

I am loving Rajahmundry and the quiet natural side of India it shows. I am so happy to serve here.

 Love you all, God bless

Elder Erasmus

RAJAHMUNDRY! - Transferred; Zone Leader; Telagu

This week I was transferred to Raja and it is HOT.  This place is very humid, it is right next to a very large river.  My comp is Elder Kommalapati he is very smart guy from Bengaluru. Elder Massey stayed in Hyderabad and is training.  I am a Zone Leader and I am in a ward of 4 missionaries so its kind of a party with these other guys.  But nobody here speaks English so I find myself  very confused during the lessons because I don't speak Telagu. I hope you have a good week, I am praying for you always and miss you.

My new address is:
Elder R Erasmus Indian Soc-Church-Jesus Christ-LDS
Flat #E4 Rithwika Apartments
Y-Junction, skvt College Street
RAJAHMUNDRY, ANDHRA PRADESH 533105
India

Spring Ballin

April 9, 2017

Spring Ballin out here! Seven baptisms in the last two weeks has been the highlight!

So many things have happened here from seeing car crashes right before my eyes to watching my Companion fall out of a bus (he is fine) but 2 funny experiences are following.

This week we had a big Missionary meeting. Following, my companion and another set of missionaries wanted to get lunch at "Punjagutta" - one of the few restaurants in the city of 7 million that sells beef! We hopped in a Sharing Uber Van that holds like 15 people.  While traveling in the front row bench next to the driver, Elder Bhaskar, my friend, asked to play some music from his usb drive. The driver  accepted and out blasted from the Speakers "Welcome to Women's Session of the April 2017 General Conference" all these random Indians just listened to women's conference with us - It was great!

The second and even more unique expereince is at church this week I witnessed a deaf battle. Yes exactly as it sounds. 2 deaf guys came to church and for reasons unknown they hated each other. Back and forth they were taking me off telling me through hand gestures and grunts to not speak with the other deaf guy because he is crazy. At one point the signing and grunts got so heated we had to separate these two agitated speechless men. Regardless, the Sabbath was saved!   We had the baptism of another Chadalavada family! 

Transfers are this week I am praying to Heavenly Father that I don't have to stay in this ward it will be 10 months here, I am ready for a change and see more of India. God bless all of you!

Love,

Elder Erasmus

4 Baptisms! - Pictures pretty much sum it up!

April 2, 2017

Fun Story, Pictures!

March 26, 2017

This week we had some zone conference and different training. I also went to Koti an area famous for shopping. We are helping a family prepare for baptism this week!

My funny story this week is I went to an older gentlemen home in my ward. While there he feed us all sorts of biscuits and snacks. I examined one of the cookies and said "Brother there is ants on these biscuits" he said " really" " well that's good" He then proceeded to take the biscuit from my hands and ate it right in from of me. After I saw this he said "Elder Ants are very good for eye sight" then gesturing me to continue eating the cookies....

Quick Update

March 13-19, 2017

Today has been busy.  This week was good I was enriched with some fun experiences with my fellow missionaries and even got to see the Holi Festival here in India. Everyone is colored pink, you'll see from my pictures. People will ambush random strangers and through this dye stuff on them. It's a little more drastic here than the color festival back in Utah. They will crack eggs on people and even throw them on you to get the yoke on! Fortunately for me I am still a fast runner and wasn't affected to much by this.  But my friend Elder Gallini, not so lucky. This week we saw a parade for someone who had passed away. They carry the body hoisted through the streets by some "pallbearers" and are escorted by a large crowd and drummers. Periodically they will chant and throw flowers at the deceased....its quite a spectacle. 

This week we had some fun experience teaching a lesson. On the way to a families home we were hit by a Monsoon. Drenched from the rains and wind we trudged to this home soaking. While there we were teaching Baptism and helping this family prepare for theirs. we were so wet the kids asked "did you just come from baptism?" we are excited for their family to covenant with God early April.

Another crazy thing happened. One day we left apartment and were walking to our area. after not too long I realized I forgot my wallet. We decided to walk the 5 min back to get it. During that short journey on a back-road I saw a very small homeless girl pushing a empty fruit kart. As she was pushing it, already a feat for such a small girl I watched her in fact lift the kart raising the front two wheels off the ground to adjust the angle it would roll. I said out loud to my companion "wow that girl has mega strength". Just moments after she adjusted the kart down the road she began to push viciously BANG!!!! She Freakin charged that thing right into a parked car! some kids are crazy here! The girl was fine and surprisingly nobody payed too much attention to it besides us. but that cars front bumper is significantly less intact.

Summer is coming here in India its so hot already! today is 96 degrees! besides that all is well. 

Love you all

Elder Erasmus

A few Photos this week

March 5th, 2017

This week I was walking down the street with my companion. We were on the back road going to our apartment on the way there was a little tiny homeless girl, must have been 6 or 7 yrs old. Anyways, she was pushing around an empty fruit cart which was interesting to see. In fact she was so strong she lifted the empty fruitcarts front two wheels and adjusted its angle. I said out loud to my comp "Wow that girl has mega strength" As we watched she adjusted the carts angle downhill and began to push it intensely fast! BANG!  She charged this cart right into a parked car. The girl was fine the cart was still working but that cars front bumper got wrecked. Some kids are just crazy man!

This is how I eat food every day - HANDS!

A little Sick

Feb 26th, 2017

Dear family this week has been pretty uneventful because of the continuous sickness I have been experiencing. fortunately I am feeling a lot better today and was able to get up and go to the gym. 

Update on Me and a National Cricket Game

Feb 19th, 2017

Hi friends and family lots of good things have been happening here in India. First off, last week we had 4 Baptisms for the Chadalavada family. I am feeling really blessed to meet these people I have been working with them for the past 4 months, this family travels about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to church every week!

We got to travel recently to the 7 tombs, which is like the Taj Mahal of South India. In fact the current offer going right now is that if you pay something like $20,000 you can be buried in one of these tombs joining with hundreds of other people including a prior Indian King. Our travel back from this place wasn't the most pleasant experience though... We got an auto (mini car for quick travel) and the driver was trashed drunk. He was yelling at other people, driving insanely fast, and not knowing where he was going. We finally reached our destination with careful and patient guidance. He then argued with us a lot about the price. Auto drivers are crooks here. 

One funny story is we were called one day to give a less active brother a blessing because his health wasn't doing so well. We went to the home and performed the blessing.... for some reason during the blessing my eye opened for just a moment and I saw down into this guys front shirt pocket. After the blessing and speaking with this brother I reached my hand inside his shirt pocket and pulled out a fat pack of chewing tobacco ha! I simply scolded him about taking a blessing to heal him while carrying something that harms his body. The term I believe I used "throw this or you will never get better". He was apprehensively embarrassed to say the least but he was able to throw it away with some help. I am usually never that forward with people about their personal problems but this guy definitely needed a little shove.

I was also sick two weeks back. One member insisted that the best was to heal my sickness was to go to a certain restaurant and eat the bone of a goat leg. He was confident this would be the most efficient thing I could do. 

I went to a National Cricket game (people go nuts here for cricket) anyways it was a good game but the most exciting part is after I was interviewed and put on the news! Here is a link to your boys ESPN special edition interview!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctPi-Gl2SjE          (about 45 seconds in!) 

Well thats all for me. I'm still alive here and the food is still spicy! 

Thanks to all of you that keep me updated on your lives too!

Love,

Elder Erasmus