Week 105 - June 19th - Last Week in India

Well everyone it is pretty crazy to think that my service is coming to a close.  What a ride it has been from the start to the finish.  As I look back, I see just how much the Lord has blessed me in my life.  All the amazing people we have been able to find and teach and help them come closer to Heavenly Father have all been because of Him. I was especially grateful that I had the opportunity to go back to Gajuwaka and see a lot of the people that we taught over a year ago.   I know without a doubt that I did nothing to soften their hearts or help them to where they are now, it was all the Lord. 

I know that without a doubt this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today.  I know that today God has given His authority to man to perform the saving ordinances for all of us.  I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live today and that they still answer our honest prayers.  I'm so grateful for the chance that I've been given to serve the people of south india in just a small way.  I know that the Book of Mormon is really the word of God and that whoever will read and pray about its message, they will receive an answer through the Holy Ghost. 

I know that my family has been blessed like anything by following the commandments and these same blessings are available to all.  I am grateful for all that I have in my life and I hope to continue to bring more souls unto Christ for the rest of my life.  I know all these things to be true and I leave them with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Wakefield

PS Sunil, Gowthams younger brother, got baptized yesterday

Week 104 - June 13, 2016 - Back to Visag for the last week of My Mission

Whats up everyone!  Trying not to get too trunky out here but it is kind of hard knowing I'll be home about halfway through next week.

Well I got the news on Wednesday night that I was actually going to go back to Vizag for the last week of my mission so here I am.  (Editor Note:  Elder Wakefield told us in a separate e-mail that another Elder who had been in Visag had his visa expire and thus had to leave the country and since Elder Wakefield was in a tri-companionship, he got the call fill that spot)  This morning, I got to the Bangalore airport and I had forgotten how hot it was here so when they opened the doors to the airplane, I was like oh nooooo!  Then i get my bag and head out and I'm looking for the driver and no body.  I had to borrow a couple of peoples phones and I called the Gajuwaka Elders because I still remembered their number (Elder Wakefield served in nearby Gajuwaka about 12 months prior) but no answer and I eventually walked out to main road and caught a share auto to their apartment which is just nearby.  So eventually, I made it to their apartment and here I am. 

My new companion is elder Touthang from Bangalore.  We are the zone leaders for the next week and I guess we are just going to do as much as we can this week.

I just want to say thanks for all of the support and encouragement that everyone has given me for the last 2 years and that I really know this is the work of the Lord.  Before I came out out, I used to think that no one was willing to change their lives for the Gospel but I have seen so many lives blessed from following the commandments.  I know without a doubt that there is a God and that He knows each one of us.  I now that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on the earth because it has the priesthood authority of the Lord.  I know that there is a prophet of God and his name is Thomas S. Monson.  

Love you guys and can't wait to see/ talk to you guys next week.  

Elder Wakefield

Editor Note:
Pulled a couple of pictures off Elder Tuscano's Blog since no picture this week - I also pulled the picture of Visag below off the internet.

Week 103 - June 5, 2016 - Bengaluru, India

Welcome to June everyone!  For some reason the weather hasn't been all that hot here so I think we are just getting spoiled.  So many cool things happened this week.

Yesterday our man Gregory got baptized and it was awesome.  We just roll up to church and he is wearing a white shirt and some slacks and he was like, "What took you guys so long to get to church".  I have no doubt that this brother will stay true to the gospel.

We also went to this huge rose garden in Bangalore during the week and there were some mango festival going on and I guess there were like over 10 different varieties.  Who knew that mangoes were so diverse?  But they just had as many mangoes as you could imagine and every booth that we went to were just giving us 1 for free so probably by the time we got out of there we had like 3kgs without even spending a single rupee.  

We had a funny fast and testimony meeting yesterday.  There were a bunch of primary children that got up to bear their testimony and it was almost like a battle to see who could get up to the stand the fastest.  I think 95% of the testimonies went like this: "I knew that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ lives.  I know Book of Mormon is true.  I know Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet.  In the name of Jesus Christ Amen."  I thought that it was really simple but really awesome to see how much these kids are learning in church and in their homes.  This will definitely help them to prepare for the future when they have to share their testimonies with everyone that they meet.  

Also I got to ride an elephant today so I think I can say that my mission is definitely the coolest one in the whole world.  

P.S. if you guys are interested you can see a link to my last 2 years here http://elderandrewwakefield.blogspot.in/

Love you all,

Elder Wakefield