On Tuesday morning we met with our language coach for an hour. We then picked up the Sisters and went to visit Sis. Tri and her daughter Vani. Sis. watches a corn field in a village so is normally gone during the week but because of the volcano erupting she stayed in town all week. They feed us a great lunch. Wish I could remember what it is called. I will have to start writing these things down when I have them I guess. After lunch Elder helped her get what she knew of the top of her head down on the computer.
In the background you can see a cloth with lots of bananas. She gets these from her trees. When we left we asked if we could buy any really soft bananas so I could make banana bread. She gave us enough bananas to make 7 loaves.
Then we went back to the apartment and made a loaf of banana bread to take with us to another family. While the bread was cooking the Sisters and I went to the tailors to take some material we had bought the week before. We are getting skirts made. We then went back to the apartment to pick up Elder and the bread. We visited Sis. Fransiska and her husband was actually home. We had never met him before. We are working to get them to come to church and they say they will but haven't come yet. We then went to the Herefa family who we have visited a few times before. We gave them the loaf of banana bread (pisang roti). We also watched the John Tanner story. It has Indonesian subtitles. We also encourage them each visit to also start coming to church again.
On Wednesday morning we met with our tutor. We get our tutor from before our mission for at least a few weeks and then he graduates from BYU and will be moving back home with his wife. We sure like him and wish he could continue even after he moves but we understand he needs to move on. We got a call from the branch president that morning also about a women who passed away the day before. She is a member but was having mental issues and had been moved back to the village. Her son is an active member of the branch and is one of our boys getting his paperwork ready for a mission. The youth here are very special and strong. They almost all are without member parents for support. We went to the church that afternoon so Elder could meet with the rest of the Branch Presidency. The funeral was the next day and they wanted to send some people from the Branch for support. We asked the Young Missionaries if they minded moving thanksgiving to Friday so we could go and take everyone in our rental car that we still have. They of course said yes. That afternoon we went with one set of Elders to Sis. Ezra's house for a lesson with Agus who was introduced to the church by Sis. Ezra. She has only been a member for a few months. Agus cancelled after we got there so Sis. Ezra showed off her pigs behind her house. We also gave her a small loaf of banana bread as we left. If you don't give it to them when you are leaving they want to share it with you. We then went home and tried to sleep.
These are her pigs. The brick wall in back is the back wall to her house.
On Thursday we met at the church a 4:30 am. Of course it was raining. We had our driver, Elder and myself, Pres. Ronald, Sis. Nora (Primary President and Seminary teacher), Sister Tri, Novita (a college student) and Septi Sinaga (another young man preparing to go on a mission. I took us about 5 hours to get there. We drove into the mountains (it was so nice and cool) and near the volcano and on to a little village. By the time we got there the funeral had already started. It was a traditional Batak funeral. It was on the main street in the family's home. They take of the door and front window so everybody can see and hear. The Medan people were given a chance to go in and say something so Pres. Ronald gave a prayer and Sis. Tri spoke. Then Pres. Ronald asked permission to dedicate the grave. At first the family said no but after it was explained what it was they gave permission. I think Agus, the son, was grateful. The casket sat on the floor open during everything. After this part the head person (of family or village, we aren't sure invited us to his house. We sat and visited and he practiced his english and Pres. Ronald also interpreted. He gave Elder his family name and said if he ever visited again he would kill a chicken for him. Elder showed him a picture of our chickens and said if he ever came to America he would kill two chickens for him. It was quite funny. We then went back for lunch. They spread mats in front of the house on the street and that is where everyone sat and ate. After lunch they did somemore talking and singing in the house and we were invited in for that. They brought in the casket lid and put it on and nailed it shut right there in front of everyone. It was pretty emotional for the 15 yr old daughter. We then drove about 6 km to where she was buried on a one lane dirt road up into the mountains more. After ward we went back to the leaders house for a short while and the were able to visit alone with Agus and his sister. Then we had to start back. Part way back we decided to stop at a park that over looks some of the country. We got back to our apartment about 10pm that night.
Agus and his sister at the funeral
This is where we sat to eat lunch. The women are wearing traditional sarongs and over the shoulder the have a long cloth that has to do with family.
Walking down to where the burial took place.
After the buriel some of the villagers posed for us.
This is at the park we stopped at on our way home. Sis. Tri, myself, Sis. Nora, Novita, Pres. Ronald and Septi Sinaga
On Friday we had all the Elders and Sisters over for Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey was way too expensive so we settled on Steak that we grilled on our patio. The Elders and Sisters came over about 9 in the morning and we fed them hashbrown potatoes and bakso (which are a meatball that is served in soup among other things). It was a pretend sausage for us. While they were here we made rolls, a pumpkin pie, and an apple pie. While that was all cooking the Sisters and I walked to a big mall called Sun Plaza and went to a fabric store that the branch presidents wife told us was good and was having a great sale. I got 2 meters of two different fabrics and spent 10.00 us dollars for it all. I am going to have two more skirts made. Clothes get dirty and stained here so fast, especially went you are always sitting on the floor of someones home. When we got back I cooked green beans and Elder Barrus had made mashed potatoes. While we ate we watched 17 miracles with Indonesian subtitles. About 4:30 the Elders all left as they had appointments. The Sisters stayed and used my computer to make invitations for the Branch Christmas Party. A great day. We gave our driver the day off.
The Elders playing a game after cooking while we were gone. The Sisters stringing and snapping the beans.
Our dinner just as we are getting ready to eat.
On Saturday we went to the Church and Elder did some things around there while I did some studying. We then had English class in the afternoon. After English we went to the store to get a few things for Monday.
Sunday we had Fast and Testimony meeting. Even if you can't understand everything you can still feel the spirit. It was great. Wonderful testimonies. Sister Hutchison is leaving for Jakarta on Thursday and will be there for a week and a half or so and then she goes home. We will sure miss her. She is a wonderful, hard working missionary Sister Jibson will also go to Jakarta to pick up a new missionary to train. That will give us 2 missionaries being trained in our district. They had a break the fast after church. About an hour after. They had to make some of it and cook some. It was Batak spaghetti with a spicy sauce over it. We then came home to rest and hopefully get to sleep early as we have to be at the church at 2:15 am in the morning. You will have to wait until next week to see why. Elder took some great pictures from our trip that I will post after this post.
Sister Sinaga, Sister Ezra and Sister Nora getting the plates ready to serve.
Some of the Young Women waiting to eat.
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