Daily Archives: February 6, 2007

06 February 2007

06 February 2007 – Tuesday

Since I went to bed early last night I was surprised to find that it was 5 when I woke up. I thought I would be up at 3 or 4 at the latest. Maybe I am finally adjusted to Indonesian time. Last night it rained with lots of thunder and lightening. I know this because it woke me up a few times. I was afraid that all that rain would mean more flooding but it was only here in Jakarta – the major flooding comes when it rains really long and hard up in the mountains to the West.

Mary was still not feeling well so I went in alone. I tried to keep from doing anything that really caused me to sweat. So I did garlic and odd jobs all day. I also went on two deliveries. The traffic is getting back to normal in volume but there are still streets that can not be used so at times it is really a mess. Luckily because we are carrying food, they make way for us when they can.

After the first delivery – which went to an area where a member lives – I came home and had lunch with Mary. She is not as tired but still does not feel that she can go back and work in the hot kitchen. I went back and once again picked my jobs carefully. There is no way to avoid the heat – the day was clear and sunny so the outside temperature was already high and when you add the heat from the stove it becomes terrible.

Two elders from another area came in to work this morning and Elder Subrandriyo got them cooking. I told them that this was a great honor because it was the first time I can remember any Elders actually doing the cooking. Elder Stewart – from Tennessee I believe – got so good at cooking rice that Elder Subandriyo let him decide when it was done.

The second run was interesting because we took the raft that had been made to make a delivery and launched it where a large intersection was flooded and very few people could get from one side to the other. Hopefully it will be used to get needed supplies over the flood but the last time we saw it, a group of children were playing Tom Sawyer.

The food delivery was very interesting. We somehow got down a street that was just packed with motorcycles and a few cars. Once again they made a way for us because we were delivering food. We stopped in the middle of the street – effectively blocking all traffic – and quickly unloaded the food. It went so fast that I could not even get a picture of the elders handing along the food. We really need to get better photo-ops.

As we drove along the others in the car spoke both Indonesian and English. It was interesting to listen as the new elder – I forget his name – tried to absorb some of the new words and phrases. He also tried to answer in Indonesian whenever possible and asked how to say something when he did not know. It turned out that he knew the Subandriyo’s daughter  at BYU Hawaii. So when he got his call, he told her that he would be coming and she wrote to her parents.

Also while we were driving the Subandriyo’s sang a song that was written by an American missionary back in 1979 about the gospel coming to Indonesia. It includes a section that says that due to the introduction of the Gospel  the darkness that was over Indonesia has been lifted and it will never come back again. They said that only the first generation of members know that song and so it is dying out. As they were singing I thought perhaps the author of the song might be the next mission president – he would be in his middle 50’s now.

We did not go on the last delivery. Elder Subandriyo wanted to get back to the kitchen and we had already dropped off our part of the food. When we got back the kitchen was humming. Some more elders and sisters had arrived. Also there was a contingent from the University there working. I think they were staff – David brought them to help so that we could get more food to the 600 homeless at the University. We did not deliver any food there today.

I decided there was really no reason for me to stay any longer so I came back to the apartment. I had a cold Big Mac for dinner. They had them for lunch and since I had already eaten, I saved it for this evening. It was really as good as any from the US. In fact it might have been better because it was not crushed down like so many are at home. The meat was perfect. Now I know that I can eat KFC and McDonalds if I want to feel at home. I also have found that I really like the fried egg combination they cook for almost every meal that we send out. Sometimes it is egg with vegetables and some times eggs with corn. It always has fresh garlic and onion but the secret is crushed fresh ginger root.

I am very tired – even being careful I get too much heat and it saps all of my strength. We need to read the Kitab Mormon and I need to read from Preach My Gospel before I can go to bed.

After I wrote that I tried to do as I said, but just could not think so I took a short nap. When I woke up I needed to go to the store to get some milk and other things. It was a good way to wake up enough to try and get some Indonesian in. I did learn a new phrase today – Senang bertemu dengan anda – “nice to meet you.”