13 August 2009 – Thursday

I woke this morning and found this wonderful e-mail waiting for us.

Hello Elder/Sister Pier:

 

Hanny works at Ashton Hotel in Ancol, he is very happy and earn enough to buy to new motor cycle last week.  He is active in the Church, super guy!!  The GM at the Ashton hotel is a member from the English speaking branch.  Of course Hanny applied for the job through regular selection.  He was told only to speak English during interview and he did and was accepted.  Another young man, a returned missionary  (Sandi Pagalla) works there too.  You now see the fruit of your efforts teaching them intensive English for a  month.  Remember Erna from Jogja, she is applying scholarship to study in USA through Fulbright scholarship from USA.  She was also one of your students.

 

Elder/Sister Pier, thank you so much for your service in Indonesia.  President Marchant and I have been talking a plan for the 40th celebration of the Church in Indonesia next year.  One of the plan would be sending 40 pioneers who never been to the temple to Manila temple.  We will make join effort to raise funding to pay for their travel to Manila. 

 

We got the camera for the AV training from Japan.  I was lobbying privately with my contact in HQ AV department, and they found cascaded camera in Japan and we got it.  It’s still in good condition and it works.  The teacher is a brother from Srilanka.  He came to Jakarta a month ago seeking political asylum because his life was in danger as he is a Tamil. In Srilanka he owned AV company so is very knowledgeable in that field.  Yoyok from Bekasi will be teaching cameraman.  Now, you see the tender mercy of God.  The spirit never goes wrong, doesn’t he? When something is true…it’s true.  We both felt that AV training was true, even though we didn’t get support from the “authority”…I felt it was still true.  Now, God works in His own way to make it happen.

 

We are proud and love you Elder/Sister Pier.  Our English program is still

running in Jakarta, Tues-Thursday, but no more intensive program in the other

branches, no more couples, only one in Malang.  Well, we do what we have and I know…yes, I know…Heavenly Father knows our heart and our dreams.  He will find His way to accomplish His purpose in every lands and nations.  What we need is to seek inspiration what need to be done and through hard work and diligent try the very best to accomplish it.

 

We love you and proud of your service as missionary couple.

 

Dengan kasih,

Elder SBY

 

While it outlines some of the things we were a part of in Indonesia, what it did for me was to remind me that it is the Lord’s church and His work that we do. That although we might want to accomplish everything immediately, He is in control and we just must do our best, have faith, and have patience. As elder Subandriyo so often said to me – Elder Pier we do what we can do and trust in Lord.

It is a lesson that I really needed this morning as I thought about what we had learned at the meeting yesterday from Elder Koelliker. It also reminded me how Elder Subandriyo was always looking for ways to help the members move ahead. I am so glad that we were able to work with him while we served in Indonesia.

I felt that we should share this with our family and friends so I sent it out as an e-mail. Maybe it will help some couple decide to put in their papers for a mission.