Elder and Sister Condie Mission Blog: June 5, 2016

Where did May go? Can not believe it is June! We started off the week with a birthday celebration! We talked to the kids in the morning which was the best present ever! We went to a movie, I taught a few piano classes and then we went to London Grill for a steak!!! It was divine!! We had district meeting with the elders on Tuesday, followed by piano classes. We then drove to Ja'ella to visit Nuwani, Teshan and Madelina! We have missed them! They have moved away and are attending Negombo branch. Nuwani is going to have a baby boy in about 8 weeks! So excited for them! She has the sweetest testimony! And she is a great example for Teshan.....who we keep praying will get baptized!! They fed us a yummy italian spaghetti dinner! Wednesday was major computer work! End of month for the mission, seminary budget, next years seminary supply order, teacher reimbursement requests.....just to name a few! But.....I got it done!! We went with the elders in the evening to visit a member who's wife and uncle and mother in law are investigating the Church! They were wonderful! Hi name is Sridar and his wives name is Sudarshani. We had a great time there! They had questions and the elders taught them! We left early on Thursday to catch the train to Kandy! We dropped our luggage at the hotel and then headed out to visit! We started by going to Gampola to do the baptism interview for Brother Nandana and his wife, Rani. She has been ill and will be going into the hospital for a transfusion so we have to put off her baptism. But Bro Nandana still wanted to do it! They are so so happy that they found the Gospel! It is so great to see that in them! We visited Sister Sumithra and her daughter, Ann! We looked at photos and had a great visit with them! By then, the day was about over! So we headed back to the hotel and had dinner there! Friday and Saturday was go, go, go....all day straight! With no lunch!! Pres Kumara went with us on Friday! He had 10 families he wanted to visit!!! (He is a lot younger than us)! We drove very far for the visits today! On the road to Nuwara Eliya.....so beautiful! The scenery is amazing! We began by visiting Ilani. The village she lives in is called the mormon village. Lots of members there. She is a long time member who is a great missionary in her village. She brought her neighbor in, Chandranre, who has been investigating the church. She wants to get baptized now! She wanted us to go see her humble home. Wow! We are so blessed. She was a sweet, happy sister! We visited Sunil and his wife. He had been in the hospital and just got home! We went to Sister Hildas and then to her daughter, Chinthani. She is not coming to church. Her husband works abroad. She has 2 darling daughters! We visited Susila and had a song and some scriptures. She really enjoyed that! We took Pres Kumara home and then picked up Seetha. She took us to her hair dressers house. Her name is Deepani. She lives with her mother, Nanda, her brothers wife, Madusha, and her sister, Dammika! They were awesome! Deepani is beautiful...never married. She wanted to come to church on Sunday so we set it up for Shanta to go pick her up! We decided to get a little Pizza Hut for dinner! YUM! We were pretty tired when we got home! We travelled 149 kms that day....in a tuk tuk! 3 people in the back! But....we did it!!! Saturday was the same! We picked up Susila this time! We went to Shehans home to visit his mother. Great visit! We then went out to the Sansoni's home. They are building a new house and wanted a blessing on it. Saw a lot of photos of their trip to the temple! Their daughter is on a mission in the Philippines and is doing really great! We then went to Bro Chandana's home....a less active member who "pretends to not be home" when someone from the church tries to visit! So we didn't call and showed up! His wife and children were there. We had a really nice visit with them! We visited Sister Mologoda and saw her preschool that is above her home. We then visited Lela and her 20 year old son. They haven't been to church for over 5 years! We had a great visit and they said they would come to church on Sunday! We took Susila home and then went to Seethas where she and Promode cooked us a yummy chicken and rice dinner! She lives by the river in a nice place. We went almost 80 more kms this day! We climbed mountains, went on narrow paths through the thick brush, made it past a billion (maybe not quite) dogs....but also felt love from these wonderful people, felt the Spirit as we visited and sang and listened to their stories. Such a blessing for us! Sunday was Brother Nandana's baptism!! He was so happy. But his sweet wife could not come to church. She was pretty ill after her stay in the hospital. Pres Kolitha and his family, Sandreen and her kids and Carmelita, and Elder Gunarathne came from Colombo. There was no power in the church for quite a while...but it finally came on as we began the baptism. It was a great baptism! So many people came and supported him. We began the church block a bit late. We were so excited that Sister Lela came with her daughter....Deepani came on her break from work....Sister Anapama and her son came.....Brother Kelum and Sonali, (Sister Carmelita's daughter)...Nuwan, a friend of Pres Kolitha's who is less active....and many others! There were probably 90 people there for church! There were wonderful testimonies born! We had shortened Sunday School classes and RS and Priesthood classes. What a blessing to be in church today!! We rode the train home and made it to our apartment by about 6:30! What a busy week! Our weeks are counting down. Still so much to do. We sure need missionaries here! Oh, how we pray for that!!