2nd Stake in India

Our little branch, now the Whitefield Road Ward.

Our district conference this fall was an extra special event. Our district was made into a stake and the weekend was presided over by Elder Rasband and the Asia area authority, Elder Gong.
The whole weekend was so special and particularly strengthening and eye opening for me. My testimony grew in a couple of areas I was not expecting. Areas which I didn’t feel needed strengthening, but the experience was sweet.

The branches throughout the district were given extensive instruction in preparation for Elder Rasband’s visit. We were told not to seek him nor Elder Gong out for personal conversation, not to approach them unless invited, and NOT TO TAKE PHOTOS. We were told this several times. Of course, these dear leaders are irrepressibly personable and constantly sought out individuals for conversations and hand shakes, and they themselves took lots of photos.

What would normally be dubbed the adult session of stake conference, was a leadership training on the night before the general session. They held two meetings- one for the men and one for the women. As might be expected, Elders Rasband and Gong along with President Barrett (our mission president, and to this point, presiding district priesthood leader) met with the men, and the three wives met with the women.

I was indescribably impressed with these women. Their messages were general instruction. They spoke to us of the importance and significance of our district becoming a stake. With a stake organization, all the priesthood keys which had been held by the Mission President for our area would be conferred more locally to our Stake President. We would receive a high council. We would receive a stake patriarch. We would receive bishops. These offices, and their coinciding priesthood keys, would serve to add spiritual strength and protection to the saints here. And with these added blessings would come added responsibility and urgency to be doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way. They spoke with love. They spoke from the scriptures with a power that can only come from committed study. They were calm and prepared.

It was clear very early into the meeting that the was not a new experience for these three women - not even for Sis. Rasband whose husband had been called into the quorum of the 12 just weeks earlier. They were accustomed to traveling, teaching, and loving the sisters of the Church. It occurred to me that, though it can be correctly argued that they were in Bangalore because of their husbands’ priesthood callings, these women had been put in a place to teach us because of two things: their own spiritual strength and preparation, and simply that they are WOMEN- no wordly title nor priesthood calling required. My heart was filled with love and hope for the Lord’s way of doing things. As I listened to each of them, I was very impressed with an understanding of the kind of work and support they have given their husbands, their families, and the organization of the church as their husbands have been called to serve. Their husbands’ callings have required team work and combined sacrifice. Though the body of the Church does not sustain wives by name when the brethren are called, these women thanked us for our supporting prayers and faith. They were humble, graceful, and powerful.

I was at the training meeting with my dearest friend here, Carmen. She is an expat from Minnesota- her husband is an HR executive with Target. Her parents-in-law served as senior missionaries in Hong Kong with Elder and Sister Gong. Carmen held back after the meeting for a few minutes to chat with Sister Gong. We found ourselves in a little huddle in the hallway for a while after the meeting. As Carmen and Sis Gong caught up, Sis Rasband and I had a chance to chat. She is so real-life. I was instantly smitten. When she first met us, she said, “Well, you’re different! What are you doing here?!” She was so excited to be with her husband on his first assignment as an apostle. Then we spent the rest of our conversation talking about her outfit for the next day. She remarked on how beautifully the women here dress (which is totally true). They dress with so much color. Sis Rasband had bought a scarf earlier that day that matched her dress suit and she wondered if it would be appropriate for her to wear to the general meeting the next day. We both agreed she would fit right in.

The next morning, the Rasbands and Gongs greeted many people as they walked down the aisles to the front of the chapel. I was hidden behind the piano, which had been shoved to the far end of the stand to make room for the choir. Through my tears, I watched Cori and each of our children shake Elder Rasband's hand. They took time to greet everyone in the choir. Sis. Rasband came back behind the piano and loudly whispered, "How's my scarf?" I gave a wink and a thumbs up. 

I loved hearing the priesthood leaders speak in the general meeting. Elder Rasband's talk was discussion of a list of scriptures:D&C 107:35; 82:5; 115:6; 109:39; Ephesians 2:19-20; 4:11; Mosiah 18:21; Alma 26:5-6. Most impressive to me was his commentary on D&C 82:14:

For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments. 

The gist of his comments were that everything that had happened that weekend, and everything we aim to do in the Church is focussed on getting families to the temple and in turn, returning families to our Heavenly Father. He was able to speak with such relevance to the people here. I was amazed. It was equally humbling to consider how, in just two and a half days, he was able to jump in and jump over cultural and language barriers, and through the Holy Ghost, his Priesthood mantle and the counseling he received from President Gong, Elder William and other local leaders, was able to call a Stake Presidency, a high council, several bishops and a patriarch. He spoke with great emotion about the experience of becoming an apostle. He touched on experiences he has had through other callings he has held as well as while he was a businessman. I received a powerful witness that he had been carefully prepared to be a special witness at this very time that he has been called. I also felt impressed that each opportunity for preparation that had been given to him throughout his life had a lot to do with the willingness with which he tackled each opportunity that proceeded it.

At the end of the meeting, Elder Rasband expressed that he, his wife and the Gongs wanted to form a line and shake as many hands as they could. He wouldn't have much time as he needed to finish some setting aparts before flying on to Pakistan that night. He explained how he had met with President Monson right before coming to India and that the prophet gave him a hearty handshake as he asked Elder Rasband to share his love with the Saints. So, Elder Rasband told us that by shaking his hand, we would be just one handshake away from the prophet. The line was uncharacteristically orderly and everyone got a hand shake. Our Selvi came to the meeting with her daughter Jennifer, and they got to meet the Rasbands which delighted me no end. I had been playing postlude music the whole time and there was even time for me to sneek in at the end of the line. Our branch also presented the Rasbands with a book which contained the picture above, and a picture of our combined primary/YM/YW programs along with a written testimony from each child/youth pictured. 

I nabbed the following from Elder Rasband's Facebook page. The cute photo collage has his wife written all over it:

Just a few days ago, I returned home from a trip to India and Pakistan. What a tender and edifying trip this was. This was my first time visiting these countries as a Church leader. Similarly, this is the first time most of these members and missionaries had seen or met an Apostle. 

Before I left, I met with President Monson. He shook my hand and said to me, “Tell everyone there that I love them.” I know that our prophet has a deep love for each member of the Church—wherever you may live.

Almost all of the members I met while on my trip were first-generation members. This is the frontier of the Church. It was a very sweet and tender experience for me to bear personal witness of the Lord Jesus Christ to them. May we each hold firm to our testimonies of the Savior and never hesitate to share with others.

Upper Left : Elder and Sister Gong (Asia area authority), Sister and Elder Rasband
Upper Right: Elder and Sister William. Elder William was recently appointed to the presidency of the 70 and is the only general authority from India. They are in our ward.
Center Left: our meeting house
Center right: Elder William; stake presidency counselor; stake presidency counselor; President Sunderaj - our stake president - also in our ward; Elder Rasband, Elder Gong, the newly called Bangalore Stake Patriarch; President Barrett - the mission president.
Bottom: pictures of the choir members, most of whom were from our ward family. I was tucked behind the piano.