Neighborhood Service...Building Bridges

On Saturday we had the opportunity to work with members of the neighborhood surrounding the Surabaya Dua chapel in painting, cleaning and putting a new ceiling in the RTs office.  Neighborhoods in Indonesia are governed by a local community leader known as the RT.  it is a position designated by the neighborhood members that comes with a great deal of authority and power.  For example, an RT can close down an existing church in their neighborhood  if he/she so decides and the government can do nothing about it.  Although only five branch members participated, the Timur elders were there and so were we!!  I had such a great time visiting with the women and children in the neighborhood.  They were all sitting outside watching the work being done...they laughed at my poor Indonesian but were so happy that I was trying to speak their language.  The women here ALWAYS
ask me how old I am!  We danced the Hokey Pokey and sang Do As I'm Doing, then passed out milk and sweet breads to the children (provided by the church).  The church also provided chicken and rice lunches for all of the workers as well as the building materials.  We had such a fun day!!

The banner hung in the street announcing the event

Elder Anderson and Elder Setiawan washing windows

The young elders with some of the children

Passing out milk and sweet bread to the children

Changing Climate

The picture below shows us with some of the members and elders  when we arrived for church in Sidoarjo last week.  We meet in a garage owned by a member.  We found out last night that the RT (pronounced 

air tay) had informed the members during the week that we had to be out of that neighborhood within a month.  Last evening while the elders were cleaning the garage in preparation for church today someone came and spray painted on the building something to the effect of 'get out church or there will be war'.  Needless to say there was no church in Sidoarjo today....the elders are staying in Surabaya for a few days...but the work is true so somehow we will move forward!!  

The Kings Palace

While at the Senior Missionary Conference in Solo we had the chance to visit the kings palace.  Although now a figurehead with no political power, he is still a direct descendent of generations of kings and maintains a ceremonious role in society.

The outdoor pavilion at the entrance to the royal compound

Gold lions...a gift from Germany in the 30s

  Light fixtures in the pavilion 

Garden courtyard...withElder and Sister Barnard fromTasmania 

This is their second mission to Indonesia 

 

Gardens with aviary 

Preparing for a dinner that night wit dignitaries from somewhere 

Senior Missionaries serving in Indonesia 

Saturday Visits

Our Saturday visits to the less active with Branch President Soewardi are always an adventure!!  The reason many of these individuals are less active is because they live so far away from the chapel and are unable to attend church.  On Saturday we spent many hours searching for a family who live in a village about 30 miles from Surabaya.  They are the only members in their village.  It was pouring rain and streets were flooded...some were even closed!  We traveled into a jungle-like area on narrow dirt roads typically traversed by motorcycles rather than autos.  It was a little nerve-wracking trying to navigate these winding narrow roads in rain and darkness!!  

There were two weddings occurring in the village that night...roads were blocked off and people were mingling in the streets, on porches, and in shops.  When we finally found the family we had a delightful visit with them.  Brother Sujono is a high school math teacher in Surabaya.  We met one of their sons, who is a fairly recently returned missionary.  One of the first things Sister Sujono asked me (in front of everyone) was how old I was!! I looked pretty bedraggled and probably appeared ancient to her!  They fed us batso  (a meatball soup) that was delicious.  They're trying to start a restaurant (right in front of their home) and batso is their specialty!  

Though the travel was long and arduous, the spirit and friendship was warm and inviting!  Another great day in the mission field!

Rainy day Saturday

The beginning of our trip to the Sujonos

The landscape begins to change....

The Sujono Family...President Soewardi is next to dad

The family restaurant...right outside the front door!

Indonesian Versions

Brown sugar....it comes in a hard, round shape similar to a hockey puck...you shave it off with a knife

Eggs...beautiful dark brown

Milk...cows and barn do not look like anything we've seen in Indonesia 

Our favorite candy bar...has replaced peanut M&Ms

A pure sugar cane drink purchased at a roadside stand....Indonesian slurpee...

Chips...made from soy beans and sprinkled with flavoring.  Pickles are hard to find....only at a special store that carries some European goods.  Different taste

My clothes dryer

Transfers

I didn't realize how sad it would be to go through transfers with the elders!  We have grown to know and love each one of them....their unique and very individual personalities.  This morning we took Elder Kusumarmantos and Elder Wiradi to the airport as they leave to serve in other areas.  I hope we will have the chance to see them again during our mission...if not, they have made a lasting impression on us and we are grateful to have served with them.  I shed a few tears as we left them...

Elder Kusumarmantos, Sister and Elder Anderson,Elder Wiradi

A Day in the Life of Senior Missionaries...Friday, May 10th

6:00 am.  Arise

6:30 am.  To the fitness room to exercise (believe it or not, we've done it for two consecutive days!)

7:30 am.   Breakfast (French toast)

8:00-9:00 am.  Showering, getting dressed for the day

10:00 am.  Scripture study

11:00 am.  Language study

11:30 am.  Off to DDM (weekly District Development Meeting held weekly with the elders)

11:35 am.  Found screw in tire...got it repaired (see photo)

12:00 - 2:00 pm.  DDM (see photo)

2:00 -4:00 pm. Drive to Malang to pick up another senior couple doing Family History Training in our zone.  Meet them half way in a mosque parking lot...Williams' bring them that far (see photo:  Williams, Knorpps, Anderson's)

When leaving Surabaya we were hit by another car....nothing serious...their paint on our car...and they didn't even stop

5:30 pm.  Drop Knorpps off at their hotel

6:30 pm.  Arrive home 

7:00 pm. Walk to mall to have dinner

8:00 pm. I'm ready for bed...my companion has his second wind and is listening to the news

Tire repair shop

DDM

Three senior couples in front of mosque

The joy of being hearing impaired...

Last night we went to dinner with the young elders at the home of one of the counselors in the branch presidency and his wife the RS president.  He imports fish to the US and throughout Europe and Asia...they live in a most beautiful home in a part of Surabaya we have never seen before...modern and classy and upscale!

Before we got there I asked the elders the names of the Tan's children..Amanda, Alexandra and Victor.  Throughout the evening I  tried to engage the children in conversation (they all speak English well), but Victor never responded.  As we left, I asked the elders to tell me a little about Victor, because by this time I had determined that he is a special needs child.  The elders proceeded to inform me that his name was Vincent, not Victor!!  I said, "oh elders, you should have told me while we were there!"  They began to laugh hysterically..."we did!!"  😛

O Technology!

Hopefully we are once again connected to the world through Internet!

Remember Sister Jenni from a few blogs ago? Well, on Sunday after church we went again with the elders to visit her and take her the sacrament and a spiritual message. When we entered her tiny room much to my surprise there were four baby kittens on her bed with her! Sister Jenni loves cats...she has ten of them and they are like her children we were told. I understand some members had visited and asked her to reduce the number of cats (her small room reeks of cat urine and they are into her food and water) for her own health....she didn't take kindly to that!
She asked me to name the kittens, so here's what she got: Lucy, Charlie, Angel and Belle. I wanted to name one Nasi (rice...because I love the Nasi goreng in Indonesia) but she rejected that name!

I'm posting a few pictures of Surabaya sights....one is especially for Scott...a building in process...

Elder Anderson's a happy man...

Indonesia's own version of Home Depot...need I say more?