Madhu

Yesterday (wrote this July 24 but wanted pix before posting) Madhu, with five long stemmed roses (three red and two yellow), rang our buzzer. He couldn't have come at a better time. We were OK but discussing how overwhelmed we were when this handsome 21-year-old stepped into our lives and assured us in very good English that all was well and he was available to help us any way that he could. I am sure that Heavenly Father sent him.

We called him this morning to help us find an ATM and a bank (two different places) to change larger bills into smaller ones as autos and street vendors (only way to buy bananas) don't give change. Stores don't like to either we have discovered. Before setting off for our walk, Madhu fixed the gas tank on our stove so that we could cook and set up the charge on our camera (no we didn't know how to do either).

He then negotiated us across the streets through traffic with ease. We'd still be struggling except for his easy lesson. Walk, don't run, stop (in the middle of a jillion vehicles) if necessary; if there's space, put out your hand and keep walking (The first time we crossed a street we were with Kaspers and Bill wouldn't go. Elder Kasper had to go back and get him across. You'd understand if you were here. But now he goes when I am uneasy.)

At home again we were dripping wet despite Madhu's claim that we were fortunate to have such good weather produced by a nice rain during the night, making the temperature cooler but the humidity certainly higher. (This was also the walk when we saw a camel ridden by two young boys, walking down the street right along with every other vehicle but my camera was charging at home and I didn't get a picture.)

We visited for over an hour. Telling us how much the Church has changed his life and why he loves the senior missionaries, he began to choke up, making us all a little teary. Madhu and his brothers Tinku and Chiru (sp?--now 19 and 20) joined the church at 13 (Madhu anyway; his Hindu parents wouldn't allow it earlier.) "Without the Church I would never have known God and that He loves me, he said. And then his association with the Eldridges, the senior couple at the time, gave him an understanding of gospel principles. He came to this same apartment to clean and was paid 10 rupees. Sister Eldrige would say, "Pay one rupee for tithing and do with the rest as you wish and your life will be blessed." He discovered for himself how true that was. After some education, Madhu now has a good job as a computer engineer.

On another day he got our internet working by discovering we had inadvertently turned off the router by clicking one of the many switches that decorate our walls. He then got us a phone charger and showed us how to use it (a little more complicated than at home). What a blessing he has been.

Last Thursday we went to lunch at his home and met his parents and brothers. We had rice and curry that was not too spicy according to Madhu but it was hot enough to make my nose run--very tasty and good though. We both liked it. I discovered that Madhu's mother is a seamstress and makes all her saree blouses and chudidars. Madhu entertained us with lots of fun pictures and his music--American show tunes, country (Johnny Cash), classical and his favorite Indian singer who was very good. He doesn't like the tuneless hard rock. Good man!

In the pix above he is here at FHE with Rajiv, one of his good friends and a member of our branch, and with Reka, who was his seminary teacher for four years but she's only 25 or 26 (I think). Madhu kind of likes her--who can blame him--but he falls in love a lot he tells us. We got to see lots of former flames' pix.

We look forward to more association.