14 June 2007 – Thursday

I could not go sleep last night. All I could think of was the English class and the need for finding jobs for our returned missionaries. Also how we can get the YM and YW to understand the great need to learn English and to choose their vocation carefully. After tossing all these ideas around again and again I finally fell asleep.

Once I got to sleep I slept well and woke up feeling fine. Normal morning with the hour of reading Kitab Mormon going as usual. We also had an often interrupted Skype call with Jim and Krisity. Jim pointed out that it may be in our computer and not our connection because we had the same kind of problem at home when we were set apart.

It was probably my best day for the Intensive English Class. As Mary held the opening exercises and started them on their reading test, I got all the things ready for teaching the rest of the morning. One of the things I decided on last night was to divide the class into two sections to see if working with a smaller group allows for more opportunities for each student to participate. So Mary will take Jin-young, Ekjo, and Agus while I take the other four. After I had everything ready, I let Mary relax while I watched the test takers. I was happily surprised when a number of them actually finished all 50 questions before time ran out.

After the test and a break we split the class. I worked on vocabulary – reviewing what they did yesterday – pronunciation and the use of do and does. I created a list of simple questions that they had to fill in with the correct form and then I had them verbally answer the questions. The time went by quickly and I think everyone enjoyed it. Vita got all the vocabulary definitions correct the first time through. She just absorbs information like a sponge – she thrives on learning.

Since it was P-day we were done by noon. We closed everything off and while most of the students returned to their rooms, we took Jin-young and Anna (a most unusual pair) to the mall and we went to the mission office to pick up mail, eat lunch and for me to talk to some of the people.

I talked to brother Tandiman about how we might get the young people to understand how important it is for them to study hard, learn all the English they possibly can, choose their careers wisely, and to go to the right schools for their careers. He is coming around to the idea and after I mentioned it should be taught in Seminary he found out that there actually were 2 lessons on it in the manual – they just have not been using them. Later when talking to Elder Subandriyo he said he wanted me to speak to the PH leadership in the Jakarta Zone about the need for knowing English in Indonesia today. We also talked a little about having the new mission president push learning English harder to the missionaries. I really think this is one area that needs a lot of work and will lead to great rewards.

Sam lunch for himself and me from BYU – Mary brought a tuna sandwich. My lunch was great – rice, tempe (spicy soybeans), green beans and spicy potatoes. When I was done eating, I realized that my mouth was not burning – I think I may be getting use to the spicy foods. But I do not think I am ready for Padang. Maybe after we have been here a year.  After lunch we went to SoGo to buy groceries and of course Bread Talk. Anna and Jin-young met us there so we could bring them back home.

Anna said something that thrilled me. She said that she is not sure if she is speaking Indonesian or English. How great is that. Vita has said that she is dreaming in English – I told them all early on that it would happen. Now if we can just continue to build on this, they will leave class with a great basis for more growth in English.

The rest of the day and night was spent eating, napping, and cleaning up paperwork. Also writing in this journal and watching some TV. Mary worked on correcting the tests they took this morning. We are really excited because most people moved up. The only one who went down is the young man who is not putting much effort into the class. He actually did worse this week than last. I will talk to him tomorrow and see if I can get him to put his nose to the grindstone for the next 10 days that he will be here. Then came Kitab Mormon – we struggled through just two pages, some TV and bed.