December 11--18, 2016

December 11--18, 2016

December 11th was the Magelang Open House and our crazy trip home. (See previous post).  Elder & Sister Jefferey were so happy to be in the new building that they had worked so hard to find.  It was a great almost end to their mission.  We will miss them so much and the Magelang Branch and all of Central Java will be sad to see them go.  This is the new artwork in Terminal 3 in Jakarta.  It used to be a guy that looked like Iron Man and now it reminds me of an octopus.

On December 16 we traveled to Manado on the island of Sulawesi.  We saw lots of Christmas decorations, delivered some Christmas gifts to our missionaries, witnessed an eight year old boy's baptism and the baptism of the wife of a man who's been a member for a few months.  Faithful saints in Manado!  They had a Christmas program and dinner. 

Poinsettias in the Jakarta airport!

 Christmas tree made of corn in Manado Hotel.

                                                                      
Practicing!  This little boy, Michael, is a favorite of mine! He loves music. Elder Hunt is a great missionary as well. White Christmas in Manado!

 Another great missionary, Elder M. Johnson, celebrated his birthday.  The branch clerk makes and sells incredible cakes like this Happy 19th Bday Santa cake.

Elder Hunt, Elder Scott, Elder Djamoen and Elder Johnson above and President with Santa at the Manado airport below.

December 4--11, 2016

December 4--11, 2016

      Actually we flew from Timor Leste back to Surabaya on December 2nd and held training with our missionaries.

 On December 3, we held a Mission Leadership Council with Elder and Sister Evans. In the afternoon we attended the first session of the Surabaya District Conference. On Sunday, December 4 the General Session was held.  President and I both spoke.  Elder Evans asked everyone to obtain their own Temple Recommend--regular or Limited Use.  The Evans left on Monday for Hong Kong.  What a great Mission tour with this wonderful couple!

Cute Christmas decorations in Surabaya.

On December 6 four of our Sister missionaries returned home.  They will be greatly missed!

The next day our new missionaries arrived!

On December 9 we traveled to Magelang in Central Java for the Open House for the new building.

 On Sunday we took a bus from Magelang to the Jogyjakarta airport, but the bus broke down so we had to hitchike.  A nice Muslim family picked us and our suitcases up and took us to the airport--a long way.  Grateful for their kindness and for Heavenly father looking out for us.  He is always there!

November 27--December 3, 2016

November 27--December 3, 2016

Jakarta Stake Conference was held in a movie theater to accommodate the large numbers.  Here's the choir and  our missionaries past and present.

Monday, November 28, we were off with the Evans' to train in Central Java in Yogyakarta.

November 28 we flew to Bali and Elder Evans held a Devotional for the Bali Branch.  On the 29th, we toured  Tanah Lot Hindu Temple on the west coast of Bali and ate overlooking beautiful rice fields.  This food looks really good, but I'm pretty sure this is where I picked up the stomach bug that stayed with me for the next three days.

Bali Branch and Members

We were in Bali because you have to leave from there to get to the country of Timor Leste which is also in our mission.  Elder Holland opened this land for missionary work about a year ago and we have only a Humanitarian Senior Couple serving there.  President Rowley and Elder Evans climbed to the area where the dedication took place. (I made it up part way!)  We met with Elder & Sister Demke and several of the charities they are currently working with--mostly Catholic groups.  We did witness the first baptism to take place here in Timor Leste--an eight year old boy whose mother has recently come back to church after she found out the Humanitarian Missionary Couple, the Demkes, hold LDS meetings in their home.

Timor Leste is a lovely country, but one of the hottest places I've ever been in!

November 20--26, 2016

November 20--26, 2016

Happy Birthday to Burton, Steve and Dave!  We love you!
We attended church in Solo in Central Java.  Subandriyo, our current Service Center Manager and former Area Seventy and Indonesia Mission President held a reunion with missionaries who served under him.  All are current leaders in the church all over Indonesia. Subandriyo is in lower right.  He only has the one name, but when he was made an Area Seventy, Elder Packer said he needed to have two names, so he named him Joshua Subandriyo!

Views from our world:  Lotus flower where I walk in the morning, guys trying to clean/fix our bedroom a/c unit, completed sewer repair, Presiden in his office.

 

Our two Assistants, Elder Wibowo and Elder Lovelock.

 

 We and the Senior Couples hosted Thanksgiving Dinner (lunch) for all the Service Center Employees, our Assistants and the Sister Training Leaders.  Some of them put up our Christmas tree.

On Friday, November 24th, Elder and Sister Evans arrived for the 2016 Indonesia Jakarta Mission Tour.  We first met with the Jakarta Zones followed by the Jakarta Stake Conference.  President and I both spoke in different sessions of Conference.  I discovered I need to improve my delivery when someone is translating for me!

 Our missionaries all lined up greeting people at the Stake Conference.