My Final Epistle

Hey everyone.

In all honesty I never thought this day would come haha It always seemed like it was a long way away. But here it is. WOO! FINALLY! Just kidding. I am really sad to be leaving. but I am excited to see you all as well no worries. Well this week was a sad one but good at the same time. I was able to say goodbye to all the friends I made here and hopefully someday i will be able to return! This week we had 3 or 4 investigators at church so that was awesome. they are all really cool and I am sure that they will be baptized. 

I really am not sure what I am supposed to include in this letter. i have a lot of mixed feelings right now. But I am super grateful that I was able to return to India at all. That was definitely a miracle. I am sad to be leaving but I hope to be able to come back again someday. Sunday was pretty fun. I have been playing the piano for sacrament meeting for the past few weeks and its really bad but I have gotten a lot better at sight reading. but yesterday they didnt tell me there was an extra hymn we were going to sing and I wasnt paying attention when they announced it and a sister told me it was How Firm a Foundation so started playing that one and everyone was quiet and staring at me and then they told me that was the wrong hymn. So i got a little piano solo in before i gave a talk. super embarrassing but it was funny. Then I spoke about Hope. and how it can be an anchor to the souls of men and I talked about how it should anchor you to the iron rod and it was good. i hope. maybe 5 of the 70 people understood what i was saying hahaha no worries though. It was solid. 

Well I really wish that I could put everything that I have learned in the past 28 months into one letter but thats not physically possible. So I will just tell you what i now know. I know that God is our Father in Heaven. i know that He loves us more than we can comprehend. And that love is evidenced through His Son Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior. I know that he suffered, was crucified, and rose the third day for all of us. I know that both He and our Father in Heaven have perfect immortal bodies. They both love us perfectly. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and with him, I testify that the book of Mormon is most correct of any book on earth. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

-Elder Checketts

Busy Week!

Hello everyone!

Well. It has been a really really really ridiculously busy week! Where to start. So. Last preparation day was swell. we taught 2 new investigator sisters and they are super cool. They have awesome questions and we are super excited about them. their names are Dharani and Pavani. Very cool people. We also had some members bring their friends to church and we have appointments scheduled with all of them this week so are are very excited about that. Also We had MLC on wednesday so we flew to bangaluru on Tuesday night. It was really good but also super sad. It was President and Sister Berrett's last. but I guess it was also my last as well. It was really good and we learned a lot. Then on Friday we had Zone Training Meeting and the Little's came and gave self reliance trainings for all the missionaries! So that was awesome. Then on Saturday President Berrett came to Visak and we all had our final interviews with him before they finish on the 29th. And then we had 3 baptism interviews to do for other companionships. So its been a crazy week! Oh and also yesterday after church another elder and I had more self reliance training from the Little's for a couple hours. and also we taught a new family! so we have taught their sons before but we taught the whole family together last week and it was awesome so hopefully we can help them1 only problem is that mom and dad dont speak any English. so thats fun. man I am excited to hear english conversations again. So that was our week! Super busy but really good!

So I am super excited for tonight because Sister Manga (our recent convert) (who makes celestialized chicken curry) is teaching me how to make it tonight!!!! WOO!! Prepare to have your taste buds blown physically, spiritually, and metaphorically when I get home. Umm yeah thats basically everything. do you have my itinerary for my flight home? I still have no idea soo thats awesome. I only know that i will fly to Bangalore on Tuesday morning next week. and yeah. Thats all i got. Love you all the church is true!

Elder Checketts

Extension request denied

Hi everyone

It was a good but little slow week. It was ridiculously hot this week. it was constantly 41 degrees plus like 35 to 40% humidity so it felt like it was 48. which is like 115 degrees. So its a little warm. Anyway. We had some really good lessons. We had a lot of people bring their friends to church this week so that was awesome. we were able to teach a few of them and we have appointments set with them later this week so we are excited for that. Everything else is going well. We have dropped a lot of our investigators but its a good thing so no worries. We are looking for other people now. We did a lot of street contacting this last week. Haha it didnt work so well.. 95% didnt speak English and the other 5% wasnt interested. Its good though. We probably sweat like 5 liters so its all good.

So this week we are going to Bangaluru again for MLC so we are very excited for that. should be super fun.  annnnd yeah basically it. Haha pretty average week here. Sorry my letters are probably super boring now haha theres just not a whole lot going on. I am going to a members house this week to have her teach me how to make really nice chicken curry so i am stoked for that. Also I need to find someone to teach me biryani. That stuff is celestial food. I am 100% sure that Chicken Dum Biryani is what Heavenly Father eats at least twice a week. I have to learn how to make it before I leave here. Anyway. How is everypne at home? Happy Birthday Dad! I hope its awesome and i hope you creamed everyone else in golf. Just wait til I get home. I will win. 

Well i hope all is well. I guess I will see you all in a couple weeks haha thats weird. Love you all bye

Elder Checketts

Inspiration

Hey hey hey!

So this was a pretty good week! We were able to teach some solid lessons to our investigators but its still difficult because their families are still saying no to the church. Sister Kamala is having a hard time with that as well. I feel really bad but I know that someday she will be baptized. In all of her prayers she begs Heavenly Father to allow her to be baptized. She is super awesome. Tonight we are teaching 2 new investigators and I am really excited. They are both referrals from a less active family so that is super cool. We will teach the restoration tonight and see how it goes! So kinda of a cool experience. Yesterday We were going to an appointment with a less active family and I couldnt remember exactly where it was. As we were walking I felt like we should stop and I was talking to my companion that I Felt it was really close to here. So then he said okay well lets just walk up this street. as we walked up the road i began to remember different places and it ended up being the exact road we needed to get up in order to reach this house. I couldnt believe it! It was really a miracle we didnt get lost. We dont go to this area very often because its far and costs a lot to get to but we were definitely being guided. Super cool. 

So yeah solid week! We went to the beach today and I got absolutely fried. My face literally looks like a tomato. The next few days will be a little painful but it was worth it cuz we played soccer on the beach!! Sooo fun! I am sooo out of shape though! Yikes! My companion and I have started doing some different workouts in the morning cuz we are both fat. Just kidding I still cant gain weight to save my life. 

So you received my itinerary?? what the heck? I havent even received it! I am going to the police station this week on Wednesday so apply for the extension. Sooo pray for that. Haha Hopefully I will be able to stay until August. If not, Its been real. Anyway. I dont know what the actual temperature is here but it feels like death. Its seriously wayyyy too hot here. but i love it anyway. It rained here for four days straight here last week.I guess there was a cyclone that hit somewhere near to us and we got some pretty awesome lightning storms. Anyway. Thats all. Everything here is going well. especially mango season. Hows everything there? Life is good I hope. Love you all!

Elder Checketts

New Companion

Hi

Well this week was very slow. But. Still good at the same time. Sort of. So Elder Bunga finished his mission. Very sad in a couple different ways. One because I was here when he came into the mission so thats really weird. and also because we became very good friends. Anyway. my new companion is elder Touthang. He is from Bangaluru but he was born in Manipur. so when you see a picture you will think he is from Hong Kong but he is indeed from India. Unfortunately i dont have any pictures yet. next week for sure! 

Well we had some solid lessons this last week. Kamala told us again that she still hasnt talked with her husband and that she isnt ready to be baptized so we are thinking about dropping her for a while. Satyanarayana started going back to Hindu temples so thats a problem. haha lost of fun stuff happening everywhere. but! We taught a new brother and he spoke amazing English! But he is moving back to Bangalore soon but we taught him the restoration and the spirit was so strong. Its lessons like those that give more energy to keep going out everyday! It was super awesome. We are going to focus on some referrals we got this week so we are praying that that will go well. Lots of work to do here in Visak but life is good. 

how is everything at home? I hope everyone is healthy and happy. How is the new baby? I am super stoked to come home and meet him! Send some more pics of him and the rest of the fam! Love you all!

Elder Checketts

Mother's Day

Hi

I guess i will write a quick email today cuz we skyped and I only have a little bit of time left. This week was really good. Also kind of Sad. Elder Bunga is finishing his mission so we said goodbye for him to a lot of members. We had a decent amount of lessons this week. Wednesday was awesome. we went on splits and taught 11 lessons. we also had a missionary fireside that went really well. So it was all about the restoration. We taught about what Christ did in his earthly ministry and then other members taught about different principles of the restoration. We had some awesome activities so it was really good. I hope. Haha Members here Dont really understand that very well so hopefully we helped. We also had an exchange with the assistants this week and that was fun. We went to The Little's apartment and had a training on self reliance for The 2 missionaries in our zone going home. it was good. and they are awesome. It was a solid week. and on tuesday i will be getting a new companion named Elder Tautang.. I think thats how you spell it. 

Um yeah thats about it for this week. It was awesome to see you all and I will probably be seeing you in person in a few months. stoked. Love you all be safe! and Happy Mothers Day!!

Elder Checketts

Hola

Heyyyyyyy

What a wonderful week we had. Holy shnikies. it was sooo busy. So. Starting with a 3 hour train ride to Rajahmundry in the early hours of the morning! We were in the A/C section so that was nice. We got to Rajahmundry and I was able to see a couple of members that I served with in Dowleswarem! It was soo weird being back! So many memories came back and I could remember where literally everything was in Rajahmundry. It was awesome. Then we had an awesome Zone conference with Elder Funk of the Seventy. Awesome meeting. I gave a small training on the culture of our mission and how it can improve and then Elder Funk spoke about teaching repentance and how to do it more efficiently. Super awesome. 

Then we stayed the night there in the mundry and woke up early again and took a bus back to Visak for another 3 hours. So we were pretty exhausted. Then Elder Bunga and i got on a flight to Bangaluru for MLC and Elder Funk also conducted that! First time in any Asia mission that a general authority has conducted an MLC so that was cool. It was really awesome though. So many things and ways to help the mission be better. I dont know if I mentioned but before Elder Funks call to the Seventy he was the mission president in this mission.. right before President Berrett came. Pretty awesome. 

So yeah that took up a big chunk of our week. Then we taught some solid lessons on Saturday and Sunday. had some really nice Chicken Biryani and now here I am. Sitting in an internet cafe, watching and listening to the insane traffic and the ruthless bus drivers almost killing people as they fly by. I've told you they dont stop right? Like to get on and get down from the bus you have to jump. Its ridiculous. Anyway. Life is swell. we are gonna start playing Cricket in the mornings now. Stoked. Its getting hotter here everyday so thats great. Our investigators are about the same. They are learning but Family members are stopping them from really progressing. Praying for that. We need to do some solid finding this week though. going to work on more referrals. good stuff.  Annnd yeah thats about it. Happy Birthday Chris and Noah! Sorry I didnt mention that last week! I will be praying for Whit this week. Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest!

Love you all

Elder Checketts