Today, as it is Sunday, I went to church.  I love church hear.  Everything is done in this weird mix of Telugu and English, and people say the funniest things.  For example, two weeks ago a man was giving a talk and he said “none of us our perfect as I……… am also not perfect.” But seriously, the pause between these thoughts was long, and I just really wasn’t sure what he was trying to say, haha.  Anyways, today at church one a woman spoke, and her talk was based on Pres. Eyering’s message in the Ensign for the month.  Accordingly, she taught us all about a kid who got baptized when they were twelve “as that is the right time of baptism”, and who wanted to be sealed to his adoptive family.  They asked him where he wanted to be sealed, and he picked the Kirtland Temple, so that is where they were sealed.  Oh, my, goodness, I don’t know if it is bad, but I was just sitting in my seat trying not to let anyone see how hard I was laughing!  Its always an adventure.  And then the next speaker said two sentences in English and then the rest of the talk was Telugu, you know how it is :)

So, after sacrament, we went to gospel principles, as that is the class with the most English spoken.  The teacher today wanted to teach in English, so he asked who could translate for him.  Finally one of the Elders volunteered, but it was so funny because (1) this guy speaks Telugu, obviously, so he translated half the lesson himself without even realizing it, and this poor Elder was just standing there in the front of the room doing nothing for most of the time.  (2) When he did let the Elder translate, he wanted him to do so sentence by sentence, and he  kept using these odd phrases that we don’t use in English to begin with, and the missionary had NO IDEA how to say it in Telugu.  But then if he tried to say something that was the same idea, the teacher would correct him and repeat his sentence until it had been translated the way he wanted it to be.  (3) He also turned this poor missionary into Vanna White, expecting him to write every scripture that was mentioned on the board.  And it’s so funny to me that, no matter what language a lesson is in, they always write on the board in English!

Well, as I was dying of laughter (my new resolve this week is to laugh at India.  Not in a mean way, I hope, but it is better than getting frustrated with the way things are done, and there really is a LOT to laugh at if you’re looking for joy!), the Primary President came into the room (something else SO FUNNY about this class is that the teacher doesn’t stop teaching until he has made it through the material, no matter what time it is.  Last week class went over by 15 minutes, and afterwards he was chewing someone out who had come to tell us the time, asking him why he thought his message was more important than the words of the gospel.  So, it was time for class to be over, and third hour to start, just so you know) and told us she was sorry to disturb us, but did we know the primary hymns.  I jumped up quick as I could, because do I know the Primary Hymns!?!  Hello, it’s like the most pure doctrine in the church after the actual scriptures (including the ensign).  I don’t just know those songs, I adore them! So, we all went down to where primary is, the whole time being instructed by the Primary President that the CPSM is on the 28^th of this month, and the theme is family history, and the children know one song about families, but they want them to sing four songs in the program so did we think we could teach them three more songs this week and next week.  And then would they be ready for the program?  Can you even imagine.  In the states, the Primary Program is the most important moment in the Primary Presidents year, and she and the Primary Chorister (a calling they clearly do not have filled in the branch) are preparing and stressing at minimum two months before the actual program.  Not here!  If we start thinking about it month of, we are good.  Oh, but it was so fun!  So, the kids already know Families Can Be Together Forever, and we were going to teach them The Family is of God, only to be pleasantly surprised to see that they already know it.  The sister missionaries taught it to them at some point, bless their little hearts!  So, we taught them I love to see the Temple and Family History – I am doing it, and it was awesome.  We were given the whole hour to fill, and since the primary is so small it was both junior and senior together for third hour. But, these kids did so great!  It was the cutest thing!  It was funny as can be to watch them try and say ‘progenitors’, and we had to practice pronouncing it quite a few times, but it was just so SO much fun to hang out with those kids, and talk to them about families and temples and how they make us happy and how we want to be with our families forever.  And they fell in love with I love to see the Temple, and just wanted to sing it over and over.  It was just a great experience, and I think for having to do the whole thing on the fly, Ashley and I did exceptionally well teaching them.  Another funny thing: with about 5 minutes left in the hour, one of the councilors in the presidency came up behind us and started writing all the words of the temple song on the white-board.  One, the kids have books they share to look at, and two, we were at that point working on singing without the books, and three, if you wanted to write the words, why did you wait until the last five minutes of class?  Oh, it was too funny!  But, it was also infinitely more fun than an hour of Telugu Relief Society, aka my weekly pondering hour, so Ashley and I have decided to take on the calling of Primary Chorister for the rest of the summer, unless someone tells us – very strictly – otherwise.  Maybe if we do that, they will know more than one song when it is time for next year’s program.  And of course, who can blame them.  The leaders don’t know English well enough to read the words a lot of the time, and since they didn’t learn them as Primary kids, they don’t know the tunes now, much less how to play the piano.  But still, it is a great branch, and I was so happy to be helping today!  It was a pleasure!  I am grateful to be able to give just a little bit, and I am always grateful to be in Primary!

PS.  Sunday night is the staffs night off, so we go out for dinner.  We went to Pizza Hut, and it was the first American food I have had in a month, and oh my heavens, I think I could have cried from joy!