MUCH APPRECIATED MEMBER SUPPORT

This week we were in East Java.  We flew to Surabaya and then from there visited two pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools) in Mojokerto, a neighboring city.  One of our projects this fall has been building toilet and washing facilities (MCKs) at a number of pesantrens on Java.  We have previously noted this project in two prior postings.  On Thursday we participated in a closing ceremony for the project at a large school of 800 students.  In addition to building the facilities, we also presented hygiene classes utilizing a puppet show and handed out hygiene kits to each of the students.  The hygiene kits were assembled by the members of our church in Jakarta and Surabaya.  Over two thousand kits were distributed during this project.  Following one of the hygiene classes this week, members helped us distribute over 300 of the kits.

At the closing ceremony a number of members from the Surabaya congregations attended.  The trip took all day as the journey was over hours each way.  We really appreciated the member’s support.  One of the members, Devita, showed us pictures of when she was at our house in Centerville with her mother 19 years ago. 

This project has been a particularly challenging one in that the locations have been at seven pesantrens in three different cities.  Originally there were three more pesantrens, two of which declined our offer to construct the requested facilities once they knew we were Christians.  The hygiene classes were also a bit of a challenge in that although the content of the classes was approved by the sponsoring Islamic society (NU), local reception to teaching anti-smoking is not always popular.  

BOYS HYGIENE FACILITIES BEFORE OUR MCKS WERE BUILT (FOR BATHING AND TOILETS)

GIRLS HYGIENE FACILITIES PRE-MCK

BAND AND SINGERS PLAYED ARABIC MUSIC

DEVITA AND ELDER AND SISTER SMITH FROM MALAYSIA

EILEEN USING THE MCK WHILE MANY CHILDREN WATCH

MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH THAT ATTENDED FOR THE DAY

CEREMONIAL STUFF

RUSSELL SPEAKING AT CEREMONY

PLAQUE ON MCKS

NEW MCK (FOR BATHING AND TOILET FACILITIES)

NO MORE STUDENTS COULD FIT IN HERE

EILEEN TEACHING HYGIENE

BEHIND THE SCENES AT PUPPET SHOW

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

When I was here 37 years ago, I learned a few things that have stuck with me ever since.  One lesson was, there are going to be good times and bad times.  You need to enjoy the good times and learn from the bad times.  If you don’t learn from the bad times then you have just suffered in vain. 

This week has been a challenging one.  While there have been plenty of problems before, this week seems to have more than its share of “learning opportunities.”  Between a post project review that was not well received, problems with a new project we had such high hopes for, and challenges at home that we are too far away to be of any real help with, it will be good to move on to another week with its new challenges and distractions.  It does make us grateful for the loving family members who care and for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The words of the song “Where Can I Turn For Peace” seem particularly comforting. 

Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace, 
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart, 
Searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand, to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace He finds for my beseeching.
Constant He is and kind,
Love without end.

CHICKENS AND THANKSGIVING

Two weeks ago we visited an old water project with a man named Taufik.  Taufik knew our prior Bishop Leon McCarrey when he served here.  The area was several hours away from Jakarta, in the mountains above Bogor and very beautiful.  When we arrived near the location we realized that it might be dangerous to take the van down into the village as the road was quite steep and slick from the previous night’s rain.  The men hiked down to the village while I (Eileen) found a very primitive looking restroom.  Later I decided to join the men and hiked into the village by myself.  It was obvious that a white woman walking around was quite out of place.  I might as well have been an alien from outer space.  I tried to talk to the women in Indonesian and they looked away. It wasn’t until I started talking to them about the fact that I had 6 children and 11 grandchildren that I heard whispers about my family.  Eventually I was guided to the spot where I found Russell and the other men looking at the spigots where the water came in from the mountain.

 We were then taken into a house where we were invited to sit on a rug on the the floor and a meal was spread for us.  I was a little out of my comfort zone as the man in charge ripped the chicken apart with his hands and asked me to partake.  We were supposed to eat in the typical Indonesian fashion, which meant no utensils just with our hands.  I had left my hand sanitizer in the car and I am fanatical about using it before eating, especially after shaking hands.  We were fed a huge meal despite the fact that it was only 11a.m.  After lunch, Russell was presented with two live chickens as a gift.  When we climbed the hill to get to our car 3 more chickens arrived as presents from other villagers.  Since we are not allowed to have animals in our apartments, by the rules of our apartment complex and our own love of pets, we then gave them as gifts to the other men in our car.  They were thrilled to get them.  I sat in the back of the car on the way home and listened to them peck at each other and try to get out of their box for the 3 l/2 hour drive.  Again, a little outside of my comfort zone.  I hope they made a good dinner for someone.

During the week of Thanksgiving we met together as couple missionaries and had a conference.  We each had topics to present.  We had the topic of “Because I have been given much”.  I made a slideshow of all of the humanitarian projects we have been involved in. I also put music with it, and slipped in some pictures of the families of the senior missionaries.  I was presenting on the morning of Thanksgiving and there were many moist eyes as the missionaries thought of their loved ones back home. I will post a link to you tube below so you can see the slideshow if you would like.

Last Sunday we presented at the Coordinating Council Meeting for the Church leaders of Indonesia an Emergency Disaster Plan.  While their plan had many aspects to it, we focused on encouraging the leaders to find the contact information for those on their church rosters so in case of an emergency they could quickly assess the damage to member and their households.

This week we presented hygiene puppet shows to over 600 students at pesentrens.  Pesentrens are Islamic boarding schools for children.  Our church has been building toilet and bathing facilities at several schools.  Our hygiene presentations focus on good dental care, hand washing and antismoking.  Currently Indonesia has 60 million smokers.  At one school I taught at I asked how many children had a father that smoked.  Out of about 75 children, every child raised their hand.  We were asked if we would include antismoking in our presentation by the health department of the Islamic organization.  The children seemed to enjoy the puppets.  Afterwards we gave each child their own hygiene kit complete with towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shampoo.

WATER METER AT VILLAGE

SPECIAL LUNCH MADE FOR US

WOMEN WHO MADE LUNCH

RUSSELL ACCEPTING GIFT OF ONE OF FIVE CHICKENS

MOUNT MERAPI (USUALLY COVERED WITH CLOUDS)

COUPLES CONFERENCE

BORABUDOR

BORABUDOR

OUR PUPPETEERS SANDI AND JONATHAN

AT THE PESENTREN

WITH THE GIRLS AT THE PESENTREN

PICTURE FROM A 20/20 SERIES ON SMOKING IN INDONESIA

TALENT AND TESTIMONY

Last week we attended a talent show put on by the Jakarta Stake.  It was very well organized.  We were told that the doors would be closed at 9:45 with the start time at 10:00. Sure enough the event started 15 minutes early; unusual for Indonesia.  As we arrived young adults greeted us dressed in black tie.  We were able to choose our seating with young women helping us that were dressed in fairy tale attire.  Among the presentations were a professional looking movie, singing, Balinese and Chinese dancers, Hiphop artists, a ballet dancer, several singers and much, much more.  We had some other obligations to attend to and were unable to stay the full 5 hours.

On Friday through Sunday we were blessed to have the rare opportunity to have meetings with three Seventies.  In our church a Seventy is a calling that can be either Church-wide or area specific only.  Their purpose is to proclaim the gospel and to administer the affairs the church.  They usually do a significant amount of travel.  We had Elder and Sister Gonzalez visiting from Salt Lake, Elder and Sister Gong from Hong Kong and Elder Subandriyo from Indonesia.. 

Among the memories I have of three days of conference are the following:

Sister Gong said where they live in Hong Kong it is quite noisy.  Often they can’t hear each other from one room to another.  During the summer when she went home she had her hearing tested.  After the exam, the doctor said he had good news for her. Her ears were fine, but perhaps she needed to pay more attention.  She asked us in our relationships with others if we pay attention to what they are really saying and want to know what they are feeling.  She said in their marriage they play a game where they say “I love you because” and then go on to describe why they love each other.  She described how grateful she was to all who helped with the program, especially the mother of the choir pianist.  The pianist was a young man/teenager.  This made me feel good as I (Eileen) had been asked to play the piano spur of the moment and had played piano prelude for 40 minutes.  Sister Gong went on to describe how Jesus Christ loves all of us despite our sins.

Elder Gong described how he had visited three families that morning and had cried with them, each over different situations.  The gospel of Jesus Christ has the answer to all of life's challanges. Sometimes we cry with anger or frustration, sometimes we cry over joy and happiness.  Whatever our feelings, our Savior is aware.

Sister Gonzalez talked about when she had a major surgery and had received anesthetic.  Her body was paralyzed but she could still hear.  She tried to call out to the doctor to put her to sleep but he couldn’t hear her.  Finally she prayed with all her strength that she would be able to sleep through the operation. The next thing she remembers is waking up and the nurses telling her that everything went well. Sister Gonzalez reminded us that when we are in painful situations and think we can go on no more, to remember who cares about us most, and go to the Lord in prayer.  He knows our needs and will help us.

Elder Gonzalez talked about welfare principles.    He said to get rid of debt for it is the plague.  It is bondage.   In the olden days, slaves were put up for sale on the open market.  Today we put ourselves up as slaves by going to the market and buying things on credit.  He told the story about wanting an electric razor. It was quite expensive. He put it in his cart and walked around for one hour with it in his cart while his wife shopped. When she went through the cashier's line he went and put it back on the shelf.  He wanted it badly and it was his……for one hour.

Not only should the younger generation get an education but also the older generation can improve their skills.  Stay updated on whatever profession you are doing.  President Hinckley said that those that train their minds and hands are an honor to their families.

Lastly he recommended to be wise with purchases of food.  Save food instead of throwing it away.  (On a personal note we see many people in Indonesia going through the garbage and recycling many times over what has been thrown out. We can sometimes be a very wasteful). 

We were uplifted and taught well by the leaders at our conference.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be able to listen to them and greet them personally.

WELCOMING COMMITTEE AT TALENT SHOW

DIONDRA SUBANDRIYO DANCING

THE TIMER WENT OFF BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE CAME

NOW EVERYONE IS HERE

ELDERAND SISTER GONZALEZ

ELDER AND SISTER GONG