08 May 2007 – Tuesday

I slept OK but not long enough. I seem to be back to waking up between 4 and 4:30 and not really going back to sleep. It makes for a long day and also it makes a nap almost mandatory for me.

We had a busy day – at least up until 4 or so. It was the normal morning except we read earlier than usual. I wish Skype worked better – it becomes annoying when it cuts off or becomes static every few minutes or seconds. But it is great to see or hear the children and grandchildren even for a short time.

The office is becoming busy – well at least people are starting to come in. Today we had our second client in less than a week. Since before this we have not had one, that is an infinite increase. Besides that Agus’ son Egar came in to help us. His father wants him to improve his English. He is typical of those who speak and understand English well enough to function in the US but not well enough to really participate in college classes where there is a need for understanding and communicating with what is going on. I had him start to read an article on golf and found that he had no knowledge of golf and did not know who Tiger Woods was.

Later I had him start calling those who have participated in this year’s career workshops to find out how they are doing and if they had jobs. Hopefully in the future the district and branch specialists will do this – that is the way things are supposed to work and what we are going to try to get working so when we leave, there will be a support and reporting system that works.

I did something to my computer that locked it up so that I could not get in. I took full responsibility but I think that someone has been either using the computer or trying to use the computer when we are gone. I am going to change the passwords regularly so that if one gets out – I do let Sam use our computers from time to time – that it will be useless.

Mary worked on her English and says that she is about ready for Thursday and Friday. The reports did not go as well because we do not have the information we need for the people who got jobs or started a business during the month. I wrote to the Christensens to ask them what to do and they did not get back to us until after we had left the office.

At about noon our client came in and I worked with him. He already was registered on Jobsdb so we just went through and applied for more jobs. I do not think he will have a problem getting a job. He seems very sharp and has already turned down some because they did not pay as much as he is now making. At least he is looking for a job before the old one runs out.

After closing up the office, we had to run back to the apartment to get the equipment so Lukito could give the short Career Workshop to the missionaries who are heading home. We thought we could not be there because we were invited to a special program at the school for the blind that the Leishmans had helped – but it turned out that we were wrong and the event is not until Thursday. We will probably go over to the mission office after our office hours.

The main reason we went to the mission office is so that Hendra can fix my computer problem. This he does in about 5 minutes and thanks me for bringing the computer to him instead of asking him to come to our office. The funny thing is that I never would have thought to ask him to do that. We left the office laptop for Lukito to use tomorrow. Later I realized that I should have also left the rest of the equipment there because he needs to use it for Bekasi. Someday we will get organized.

I said hello to everyone and spent some time with the translators talking about how hard it is to translate from one language to another. I mentioned that as we were reading today in Alma 15:16 – or is it 16-15? Whatever – where the English Book of Mormon starts a thought but does not finish it, the translator of the Kitab Mormon completed the thought. I guess he could not stand to let it just dangle there. It is interesting that in all the many times I have read that verse I had never noticed that it was never completed. But when we are reading it so carefully often new things show up.

Back at the apartment I took a few minutes to enjoy the hot sun shining into the livingroom. I guess the dry season is coming and there will be more and more days when the sky is not covered with clouds or pollution so that I can soak up some rays. I did not do it for long because it was so hot and I read from the Book of Mormon Stories so I was not ‘wasting’ time. However after that I did manage to take a nice long nap.

The Christensen’s called from HK and we talked for a short time. Then, since I knew they were in their office, I sent a Skype call. The connection between HK and us is no better than that between here and the US. I am sure it is because of the slow connection here. It was down to 49 kbps and that is much too slow for a good connection with up and downloading. The chat feature is much better.

I did not do much personal studying today. However I did read from PMG about how the non-English speaking missionaries are encouraged to spend the mornings speaking English. I am sure the president knows this – I did not know it when I suggested this to the missionaries – but does not stress it. I am going to point out in the district meetings that if we are going to ‘obey exactly’ then perhaps they should start doing this. The brethern obviously know how important English can be to the non-English missionaries and that is why they encourage them to learn the language so they can be more useful in the Kingdom but also because it may help them throughout their lives.

07 May 2007 – Monday

Today is P-day but we have some things we need to do so after a normal morning – including reading Kitab Mormon – we head out at 10. First we go to the office because we need to send some e-mail and do some other things there. After that we wanted to go hometeaching but when we called – it is at least an hour each way – no one answered. We will do it tomorrow or Wednesday. I called Elder Kane and asked him to set up an appointment to see the mushroom project and hope that we can duplicate it for our members. Also we want to see the textile school so we can know exactly what it offers and how often we can enroll members.

From the office we went to the mission office. Stopping first to get food at BYU – I took a picture so I can put it in the blog so people will finally see what I mean when I mention eating there. We ate at the office and talked to the folks there. Hendra showed me how to change the password on the computers – I am afraid Sam is letting people get on our computers and that could be a problem. We also picked up some Kitab Mormons to give out – we will go see Sister Paulina today and give her one or two.

After the mission office we went to Carrefour to get Mary a new briefcase and some other supplies. We got her a really nice ‘Marmot’ knock-off. They duplicated all the logos and if the advertising blurb was not written is such poor English someone might be fooled. But it is well made and for $12 it could not be touched in the US. When we got to the counter of course there was no barcode anywhere so we had to wait 10 minutes while someone roller skated over and checked the price. It turned out to be $1 less than we thought it should be.

We were home in time for me to take a short nap before the cleaning lady came. I have finally reached the point where I look before I turn around, open a door, etc. so I do not accidently run over her. She is quieter than a mouse – almost like a ghost.

For dinner I finished off the pizza from Saturday night. We read Kitab Mormon early tonight – it seems to be getting easier but there are still many words I do not know. I also read from Elder Holland’s talk in Indonesian – it does not get any easier.

We watched the final episode of the current ‘Amazing Race.’ I was rooting for the blondes because I thought it would be good for a pair of women to win. But they came in 2nd. If I was the producer of the program I would give a million $ to the winner, $200K to 2nd and 100K to the 3rd. This seems fairer to me than the winner takes all.

We have been doing laundry since Friday – it seems we manage to come up with a load most days – today it was sheets. It is interesting how mundane things such as washing dishes – and remembering to rinse in clorox water, hanging laundry, and ironing shirts have just become of being on a mission. It goes along with reading the scriptures, PMG, and lesson manuals.

A mission has started to change my perspective about what is important. Other than family I do really miss anything that we have left behind. I would like to be able to work in the garden – more for the chance to be doing something artistic than seeing the results. I have little desire to listen to music. I do miss reading novels at times but it is no big thing. I now take about a month to read one instead of a day. What is important is learning the language, trying to help people find jobs, teaching English, etc. That is trying to do what the Lord sent us here to do.

06 May 2007 – Sunday

Much of today was very busy. We had to get up a little early because we need to leave just after 7 for our 8 a.m. sacrament meeting in T1.  Sunday morning is a wonderful time to travel in Jakarta. There is almost no traffic and the trip that takes from 1 to 2 hours on Thursday took about 30 minutes today.

We went to T1’s fast meeting. Mary was asked to play the piano for the meeting and so we sat on the front row. We still can not understand enough words to know what they are talking about. Especially during testimony meeting – at least not until they reach their testimonies. We did not have anyone even giving us a synopsis for the first meeting. At times this is frustrating but we will keep trying until we can hear and understand. Learning patience may be the most important thing I get out of this mission.

We did not go to a T1 Sunday school class. Mary wanted to work on her lesson and I want to sleep. She had more success than I did. But I had a chance to talk to some of the members and relax some.

The T2 sacrament meeting was better than the 1st because we had elder Rigby to give us some clues about what the people were saying. This does not mean we understood much by ourselves but it did help me pick out some of the words that I probably would have missed. We found out that the outing we are invited to attend on the 17th will leave at 5:30 a.m. This means that we will have to leave our apartment by 4:15 to reach the collection area. Luckily for us it turns out that Sam’s trip does not leave until 7:00 so he can drop us off and still make his. So we do not have to worry about a taxi running us around the countryside to run up the fare.

We went to T2 Gospel Principle class. Elder Smith did a good job but I do not think that teaching is his best attribute. Most of the elders take too much of the time speaking and not enough letting the investigators talk. They should ask more questions, make sure the investigators understand the teaching, bear testimony, tell stories, etc. But of course they tend to stick to the manual and do not bring much from the outside. This is good and bad – it is good if the investigators are involved but if they just sit there and listen it is not very interesting.

There was an investigator in the class that I thought did not know much English but about half way through he asked me for the English version and seemed to know how to read it. After the class we talked some and it turned out he had very good English. He said that he had been investigating many churches and had come to the LDS church before. He also told me that he had done some terrible things in his life. I told him that there was few things that the Lord would not forgive him for doing. I probably should have mentioned that one of those was murdering someone. Anyway it will be interesting to see if he continues to read, study, and come to church.

Mary then went to teach her class and I went to Priesthood. There was very little done in PH – a young man was ordained a Priest. They sustained him in the PH meeting which is not how it is supposed to be done – I will write the president about that – and then talked about Home Teaching. When they got to the lesson they as usual did not try to include the young men so it is completely boring for them. At some time I am going to suggest that they let the missionaries teach the AP while the MP hold their meeting.

After church – Mary ran over. She said she talked too much but the lesson went well – we took the missionaries – Elder Rigby and his companion – to give a lesson to the woman that we went to a couple of weeks ago. Now that Sam knew the way he got us there in half the time. The lesson did not seem very spiritual to me. It was one of those cases where the missionaries do all the talking and the investigator gets too much to absorb. I do not think the spirit was there at all until just as the lesson was over and they asked the investigator to pray. This was the first time she had prayed – at least while we were there – and as she prayed you could hear the emotion in her voice. She choked up and there were tears in her eyes. She excused herself and Mary asked the missionaries to make sure they helped her recognize the spirit that she felt as she prayed. I am not sure they did.

We dropped the missionaries off at the bus station and headed home. On the way there we found out that Sam was supposed to be playing for his ward’s choir practice. He had not known that we were going to with the missionaries. Luckily we got home quickly and I told him to take the car to the church which saved him 20 – 25 minutes of walking. We really do need to find an alternate driver for Sunday so Sam can go to his meetings in his branch.

I forgot to mention that he was up most of the night before. One of his friends was in a motorcycle accident and broke his ankle. Sam went with him to the hospital and watched the operation – he has pictures – and then stayed with him until 2 in the morning. Since to get to our place by 7:00 he had to get up at 5:00 he did not get much sleep. I told him to go out in the car and sleep for part of the meetings. I did not want him to fall asleep while driving us.

The rest of the day was spent catching up some of the journal, cleaning up some of the stacks of papers we have managed to accumulate, and reading from the Kitab Mormon. I continued to study my vocabulary words. I even studied some in the car while we were traveling. I think that is a good thing to do and it helps the time pass.

One thing I have found that by the time I crawl into bed, I am very tired. I usually try to read some Indonesian or study some vocabulary but after only a few minutes I turn off the light and drop off to sleep. It is strange to be so tired when there very little physical effort in our mission. Walking up and down the stairs at church is about all there was today. I guess I am just getting old or something.