The April Ensign –

I am not sure if this is just a great issue or if I was more prepared to read it, but I found the April 2008 Ensign to be wonderful. Besides inspiring stories, I learned something about the calling of a new president that I did not know before. On page 17 under ‘When the Prophet Dies,’ it says that the complete Quorum of the 12 vote to see if they should reorganize the First Presidency or whether the Quorum should preside over the Church. Of course the only time I can think when that might happen is if the Senior Apostle was so sick or mentally disabled that he could not lead. However it does show that the Lord has a way to make sure that the Church always has strong leadership.

I really enjoyed the article on Elder Cook. Obviously he was well prepared by the Lord to serve at this time. The next article on ‘Finding Answers from Conference’ with stories from some Saints on how the conference helped them make decisions that changed their lives. The one about the couple who thought they would stay home for a while after serving 3 missions in 6 years especially struck me. I must confess the thought of waiting a year instead of 6 months between missions has crept into my mind but this reinforced the need to go right back out while we are healthy. However I do not think Mary will let me sell the house so we have only a condo to maintain.

The article that struck me most was the one on tutoring in Washington D.C. The effect on the students and the tutors are amazing. It made me think about tutoring in South Provo where there seems to be a need among the schools there. It would give me a chance to keep my hand in teaching English or reading or something until we leave again.

‘The Joy of Nurturing Children’,’ By Divine Design,’ ‘My Journal, My Testimony,’
and ‘In the Path of the Tornado’ all held my interest and gave me things to think about. So I devoured the Ensign and was truly spiritually fed. Later I will go back and read some of the articles again to see what I missed the first time. It is great that no matter where in the world the Saints reside, they can have this wonderful information come into their home each month.

I am always looking for big or unusual motorcycle loads. So when I saw this one with just a very small file securely strapped to the seat, I decided it was my minimalist load. Another load of flowers is not really new but this one had the tallest flowers wrapped up for protection while the rest was just blowing in the wind – that is something I have not seen before. The Walls delivery man on a two wheel bike is not often seen. Usually they have a three wheeler with the coolers in front. Walls ice cream is one of the many things I will miss.

1 April 2008 – Tuesday

It is a new month and in America this would be April Fools day – which will not start there for another couple of hours. I had a good workout this morning. I am determined to arrive home both physically and spiritually healthier than when I left. I look forward to seeing how my tests come back when we get our physicals.

We read from the Kitab Mormon – this morning it was the exchange of letters between Moroni and the king of the Lamanites. Moroni might have been a great military leader but his diplomatic skills – especially when it came to writing letters – could have used some help.

We have our regular shift at the Employment office. The internet connection comes and goes until I call Hendra to complain. I found out later he called Speedy and raised Cain. It worked as it became steady and true for the rest of the day.

I wrote a number of e-mails – one to make it official that the IEC was cancelled, talked to Tom on Skype – Kelli is getting big, and ended up calling Bishop Pletsch to see if he got my e-mail about wanting to speak on the 8th of June so the family could come. Once I got through with the e-mail and getting the internet working, I started in on more vocabulary for those who are preparing for the Michigan test. About 40% of the test is about vocabulary so it is very important. 40% more is about reading comprehension and the last 20% is grammar. We can do quite a bit about the first two in a month or so, but we have had less luck on the last because they often ask things that even native English speakers have to really think about. Mary worked on her English class stuff and then posted the latest Workshop enrollment.

Sam got lunch for me – the first time I have eaten street food in a couple of weeks. Mary had a tuna sandwich. I am going to miss eating off the street – some of the best meals I have had are those and none cost over 80 cents – today’s was 60 cents.

One of the e-mails I sent was an April Fools that said we were extending for 3 months so we could help train the couple that is replacing us. The Christensens wrote and said they were not sure if it was a April Fools joke or not. Just a minute ago Jim wrote to say that I got him good but Kristy did notice my April Fools P.S. at the bottom.

We went to the mission home so Mary could teach her English class. While she was doing that I got to read the latest Church News and talk to President Marchant for a while about missionary work. He is worried about the lack of couples that are being called to Indonesia. They are very important everywhere but especially in Central Java because of the HS English class.

Elder Walker was really busy. The wheelchair order finally came in so he was arranging to have them delivered to different locations for distribution. They were supposed to be here last September but some paperwork problems delayed them 6 months. Elder Walker is an amazing man – he is really focused on helping the people of Indonesia in as many ways as he can and does not take no for an answer when he thinks the project is vital. I do not know why I am surprised – after all the Lord knew what kind of man Elder Walker was when he had him sent here as Country Director. Like the stripling warriors, Elder Walker does not doubt so the Lord continues to sustain him.

Sam worked with Diaz on his passport so they can go to the Philippines to be sealed. Early today I wrote a letter of recommendation for Sam saying that he was my employee. It seems you can not get a passport if you are not employed. After Mary was finished with her class, we headed back to the apartment.

Late afternoon and evening flies by – We read from the Kitab Mormon about the first battle of Moroni’s 2000 warriors. When I read about their trust in the Lord and how they had been taught by their mothers never to doubt, I can feel their strength. Elder Kane sent out a request for help on getting on Skype so I called him and got him up and running. Amazingly enough our connection held for both video and audio – strange how it comes and goes. I forgot to ask him how he liked his new Mac.

This is the skirt that started it all. It is a beautiful pattern in gold and shades of green. I tried to get a clearer picture of the details. The material and the sewing cost under $10.

31 March 2008 – Monday

Today was a semi-P-Day for us. I did a lot of studying Indonesian during the early morning hours – I could not go back to sleep. We read from the Kitab Mormon before leaving to go buy fabric for some ties for me. The reason for this was that when I showed up at Zone Conference with a new tie that matched one of Mary’s skirts, everyone loved it. I really liked the tie but felt that I should not covenant it, so I ended up giving the two I had to Elder Kane and Elder Roper who were the two that admire it most. Our trip today is to see if we can find the same stall in that huge fabric building and get enough material for another tie or two.

Luckily we were early enough that getting into the parking lot did not take the 45 minutes it did last time. However the parking structure was packed as was the building itself. We retraced our route from the last time and after buying more different material for tie making, we found the right stall and they did have more material.

**** Now fast forward 4 hours and while we were reading from the Kitab Mormon, President Marchant called and wanted to know where we got the material for my ties that I gave away. It turned out that the President wants to have ties made for the elders and skirts for the sisters. We told him where it was and then called to see if they had 30 – 40 meters of the same color and pattern. It turned out they didn’t but would be able to get it by tomorrow. So it will not be long before the official Indonesian Mission Tie will be Mary’s special pattern.

Now back to the morning. After getting everything we wanted or at least enough to satisfy us today, we headed for the mission office where I turned in the Michigan Tests to brother Tandiman, got the mail, and arranged to get some packing tape tomorrow so we can make up packages to send home.

Our next stop was Sogo for groceries – especially orange juice – and bakery goods. Then it was time to go back to our apartment. We had lunch, read from the Kitab Mormon, and then worked on different projects. Mine were working on pictures and the blog, and making up some vocabulary lists and exercises for Titan and Hani. This last task takes lots of time and thought. But I enjoy doing it and it is a good way to use the time.

We read from the Kitab Mormon for the third time. We have now made up for the days that we either missed altogether or only read once. We are in the middle of the war between the “Freemen” and the Lamanites. We just got to where the 2000 stripling warriors are joining the army of the Nephites.

Mary continues to work on English games for the Central Java HS classes and making caps for infants. Sunday she got another four skeins of yarn for the project. I spent my time working on various projects that never seem to end. Elder Hallstrom’s conference talk was my bedtime reading. Spencer W. Kimball’s “Do it” and “Do it Now” does not translate all that well into Indonesian.

 

Mary’s huge piece of fish and chips. Mary and Ed as we were dropping him off at the airport for his flight back to SF. We always enjoy the floral arrangements that are in the tower foyer but today’s included these gorgeous lilies that had just opened up. Flowers and plants are two of the glories of Indonesia and as I have written before, even the most humble house seems to have some growing outside.

30 March 2008 – Sunday

Today we went to Jakarta Raya branch for church. Sam dropped us off and we stood with Elders Thiemann and Suseno to greet the people. Most branch members tend to cut it really close in their timing. Since it is also a small branch – at least as far as active members are concerned – it often looks very sparse when the meeting starts. But they have a great spirit and those who come are very strong.

The sacrament theme was the Word of Wisdom. It is difficult to come up with something new to say about that subject but the speakers did their best to keep it interesting. After the sacrament meeting I was given an assignment to speak in Sacrament meeting on April 27. They did not give me a topic so I will start thinking about one. Since this will probably be my last opportunity – at least in JR – I want to make it meaningful.

We went to the Gospel Principle class where they showed a DVD of the beginning of the Church starting before the First Vision. After that the missionaries had a long discussion with their one investigator who seems to likes to question everything. Since it was the fifth Sunday, they had a combined meeting for RS/PH. The subject was the World Wide Leadership theme of The Family.

After the meeting we took a taxi back to the apartment. We read from the Kitab Mormon – we read for a short time this morning – and then I took a nap. Then it was once again back to posting on the blog and finishing the last of the current batch of pictures.

At 5:00 Sam and Annie came to take us to meet Ed for dinner. We were a little early so we looked for some place different to eat and found a Chili’s nearby. When we drove up Ed was waiting for us so we just loaded up him and his luggage and went to eat.

The food at Chili’s was excellent and the portions were huge. Mary had fish and chips and the piece of fish over-lapped her large plate. When we go back again, we will share one order along with a Blooming Onion. We had a great time talking to Ed about his trip, what we have been doing, etc. Since the restaurant was not even close to being full, we sat and talked until it was time to take him to the airport. We had a last hug and picture before driving away. He will have something like a 25 hour trip to San Francisco via Shanghai.

We bought Ed’s new but extra lap-top from him so now we have a spare. Unfortunately we can not both be on line at the same time because there is only one connection. I guess we could get a switch but it does not seem worthwhile for only two months.

Before turning off the lights I read part of an conference talk in Indonesian. I do not know if I am getting better or not. I certainly do not feel very confident.

Barat Zone Conference – 27 March 2008. The whole gang. Notice that President Marchant is on the phone. So is the life of a mission President. Sisters Sadimin and Marchant teaching the missionaries the proper way to clean and cook veggies. The Senior missionaries in the Barat Zone minus the Walkers who were with their driver at the hospital at Out Back Steak House.

This was our first view of the ferry that would carry us to Sumatra. Notice the interesting rust pattern on the side. I can not say that it gave us great confidence. However it turned out to be a smooth day and a fine ferry so our concerns were unfounded. The series of three shots is of one of the young men who jump off the side of the ferry to chase money that the passengers throw in. The dive is about 25 – 30 feet but the water they then swim in looks like a cesspool. They have to be very desperate, foolish or both to touch that water.

Sam managed to get us on to the bridge of the ferry so we could see the crew at work.

Once on Sumatra we took a tour off the main highway on a road that led through small towns and rice paddies. Along the road most houses had lots of plants and flowers growing. The road was very old and so crossing bridges such as this was common. Mary and I got out and walked across. We did get to the beach for a few minutes. The old fishing boat was there for atmosphere. Other than us the beach was empty.

Motorcycle loads on Sumatra are not much different from those on Java. These are loads of banana cakes. One of Sumatra’s claim to fame is their banana cakes and so large loads of them can be seem going through the streets – even in small villages. Mary liked the taste of the cakes but they did not do much for me.

As you can see we had lunch at an exotic restaurant where Mary met an old friend from the US. He seemed happy to see us.

On our way back to the ferry to head home we came across these two truck loads of elephants. Three in one truck and four in the other. When they went around a corner it looked like they were about to fall over. Mary decided we had to have some souvenir from Sumatra so we stopped at one of the roadside stands to buy some.

On the ferry trip back to Jakarta we went to the front of the ship where we became celebrities. The first group of four had great fun making jokes about us but they were friendly folks. Olga was determined to have her picture taken with us and later I gave her a pass-along card and told her to look us up in Jakarta.

As we approached Java, the sun begin to set. Every few minutes the sky changed colors. Going from white and gray to this final brilliant sunset. It was nice way to finish our trip – well at least our ferry ride. We still had 2 hours of driving to get home to our apartment.

29 March 2008 – Saturday

Back to a more normal schedule today. My morning included going to the gym, reading from the Kitab Mormon, and catching up this journal. We gave Sam the morning off so we took a taxi to the chapel.

As usual we had a quiet time at the office. We once again had problems with the internet but it finally settled down to be OK bit not until it had taken up a good portion of my time trying to get it to work. I then tried to figure out why the mike did not work on Skype. While testing it we did have an opportunity to talk to Tom for a while. I think I got that fixed also but I am not sure. Once those were settled I answered e-mail and worked on some English material. Mary worked on more games for learning English.

Sam came at noon and did an errand for us. Then he mentioned that he and Anne had an appointment to get their pictures taken. It turned out that it was just when we would be going back to the apartment so we told him to go ahead and we took a taxi back to the apartment. He assured us that they would be back in two or three hours.

At the apartment we read the Kitab Mormon and I took a short nap before catching another taxi back to the chapel to give the Michigan English Test to 8 young people. Only 7 of them showed up – 1 young man and 6 young women. There was District Priesthood at the same time but I had to miss that.

After the test I took a taxi back to the apartment. I checked with Sam to make sure he would be available to Mary to choir practice and found out they were still getting pictures taken. So when the time came I went with her to the chapel. As the taxi was taking me back to the apartment, Mary called to tell me that choir practice was cancelled so I told the driver to go back and pick her up. The driver thought it was great fun to make another circle. When we finally made it back to the apartment the total ride cost R 40,000 with a generous tip – about $4.40 US.

I spent almost all the evening editing the pictures from the last three days. I took about 250 and so a lot got tossed away and the remainder had to be titled and enhanced if needed. I got finished in time to read from the Kitab Mormon for the third time before heading for bed.

I can not say it was a greatly spiritual day, but I have learned that there are days when you keep very busy but no outstanding spiritual experiences. It is just that you have been serving others and God all day in small ways by doing things that need to be done, talking to others, and reading the scriptures. As the scriptures say ‘by small means, great things are brought to pass.’ Or something like that.

28 March 2008 – Friday

Wow am I behind in writing in this journal. The last three days we have left early and by the time we got home we had just enough time to read from the Kitab Mormon and then fall into bed. At least that is the excuse I am using. Of course the real reason is that I used the time I could have been writing for something else that I wanted to do more. There is always time to do anything you really want to do.

Today we were out of the apartment by 6:30 to get to the mission home for breakfast with the rest of the Zone. We had a very nice breakfast of French toast and scrambled eggs. After eating I helped with the clean-up. It is what I do best and actually enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when the last dish is washed – or in this case rinsed to be put in the dishwasher.

The trip out to the beach was long but bearable because we had the Kanes and the sister missionaries – Sadimin and Findlay to talk to. The Kanes told the story of how they met and it is always entertaining. It is a perfect love story and the ending is definitely the happily ever after kind.

Once at the beach we enjoyed walking on the sand with the waves at times coming up to our knees. Mary picked up shells and I walked and talked along the every changing shoreline. Later the missionaries played football and soccer – even the sister joined in soccer. Sister Findlay even played football. She is taller than most of the Indonesian elders and some of the English ones as well. They had a lot of fun and probably slept all the way back to the mission home.

We had sandwiches for lunch. BBQ beef for most of the bulais and tuna for most of the Indonesian missionaries. Some of course had both. Sister Davis and I ended up helping prepare and serve. We were a good team and kept up with the demand. President Marchant provided enough food so that even 30 or so hungry missionaries did not eat it all.

Of course the sales people came along and got lots of money from the senior couples. We ended up with a number of shells and other things. It was fun to bargain with the salesmen. They always act like we were getting such low prices that we were stealing food from their hungry kid’s mouths. But I am sure that they still tripled their money and went home smiling.

A number of the sisters got full body massages. They took about an hour and it really was from head to toe. I did not think it looked very relaxing at all. However the sisters seemed to enjoy it so what do I know.

We packed up and got out at about 3:00. The trip home took an hour longer than going. Partly because one of the cars asked us to wait for them because they thought they were having trouble with one of their tires. So we patiently waited and then it turned out to be no problem after all. I must say that I had to repent and ask the Lord to help me with my patience lessons.

Lucky for us Sam was listening to the radio and heard that there was some traffic jams. He avoided them and we were the second car back. I almost fell on my face as I was getting out of the car. My legs were numb from sitting in the very back for 3 ½ hours. We bid farewell to our fellow travelers and hurried home. It was great to walk into our own air-conditioned apartment. We had time to read from the Kitab Mormon – the only time we read today – before heading off to bed.

It was a good day because we got to enjoy the company of our fellow missionaries. There is a comradery between missionaries that is just special because of the shared experiences that can not really be explained to others. It is a have been there, done that kind of thing. I guess ‘Band of Brothers and Sisters’ would be a good title of a book. It is not that everything is perfect and uplifting but that no matter what the situation, the majority of the missionaries will stick together and help each other through the difficulties. I feel sorry for those missionaries who do not learn to do this.

27 March 2008 – Thursday

Today was Zone Conference so we were at the chapel by 8:30 – the first ones there by far. Just before the conference started they handed out the programs and Mary found that she was giving one of the two talks on diligence. As far as we can remember, this is the first time a senior missionary had been given one of the two talks on the subject of the conference. Of course she was not prepared so she spent the first part of the time quickly preparing. Luckily I brought Preach My Gospel with it’s excellent section on the subject and by adding her own thoughts, she was able to give a very good talk. Elder Vatcher was the other speaker and he also did well – he gave it all in Indonesian and his language skills were impressive for the time he has been out.

Elder Rowberry told about a missionary in Paraguay that did not know how to fail. Where ever he went the numbers went up – not only his but all the other missionaries in the district or area. It was an inspiring story and I want to get a copy of the talk so I can read it in full. It seemed perfect for Indonesia where there are many places that do not have many baptisms because “the people are not ready or will not listen to the gospel message.” This would be a perfect story to add to my LeGrand Richards talk.

The rest of the Conference was informative with the Zone Leaders giving a very good and much shortened presentation on why it was important to keep the different levels of investigators filled. It was simple and direct. It was the kind of presentation that others – including myself could learn from for our own presentations.

After the conference, we came back to the apartment to get some rest and read from the Kitab Mormon. Then we went to the mission home and joined the other couples – except for the Walkers – in a nice dinner at Out Back Steakhouse. The Walkers could not join us because their driver John had to go to the hospital because of acute appendicitis. We were sorry that they did not come but we still enjoyed a nice meal and a lot of good talk. I sat across from Elder Kane and I think we solved all the major problems of today’s world in just of 90 minutes.

We decided to walk home and I was proud of how Mary trooped right along. It is not easy for her to walk long distances over uneven surfaces but she never complained. Because it had just finished raining the night was cool but the ground was wet and muddy in sports. It would be great to live so near the big mall but I also like our great apartment.

We sat around the mission home until 9:00 and then caught a taxi home. By the time we got home it was already time for bed. It was a good day of sharing with the other missionaries – especially the couples – and to feel the spirit of the young missionaries who serve in this area. We have had the opportunity to be in district meetings with most of them and know how hard they work in the Lord’s service.

26 March 2008 – Wednesday

We were up early for our trip to Sumatra. I am not going into much detail about the trip so here are the highlights. It takes 5 hours from our house to the docks of Sumatra. That is about 2 hours in the car to the ferry port, an hour that somehow gets lost and two hours from the port to Sumatra. The trip across the strait was fine and was made better by a breeze. Unfortunately it was over cast and so we could not see the islands that dot the straits very well.

Once at Sumatra we had a 2 hour drive to Lampung. We took a couple of side roads and got to see some lovely rice fields, lots of yards that were filled with flowers, and the true back country of Indonesia that is found along small roads. We even got to go onto a beach where Mary got her feet wet and picked up some shells.

In Lampung we met the young brother Kencanna who showed us his new business – analyzing blood – and then took us on a non-guided tour of the city. We had an exotic lunch at McDonalds – it was that or eat off the street – before wandering around for hour into areas he had never seen. We again got on some smaller roads and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a smaller city suburbs.

We only had two hours in Lampung and then started the 7 hour trip back to our apartment. The reason it takes two hours to get to the port from Lampung is because it is a two lane road that is filled with slow moving trucks. But we did get to see two truck loads of elephants and met a couple of young men on a modified scooter that had water buffalo horns tied to the handle bars. We would meet them again on the ferry home.

The ferry home was great fun. After being driven off the back of the boat by very loud music we went to the front where we became the main attraction. Some people I am sure laughed at us but others wanted to have their pictures taken with us. I gave out two pass-along cards and one business card. We met a man who spoke excellent English and we had a nice talk about what we were doing and his business.

The sunset went from nice to gorgeous and we pulled into the Java port in the dark but surrounded by the multitude of lights both on the sea and the shore. Once we got past a section of road that has been completely destroyed by all the heavy trucks that pass over it, the trip back to the apartment went well.

So all in all the experience was good but I would not do it again. I would take one day to get there, one day to tour the sights of the Southern tip of the island, and then the next day head home. In that way you could leave at a reasonable time – like 9 a.m. and have a relaxing time on Sumatra.

The Lord was kind to us. The seas were calm, the car ran well, and we were able to do some missionary work. All of these are the Lord’s tender mercies of this day.