1 June 2007 – Friday

I am really mixed up. I could swear that today is Saturday and not Friday. But that is because all day yesterday I thought it was Friday. I did not sleep well – or maybe it would be better to say I did not sleep long enough. I woke just after 4 and there was no way I could go back to sleep. Mary had the same problem.

Since we need to be at the chapel earlier than usual we have to hurry to get ready so we can get our hour of reading the Kitab Mormon in. When we get to the church we find our last student has made it in – he looks very tired. He is the driver for one of the senior couples and only found out he was coming yesterday.

The students all arrive on time and say they slept OK – they do have some complaints but not many. We get right into class. We hear a couple of reports on the homework we gave them last night, we talk a little about why it is so important that they only speak English, and have them interview their partner so they can introduce them later in the day.

Then they take a full, but out dated, TOEFL test – it is about 3 hours long. Mary and I took turns sitting in the room so we could tell them when to start and stop each section. While Mary watched I tried to get on line so I could check our corporate mail. Unfortunately it just was not cooperating. I think I am going to change back to a phone service – this wireless is useless. So yesterday we had no electricity and today we have no internet. The joys of being in Indonesia.

By the time they had finished the test they were fried so it was a good thing that they had a couple of hours to relax before the next class period started. Since we were going to be away until evening – we needed to do some shopping and try to take a short nap – we left the key to the building with one of them and Sam took us to the mission office so we could give the Peterson’s the things they needed to conduct the afternoon class. Mainly they scored the tests and went over why the answer was what it was. While we were doing this Sam got us some lunch – we had left ours back at the office.

From there we went to SoGo to get some things we needed for ourselves and so Mary could cook dinner for the class on Sunday. When I woke up this morning I got the inspiration that we should have them all over to our apartment on Sunday night. We will feed them and then watch some of the conference talks. They will take notes and we will ask some questions about each talk. I think two talks will be plenty. Then Sam will take them back home with some homework.

It was a good thing that we had a chance to come home and relax for an hour or so before heading back to the church. We both were both very tired and I think slightly stressed. We fully realized that we did not have a solid plan about what we are going to do tomorrow – or for that matter the next class period. We are running on a wing and a prayer – lots of the latter.

We got back before the Peterson’s were through so we could hear something about what they taught and to thank them for their help. They will teach a couple of classes a week – we just need to figure out what to tell them to teach.

There was an hour dinner break but most of the students did not go and get anything. So we got to talk to them. I believe that before this class is over we will know them quite well and hopefully we can stay in touch long after the class is completed. Agus – the Bennett’s driver – is away from his wife and young daughter for a full month. Ekjo (Echo) – the recently released missionary – is a fine young man who has a degree in veterinarian medicine but does not want to pursue that career. I need to talk to him about why he has changed his mind. Toni is the hard one to figure out – I hope that I get to know him before the class is over. Jin-young turns out to be only 16 and not 18 – well that is she is 16 in our years but 18 in Chinese lunar years. I would not have allowed her in if I had known she was only 16. She has difficulty understanding written and spoken English in a classroom setting. I have no idea how much she can learn in this class. Anna has an old mind – I am afraid she has her mind and spirit set on the world. Hopefully we can bring give her a spiritual lift as well as teach her English. (I am writing this aside on the 13th to say that I was wrong about Anna. She has a good spirit and is really trying.) The jewel of the class is Vita – I think she is worth all the effort we are putting in. She has a wonderful spirit, a keen mind, and a great desire to learn English. She is the kind that this class was made for – I hope we can teach her enough that she can get into BYU Hawaii.