24 September 2018

Funny Experience:

I had the ambition to make a barbell at my house. With the help of a member, I secured a long metal pipe, two buckets, and cement. The finished weight of the barbell was 150 lbs. I was really excited to work out with it.

The first day I used it happened to be leg day, so I put it across my back and started to squat. After finishing the first rep, the bar snapped across my back, and the cement buckets fell to the floor. Thankfully nothing was damaged other than the barbell and my future weight training. A picture of the broken barbell can be found below.

My Week:

On Wednesday I had a meeting with the stake president. It was a great opportunity for me to learn how I can help support the members here in their callings. It was also interesting to see the difference between the stake in Jakarta compared to the stake in Solo.

One of the harder parts of the week was when it rained. Elder Nelson and I were right about to go outside of the house when it started pouring down rain. With doubting for a moment we went back inside, put on our rain jackets, and started to head out. Just as we were going to leave the house, we got a text message saying that the person that we were going to go visit would not be able to make the appointment. That made it a lot harder to be as excited, but we left regardless.

One night on our way back to the house, I got my first flat tire in over a year. I have been very proud of how well my bike has been lasting. To fix the tire I walked my bike five minutes to the nearest auto shop where they patched the tube for 8,000 rupiah, or about $0.55 USD.

Something that has been on my mind recently is the importance of knowing what God has in plan for us. I used to tell myself, about the future, that if I truly put my mind to it I could become nearly whatever I wanted. Now I know that with work, we can become everything that God has planned for us.

One of the ways that God shows his love for us is through his plan. For each of his unique children, he has a unique plan. He has given us gifts and talents to help us achieve our divine destiny. He has given us scriptures, which tell us what we should do. He promises us the Holy Spirit, who shows us what things we should do. He speaks to us through prophets, who guide us to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Does God really have a plan for you? The clear answer is yes! I know that this is true. God will provide a way for all us, his children, to achieve what he has planned for us in this life. What is left to us is our capacity to work. Work is the means that we change, repent, and become more like God himself and his son Jesus Christ.

Questions:

Q: What are some new words that you learned this week?

A: ENTAH which means something like be it or whether it is. I also learned REMPONG which means picky or choosy.

Q: What did you do for service this week?

A: We had planned to teach english class at another institution, but at the last minute they cancelled on us. That doesn’t happen very often, but it meant that we didn’t have any planned service for the week.

Q: What is your apartment like?

A: A lot better than any of my previous ones. Elder Nelson and I keep it really clean, and it is just the right size for two people. There is space in the kitchen to cook food and work out, our study room is spacious, and our bedroom is small enough that it stays cold all night long.

Q: Is the cost of living in Jakarta comparable to other areas?

A: It is probably one of the more expensive cities to live in. Manado was also expensive though.

17 September 2018

• Monday

• Went shopping. Bought some american pancake mix that was really cheap. Also bought two kilos of mangos and two dozen eggs. I use the mangos and eggs for smoothies.
• Taught a lesson to someone from Manado. That was fun, although he wasn’t too interested in our message. He told us that he won’t be leaving his church.
• Gave a lesson at Family Home Evening at our Bishop’s house.
• Tuesday

• Worked hard today. Talked with a lot of people.
• Met this 15 year old kid from an island called Nias. He was really cool. We gave him a Book of Mormon.
• Wednesday

• MLC. It was really good.
• In coordination with a manado-ese member from my new ward, I got a big box of bananas from the missionary in manado who attended MLC. These type of bananas can only be found in Manado and are typically friend then eaten with chili sauce.
• Thursday

• A good day.
• Friday

• Exchanges with Elder Putra. I haven’t seen him since I trained him this spring. It was really cool to see how much he has changed.
• Followed up with the kid from Nias. He had already read the first four chapters in the Book of Mormon. We met with his family and set up a time to teach them later.
• Saturday

• Attended a graduation for a school that offers free schooling for people who dropped out of school. It was a well planned event. Had I been in a position to make a large financial donation to this institution, I would have done it in a heartbeat. We teach english to the students of this school. They love the missionaries.
• Sunday

• At church I gave a talk. Elder Nelson and I got a ride home with a member family. On the way home they took us to a few members’ houses where we gave a short message.

Questions

Q: How close are you to Jakarta?

A: A twenty minute bike ride, and a forty minute train ride away.

Q: Are you serving in a ward?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you use technology when you teach?

A: We have a kindle tablet that has some videos loaded onto it. The extent we use it in our lessons largely depends on the situation.

Q: Do you ever cut your own hair?

A: No. Haircuts cost $1.00 USD and include a nice head massage at the end.

Q: How do local members help you with missionary work?

A: The principle of working with members is the same. They find people for us to teach. At times they also help us teach people, and invite us to accompany them on their ministering visits.

3 September 2018

Elder Darby and I were working harder than ever this past month, but the results that we normally see weren't coming. We had been playing the same cards for a while, and we decided that it was time that we ought to get a new hand. 

This week was the last that Elder Darby and I were going to be serving with one another. We redoubled our efforts into the work, and raised our expectations. For two days we left our bicycles at home so that we could talk with EVERYONE that the Lord was going to put in our place. Some days we were tired, and others we were more excited, but we never failed to give it our all.

By the end of the week it was looking like not much was going to be changing. Most of the people that we had met with seemed indifferent to the great news that we were sharing with them. While we were speaking to them about a solution to their personal problems, an avenue to free themselves from the effects of their wrongs, many seemed to worry more about how their friends or family might view them if they began their journey towards Christ.

It wasn't until the end of the week that we started to realize all of the blessings that God had been giving us. The blessings didn't just come on Sunday when we had two people come to church, but rather throughout the entire week as we gave selfless service to God's children.

Below are pictures of three families that I have grown close to during the four months I have spent in Solo.