I would like to do a book of just different loads that can be found going through the streets of Jakarta. The first one is just a very neat and colorful load that we saw. It looks like a work of art – there must be an art to making up loads so they do not fall apart. The second is a new refrigerator being delivered or taken home. The last is a bike-cart loaded with crepes. They can get more in one of these than they can on a motorcycle but it takes longer to make the deliveries. We do not see many bike-carts in Jakarta that are not portable food carts. Today we saw two!
09 May 2008 – Friday
A normal morning before leaving for District Meeting at the mission office. We continue to read from the A&P. Re-reading the revelations that flowed to the early church where ever event was new and they sought the Lord’s guidance for what they should do and how they should do it.
It was a very good District Meeting and they managed to keep it to an hour. As they talked about their investigators the same kind of problems came up as we heard in Tangerang last night. They can not get people to commit to baptism. I again spoke up and said that if their investigators were truly converted they would not be able to keep them out of the water. I mentioned that their purpose was not to baptize but to bring the people unto Christ and through the spirit the would be converted. Later Elder Bastian thanked me for bringing that up.
After the meeting we had lunch in the mission home. President and Sister Marchant left food for everyone when the left earlier to go to Eastern Java for District Conference. It was fun to eat with the Sisters and Elder. All are 40 – 50 years younger but treat us as one with them. We supplied Jco donuts for dessert. Sister Sadimin really like Jco and Krispy Kreme donuts so we are heroes in her eyes.
Before we left the mission office, I had a chance to talk to Elder Subandriyo about a couple of things that were on my mind. I told him that he would have to solve the problems that we were leaving him.
We then went to the hearing aid office and after trying the units again, I ordered an in-the-ear model for my right ear. I think that will do the job so I can hear TV and movies better. I also hope it helps me hear spoken Indonesian more clearly. It turned out by waiting a three weeks, I got an extra 10% off – they changed the promotion just this week. It is going to cost about ½ of what it would have in the US.
While I was getting fitted for my hearing aid, Mary and Sam got some prints made so we can give them to members and missionaries. We are going to get all our pictures printed here because they only cost about 10 cents for a big 4 x6 print. Much less than at home and it only took about 10 minutes to get 40 prints.
Earlier in the day, I got a call from President Marchant. While he was in Hong Kong for the Mission President’s meeting, he mentioned that Indonesia really needed couples. He was told that Asian Area alone needed 49 Humanitarian couples and at the moment there were only 4 couples who qualified to serve here. It seems they are being more careful about who they send to this area. It is really too bad that so few couples are willing to serve missions. From what the President said, I would not be surprised if we were sent somewhere in Asia on our next mission. If so I hope it is back to Indonesia so we can build on what language we have learned. If so we would definitely get a tutor before and after we were here.