Daily Archives: April 16, 2007

16 April 2007

Baik – “Bike” – it means good. It is the automatic answer that you get when you ask ‘How are you.’  Which reminds me of the time Cliff Thompson when asked that question said – “I am feeling terrible” and was not surprised when people automatically answered ‘thats good.’

16 April 2007 – Monday

Today was probably one of the quietest days we have had since we came to Indonesia. I got up at a few minutes after 5 and went out and ran and walked the track for 40 minutes. I ran into my friend Bob who works for the embassy. He is an interesting person and it easy to get him to talk about himself. I think I have already mentioned that he works in a program that tries to stop moving humans into slavery or prostitution.

We cleaned up the apartment so the cleaning lady could clean. We read from the Kitab Mormon – we hit the section in Mosiah where Abinadi quotes from the 10 commandments so a few verses went pretty fast. Unfortunately soon after that he starts quoting Isaiah and that of course goes slow. But even there we are able to get more and more of all but the most poetic images.

I re-planted some of the ones we bought on Monday. The potting soil they sell here is certainly different from that which I buy in Utah. But it looked more like soil than what the plants came in so I hope that they will like it.

I also wrote up the last two days in my journal and posted them on the blog. I also wrote our report to the president. Mary leaves all of this to me. I do not mind doing it but I think it would be good if she put down some of her feelings and experiences from the mission.

Another Monday with no Skype from any of the children – we really miss that. Hopefully someday we will get it across to them that if they are not going to send e-mail each week than they really need to get on Skype. After all with 5 children and a dozen grandchildren we would think that we would get one or two letters each week. I certainly tried to write them each week while they were on their missions.

Yesterday when I talked to Sam about when he should come today, I told him that we would go out at noon and I would call him if there was any change. I guess he meant that I would call him if we wanted to go out. About 12:20 I called him and he was on a bus heading to do something. I told him not to worry, go do his errand and then come to the apartment. We settled down to eat lunch and watch some TV. About 30 minutes later he showed up. He did not do his errand – he felt that driving us was more important. He is one of the most reliable drivers and works hard to keep us out of trouble and happy.

We went to SoGo and filled up with food and bakery goods for the next few days. I also had to get more cash – we used up a lot of it this week.

Once we were home we did very little. I tried to get interested in studying Indonesian but soon gave that up. I tried taking a nap and that did not work because I kept thinking about all the things I need to do in the coming weeks. I watched a little TV but that became boring and besides I felt guilty. All in all I have spent the last four hours trying to find something I enjoyed doing. I did manage to get the pictures reduced and sent to the VanDongens. But I did not do it alone. Mary downloaded the pictures from the camera and then found the reduced pictures when I lost them in the computer.  We finally found a movie on TV that we liked – it was the one where a group of soldiers deliver an elephant to a village. It is completely ridiculous but at least it was semi-entertaining.

We got some good news from Sam. He will help us make a CD to use at the couple’s conference. We will use it while we are talking about ourselves. It include picture of our family, our home, and maybe even some of my strange music. I do not think I will use any visual aids for my presentation about the employment program. Mainly I will l just tell them what I have learned and ask them to help in a number of ways.



15 April 2007

Kesabaran – Kuh-sah-bar-an – patience; tolerance. As I have mentioned before this is an attribute that I have been working on. I am trying to learn to be patient with everyone as the Lord is patient with me and my shortcomings. It is the old mote and beam saying from the bible. I certainly try the Lords patience with my procrastination and my weaknesses. Therefore like the servant who asked the Lord to forgive his debt and then demanded another pay his debt to him or he would take him to law.  It is probably one of the hardest Christ-like attitude to develop – especially if for 60 years you have not been that way. A mission certainly reminds one of his weaknesses and of course her strength.

15 April 2007 – Sunday

District Conference continues with the main general meeting. For this the mission rents a large hall that will sit about 700 people. We picked up the Kanes and their luggage and got to the meeting by just after 9. We got to meet all the missionaries because they had formed a reception line. At 9:30 a district primary choirs started reciting and singing about the Articles of Faith. It was fun to see the young people who come to my English class on Thursday taking part. I tried to catch their eyes so I could smile at them, but no one was looking for me. I am sure I just look like any bulai – their name for any light skinned person. It is hard to tell one of us from another.

The meeting went from 10 to noon – the main speakers were Elder Jackson and President Jensen. My headphones went out before President Jackson spoke but I was able to follow some of what he was saying – I am encouraged that slowly I am starting to hear the Indonesian words. At least when they are spoken by those who are not natives. I am not sure I will ever be able to hear and understand the native speakers. The way the pronounce words is different from what I am storing in my memory. But at least I hope to reach a point where I can speak in church if I know what the lesson is about.

After the main meeting we thought we could go home but there was a special meeting called by Elder Jackson for all the new members from the last two years and we were invited to be part of it. I think it was a great idea for the newer members to be recognized and welcomed in by a leader that they looked up to. It was also good that Elder Jackson reminded the branch presidents that there was a need to give the new members a calling soon after they are baptized. Hopefully this will spur them to do this – it is not done now. After this meeting we bid the Kanes and VanDongens farewell and headed home.

The rest of the day was spent eating, napping, studying Indonesian, reading from the Kitab Mormon and watching TV.