25 June 2007 – Monday

A very normal morning for us. We read from the Kitab Mormon – we are into 3rd Nephi and the signs at the time of Christs death and resurrection. I am also reading the D&C – I am somewhere in the 80s. The struggle of the saints, the growing establishment of doctrine and the continual sending out of missionaries fill the pages. What a shame that John Whitmer did not keep a really good history of the early church. Or that there was not one person in Kirtland and one in Missouri who kept a daily diary. Joseph later would mention that this lack of a good record of the growth of the church was a great loss.

At the church, Mary started the class with a reading test. While she was doing this I sent out a number of e-mails trying to Johan Salim some interviews for a job. Hopefully by the 12th there will be something arranged for him.

I sent the following letter to Elder Subandriyo – I include it because it lays out some of the experience we gained through this class.

Hello Elder Subandriyo –

The graduation has been moved back to 7:30 on Tuesday night. If you can be here that would be great.

We have learned a lot from this pilot and we would like to do it again in either September or October – perferably September. This would give us a chance to give more returned missionarie a chance to participate. We would certainly be better organized – that is we have a much better idea of what needs to be taught and when to get the best results.

An added bonus of this class was that some members – especially those who helped teach or had the young people over to their homes – of the English branch have come to relaize that they can do more to help the Indonesian saints. Sister Guttormsen mentioned bringing a young man or woman into their home for a month and teaching them one on one. I believe others might do the same. So even if we never hold another class – but I hope we do – we might be able to help return missionaries get into BYUHawaii.

The program also has made the English branch members more responsive to helping with employment opportunities. I have sent Johan Salims resume to a couple of the members and asked them to see if there are any openings in their companies or if not would they pass it on to those they know in other companies.

So I believe the class was worth the effort and the expense. Thank you so much for your support.

Elder Pier

After an hour, Mary and Sam went to the store to get some things we need for graduation, some thank you notes for the students to send to those who helped. Sam is working on a slide show presentation that we will also give to everyone who helped and to the students. He really is good at this and might find that he could go into business making slide shows and powerpoint presentations.

I sat with the class for an hour as they took another test. This will be the final one for them and we will compare it with the first test to see how they did. After lunch Mary went back to teaching and then I joined her for an hour or so. We worked on correcting sentences – something they really do not like to do but really need to learn. They have lots of trouble writing and speaking in correct sentences. I told them not to complain too much about English and went through some of the things we have trouble with in learning Indonesian – like why use ‘pun’ or ‘yang’ in certain situations.

After class Sam brought us home where we spent the rest of the day taking a nap, watching some TV, and reading the Kitab Mormon. Mary made up graduation certificates. We gave up on finding an on line certificate that would work and so I started to create one in Word Perfect. Once I got it started Mary took over and did a great job – much better than I would have done – creating a great looking certificate.

We got some good news. The dinner for the Jensens will be held at the mission home instead of Amigos. This means we do not have to travel so far and therefore can stay a little longer before we have to leave and head back to the chapel for the graduation program. We do not think many people will show up for it, but it does not matter. What is important is the young people feel as special as they are. I imagine Jin-young’s parents will be there and hopefully Elder Subandriyo will make it.

I continue to read from the D&C at night. I was struck by the power and promises of the 88th section. Verse 63 and 67 especially seem important to me at this time. The idea of drawing near to the Lord is something we always need but now as we are on our mission and ask to do things we are not really qualified to do, it is especially important that “Draw near unto me (Christ) and I will draw near to you;” and then “If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light…and the body that is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” How much I need that – it reminds me of the last two or three verses of D&C 121…”And let thy bowels be filled with charity…”

Anyway as I wrote to president Jensen today…the work is true and it is no sacrifice to serve a mission. In fact there are blessings each day while on a mission.