On Monday we left for Zone conference in Jakarta. We had a taxi come pick us up at about 9am and headed for the airport. After our 2 hour wait before boarding we finally saw the Elders get on the plane shortly before takeoff. They decided to try and get their emailing done before coming to the airport. Our flight is a little more than 2 hour to Jakarta and then we all took a taxi ride to the mission office. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with different members of the office staff who happened tp be in the office. We got some information from the Employment Resource Center to use in the Manado Branch, to help those who may need access to the PEF program. We also opened some mail we received from Aetna, just as I was trying to fax records for our medication, we were told we had just gotten some mail and Elder went and got it and found checks from Aetna for the same expenses. I had sent the reimbursement in an email since we don't have access to fax and mail would take forever if it made it. They had not responded to tell us they had recieved it and were processing it so I wanted to try and fax it in when we were at the Mission office. It worked I guess but they sent a physical check to us here. So we will mail the checks home to Erin to deposit to our account in Tucson. We had dinner with President and Sister Donald. We went to a Chinese restaurant that they really like in Pacific Place Mall, we were joined by Sister Ana who works in the office there in Senopati, because of the inauguration of the new president which is taking place in her neighborhood, so the roads are closed to all traffic, so those who live there have to find a different place to spent the night. We had a variety of dumplings and each ordered an entree that we all shared. It was really good. The best chinese food I have had in Indonesia yet. Elder got an operation update from Vardell and Cathy about how his dad's surgery went, sounds like all went well and he can head home soon.
President Donald, Sister Donald and Sister Ana
On Tuesday I went with Sister Donald to take Elder Hansen to see a doctor about his acne breakout. We also did some shopping for Indonesian home decorating items at the Mission Home. Sister Donald always has really great things that she has found through her friends in the English speaking ward that we like to look at and order if we like them. That evening we had dinner at the mission home, after all of Presidents interviews with the missionaries in the zone, with the Donald's and had a wonderful time visiting. They are keeping Elders dad in the hospital a little longer as he is experiencing vertigo because of low blood pressure. We are not sure when they will send him home.
Early on Wednesday morning we visited with 5 new missionaries who arrived 4 from Solo, and one from Surabaya, they will head to the Philippines tonight to go to the MTC. Septi should show up in a few hours, but we won't get to see him while we are here because we have to head out for Zone meeting and then straight to the airport. We think we will get one of the 2 sister missionaries that are from Solo. Elder did get to stand in as the one missionary was set apart who came from Surabaya. We then headed off to the church building by 7am for Zone Conference (PLD) and we were able to visit with Elder T. Sinaga and Barrus. We gave them both updates on individuals they wanted to know about back in Medan. Elder Barrus gave Elder a letter to try and get to Toyo, currently living in Banda Ache, and we have no way to get it to him unless he comes back to Medan. Toyo did chat with Elder for about 15 minutes last night on facebook. After completing Zone conference we took a taxi to the airport, and took our plane trip to Manado. When we got to the Welchs place we found a note on our bedroom door telling us that we were not going to head to Bunakan Island until 7am instead of 6am.
The Jakarta Zone and Medan District, plus the 6 new missionaries headed to the MTC
On Thursday after a 40 minute boat ride we arrived at Bunakan Island and checked in at "Froggies" dive resort, "the laziest dive experience you will ever have" and then relaxed for the rest of the morning. Elder did find a couple of shops that would rent him a camera that was in a waterproof case to use for photos while we were snorkeling. Elder did stay and visit with the guy renting him the camera and talked about the Gospel and left him with some information, so he could look into the church online. All meals were included in the cost of staying, so we had lunch in the dining room. Then at 2:30 we went out for an afternoon snorkeling trip. It was on a shallow reef with a shear drop on the west side. There was a strong current and it was constantly trying to take you east across the reef, so we kept swimming south and west, trying to approach our dive boat that was drifting on the current faster than we could swim. It was nice if you stayed near the shear wall, but if you got in over the reef too far it made it difficult to get back to the reef edge. The most fish were seen right at the shear wall area. After a hard swim we got out to the boat, our legs were pretty tired, so climbing the stairs to our bungalow was a little slow that evening. We relaxed in the dining area and looked at the reference books they had on the reef life in the area. After we ate dinner we headed back to our bungalow for the night, each of the beds had mosquito nets up, so we didn't have to contend with them as we slept. Actually we only noticed them in the early morning and evening hours. Elders feet did get bit while sitting on our porch watching the sunset.
On the boat out to Bunakan Island
The boat we took out to Bunakan Island
Going to Bunakan Island
This is the Dining room where we ate all our meals and could relax.
Going up to our Bungalow, at the top.
From the water our Bungalow is up near the top.
View from the deck of our Bungalow at sunset
Day time view from our Bungalow
On Friday we had breakfast and then had two really nice snorkeling trips. One on the north side of the island and the last on the east, both were at a coral reef with a slope away at about 45 degrees, with the coral life and fish continuing down the slope for a distance. Between the two dives Elder just played in the water occasionally and we visited with the others who were there for scuba diving. They had to wait an hour between dives. On these two trips there was very little currant you had to fight so it didn't exhaust you each time you went out. I did manage to get a good sunburn on my shoulders today. The first dive we had a guide that took us around and it was a nice and leisurely swim. The second we were on our own but it was beautiful and also not alot of work. The last dive Elder went with out his lifejacket so he could dive and get down closer to get better pictures. We got back to the resort about 1 and had lunch, and then got showered and packed up, checked out and on the boat returning to Manado. We had a great time there and the price was really reasonable for all that it included. Maybe again in June before leaving to go home we will go back.
Sister Tucker Snorkeling
Elder Tucker Snorkeling
Some of the pictures Elder Tucker took
Friday night we walked to the Novatel Hotel and had their BBQ for dinner
On Saturday we drove up the valley to Tomohon, Lokan (recently erupted volcano). We planned to stop at a Batik shop that specializes in Batik from all over Indonesia but they were closed as it was a Muslim holiday. We stopped a "Bukit Doa". We drove up to the top and hiked down, because it made the hike easier, so we saw the events of the crucifixion in reverse, but we did get to visit with a couple of hundred young people as they were hiking up the hill because it was a holiday. At the end of the hike we visited with a young couple, who were just getting ready to head up the hill, about the church, and gave them some literature. We attended the institute class, and then Elder and I did a presentation on PEF, which took about an hour. We went to a nice restaurant for dinner, and did some shopping for Sunday, as all the missionaries are coming over to the Welch's for dinner. 3 (Murphy, Jibson and Wihanda) of the 6 missionaries here, we have had in Medan for a time. Sister Wihanda sure seems happier here.
This is for our Sophie, spelled a little different but it made us think of her when we saw it and it was the gate to the Batik shop that was closed
This is a famous statue in Manado that they call the flying Jesus. Manado is mostly Christian. Even in Medan where there are alot of Christians we have lots of Mosques but we didn't see hardly any in Manado
The next pictures are at Bukit Doa.
Us and Welchs(Mesa, Arizona) after the hike down and hundreds of handshakes and many, many pictures
The view heading back down from Tomahon
We went to Church and got to see how another branch functions here. We all struggle, but the struggles are different depending on where you are and who you are working with. After Church we went back to Welchs(they go home the beginning of February) and rested for a while and then prepared dinner. We had a great time with the missionaries visiting and catching up. We love all of our missionaries and they become "our" missionaries, but some you just have a closer connection with. These three are like that. Two of them we were with for the first 6 months of our mission. We celebrated Sister Jibson's birthday that had been about a month ago but she hadn't told anyone. We also played a game where they had to pop a balloon and do what the paper inside told them to do. Like sing your favorite church song, give a scripture on humility, etc. It was hard to say good by to them again. Sister Jibson goes home just before Thanksgiving.
Us with Elder Murphy, Sister Jibson and Sister Wihanda
The Manado district with two invesigators who also came to dinner.
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