Minggu 50

Monday we took our 4 missionaries to the Beach.  It was different than the first time we went to the beach almost a year ago.  This time it was high tide so there wasn't as much that the missionaries could do.  We had them home by about 12:30 so they had plenty of time to email and do all of their other p-day chores before 6pm when they go back to work.  After the trip we went home and did our p-day chores also.

 There was not much beach this time to walk on.

 Last time this were completely out of the water.

 Elders Barlow and Pujianto and Sisters Believe and Wihanda

 The pillars holding up this pier were completely out of water also.

Elder Tucker digging for water.  He found it.

Tuesday we met for our PEF class.  We had for young adults that showed up.  We spent about 5 hours working with them to finish their workbooks and then we got on the computers and filled out the applications.  We got most of it done with them but still needed some information to finish.  We decided we would finish the applications on Saturday or Sunday if they had the rest of their information found. We finished about 6:30 and headed home.

Wednesday morning about 10am we picked up our two Elders and went to the Airport to pick up their new companions.  They flew Lion Air so of course their flight was over an hour late.  So while we waited we ate lunch at A&W in the Airport and went or people on the branch list. They finally arrived and we got them all into the car and headed home.  Elder Hansen is from Cache Valley, Utah and Elder Zollinger is from Burley, Idaho.  They are both fresh from the MTC and will be training in Medan.  On the way home they decided to try and find an address of someone who had moved out near the new airport.  We spent some time looking and the Elders got to go talk to people while they were looking for the address and person.  Never found him or the address. We then stopped at a place so the Elders could get some lunch.  They all, including Elder Tucker ate again.  I did not eat as I was not hungry and nothing at that time looked really appetizing.  We got the Elders to their house at about 4pm so we decided to go home since there wasn't much we would get done at the church that late.

When we got to the church on Thursday President Rico was there with a contractor to give him a quote to enclose the upstairs patio since it is where they broke in both times.  I spent some time talking to Sister Emma about things.  Our cultures are so different when it comes to family and expectations.  Elder spent some time cleaning up stairs and securing the doors up there while I did some reading in my Indonesian Book of Mormon and took care of some bills.  Later that afternoon we went to visit Lya's mother. After that visit we headed home.

Friday we had DDM and then lunch with the missionaries. Then Elder spent some time getting things ready for Branch conference and the audit that they do at the same time.  We then went and did our grocery shopping and also bought a small rice cooker for a new member who is struggling and has some other issues.  When we got home I made cookies and brownies for English class on Saturday.

We got to the church about noon and did a little cleaning. Visited with some of the members and then started English class.  It was our last class of this Unit.  We had 5 students show up.  It was a fairly hard class and was to hard for most of those who where coming.  The next class starts on September 6th and will be much easier. Not beginning, but not intermediate either. We just played some of the games we had played over the weeks of class as a review and then we ate the cookies and brownies.  We also shared with whoever else was around.  I then had Batasi Mendrofa come in and we finished up his PEF application and sent it in.  We will see how it goes.  It is short notice for it to be approved.  In Indonesia their schools only start in August/September so if we don't get it all approved then he has to wait a whole year to get into school.  Elder Tucker was doing the audit so I had to wait for him.  It was about 9pm when they finally stopped.  We gave Pres. Meyer a ride to his hotel and then we went home.  We had to spend some time getting ready and printing things for Church the next day.

Sunday was Branch Conference.  Sacrement meeting went about an hour and a half and then as things go here all the other classes seemed to run over, except for Primary.  We got out on time.  I was alone again with 2 boys, 8 and 10.  Elder Tucker was put in as the 1st counselor in the Branch Presidency and Batasi Mendrofa was put in as the 2nd counselor.  Poor guy, he has only been off his mission for 2 weeks.  Samuel Hutabarat and Bro. Manalu, our driver, were both made Elders. Our Branch now has 7 active Elders.  After church I helped Samuel finish his PEF application and we got it submitted.  I am working on getting them set up with a skype interview with Pres. Donald or Elder Kusumarmanto for their PEF loans.  They are our Stake people since we are not in a stake or district.  Elder Tucker was in meetings until about 4pm and then I got a taxi to take us home.

Minggu 49

Monday we woke up to a fairly heavy rain fall, we're not sure they will be making the hike today, we'll have to check with the young missionaries and see if they went or not.  Talked to them later in the week and they went and had a great time. Elder called and visited with his parents this morning and had a good visit.  I called my father this evening for his birthday.  We did our normal Monday P-day things.  Laundry, preparing for English, primary and PEF classes.

On Tuedsay Elder got a little computer work done at the church before the power went out for several hours. We ran the generator but it wasn't keeping the air conditioning running and the internet, so he gave up on the computer until later when the power came back on.  I met with four of the YSA woeking on their workbooks for PEF, and Elder Mendrofa (Batasi) joined the group.  He just got home on Sunday so he isn't yet sure what direction he wants to head in (not a big surprise there).  Have seen a number of posts from other Elders who recently returned home, we had about 17 go home this past weekend.  I guess Elder Costner lost 2 suitcases (the ones that had his souvenirs in them) somewhere on trip home.  Hope they have found them by now.  At about 2 pm Septi was supposed to come and have a little farewell gathering, but by 4:30h e was still a no show, so everyone got together and had a late lunch (PBK, traditional grilled pork meal) without him.

The two Elders with a bunch of the Young single adults eating grilled pork

On Wednesday we had an early morning, we got up about 3am and went with Pres. Rico and Septi's famiyto take him to the airport and send him on his way to Senopati.  We got everyone back home, and Elder Tucker and I decided it would be a good day to rest and get some of the planning/preparation type things done, so we headed back to the apartment.  We finished a chapter in the BOM, and Elder worked on putting together a proposal for a "Member Short-Term Project"  he has identified 9 families in the branch he thinks could benefit from a "self-reliance" project where they are given a number of young chickens to raise and see if they can use them as a start to produce additional food/financial relief for their families.  He still needs to get some surveys for the individual families and the branch completed. 

 Septi and his family in front of the Airport sign

The soon to be Elder Sinaga

On Thursday we spent the day at the church. Elder visited with Steven for about an hour, and then in the evening we did our grocery shopping at Brastagi's.  Elder got a call from Ari telling him that the HTC service center in Jakarta couldn't work on his "American" HTC phone, so we'll have to go out and find a new phone I guess.  Then stick his "American" phone in a bag of rice and leave it there till we're ready to go home and see if it has dried out enough to work.

On Friday we had DDM with new missionaries in the morning then had lunch together.  We then went to Sun Plaza and bought a new Samsung Galaxy phone, and also stopped in at a optics shop to get a replacement lens for Elders glasses, but it looks like they will only make it for reading, not sure he will get any of the adjustments for the stigmatism in his left eye.  Oh well, at least he will have a backup pair of glasses.

On Saturday Steven was to come to church at noon, but never showed up, guess he could have gone into work, and that would be a good thing.  Later because it was a national holiday weekend we didn't have a lot of people come to English.  We had the assignment to make "Es Buah" again for a branch activity, celebrating their independence day (17 August) from the Dutch, we were able to get all of the fruit except the sirsak (sour fruit) which is usually readily available at almost any time of year, we looked and had our driver look, and he was only able to find one fruit, and it was a little overly ripe, well along in the fermentation process. So we only use the 1/2 of one that we had left over from the previous Sunday when we made it for when the Broberg's came to dinner.  Also we tried it a little different this time, we put a couple of 2 liter bottles of Sprite on the table so you could mix it with the "Es Buah" if you wanted, well it looks like it was a good idea, cause most people did mix the two together, and it was all consumed before the evenings activities were over.  We did have a couple of people come to the activity who have not been there in quite some time, 1) Julyana Maya Sary Aritonang who was an active member here in Medan 4 years ago, but has been in Malaysia for the past 4 years going to school and working, she has just moved back to Medan, also 2) Lina Naibaho, who lives across the street from the church, but is usually in Jakarta, so this was her first time at an activity in some time, the Sister missionaries had visited with her a couple of days ago, 3)Maria Sinaga, who I still have not figured out who she is.  The activity was great fun.  Everyone had a good time.  Sister Sinaga made the food for dinner, again.  She does a very good job.  I just stay away from any extra sauce or spices because it is plenty hot for me already.

 One of the games.  This is the men but the kids had a turn and so did us women.  I also participated.  They are eating what is kind of like a rice cake but made from long swirls.

 Mulah is our Drivers son who was just baptized.  He has a nail at the end of the ribbon, trying to get it into the bottle.

 Elder Tucker having his turn. This I didn't do.  Wouldn't be easy in a skirt.

 The Elders,  Elder Tucker, Elder Barlow (Bountiful, Ut), our just returned Elder (brother) Mendrofa, and Elder Pujianto (Bekasi)

The Sisters, Sister Believe (Manado) she goes home next month, Sister Wihanda (Semarong) spent a year at BYU-Hawaii and myself

Sunday we probably had the lowest turnout for church since we have been here.  Lots of people have celebrations for their independence day.  The schools, the neighborhoods, the government and the churches so lots pulling people away.  I had only one investigator in primary.  When we got to church on Sunday morning Elder noticed that the door to the storage room, font area was not locked.  At first we thought maybe our driver hadn't locked it because he used that door alot but on further looking around I noticed that our TV was gone again. Elder went up stairs and found where someone had broken in again.  We think it is the same people.  They came prepared with a screw driver this time and used it to get in when they couldn't get in where they had last time. They totally chopped the wood up around the door handle until it all came off and then tore a whole in the screen door to open it.  They did not get into Presidents office this time at least.  The only other thing we have found that they took was the propane tank for our stove in the kitchen.  At least they didn't get the keyboards this time.  We got one that is attached to the base and is alot bigger and heavier so maybe they didn't have time to try and get it. We also keep the projector at or apartment for right now so they didn't get it either.  Such fun.  It could be just about anyone.  We are always having people watch us as we come and go from the building.  We had the 2 Elders over for dinner so they could go over the maps and branch lists to learn more about their areas and the people in them since they each get their new companions on Wednesday and then they are both training.

Minggu 48

Elder did not sleep well Sunday night, he also ended up with about 4 hours of chills and fever.  In the morning he took a taxi to church so he and President could take care of yesterdays tithing.  President dropped Elder back off at our apartment and he rested in the bedroom (so as not to share with the others) while Elders and Sister Tucker watched a movie (Turbo) for their P-day activity.  That night I had a milder version of what Elder had.  It took us most of the week to get back to 100%.

On Tuesday we stopped by Brastagi so we could get cash, and pay our driver. Elder got the lawn mowed at church today.  Steven stopped by and he and Elder talked for awhile, was able to get him to talk with Pres Rico, and schedule a time to visit and get his teeth checked out, cause he has been experiencing a lot of pain, could be sinus or an abscessed tooth.  We helped some young adults work on their PEF workbooks, in preparation for receiving financial assistance for college. We spent time with Vani after PEF class, working on getting her signed into LDS.org & doing some family history.  Elder had Bro. Manalu take his phone to see if they could service it, but they do not handle HTC phones.  So he sent his phone to Senopati so Ari could take it into the HTC shop to see if they could service it.  That evening we waited for a while for our appointment & a number of other young adults from the branch started showing up at the building, and we suspected about it being for Elders birthday and not an appointment after all.  We continued visiting then we were invited to go into the RS room where Elder was treated to a birthday celebration with cake and soda.  Elder Headrick felt bad and kept saying he tried not to lie to get us there.  Then we headed home for the evening.

Elder Tuckers birthday party.  Samuel, Vani, Novita, Mei, Chaterine, Bro. Manalu and Sister Imelda ( the RS pres., Institute teacher, FH person and teaches Gospel Doctrine quite often)

On Wednesday we did a lot of prep for a basic but not remedial English class, for those who are not quite ready for the class we got from Hong Kong, which requires they know English pretty well.  We went to Sun Plaza to get a printer cartridge for our printer, the English class has been using up a lot of toner and paper.  Also to check out new phones just in case they want too much to fix Elders, or they can't fix it at all.  Then we picked up a couple of things at Hypermart, and some DVDs for evenings when we get home early and would like to sit down and watch a program in English. DVDs here are 10,000rp a disc or just under a dollar.  It doesn't matter if it is a movie or tv show.  They just add up the number of discs you are getting and they give you the 11th one free.

Thursday we had 11 English books printed for our next class in the beginning of September.  Elder went by the barbers, but the guy who usually cuts his hair wasn't there so he didn't bother having someone else try it.  We got a call in the late afternoon from Sister Believe saying they had just gotten Sister Zabriskies ticket for transfer and she was leaving the next morning instead of Saturday, so she will be staying with us until her new companion gets here Saturday evening.

On Friday morning Sister Believe came over in the taxi taking Sister Zabriskie to the airport.  We went grocery shopping at Bratstagi for the week.   Elder tried the barber again, but no luck.  We took the missionaries to Pizza Hut tonight before everyone was supposed to start leaving, except Sister Zebriskie was shipped out a day earlier than we had thought.  A very late, but great night.  We walked to Sun Plaza and back with Sister Believe so our driver could go home.  That is where the Pizza Hut was we went to.

On Saturday we picked up a few things we still needed at Carrefour, cleaned church, and Elder managed to get his hair cut, the barber he likes was finally there. We had baptism for Mulah Manalu this afternoon at 3pm.  Pres. Donald asked us to try and have baptisms on Saturdays, instead of on Sundays.  So we are trying, but with it on Saturday there were, as expected, a lot less people able to attend.  It was held after Seminary and Institute classes and before English class.  Elder spent a little while in English, but I as usual took care of the class.  Elder went out to check on the power to see if it had come back on, but it hadn't.  It went out just before the baptism. Elder ended up visiting for an hour about dating nonmembers with several YSA, which is difficult with the limited number of members here in Medan.  He also purchased a new hack saw and used it to cut a large piece of bamboo and plans to use it as a craft project.  Sister Wihanda and the 2 new Elders showed up at church about an hour after English class was over.  The sisters went home in the taxi  and then we took the Elders to their new home.  Elders Sutarno and Davies had left that morning and Elders Headrick and Suwarsid were heading out first thing in the morning but were at an appointment when the new Elders showed up.  They gave us a set of their keys so we could take them to the house, though.  We discovered that Elder Barlow was from Bountiful and was goods friends with Hannah Sandorf, our niece  Thats about all we know at this point as we only had a few minutes to visit, as we dropped them off for the evening.

Bro. Manalu and Mulah

Today we had our first District leader in the mission come back with his family to visit at Church.  Brother Broberg was the one, along with Elder Barrus who helped us get set up and get our bank accounts open and everything else.  He was released in June.  I had no helpers again in Primary so we work through the language and the music together.  There were 6 children, 5 boys and one girl.  All but one were 8 or older.  That afternoon Elder and Bro. Manalu (our Driver) went to the airport to pick a a returning missionary (Elder Mendrofa) and take him to his family.  I stayed home and worked on dinner because we were having the Broberg family for dinner and before Elder left he made some Es Buah.  Mom, Dad and 4 children ages 21, 19, 15, 12.  They are such a wonderful family and we now know why Elder Broberg was so great.  They even brought some of my vitamins that I was running out of with them.  We loved having them.

 Elder cutting up a fruit called Sirsuk

 Coconut gels and tomatoes are added,  the tomatoes are put in the blender as is all the fruits extect some of the pineapple that is chopped in to small chuncks along with the gels.

 As it is being prepared

The Broberg family, Mom, Emily, 12, Dad, Dallin (Elder), Jeanette, 19, and Spencer 15.  

In many ways it seems to have been a fairly disfunctional week, but we were able to get many of the things done that needed doing.  

Minggu 47

Today for P-day Elder Tucker left early and all the missionaries, except myself, and 8 YSA went on a hike, it was a more difficult hike than I was willing to go on with my bad back.  It really was a lot of very steep climbing up and down, with a couple of bridges to cross that were challenging.  They hiked in to a waterfall, on the way in Elder managed to get his phone wet, so it doesn't work right now.  We will see what the future holds for it.  At the end of the hike out those who are allowed to swim floated down the river for a mile or so and then hiked out.  The YSAs stayed there and went down the river again.  It really was a nice relaxing float down the river Elder said and the water was nice and clean not like the rivers here that run through the city.  They got back into town at about 5pm and then we relaxed.  I spent the day talking to kids and doing laundry and other prep work for the week.

 One of the steep climbs that had to be made

 Another steep descent

 This bridge is a log that has fallen and boards being placed on it.

 The water fall

 Getting ready to float down the river

 Another steep descent

 Some of the group

 Another bridge.  Bamboo lashed together.

They were very tired when they drove home.

We took Elder Headrick and Suwarsid to look for the home of Ria Damanik on Tuesday.  We only had the name of a street, and couldn't find it in the map book.   There were two street names that were similar, after prayer made a decision to try one of the two.  When we got there drove up and down what was a much longer street than we had hoped for, so we drove up and down the street a couple of times and stopped at a place we thought would be a good place to start, talked to a person who had just moved to the area then tried a small "Warung" family owned small store to see if they knew anything.  The woman we talked to had the same last name but there was no relation, but she suggusted we try going up the street and around the corner where the street continued, and a specific house to check at.  We then spoke to the owner and he informed us that she had lived there and moved to the Island of Kalimatan (Borneo).  We also talked to another neighbor who confirmed the information, just no one knows where exactly she moved to.  We then took the sisters to check on Lya who was scheduled to have returned back from Malaysia, mom and dad told us when she went back to get her possessions she ended up finding a job and staying, so we will have to see if we can locate her address there. Took the sisters back near the church so they could catch an angkot to go visit Elizabeth Nainggolan, who is finished with her parental mandated religious classes, so she is trying to return to church again, but after a year away it will take a little effort.  We went by Brastagi, but since it's a holiday, it was packed, so put off shopping until tomorrow during the day.  Actually it's a holiday all week, so the work here has been and is likely to be a little strange, this is our 3rd new year celebration this year (Christian, Chinese, Islamic).  Elders thighs were sore from the hike yesterday, but that was about all that was sore.

As we were looking for a members house we couldn't find it and this girl thought she knew where it was down the road aways so Elder went to check it out first.  Not the right place.

This morning, Wednesday, we went to the sisters house to do an inspection for the month, while we were there Elder tried to fix the doorknob on the bathroom, but it was broken beyond repair, so and he had Bro. Manalu go buy a couple of doorknobs, one for the sister's house, and one for the Elder's bathroom door.  After that we headed to the church hoping they would meet for presidency meeting which never happened but Elder was also there in case the service man came by to install the CCTV for the building, he also was a no show.  I went and did the grocery shopping while Elder waited.  Then late in the afternoon we went to visit with both Harefa families.  We took the water cooler to Nidianus and family, we think we will check and see what we can come up with a way for him to listen to gospel information in Indonesian.  We then visited with Erwin Harefa and his family and headed home. We were informed today that all of our missionaries will be leaving Medan this coming transfer except for Sister Believe as she is going home in September. 

On Thursday, Elder Davies and Sutarno wanted to go see a referral they got from Bro. Manalu,  they both think it is now a wise thing to ask where an appointment is, or at least how far away the place is they are going.  We ended up a little east of Balawan, a couple kilometers from the beach.  Bro. Manalu's friend is watching a piece of property, set up as pig farm, but as the neighborhood has changed over the years, the neighbors (mostly muslims) have forced them to remove the pigs, so it is a large empty property that he is watching.  Interesting visit, he really didn't want to discuss the gospel.  He did send us home with a bag of catfish, which we had Bro. Manalu keep for his family.  That evening we went to see Bang Eka but he didn't answer the door, then we went to visit Toyo and Roni, they were busy working on a couple of motorcycles, and asked if we could come back an hour later, so we went to a Seafood street restaurant close by.  Elder ordered grilled fish for dinner, it was probably the best fish/seafood he has had since we have been here he said.  He thinks it was a whole small sea bass, (he said he should have done one of those things that he hates doing...take a photo) cooked directly on coconut coals.  Then we headed back over to Toyo and Roni's home.    

At what was once a pig farm.  Now the caretaker has some catfish in some of the pens.

On Friday we had DDM.  Well Elder Suwarsid is headed home, Elder Headrick is headed to Syrabaia as ZL, Elder Davies is headed to Bekasi, Elder Sutarno is headed to Jakarta as a ZL, but says he is headed to Sole, which we know he isn't since that is home and Sister Zebriskie is going to Solo.  Sister Believe is staying until she is done with her mission.  We then went to lunch at KFC.  Elder Tucker and I spent some time at church reading and translating for a while from the BOM.  Went to the Elders to fix their bathroom door, (Elder had re-hung the door a couple of months ago) but the knob had been ripped out of the plastic door.  The Elders bought some acetate so we could put some plastic sheeting which I had removed from the sides of a milk crate, over the holes in the door so he could install the doorknob on the door.  I went with the Sisters to visit one of their investigators, who was at a hospital visiting a friend so we went to the hospital to visit.  The lady she was visiting was 91 and had had a hip procedure and then we returned to pick Elder up and head for home.

Saturday we spent the day at church, cleaned a little, taught English, and helped get the TV and system setup so the seminary and institute class could watch a movie together.  Then we stopped by Brastagi so Aud could get some things to feed the missionaries tomorrow.  Elder Sutarno is going to work with Elder Barrus in Jakarta as ZL, and Sister Believe is going to get a companion who has been out 11 weeks. Then maybe they will both leave in September and will be replaced with a couple of Elders, giving Medan 6 Elders, and no sisters.

It was all of the missionaries, except Sister Believe, last Sunday at church in Medan so everyone wanted pictures with them.  Most Indonesians love getting their picture taken and taking selfies. Pres. Rico called at about 5 minutes to 9 to tell Elder Tucker he was sick so he wouldn't be at church.  Elder had to quickly prepare to conduct and do everything.  I was in Primary today alone with 6 kids off and on.  I did a quick lesson and sharing time as best I could and then I had the movie Finding faith in Christ in Indonesian that they watched.  They really liked that.  Wish we had more in Indonesian.  Most things have Indonesian subtitles.  I then let them colors.  We had the missionaries over for dinner since it was their last Sunday with us.  Elders Headrick and Suwarsid got permission to stay until sunday morning as they have a baptism on Saturday afternoon.  As always, I will sure miss these missionaries.

Some of the people at church Sunday

 Another picture of youth.

The Nidiamus Harefa family.  First time at church since we have been here.  The father is blind.

If we haven't said it before, and I'm sure we haven't said it enough, We are keeping busy most of the time and working hard, but because we are working hard we are also "having fun".

Some random pictures.

 Another picture of us getting floured for our birthdays and those who did it.

 After a Branch activity on July 26th.

The Elders started playing fotsal (soccer) with members on Mondays when their weren't going somewhere else.  Also non-members like to come and play.