Hello

Hello Everybody,

This was a really good week. We started out by playing some basketball last Monday, and I also did some yoga that evening. Elder Grimmett made fun of me, but I did it anyway. :) 

On Tuesday, we went to visit our friend Joseph in a place called Gottigere. It's on the outer edge of the city, and is right next to what looks like a jungle. I saw a monkey while we were finishing the appointment (you've gotta love the garbage. It's weird what you will see in the garbage. Here you see some dude's shoes. Haha everybody wears sandals anyway, so who needs them?). Later that night we visited the Lawrence family. They have this super energetic dog named Jazz. It was fun to play with him and we did our best to have a spiritual message. 

Wednesday was our Hearing Impaired friend Karthik's birthday. We had an appointment in the evening but it cancelled so we went over to visit him. We had a good visit with him and also the Kanagie family. 

Last week, we also did some finding. Finding is when we have an address of a member, and we go and find them. Many of the addresses here are bad, so it's a little tricky, but it's fun because all you need to do is ask someoone on the street. If they know where it is, they will show you, but if not, they will say "nope, I don't know where this is, but let's go and find them." It's pretty fun to go on scavenger hunts with random people from the street.

I'm still teaching piano to a boy named Benjamin. He likes learning, and we are starting to learn the notes on the staff. It's going well, and I think he is learning a lot. (Now I just need to get him to practice at  home. That's the hard part.) 

Yesterday, there were about 4 or 5 people from America at sacrament meeting. Our building is near the hotels that many of them stay in for work trips so it's not uncommon to see them at church. I talked to one of the guys and he was only about as tall as me but he looked like a giant! I guess I am getting so used to talking to short, skinny, brown people every day. Later that evening we went back to the area called Ejipura with our friend Keerthi Sagar. We visited our new investigators, Shilla and Sam. We had a really spiritual lesson with them and answered questions from the last lesson. We also introduced the Plan of Salvation to them and gave them a pamphlet to read. Next week we can go over there and go over the lesson. It was so cool because Shilla told us that she felt different ever since the last time we came. She felt peaceful and her son Sam, (who has a mental problem) is doing a lot better. We gave Sam a blessing last week to help him out. I am beginning to realize more and more how the Spirit works. It's so cool to see people feel that peace and love. 

I attached the picture of the monkey from Gottigere and there is also a pic of Karthik and me. I'm wearing his hat. 

Things have gone by so fast. It's insane. Transfer calls are today and we will find out what will happen to Elder Grimmett and who my new companion will be. I can't believe that it's come this fast. Things are going so well and I am loving my time here as a missionary in Bangalore. Thanks for the support that you all show to me. I really appreciate it. 

Love, Elder Kent Richard Thompson

A monkey near Gottigere

Happy birthday, Karthik!