28 October 2007 – Sunday

We went to the English branch for church. It is only the 4th or 5th time that we have attended there. We feel we have to have a special reason to not go to one of our branches. Today’s reason was that four of our English students would be speaking.

We got there early enough to stand in the line of missionaries and greet people. Some we knew some we did not. Brother Willis asked to home teach a sister who lives in Puri Casablanca. Later he introduced us and she will call us when we can come.

The students did great with their talks. None of them read their talks. They had notes but they only had to refer to them a few times. Puji was able to speak clearly and told her story about teaching a woman who was deaf and dumb. She could not talk to the missionaries and they did not talk to her. But Puji said that they understood each other and the woman was baptized a month ago. Puji said that there were still miracles being done. Daisy changed her talk a little by telling the story of her mother’s last months. She could not hear very well and she could not walk. Daisy would go to church and then come home and speak right into her mother’s ear to tell her about the talks and the lessons. It was a truly touching story. The guys also did well but I did not feel the same spirit that I felt with the two young ladies. It was amazing to hear them speak before a whole audience of English speakers and be able to do it so well. We are truly blessed to be able to teach such fine young people.

As the sacrament was being passed I read about the crucifixion of our Lord. As I read in Matthew I noticed 27:36 that reads after the guards had cast lots for his clothing,“And sitting down they watched him there.” )I must have read it a dozen times or more, but I do not remember ever noticing it.) It then says that they put the sign “King of the Jews” on the cross. None of the other gospels has the line about them sitting down and watching Jesus as he died. I do not know even now why this struck me as of any importance. I tried to join those guards as they sat there – probably as they always did – bored with their job. Hoping that those three men on crosses would die quickly so they could get them down and then go home for a nice dinner. Maybe they bet about which of the prisoners would die first. But maybe one of them felt something special, maybe one of them had a life changing experience as he witnessed that scene. “And sitting down, they watched him there.” Front row seats to the most important death that will ever happen.

Sister Moore gave a very meaningful lesson on the importance of our bodies and the need to develop Christ like attributes. She challenged us to choose one from a long list of attributes of members of the Lord’s church that we gleaned from the scriptures and work on it. She also had the whole class introduce themselves and for us to try and remember the name of one of the people who we did not already know. I remember Bob Willey – a member from Lindon who comes here to look in on a project and then flies back to Utah.

I had a special experience between Sunday School and PH – and it happened in the restroom. I found myself next to a brother and introduced myself. I found that he was not a member of the branch – he lives in Shanghai – and was only visiting for the day. He works for a German company that has a factory in Bekasi. I told him the I was here to work with employment and suggested that he might be able to get us an introduction with the HRD of their factory. So we exchanged cards and hopefully he will be able to get us an appointment. It is another one of those coincidences that I think the Lord arranged. Brother Peterson was only here for one Sunday and it was the one Sunday that we would be at the English branch for months. Then we are put together in a situation where it was natural to introduce myself. Add that he works for a company with a factory in an area where we need jobs and I see it as a tender mercy from the Lord.

Priesthood was fun and informative. We talked about women in the church and our relationship with them. We talked about wives and mothers. Brother Orton told how when he was in a bishopric, his wife had to do everything to get the children ready and bring them to church. Later he was released and his wife became Stake RS president. The roles reversed because she was almost always away visiting other wards. He had to learn to do his daughters hair – an experience she still talks about and uses in lessons – in a positive way. When we were singing the closing song, elder Roper rebelled when they tried to sing only the first and last verse of the song. He said, no and proceeded to start the second verse in such a loud voice that everyone soon joined him. Elder Roper is truly one of a kind.

It was strange to get back to the apartment before noon. Since then we have had lunch, took naps – Mary got in two – worked on more inference practices, read 6 pages from the Kitab Mormon – we are in Moroni and that goes rapidly – and caught up this journal. We ordered in Pizza for dinner – this was the first night we could do that this weekend.

We got a call from Elder Kane saying that the Harris Hotel was full. I told them that they were welcome to stay with us. Sister Kane insisted that she would sleep on the couch or they would not come. I told her OK. But later when we started thinking about it, it is a lot easier for us if they take our bedroom and we sleep elsewhere. So I called her back and asked her to please let me sleep on the couch because it really was easier. She did not believe me so I had Mary talk to her and that convinced her. She finally agreed.