Do you go to church on vacation?

[myboynoah]

I'm working in New Delhi this week. I'll be going to church tomorrow. It will be interesting.

I've done that. Weird going to GD and listening to Indians discuss the finer points of The Restored Gospel.

But enough about attending church in Delhi. Go to this restaurant. It is awesome.

[Applejack]

Alright, I'm not really on vacation, I'm out here working for a couple of months (Fort Lee, VA). But I'm going to try to get away from this place as often as I can on the weekends. I'll stay up in DC a few times including this weekend. Anyone know of church options for DC? I see the Capitol Hill Ward that starts at 9, so that might be a good option. Don't we have a couple of regulars here who live back that way? CA? PH?

Chevy Chase ward meets at 9.

[BigFatMeanie]

Attended the New Delhi 3rd Branch this morning. My driver, Ashish, parked the car and said he would wait for me for the hour. He asked what we did inside the church. I said, "You can come in and see for yourself if you like". I couldn't believe how fast he jumped at the opportunity. When we got there we were 30 minutes early. The building was locked and we stood around outside waiting for someone with the keys to come. A handful of members were already waiting.

Ashish was full of questions. He said, "Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn't look like a church" (it was an apartment building with mission offices on the top and church in the basement)
I could tell it was the right place, even though there was no sign, because of the few people waiting around. You can just tell Mormons no matter where in the world you go. I assured him it was the right place. He asked, "Have you ever been here before?" I said, "No, this is my first time here". He seemed skeptical that we were in the right place.

He said, "I think I need a tie. All the gentlemen are wearing ties." I told him, "you'll be fine, don't worry". More members started dropping by the closer it got to the hour. They all came over and shook Ashish's hand as we waited around outside. Some guys weren't wearing ties and Ashish felt better.

There were about 40-50 people there. Indian families with ladies in colored saris, expat American families with blond kids, and a handful of Asians and Africans mixed in as well. Ashish was pretty amazed that they all came up and shook his hand and welcomed him. Once they unlocked the building at about 5 minutes to the hour, we all walked in and started setting up the chairs. Everyone helped out, including Ashish. He was amazed that there were expat American men, women and children setting up chairs alongside the Indians, Asians, and Africans and everyone was pitching in.

Once the meeting started, Ashish sang the hymns as best he could. He did all right for someone that had probably never sung a hymn before in his life. As they were preparing the sacrament he asked me what they were doing. I said "they're going to pray over the bread and water". He said, "ahh, then we drink the holy water". I told him, he could pass it by when it came to him but he was intent on taking it so I didn't make a scene and stop him. A older guy from Africa, an middle-aged Asian guy with a long ponytail, and an Indian guy about priest-age blessed the sacrament. Ashish listened intently to the talks. The first talk was a farewell for a sister going to the Bangalore mission. The departing sister was awesome and talked about the Holy Ghost and bore her testimony. The second was the branch president, who said he used to serve in the Indian Navy. I don't think he was part of the planned program but the departing sister gave a pretty short talk so it seemed like the branch president decided to do some extemporizing. His talk was mostly in Hindi but I heard works like "Book of Mormon" and "testimony" thrown in there. The last was a district high councilman. He talked about families but also spent a lot of time encouraging the members to work hard to become a stake.

After the meeting, a bunch of missionaries came over and shook Ashish's hand, as well as the branch president and others. Asish said, "I've driven thousands of people to christian churches over the years and this is the first time I've ever gone inside." As he went to get the car, I spotted a paperback Book of Mormon sitting on the shelf, the kind that missionaries give out. I asked the missionaries if I could give it to Ashish and they said "go for it". When we got to the car I gave it to him as a gift. He made the sign of the cross when I gave it to him and promised to read "the holy book". I got a chuckle out of that.

Going to church in small branches is awesome.

[hostile]

BFM, that is awesome.

[myboynoah]

Attended the New Delhi 3rd Branch this morning. My driver, Ashish, parked the car and said he would wait for me for the hour. He asked what we did inside the church. I said, "You can come in and see for yourself if you like". I couldn't believe how fast he jumped at the opportunity. When we got there we were 30 minutes early. The building was locked and we stood around outside waiting for someone with the keys to come. A handful of members were already waiting.

Ashish was full of questions. He said, "Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn't look like a church" (it was an apartment building with mission offices on the top and church in the basement)
I could tell it was the right place, even though there was no sign, because of the few people waiting around. You can just tell Mormons no matter where in the world you go. I assured him it was the right place. He asked, "Have you ever been here before?" I said, "No, this is my first time here". He seemed skeptical that we were in the right place.

He said, "I think I need a tie. All the gentlemen are wearing ties." I told him, "you'll be fine, don't worry". More members started dropping by the closer it got to the hour. They all came over and shook Ashish's hand as we waited around outside. Some guys weren't wearing ties and Ashish felt better.

There were about 40-50 people there. Indian families with ladies in colored saris, expat American families with blond kids, and a handful of Asians and Africans mixed in as well. Ashish was pretty amazed that they all came up and shook his hand and welcomed him. Once they unlocked the building at about 5 minutes to the hour, we all walked in and started setting up the chairs. Everyone helped out, including Ashish. He was amazed that there were expat American men, women and children setting up chairs alongside the Indians, Asians, and Africans and everyone was pitching in.

Once the meeting started, Ashish sang the hymns as best he could. He did all right for someone that had probably never sung a hymn before in his life. As they were preparing the sacrament he asked me what they were doing. I said "they're going to pray over the bread and water". He said, "ahh, then we drink the holy water". I told him, he could pass it by when it came to him but he was intent on taking it so I didn't make a scene and stop him. A older guy from Africa, an middle-aged Asian guy with a long ponytail, and an Indian guy about priest-age blessed the sacrament. Ashish listened intently to the talks. The first talk was a farewell for a sister going to the Bangalore mission. The departing sister was awesome and talked about the Holy Ghost and bore her testimony. The second was the branch president, who said he used to serve in the Indian Navy. I don't think he was part of the planned program but the departing sister gave a pretty short talk so it seemed like the branch president decided to do some extemporizing. His talk was mostly in Hindi but I heard works like "Book of Mormon" and "testimony" thrown in there. The last was a district high councilman. He talked about families but also spent a lot of time encouraging the members to work hard to become a stake.

After the meeting, a bunch of missionaries came over and shook Ashish's hand, as well as the branch president and others. Asish said, "I've driven thousands of people to christian churches over the years and this is the first time I've ever gone inside." As he went to get the car, I spotted a paperback Book of Mormon sitting on the shelf, the kind that missionaries give out. I asked the missionaries if I could give it to Ashish and they said "go for it". When we got to the car I gave it to him as a gift. He made the sign of the cross when I gave it to him and promised to read "the holy book". I got a chuckle out of that.

Going to church in small branches is awesome.

This is touching. I was thinking this last week as we set up for our branch. No matter where we go in the world, we can expect that people will be there preparing for us all to worship. It will be prepared.

[Bo Diddley]

BFM, that's a great story. I don't have anything near as interesting to tell. I did attend the Capitol Hill Ward, and the visiting High Councilor gave a great talk on Sabbath observance. Both councilors in the bishopric had beards. :yikes:

A returned missionary spoke as well. He had a fascinating way of speaking which I'm not sure I've ever heard before. He obviously wasn't comfortable speaking in front of people, and was rather quiet. As he would pause to think before finishing a sentence, he would continue by starting softly with the last sound or syllable he had made, and then continue speaking. If that last word he spoke was charity, after the pause he would begin with the long e sound, and then continue. I tried not to let it distract me, but I couldn't help myself listening to it. Nice kid.

[Scott R Nelson]

I've done that. Weird going to GD and listening to Indians discuss the finer points of The Restored Gospel.

My story isn't as good as BFM's post, but this reminded me of a couple of years ago when we attended church in Page Arizona.

My wife and I were on a national park road trip and rarely made hotel reservations ahead of time. We learned the hard way that you might end up sleeping in the car on a Saturday night doing it that way. At a motel that was full, the guy said he knew a few people who ran bed and breakfasts and tracked down one for us. When we got there it was obvious that it was an LDS family. At breakfast Sunday morning we asked if they could find us the earliest meeting and they sent us to the Navajo ward. Those people are even more laid back than Hawaiians, which made it interesting.

One or more primary teachers hadn't showed up, so somehow my wife ended up helping with the class, which included a range of kids covering about four years. One of the kids said that he was tired and laid down on the floor and went to sleep. In both the High Priests group and in Relief Society, the lessons were half in Navajo and half in English. The older guys are trying to keep the language from dying out, but I expect it to be mostly gone in another generation. I found it very interesting listening to a language I've never heard before that is unrelated to any that I recognize.

Overall we quite enjoyed meeting with a humble people, trying their best to keep the commandments. One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is attending church somewhere new like that.

[myboynoah]

Attended church in West Virginia.

A few highlights:

• The Bishop/Bishopric member conducting Sacrament Meeting had a thick, full beard that rivaled that of any early leader of The Church. Came to mid chest.
• The announcements included a call to assist with a community service project on firearms safety.
• A sister spoke about growing up barefoot way back in the hills. She related how she and her children were found about 15 years ago by missionaries from the "West Coast," Utah and Idaho. Reminded me of how growing up in Utah we used to refer to "back East," which meant Missouri.
• She testified strongly of the hope that Jesus gives us in working through our challenges. Very moving.
• The building's footprint was odd. It was the standard 1980s-90s layout situated between the road and a forested slope. The footprint slanted in toward the slope. The chapel was located on the hillside end and the steeple was situated on the opposite end on the roadside end. That was weird to me. Shouldn't the steeple be on the chapel end?
• Very happy I took time to attend.

[Green Monstah]

Some of my favorite church experiences were attending in the little branch in Romney, WV.

[Bo Diddley]

Chevy Chase ward meets at 9.

Is this the Chevy Chase ward?

https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/20/2...se-in-maryland

[Applejack]

Is this the Chevy Chase ward?

https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/20/2...se-in-maryland

yes. Pretty shocking. I thought it had to be arson given the images, but apparently we've been having work done on the electrical system and the work was being done right where those flames appear. No word yet on cause, but I would guess that it is the electrical work.

[Bo Diddley]

yes. Pretty shocking. I thought it had to be arson given the images, but apparently we've been having work done on the electrical system and the work was being done right where those flames appear. No word yet on cause, but I would guess that it is the electrical work.

How bad did it end up being?

[smokymountainrain]

sometimes

[Pelado]

Not usually

[Northwestcoug]

Never.

Back when my dad was newly divorced and wanted to be a better example for us kids, he tried to cajole the three of us to go to church when we were on a fishing trip. None of us had anything other than shorts and t-shirts. I was a brand new RM and might have considered it if it was just me, but my younger brothers fought valiantly and won the day. That is the only time I can remember coming even close to going to church on vacation.