Five Families Sealed!

This has been one of our favorite weeks because of these remarkable people from India.

 Magendran Manickam is a Branch President and came to the temple for the first time.

 Jabasteen Mary Ramesh is a R.S. President and also coming to the temple for her first time.

 Janci Rani Ganesan Premkumar is a counselor in her branch's YW presidency.

They are setting good examples for their families and to those who they have stewardship over.

We are grateful that time permitted us to attend all five family sealings.

Unfortunately, we were not able to get a photo of Sister Premkumar or her husband Thivyanadhan

 before they had to leave. 

Johnson Perumal & Lakshmi Illayaraja and daughters Natasha & Evangeline

Magendran Manickam & Lavanya Roopa Pirangulla and their daughters

 Mary Anglelina & Melissa Harriet

Kodhandapani Monagaran & Suganthi Devaraj and their son Kodhandapani Varshan

Ashwin Ramesh (parents not pictured)

Suganthi Devaraj, Jabasteen Mary Ramesh,
Lakshmi Annal Iiayaraja Perumal, Johnson Iiayaraja Perumal,

Natasha Nivedha 5, and Evangeline Eidel Queen 2

Suganthi Devaraj Monagaran, Kodhandapani Monagaran, Kodhandapani Varshan - 3,

Ramesh Veeraraj, Johnson IIaiyaraja Perumal, Evangeline Eidel Queen Perumal - 2, Natasha Nivedha Perumal - 5,  Ashwin Ramesh - 9,  Jabasteen Mary Ramesh Veeraraj

Johnson Perumal and his daughter, Evangeline

Brother Perumal's other daughter Natasha

Suganthi Monagaran and her son, Kodhandapani Varshan

Ashwin Ramesh is only 9, but he is already preparing to serve a mission when he grows up.

He is a delightful boy, and was a tremendous help to Sister James and I at calming little ones in the Youth Center as they waited to be reunited with their parents.

His parents are teaching him well.

This is Chapati, made fresh by the hands of loving Indian sisters.  It is an unleavened flatbread made from wheat flour, and topped with potato and onion with a ketchup sauce.

It is delicious.

Even though we insisted the family join us in eating, they would not.  Jabasteen seemed to find joy in preparing this meal for us and then watching us eat.  We are learning this is part of the Indian culture.

Sister Ramesh has made it clear that if we ever come to visit her family in India, she will prepare a meal for us, and we will enjoy it together.

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Brother Kodhandapani Monagaran shared with us the difficulty he and his family had 

prior to coming to the temple.

He and his wife had been saving and preparing to come to the temple, but a short time ago he lost his job, and they worried they would have to put off coming to the temple for their family's sealing.  However, he was blessed to be able to get another job which turned out to be better for his family.

Then the week before he and his family were planning to come to the temple, he was in a car accident, then a motorcycle accident, each time being protected from harm.  But, it became necessary to pawn Sister Monagaran's precious gold jewelry to pay for the unexpected expenses.  Then on the morning they were leaving for Hong Kong, he was opening the door to get out of his car and another car passed by too closely, and knocked the door off.  Miraculously, he escaped injury once again.

It is clear that the adversary was trying to prevent the Monagrans from getting to the temple,

but the Lord blessed Kodhandapani with a better job, and with protection all along the way. 

The Lord sent another 'tender mercy' to Brother Monagaran 

as he was being sealed to his wife and son.  

He saw the presence of his deceased grandfather in the room.

A gift from a loving Heavenly Father.

Our lives have been touched upon meeting these families, and a feeling of love and friendship has been made.  

We may not see them until the next life,  but we can always hope.