Surabaya streets

Sights of the Surabaya roads both before and during a torrential rainstorm...our first excursion in our new car to get it insured!

Little miracles

This morning became very stressful....the bank didn't show a wire transfer of funds Greg had made that we needed in order to purchase a car. We then received a text from Brother Hadi (a member of our branch who has been amazingly helpful) indicating that the car owner had contacted him wanting the balance owed on the car. Brother Hadi sent the man $2,000 and assured him we would have the rest by tomorrow! You all know how much I worry....would we forfeit the down payment? Would we lose the money Brother Hadi had paid if the transfer didn't arrive? We knelt down and poured out our hearts to Heavenly Father. Within 15 minutes the phone rang...the bank had called Brother Hadi to tell him that we needed to bring passports and kitas in before they would credit us the money. I'm not sure how we would ever have known that!! So Brother Hadi picked us up and took us to the bank! On the way home, we celebrated our progress (nothing is finalized yet) and stopped to eat at our very first roadside outdoor 'restaurant'...a little scary! Look carefully at the picture...the pot you see on the left of the counter is the pot of soup we all ate from. The young man sitting there was 'washing' bowls when we arrived...no water or soap, just a well used cloth! Brother Hadi and Peter, our driver, are in the pictures with us!

I'm feeling Indonesian....

Surabaya sights...

Each Wednesday from 8-10 am the missionaries from Surabaya and Sidoarjo provide service to the local zoo. The missionaries from Sidoarjo ride their bikes to Surabaya....over an hours ride each way! Today we weeded and planted Japanese grass....under a hot and humid sun!

A well-known statue in front of the zoo shows a shark and alligator fighting...sura means shark; baya means alligator....thus the name Surabaya

Two of the elders let a monkey pick through their hair looking for lice....soooooo gross!!! Didn't find any! Saw several Komodo dragons and camels ( we were just in one small part of the zoo) . Elder Anderson and I were pooped by the time we left....

Sunday dinner

Just in case you think we are withering away in Indonesia, think again! Sunday dinner 🍴🍝

English teachers???

Our first assignment....at the last minute one set of elders couldn't teach their English class so we were the subs! I underestimated the class members language skills....they speak very good English!! But we rolled with it and had a lot of fun with the class....we practiced introductions, role-played scenarios, played a 'toss the sock' game to practice vocabulary, and sang 'If You're Happy and You Know It' to practice action verbs. Presenting our class....

Zone Conference...a few firsts

First zone conference...first time meeting the missionaries serving in Surabaya and Sidoarjo...first time being the one needing the headphones for translation...first Indonesian buffet...first public role play...first Indonesian cookie!

Senior couples Williams, Anderson, and Rasband with President and Sister Groberg
The two APs (Assistants to the President)

Home sweet Surabaya home....

We arrived in Surabaya Tuesday, spent the day looking for a car, and moved into the apartment of the previous senior couple. It had been vacant for three weeks and appeared very dirty and unkempt!! This is the second time I've wanted to cry since leaving on our mission...the first was arriving at the Jakarta International Airport, making our way through immigration and baggage claim,being mobbed by people getting right in our faces and saying things I didn't understand (probably a good thing), and not seeing anyone in white shirts and ties to meet us! But we've survived both and are learning every day!

I did some quick scrubbing last night, bleach in toilet and sinks, and dropped dead into bed! We've been on the road all day today, again looking for a car and possible house to rent, and interviewing our potential driver (more about Peter later). But I did get up early and scrubbed some more!

Just wanted to share some photos....