Thursday, August 18, 2016

July 2016


July 2016   "I will lead them in paths that they have not known..."  Isaiah 42:16


     After President and Sister Donald left…we realized it was just us and we had a steep learning curve ahead of us! 
     On June 30, the day after we arrived, we met in a “Meet and Greet” with all the missionaries in the greater Jakarta area—about one-third of our approximately 96 missionaries (number changes often!)  in Indonesia make up these two Zones.  We showed our power point introduction of us and our family, did a little training, played some team building games led by our wonderful assistants and ate Indonesian take out food (fried rice, chicken and vegetables with spicy sambal sauce on the side to keep it lively!) and yummy cookies provided by our wonderful senior missionary couples.

 

 



 
 Missionaries at "Meet and Greet"  Our wonderful office couple, Brother and Sister Moss are seated left front. So grateful for them!

 "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it."  Psalms 127:1 "Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord.." Doctrine and Covenants 138:48

     Saturday, July 2, Bishop Davies of the Presiding Bishopric presented a devotional at the Raharjo ward building in Jakarta.  He and Elder Robert Williams (from India) and Keith McMullin also spoke.  Bishop Davies' message reassured the Indonesian saints that a temple will be built here.  He recalled meeting with President Hinckley in his first meeting after Sister Hinckley had passed away.  Bishop Davies wondered "What would President Hinckley be like after the recent passing of his wife?"  Bishop Davies said he was "as prophetic as he had ever been and enthusiastic and alive as ever."  At that meeting, President Hinckley spoke prophetically and said, "The day will come when we will see temples in Thailand and Indonesia."  He didn't say when.  Bishop Davies said when the Lord and the Indonesian people are ready we will have a temple.  The Thailand temple has been announced, but not started.
      After my short time here, I know the Saints want a temple so badly.  It is mentioned in almost every meeting we attend.  It will just take building up the church.  We need enough active members to create a few more stakes.  The members and missionaries will work together to bring a temple here.

"...and the work is great...." 1 Chronicles 29:1

July 3--9, 2016   Our first full week here we spoke in Testimony Meeting at Saharjo Ward, had a Fourth of July family home evening and dinner at Moss' apartment with other missionary couples, met with all the senior couple missionaries in person and over video all together, held a Mission Leadership Council with zone leaders flying, traveling by train and bus to arrive here from all over the mission (and we fed them breakfast and lunch), and attended our first baptism. (And a bunch of other things I don't remember--like shopping, setting up our apartment and eating at a lot of random restaurants.)
  
                   Our Mission Leadership--Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders-- July 6, 2016


July 10--16, 2016  BYU Student Geology group presented  a preparedness devotional Sunday, July 10th alerting Indonesians that a major earthquake is coming...they don't know when, but they do know where! Guess where?  Here in Java!  It's the only place where an earthquake hasn't hit in recent years so we are due for one. Based on that news, I decided to do my Zone Conference Training on disaster preparedness.  We went to Immigration to get our KITAS (permit to stay in the country) on Tuesday (see Presiden waiting in the Immigration office above) and Presiden spent the rest of the week interviewing missionaries from Medan (island of Sumatra), Jakarta, Tangerang, Bogor and Bandung.  Futsol at the church Thursday night. Held Zone Conference (PLD is what it is called here) on Friday, July 15th.





 Sisters in Mission Home Kitchen                                                        Elders in hall of Mission Office







 Futsol game above (like playing soccer on a small field)
Left--Our amazing Assistants--Elders Wibowo & Tuttle    Right-- Matching District Ties & Dresses


                                          Zone Conference Group Photo July 15, 2016
 After Futsol, we ventured into the crazy traffic--but my favorite part of the night was visiting Holland Bakery which is right next to the ward building where they played Futsol.  I've been dying to try it, but it's always Sunday when we are here.  Haha not this time!  Super delicious croissants, chocolate buns, etc. and it's extremely clean and well stocked.  They are all over the place here and never disappoint.  They look like Dutch buildings--narrow and tall with a windmill on top.  Thank you Netherlands for leaving this part of your influence behind here.  Amazing bakery in Indonesia!

  
 

July 17--23, 2016  Attended Bekasi Wards where there were two members who Presiden Rowley helped come into the Church forty years ago:  Sister Aischa Tandiman who he taught when she was a teenager and her mother, brother and herself were all baptized after he left their area.  Sister Aischa is now married and has several darling teenage and YSA daughters.  Her husband, Juswan Tandiman, is our Stake Patriarch and is over CES in Indonesia. The other person,  Brother Sugioto,  came up to me right before the Sacrament meeting started and showed me this picture:  (He is the little boy in front.   Presiden Rowley baptized him and his father in Bandung.)



Here he is with his wife and daughter.  They've been sealed in the temple.





Bekasi Wards 1 & 2 Building.  Entrance is on the right behind the white truck.  You can just barely see the pointed arch over the door.  This is what they call a "store front" building as opposed to  a stand alone building.  It looks just like the other chapels in Indonesia inside.

When we attended Bogor Ward this last Sunday, we also met Brother Sugioto's younger sister who was baptized by her father when she was eight.  Here she is with her husband.



Had the Assistants plus one other Elder over for dinner after attending Bekasi Ward.  The really small crock pot overflowed while we were gone and my rolls were not my best, but everything tasted great!
 

On Tuesday at 3:30 am, we flew to Solo for Zone Conference.  Interviews followed by futsol on Tuesday, then the meetings on the Wednesday. Wednesday evening, we boarded an express train for three hour ride to Surabaya where we did interviews and futsol on Thursday and meetings on Friday.  Flew home Friday night (three and a half hour flight) where I collapsed, but Presiden flew to Medan (on island of Sumatra) on Saturday and Sunday where he trained and worked with missionaries and interviewed members. We will go there together in August for Branch Conference.


 Matching companionships Solo                                       Aerial Solo view


Awesome Senior Couple--Mel & Julie Jeffery             Part of my Disaster Preparedness Presentation  Elder Jeffery served with Pres Rowley forty years ago    Just in time--3 eruptions this week!

Great demonstrations of how to teach children--we want to bring families to the gospel and some of the most effective teaching is done by teaching the children with the parents.  Then both learn at the same time.
Zone Jawa Tengah (Central Java Zone) July 20, 2016

More Solo--Shopping trip to Pasar (thank you Sister Jeffery) and becak rides.



Surabaya Zone Conference--thanks to Brother and Sister Hansen for their help.  It's a small world--Sister Hansen and I discovered that we grew up in the same stake in Salt Lake--Cottonwood Stake. President Paul and Sister Patty Barker from our Mesa YSA West Stake were also in Sister Hansen's ward!

On the Train to Surabaya--Assistants eating leftovers and a nice woman we met.  She served as an LDS missionary in Indonesia many years ago.




Surabaya Zone Conference  July 22, 2016

 
Surabaya Chapel--Beautiful Building!


Making Martabak--So yummy--chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, nuts all in a thick pancake!

July 24--31, 2016  Presiden and Assistants worked on upcoming transfers, on Wednesday we held a dinner and testimony meeting for our departing missionaries and Presiden interviewed each one.  They are all so amazing and bore beautiful testimonies of what they've come to know about serving the Lord and his children here in Indonesia.  Even though we only knew them for a short amount of time, we still feel like they are "ours" and we will miss them.  Wonderful, spiritual time!




Sister Mitchell, Sister Rowley & Sister Moss serving the departing missionaries dinner.  We did western food--creamy chicken & rice, rolls, fruit, salad and cookies that the senior couples made. With their husbands doing the dishes! The Mitchells oversee the  Humanitarian work in Indonesia and the Mosses are our office couple.  Love these dear servants--and the Bairds too--they were out of town doing Public Affairs duties.

                                                                 Well Done!




July 29, 30, 31  On Friday, we flew four hours to Manado on the island of Sulawesi for the Open House and Branch Conference for the Manado Branch.  It's a beautiful island where one can actually see the ocean!  Presiden had a great time in the market.   The branch has been meeting in this new building for about four weeks now.  We had a great turnout for the Open House and we are hoping for much success here.  This city is mostly Christian with churches around every bend. 


Fancy carvings in the airport.

We found the ocean!!!!!          
The Bairds (Public Affairs) and Hansens (Family History) Senior Couple Missionaries all flew in to Manado to assist with and give demonstrations for the Open House.



 

Front of Church

Kitchen and Primary Area  (This is for you Sister Kathy Williams--It's very clean here. ;) )


 

Big Catered Feast at end of Open House -- Menu included dog meat:





 Presiden went out with Elders that Saturday night-- member's home, non-member and less active member visits, contacting and eating:


 


At church on Sunday:





There's a beehive on the podium!