Life Is So Unnerving

For a servant who’s not serving.

General Conference is such a great oasis in the desert of intense uncertainty we find ourselves in. Yes, we are still in a holding pattern, still not allowed to serve in our calling as humanitarian volunteers.

The closing hymn of the Saturday Evening Session really hit home, especially the phrase: “More used would [we] be.”

We sincerely wish the Indian government leaders would be more open to foreign aid to help their people, especially the poor and needy, of which there are so many. But it is what it is. Despite this reality we hold out hope for a sooner-than-later resolution to our immobility.

Every day we see something new, or meet someone who knows someone who needs help, or who can help. We can only smile and say we’ll know more soon about how we might be able to help, or collaborate with them in helping to lift and bless people’s lives.

In the meantime, we continue to explore Vizag and its many features and allures. Here’s this week’s highlight reel of photos and videos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caught some big ones without fishing boats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waves at Yarada Beach

 

 

 

 

 

Make no mistake — he’s making stakes!

Yesterday, to celebrate Taunya’s birthday, we had lunch with the Bairds at a nice restaurant in the Dolphin Hotel downtown.

The food was great—not nearly as spicy this time as the food we ordered for delivery a couple of days before. Alas, I may never arrive at the point where the Indian degree of spiciness adds to rather than diminishes my enjoyment of food! Balance and moderation, the happy medium, the beautiful blend — give us more of that, please!

The phrase from “More holiness give me” I mentioned earlier has a precursor: “More fit for the kingdom.” We need to stay focused on the kingdom and each of our small but important part in building it. To be fit for the work we need to maintain and enhance our spiritual poise in the face of discouragement and uncertainty.

To quote Lumière again, “Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving.” Far more unnerving than that, far worse than the pollution in much of this earth’s air, water and ground, is the pollution that festers in people’s hearts. Would that this pollution be rooted out, would that we all become pure in heart, a people prepared to bring again Zion, to be ready to meet the Lord when He comes! We know He IS coming, and when He does He will usher in a thousand years of peace. This planet will be cleansed from the filthiness on its face, and find rest with its grateful inhabitants in the healing presence of the Prince of Peace!