I did not have a good night. I woke at 1:30 and did not go back to sleep until after 4:00. About 2:30 I gave up and started reading from PMG – Indonesian. When I am reading Indonesian and trying to figure out the translation, time goes by fast. But unfortunately it did not make me sleepy. Finally sometime after 4:00 I managed to go back to sleep until 6:00.

We continue to read from the Kitab Mormon. I am not sure we are any faster than the last time but I think we are doing a better job translating. Few words stop us and we can take the time to work out the correct word order, who is the subject, and when it is happening. It is encouraging.

It is P-day so we only had a morning IE class but we got a lot done. We are less than a week from graduation and so we are trying hard to get them prepared to take the Michigan test next Wednesday. I am working on reading comprehension and inferences. I also worked on some grammar that I thought might show up. Hopefully we are teaching what they need. They are a great group and have amazing talent.

We got some good news. Ronald has an interview next Monday for a job in Bandung. I called Lukito and he will come in tomorrow to work with Ronald about interview techniques. Hopefully between that and the confidence he has gained over the last month will prepare him for a great interview. I plan to write a letter of recommendation for him. I found something out about Daisy. She can memorize very quickly. Today she took about a minute to memorize the vocabulary words we were going over. She is much like Vita only with out her outward vitality. But she never complains and works very hard. I really hope she make at least 72 – 75 on the Michigan test. I also hope Rudi shows a big increase on this test.

As soon as the morning classes were over we headed for the mission office while they went home to do washing, cleaning up, and I would guess some sleeping. They will go to president Smith’s house tonight. We got some great news at the office. All of our burned out equipment is back up and running except for our big printer. It will be ready tomorrow – we hope. It would have been much easier if we had had it during the month but at least we will be all together by the weekend.

We all ate from BYU – Mary had soup and ayam sate. I had my usual rice, potatoes, and tempe – no cucumbers today. After lunch Mary went in to teach her English class and I just hung around talking to people such as Elder Roper, Hendra, and brother Tandiman. I also had a nice conversation with elder Walker. He and his wife are great people and have been a lot of help to us during this month.

After the mission office we went to SoGo for our fix of orange juice and BreadTalk. We also got the fixings for French Toast and other things for dinner on Saturday. We are going to have the students over and teach them how to make French Toast. I think only Daisy has ever had it before.

On the way home it rained like mad. I thought it would cause a real mess but instead it cut down on the traffic. First it took most of the motorcycles off the street. It also stopped pedestrian traffic so going past Carrefore was a snap. I think it also made some folks postpone their traveling until it slow down or stopped. In any case instead of taking the hour that Sam thought it would be, we got home in 25 minutes.

At home we read a couple of times from the Kitab Mormon. We got the brothers back to their father’s tent and then back from Jerusalem for the second time with the family of Ishmael. Laman and Lemuel would make a great case study of people who can not really make up their minds on what they want or are willing to do. Their seemingly true repentance on the journey back to camp after their second trip holds up for a while and then as Nephi says they forget all that the Lord has done, the angels and miracles they have seen, and all the other examples and signs they have been shown. They just will not give up their worldliness and trust in the Lord.

If these guys crash, they will have more than 7 years bad luck. I like the one on the right that makes it look like the driver is looking backwards. The other makes it look like they are about to run into a tree.

While we were waiting for a light this man with his trash cart stopped in front of us. He could not get up on the sidewalk because we were blocking the driveway. After a while the policeman walked over and started giving him some suggestions about other routes he might take, but the old gentleman had been around too long for the police to cause him any concern. He knew which way he was going to go and that was that. The young policeman gave up with a smile and let him do it his way.

On our way to the store we stopped where I could take a picture of the soon to be pouring sky. None of these pictures captured the real beauty of the sky but I played with the original on the left and came up with these other versions of what it looked like. I think the far right one is close. The one below is my favorites – it reminds me of Utah in the winter. I think it would make a great puzzle.

 

We really work our students. This is what they do during lunch hour. I thought Sam had died, but he came back for the afternoon class. I love the one with the sister sleeping on four chairs – whatever works I guess.

31 October 2007 – Wednesday

Another month in my life comes to an end. I really slept in today and so did not go to the gym. I must say that it felt great. I spent part of the morning catching up on posting to the blog. I did not realize that I was three days behind. Olivia’s blog had great pictures of her and her parents. She is growing up fast. Kristy looks good – and pregnant.

We started reading the Kitab Mormon for the third time. We have decided to not set any goal to how long we will take. It is better to just read, learn and enjoy. When we get home we need to read it together in English and ponder and discuss what we read. I wish I could say that most of what we read sticks in my mind, but that would not be true. I have never been able to hold most of the thousands of books I have read over my lifetime in my memory. The old saying of in one ear and out the other seems to be my motto.

Thinking back on what we read this morning, I feel that Lehi fits nicely into the kind of person that sister Hallstrom suggested we be. That is when he heard the prophets, he went out and prayed for his people. Thinking of others as so many of the people in the Book of Mormon. Then when he was given his duties, he went out and did them with all his strength. He had that “fire in his bones” that sister Hallstrom talked about. Even though he was mocked and threatened with death he continued to speak out. He fulfilled his calling – his mission – with all of his heart, mind, might and strength until he was released by the Lord. He was an example for his son Nephi as hopefully we will be for our children and grandchildren.

We had a good day of teaching. They young people are working hard – most of them stay up until midnight studying and doing homework. They do not complain but at lunch time many of them take naps. I really hope that the effort they and us make is worth what they learn. I often think that we are not the people who should be doing this. But the Lord puts here at this time so I have faith that this is for His purpose.

After the afternoon class was over, we hurried back to the apartment before the cleaning lady showed up. We were happy to see Mugi when she come. She had come back to Jakarta with a case of typhus, which is why she did not come last week. We have no idea how old Mugi is – she could be anywhere from early 20’s to mid-30’s. She has a great smile and personality. We just wish we could speak to her better.

Over the course of the night we read two more times from the Kitab Mormon. We got to where Nephi and his brothers had been chased from Laban’s house leaving their valuables behind. I wonder which side I would have been on if I was with them at this time. I can understand Laman and Lemuel’s point. It reminded me of David and Goliath. The host of Israel is afraid of the mighty warrior, and here is David not only willing, but as sister Hallstrom just reminded me, he was so eager that he ran towards Goliath.

I doubt if I ever will have to face a choice such as that, but how often am I so eager to go home teaching, or to the temple, or to church, or to PEC, etc,  that I can not wait to get out the door. I am more likely to be excited about going to a show, going shopping, or going out to eat.

I am continuing to study in the Indonesian PMG. Some sections I can go through quickly without looking up more than one or two words. Then I hit a part that looks like Greek to me – three or four words in a row look new. But I trust that the more I read the more I will learn. I can read far more words today than the first time I tried this 7 months ago. So there is hope.

I had a nice Skype chat with the Christensens’ in Hong Kong this evening. They asked me if we had our new computer and I said I was waiting for approval from brother Burr. They told me that he had given the request to them and they had sent an e-mail giving approval if there was money in the budget. It turned out Mary had read the letter but I had completely missed it. So now we can go forth and get a new computer and monitor. Yeah!