First Hot Christmas

This is our first Hot Christmas ever!  Today it was 85 degrees F.  So beautiful!

How do you like my new system for the fruit?  They have the best fresh fruit and vegetables here for so cheap.  We love the fruit in season, especially the sweet pineapple!

Most of this got cut up for Christmas Day Lunch.

 We maintained one tradition: cinnamon ring for breakfast.  

Jerome didn't know I had made it so it was a really fun surprise for him!

 Elder Kumbhakar with Elder Wigg, playing Santa's helpers in front of the tree.

 I joined in for a quick photo before lunch.

 Elder Wigg and I are posing with the newest Bangalore 1st Branch Elders, Elder Sodadasi and Elder Sampara.

 This is the poor turkey, partially done, but it took 2 more hours to finish cooking.  We have been eating it for leftovers.  It actually tastes good and made really great gravy.  We had the Assistants over today for a plate of turkey leftovers complete with stuffing that was forgotten in the microwave on Christmas Day.

 The line up for food was long, it seemed. 

(The Elders even lined up after to do the dishes! Nice!)

You can see the first course, pushed back to make room for the desserts.  We had plenty to eat.  It was such fun.  One Elder said that he has never in his life had a Christmas Feast like we had today.  That was very rewarding to me.






I am preparing the camera for the group shot.

 We ended up with 4 Senior Missionaries and 13 Elders for Lunch.

From left to right:

Elder Sodadasi, Elder Dogga (to Delhi), Elder Sampara, Elder Vuppada (to Delhi), Elder Srigiri, Elder Prabhakar, Elder Kant, Elder Kumbhakar, Elder Fernando (from Sri Lanka going to Philippines), Elder Ardhila, Elder Worton, Elder Dass, Elder Simson.

The Exit Procedure

 This is the procedure upon leaving the Office.  First Prayer.

 Second the IBM handshake, fingers pointed to the center.

 Then twist together, showing unity and strength.

 And finally, a snap of the fingers, just for fun!

 President Funk and the Assistants give the 3 newest Elders last minute instructions.

 We have Elder Dogga, Elder Fernando (from Sri Lanka), President Funk and Elder Vuppada.

Elder Dogga 

Elder Fernando

Elder Vuppada 

 Christmas Day in Indiranagar!

 The local neighbourhood kids are playing cricket in the street.  

It's just like our kids and street hockey when they were younger.
The tree behind him is the wicket and when he hits the tennis ball, he runs across the street and back and that's a run.

It's a very different Christmas Day in India, but we are glad to have the experience.