The Garden

Friday, April 5, 2013

 

The Garden Restaurant - 10th floor, Joseph Smith Building

 

Our India Bangalore missionary reunion is always held on the Friday night before General Conference.  Traditionally, we get together for lunch with two other couples that we served with and spend the afternoon together before we attend the reunion.  This year the Kaspers, who served in Hyderabad and presently live in Driggs, Idaho could not "hang out" with us.  But the Nielsens joined us, as well as some good friends that we got to know in India.  It was a long lunch -- we must have asked a hundred questions; who got married, who has had a baby and who is on a mission.     

 

 

This is Prasad Kusuma and his wife Gayatri.  They are from Visakhapatnam, India.  He was a Branch President in Visak at the age of 23 after he returned from his mission.  Gayatri also served a mission in India and then earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology and was working for a group of doctors in Visak when we first met them. (On the right is President Kusuma's mother, Sugunadevi, in her sari.)  They came to Virginia a couple of years ago so that he could continue his education and are now living in Illinois where he is working for State Farm.  They travel three hours to attend the Nauvoo Illinois temple and serve there on Saturdays.  Prasad's parents flew from India to spend some time with them in Illinois and then they all flew to Salt Lake City for a few days to see the sights and attend General Conference.     

 

Nick and Carol Nielsen presently live in Paradise, Utah.  They also served a mission in Visakhapatnam, India and we "worked in the trenches" together.  Fortunately, Elder Nielsen knew how to lead music, play the piano and he formed a choir.  He took "thousands" of beautiful pictures while in India.  Carol loved working with the Primary age children, teachers and leaders.  They arrived about three months after we did.  It was our job to find them an apartment, furnish it (including AC's) and "show them the ropes".