Mary’s Staff English Class and her protecting the donuts. We have gone around this fountain many times but this was the first time I really noticed the public art project. The traffic cooperated and I got this great picture. I am sure there are many wonderful things we have not seen or noticed in our travels around Jakarta. Maybe the next time we are called to serve here we will do better.
27 May 2008 – Tuesday
Not much sleep for me. It was not that I was thinking about what we needed to do or about going home. I just woke up after sleeping for 3 hours and could not go back to sleep for over 2 hours. But I did get to read and study Indonesian for most of that time so it was not wasted.
Mary really wanted to get pictures printed today so I spent 2 more hours going through all our files and gathered up the pictures I felt we should print. We will have multiple copies of many of them made to give away. I did not get them onto a memory stick until after Sam had arrived.
We went to the office where of course the internet decided not to work so I could not get a number of things done. Hopefully there will be at least one day before we go that I can work there. I still need to get files off Mary’s computer and then clean it up. Mary worked on getting things ready for the area book – which is not in as good shape as it should be.
Agus Kusumarmanto came in and we talked about what should be done after we have left and before the Rebers came. He wanted to know if he should come in and open the office one day a week and we did not think that would be a good use of his time. We suggested instead that we post a notice that anyone needing help call him and arrange a meeting. We also talked about workshops, etc. that would come about while there was no couple here. We suggested that he just give the Walkers any expenses that need to be reimbursed. Before he left he invited us over to his house for dinner tomorrow night.
The sisters dropped by and wanted to know if they could come over to the apartment and play tennis one more time before we leave. I asked if they wanted to play tennis so they could take a hot shower and they laughed. They want to come at 8 a.m. which is a little early but we said sure. Later I reserved a court for them.
I almost forgot that sister Utami came to the office with the last of Mary’s wardrobe – five pair of slacks and a blouse. This is going to have to last her until we go on our next mission. Hopefully she will find a new tailor where ever we go.
After everyone left, we closed up the office and the chapel and headed towards the mission office with a plan to stop and get the pictures I had separated out last night and this morning printed. Sam convinced us to stop at one place but after about 15 wasted minutes we decided to go back to the one we had used before. It was further away and a little more expensive but we knew they did good work.
We stopped at KFC for another comfort lunch. It is quick and not very expensive. Once again I was surprised how busy they were. The middle class is rising in Indonesia. While we were eating it was decided we would drop Mary off at the mission office and Sam and I would go get the pictures printed. And so we did – except we could only leave them and come back after Mary’s class.
When we got back to the office I had a chance to sit down with Elder Subandriyo and talk about a couple of the projects that I will leave unfinished but moving along. I will keep them up until the Rebers get here. I think he realizes that we are not going home and forget about Indonesia because he asked me to help host some Indonesian dignitaries who will be coming in October. It was a job that President and Sister Marchant did before they were called.
Mary’s English class gave her a farewell party today – she will still teach on Thursday and so we had an early dinner. They are a good group and I think that they appreciate Mary’s dedication in preparing lessons. It would be good if Elder and Sister Walker continued them until the Rebers come but who knows. They are very busy keeping up with all the projects that are going on all over Java. They do not spend many days at home right now. Today they were in Bogor and may have stayed for the Rotary Club meeting to keep in touch with the NGOs that are so great.
After the party we went to pick up the pictures. There were about 350 of them. So that makes about 700 – 750 pictures we have had printed in the last two weeks. Mary kept busy this morning and tonight putting them into albums and sorting them to give away over the next few days. Total cost for all 700 pictures was under $75.
We had great news from Hong Kong. We have a great room near the temple and the Baldwins – who we met about 3 months ago – are going to shepherd us around. They have all but the last day planned out for us. Another one of those tender mercies that missionaries seem to get in abundance. Elder Kane had got us $200 US in Hong Kong dollars so we will arrive with some local money. We can exchange for more or use credit cards while we are there. Speaking of money, we are going to end up with just enough Rupiahs in our account to settle our bills before we leave. Whatever is left we will either sell to the Rebers or donate to the scholarship fund.
Pictures and this journal continued to be my main concern this evening. I also wrote some letters to families with missionaries in Indonesia I have come to know. I will miss being able to tell them some about their sons and send them pictures. They seem to really appreciate it.
I can not imagine why I have not fallen asleep while writing this. If I do not sleep well tonight I would guess I will not sleep well again until I get home.
End Note: Just before getting into bed I managed to stub my left foot on one of the suitcases – filled and unfilled – that we have sitting around. It turns out that I really did a nice job of it because the middle toe is a lovely shade of black and blue and hurt like mad.
