On the right is the Indonesian Mall where Mary bought lots of yarn for making an afgan. On the left is the famous BYU eating establish. The finest of it’s kind in Indonesia. Well at least Jakarta. It has nourished missions from the office for at least 8 years and probably before that. It has the cleanest flies in the area – at least the most friendly.
11 May 2007 – Friday
The weather is turning clearer and hotter. The dry season is certainly setting in. However it seems to be that way in Provo also – temperatures in the high 80’s. The plants must be doing well – if they are being watered that is.
We read our hour of the Kitab Mormon and made it through 3 pages. We came across a couple of things that surprised us – a word used much differently than we thought it should be used. We also came across a puzzle – the use of a word that does not seem to be needed but is. When Mary checked with the professionals at the mission office they told her that it was necessary for it to be good Indonesian but could not tell any way to know when to use it and when not to. You just know when to use it…or not. Easy to say – hard to do.
We went to district meeting. Since Jakarta Raya only has two missionaries it is no longer a district by itself so it has been put in with the mission home elders and the sisters. Elder Decker and Elder Thomas are now in the office. We have known Thomas since we first got here and have worked with Decker for the last three months. District meeting went well – other than Rigby and Basuki, they do not seem to have any progressive investigators. The sisters are excited because they are teaching a family. It would certainly be good if they could help to bring them unto Christ.
After the district meeting we tried to go eat at a Chinese place but we were too late. It is a small restaurant and fills up quickly. So instead we went shopping – or maybe it would be better to say Mary went shopping and Sam and I went along. She bought some material for a blouse and then we walked through a real traditional Indonesian market to find some yard for her to crotchet. Think of large space crammed with small stalls and each stall having home made shelves mixed with display cases. Now think of aisles that were so small two people could sometimes not pass. Add Indonesian heat and humidity and lots of people – now you have the mall.
But by asking every third booth we found a place that actually sold yarn at a reasonable rate. Mary went ape and ended up getting $40 worth. At least this should give her something to do when we are at home and driving for hours. I am sure it was the big sale of the day for the shop because most things they sold were around 10 to 25cents.
On the way back to the car we stopped at what I thought would be an inexpensive Chinese food place. By the time we were done ordering it came to $15 which is really ridiculous for Indonesia. And I really did not think the food was all that good. I would have been much happier with my 50 cent traditional Indonesian lunch.
By the time we were done eating there was just enough time to get to the University for Mary’s English class. Even her class is down to two – but they are good students and she enjoys teaching them and Sam. I spent the time editing pictures on the laptop and adding captions. This will be a major job of playing catch up – but at least once we are done we will remember what the pictures are about.
When we got home I continued to work on pictures and re-sized some that can be uploaded to the blog. I would like to put a picture a day on the blog but doubt if that will happen.
We had date night – just like at home – well almost. Instead of going out to dinner we ordered pizza and instead of going out to the movies we watched a DVD of Spiderman 3. The pizza was good but the movie was much too long and too complicated. They used material for at least two movies and perhaps three in one. But hey what do I know – the crazy movie made almost $400 million throughout the world in it’s first weekend.
After the movie we read the Kitab Mormon – now that is something we never did on any date night at home – for a little over an hour. We covered about 3 ½ easy pages. Which makes about 6 pages for the day. Not bad at all. At that rate we could read the Kitab Mormon in about 100 days or 3 plus times a year.
While I am finishing this day’s journal, Mary is busy with her first square of crocheting.
I just thought about what I said to the missionaries today at district meeting. The lesson was on what it means to be an effective missionary. PMG points out that success is ‘measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, etc.’ It goes on to say that a missionary should avoid comparing themselves with others.
I mentioned that when were teaching at the MTC I would say that if when you write in your journal at night or if in your prayers you could honestly say to the Lord that you had done your best, than there was no missionary in the world that had done more that day. As I write this journal I am not sure that on most days I can honestly say that. Although my calling is not to teach, etc., there are things that I am called to do. I am sure that I can do more. But I am not going to become discouraged – I just need to try to be a little better tomorrow than I was today. To be a little more committed, to study a little harder, to look for missionary opportunity more often, and to of course be patient. That I may always have His Spirit to be with me.