04 February 2007 – Sunday

It is a good thing today is Fast Sunday because we really did not have any time for breakfast. We did get in a half hour reading the Kitab Mormon before Sam rang the doorbell. We left early because we did not know how bad the traffic would be or if there were any flooded areas that we would have to go around.

It turned out that there was little traffic and no flooded areas. However we did have to go through one area where it was obvious from the debris on the road and a business that was pumping out water in their parking structure that at one time the road had been completely under water and perhaps would have been unpassable. But since the water had gone down we made it to the Tangeran chapel a half hour early and were some of the first people there.

We went to the Tangeran I sacrament meeting and SS. Then we went to Tangeran II sacrament meeting. In the first sacrament meeting we did not have the elders translate for us and we did not understand much at all. Then in TII’s meeting we had elder Roper translate for us and he did an excellent job giving us an almost word for word translation. Unfortunately that mean we know what is going on but we do not really hear the Indonesian words. In the future we are going to ask the Elders to give us a summary of what is being said so we know what is being talked about but we can still listen and try to understand for ourselves.

Elder Roper, his companion and a number of PH bretheren help move a couple of sisters in TII move out of their flooded home. It was not badly flooded but they can not live there until the water goes away. The sisters bore their testimonies of the blessings of having PH help and the Lord protecting most of their valuables. Agus – one of the men we work with in ERS – bore testimony about his recent illness and how he has not been able to fast. If he does not fast the rest of the family does not fast so he ask the Lord to help him fast for today and he has been fine. He spoke of the power and comfort that comes from being a member of the Church and the blessings they have. Another brother bore his testimony of the importance of a 72 hour supply. His family had practiced for an emergency and even though they did not need it this time, they feel safer knowing that it is there if they do need it. The preparations also drew the family closer together.

Earlier I had asked the District President brother Mack how many families who are members had been flooded and he said that they know about 6 in the district but there may be more because they have not been able to contact everyone.

The ride back to the apartment went fast – mainly because I managed to get a short nap. We came home because we needed to change into work clothes and Mary really needed to eat something before we went back to work in the kitchen. I noticed that we have been so busy that we have not been keeping the kitchen clean so I spent some time taking care of that. Hopefully next week we can see what it will cost for a service to come in a couple of times week so that the deep cleaning will be kept up.

As we set in Sacrament today and could not understand much I realized that while we have been reading the Kitab Mormon and learning to recognize words, we have not been trying to speak them ourselves nor have we been listening to any conference talks in Indonesia where we can follow along with the text. I decided that I will do this for 30 minutes to an hour each day so that I can start to understand better.

Now it is time to wake Mary from her short nap and head for the church.

By the time we got to the church things were in full swing. It seems that they did not have PH and RS so people could start working on meals. I must confess that I was not a lot of help today. I would work for 20 minutes and then I would have to cool off. I was never tired, just really hot. Mary hit a point where she had to find a place and just sit for an hour or so. Her back was killing her. Mary and I did help put together 200 or so baby kits with powdered milk, crackers, powder, and baby oil. But there were plenty of branch members and elders to help so they produced some 1400 meals.

I went on one delivery to a kitchen that we had been to before. In fact it was near where I took most of my flood pictures. The last time we were there we could drive out by going over a bridge. The water was about 5 feet below it. Today we could not go that way because the water was about 3 feet over the bridge.

It is great to be involved in this effort to ease a little of the suffering. Especially to see how the Indonesian saints are willing to work so hard in such oppressive heat.  I noticed yesterday that they do not just turn out meals, but that they are make properly prepared meals. That is they cut the vegetables, mix sauces, and no short cuts are taken. They do everything just as they would if it was  their own family meals they were preparing.

We got home at about 8:30 and are so tired we do not even want to fix anything to eat. I settle for a cup of ice cream and some Ritz crackers. Not what is considered a well balanced meal.