Mary playing for choir at conference. The Missionary Choir led by sister Hinckley. President Marchant being a gracious host – Sam and Elder Louhannapessy.
20 October 2007 – Saturday
The day was so long and so packed that Mary had to remind me about the morning being normal. I continue to get up and go to the gym. We read for a short time in the Kitab Mormon and then headed off to teach English.
We kept the class together for the morning section but divided them into two groups for the second one. Mary was not all the excited about dividing the class but after the class period she said the students in her class – those who are not as advanced as the other half – were excited about being taught separately. I think my part of the class also was OK with the split. I am not so sure they are excited about having more homework than the rest but I think it will help them.
Starting at about 1:00 people started arriving for District Conference – the Lees from Bogor joined us in the office for a while and we caught up with things in their lives. The Kanes will not be at the conference because they were headed for Bali to meet up with one of their daughters and her family. The arrival of all the Indonesian saints causes some problems with our class. It means that they will end up speaking a lot of Indonesian – the temptation is just too great. I kid them about only speaking English, but I know that it is mostly in vain.
Mary got to play the piano for the 1st general session and also for the Missionary Choir. The only problem she runs into is that no one bothers to tell her what the choir was singing until the last minute. The conference is on preparedness and all the talks are very on subject. I especially enjoyed district president Mak’s talk. He always seems to talk from the heart and with sweet directness. He told how his bank offered interest free loans so their employees could buy a car. He did not take up the offer because even an interest free payment would not work in their budget. They waited for a number of years and their children getting older before they purchased their caravan.
Elder Tucksworth is going to spend his last month in Bogor as Zone Leader. I am going to miss him – he has the same sense of humor as me. He is going to be a strong leader in Australia. Elder Whitmore and elder Tucksworth in the MTC together and go home at almost the same time. The quality of these young elders is amazing. What great training a mission can be if the missionary learns to work with God and Jesus Christ. They also learn to handle the frustration and sorrow that comes from seeing people reject the gospel. To work hard and see no tangible results except their own growth. I believe that missionary work is almost as much about proving the missionary as it is getting converts. It is the Lord’s version of a seminary for future leaders. For some it is the Road to Damascus or the Liberty jail. Some unfortunately find it as a huge stumbling block or a something to be endured – a inconvenient rite of passage. But for all it is a great time of probation – the experience that sets the tone for their whole life. Many are called ….
After the session, president Marchant invited us to join the other missionaries for dinner at the mission home. It was a great gathering of missionaries and the only thing I would have changed was where we sat. The Davises sat in the kitchen area with a whole circle of young missionaries while we sat with the other couples and mainly the office elders that we see all the time. The Davises seem to have more fun. We did not stay long after dinner – we really needed to get home.
By the time we got home it was almost 10 – we had been away for almost 14 hours. Strangely enough I was exhausted but not all that tired. At least so it seemed, but as soon as my head hit the pillow I was gone. It was a good day.