Shark Crocodile

At the bottom of my email is a picture of the most famous statue in Surabaya. My city has a city flag with the statue on it that I have been seeing since I came here four months ago, but I haven't ever actually seen the real statue until this week. My city, Surabaya, in Indonesian roughly means shark crocodile. So I am serving in the shark crocodile city. How awesome is that?

This week has been really awesome. The rain season started about a week and a half ago, and now it rains about every other day. Some days the rain isn't too bad, but on Friday it rained until most of the streets were flooded. Riding our bikes home from our last appointment took an hour and a half. The water in some spots was past my knees when I was on my bike. It was really hard to pedal the bikes, but my companion and I were just laughing the whole time. I think I could have moved faster if I swam.

Before I finish up I want to include some truths that I have come to really love while on my mission. I don't think that any of us fully appreciate the tools given to us. We have the ability to communicate with the most intelligent, powerful, and loving being in the universe. We can read his words in the scriptures. We can become more like him every day through continual repentance. We have the opportunity to worship him every day. We have his power on the earth. How grateful ought we to be for these wonderful gifts!

I know that God is our eternal Father, and that he has a plan for each of us. He has provided a way for us to find peace and joy in this life. Let's show our gratitude during this season of thanksgiving by not only thanking, but giving as well. Let's give others the opportunity to hear the message of the restored gospel. Let's give others the opportunity to receive blessings. I know that this message will bless the lives of all who are ready to act on it, and we will also be blessed as we share it with those who we love.

Food, area, and a investigator are the photos attached at the bottom. The food is called kolak, and is a sweet soup with a coconut broth, with potato, cassava, and pumpkin added in. My investigator is really curious about the gospel, but we will just have to wait and see what pans out.

Elder Putra

On Thursday I arrived in my new area via taxi. The ride was probably around 35min and cost only $5.50. That first day I was in a trio with the other companionship in my home, Elder Hart and Elder Pacheco, who were both in the MTC with me.

Friday was when I finally found out who my new companion was. I called the APs and found out I would be training Elder Putra from Solo. We get along great already, despite his only being able to speak Indonesian. Needless to say I think my Indonesian will improve a lot with him. We are both learning from each other.

My new area, although in the same city as my old area, is fairly different. Since I am whitewashing here, I am having to learn all the roads, which is really fun. The previous Elders left us with a lot of referrals and contacts, but only one progressing investigator. I am just excited to hit the ground running here and really build up the church here.

Below is a picture of my companion and myself just before we left the home this morning:

Mixing Things Up

This week in a lesson some of the progressing investigators my companion and I teach asked us if they need to be baptized in this church. We had a wonderful conversation about baptism, shared with them scriptures from Acts and the Book of Mormon, and then gave them a commitment for baptism. The husband accepted, but the wife doesn't think she is ready to be baptized. We lovingly but boldly explained again the purpose of baptism, and both really want to be baptized. But.....

Here is where things start changing. I got a phone call from my Mission President on Friday informing my of transfers. I will be leaving East Surabaya, and training a new missionary in West Surabaya. I will take a taxi into my new area, then on Friday pick up my new companion from the airport.

I have really come to love this part of Surabaya. Although the city has 2.7 million people, and my area about a quarter of that, I feel a great love for each person. In my new area, although it is in the same city, I will no longer have frequent contact with the branch and my old investigators. I know I will be leaving my area in the hands of very capable missionaries, and that my new area will produce people who have been prepared by the Lord to hear his restored gospel.

Photos:

(1) A selfie I took while contacting

(2) A fruit called Rambutan, which means something like hairy fruit
(3) Surabaya a night time