Service
We are part of a district. There are 7 branches in our district. Three are within the city limits and the other 4 are in small towns that are within 1-2 hours driving time. Our branch has 100 active members. We have been meeting only by zoom since March. Thankfully our branch is really on the ball and is holding YW, YM, primary, Relief Society and Priesthood by zoom in addition to Sacrament meeting. Sunday school is held with your own family. This has allowed us to start to meet some people here. We were given permission to go back to church three weeks ago.
Dennis and I both have district callings. He is the 2nd counselor in the district presidency and I am the district Young Women President. We have grown so much in the short time in these callings. They are also teaching us the importance of learning Tamil to be able to do them more effectively.
One of the things we’ve been able to do recently is attend three branch conferences after the church lockdown was lifted. We took our family with us to attend them so we haven’t been to our church building yet. (It’s a 30 minute drive from our house and is located in a business building.) It was great for the kids to meet other youth in the district, to support the leadership in the branches, and to feel the testimonies of the members here. Not every branch meets in a church building. We have attended in a hotel meeting room, a one room building built in the 1970s, and a gorgeous church house. The spirit was felt in each one.
Building in Chavadi, one of the first meeting houses in Tamil Nadu. Ben, Nick and Dennis all had to duck for the rafters.
The baptismal font
The courtyard of the building in Semmadu.
Something else we have been able to do in our callings is meet the missionaries once a month for lunch. There were lots of missionaries serving here until the pandemic hit and 2/3 were sent home. Our mission is running on a fraction of the missionaries as the only missionaries still here are from India. There are two missions in India, Delhi and Bangalore. Usually missionaries from the north serve in the south and vise versa. Indians typically attend university earning their bachelors and sometimes their masters before they serve a mission. We have loved socializing with the missionaries over food and learning more about them. Dennis and I were also able to attend a zone conference, as he is over missionary work, with the Mission President, his wife, and the 2nd counselor in the Mission Presidency. It will be fun to hear where Nick is called. He is starting his paperwork. We joke with him that he will get called to North India too.
We have learned that age isn’t a precursor to serving. We have YSAs as counselors in the Branch presidencies, YW, RS and primary Presidents, and those preparing for missions are Branch mission leaders. We have also learned that people hold more than one calling. The previous district YW President was also the district Family History Specialist and 2nd counselor in her branch YW presidency.
Seminary is held over zoom and the year runs from June until December. When the pandemic isn't affecting everything, they meet in person 1 Saturday per month. Institute is encouraged for every adult member. YW and YM is held usually once per month. Right now Emma has loved it because they have been having multiple activities per month over zoom. YW and YM don’t usually meet together, their aren’t any camps, and activities are usually best attended when held on Saturday evening as students attend school Monday-Saturday.
Almost everyone we meet is a convert. The church has been here for many years but it’s still young and growing. There is much to do and many to train. Their testimonies are strong and I love hearing how the church has blessed their lives.
Comments