On Monday we baked a bunch of cookies because the elders were coming over to load the desk and bookshelf into the van, unfortunately the bookshelf was just a little too long to fit in the van with the desk. The rest of the day we did other normal preparation day activities.
On Tuesday we had DDM and then had Padang for lunch. We drove down to Pres. Yosep's home to deliver the desk. While there we found out that Novita will not end up working in Solo for the government after all of her effort. Because of the difficulties between Indonesia and Australia, there are a large number of Indonesian government employees who are returning from Australia, and because of their seniority they are taking the jobs that are available in the nicer areas, and so now Novita has an assignment to work in a city about a 3 hour drive from Semarang, which is where the nearest church is. We're sure she is a little disappointed by that news. We had dinner at Dr. Koffee with Elders tonight, because it will be difficult to eat in restaurants for the rest of our time here, everyone breaking their Ramadan fasts, make it difficult to find a place to eat. But because it was the night before the start of Ramadan, we pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves.
On Wednesday we worked with Elder Haws and Martoyo. We visited at the Mendrofa's, the plan was to teach Linda and whoever else came with her. Linda is the daughter of the woman we went to try and reestablish contact with by going to eat at the restaurant where she and Sister Mendrofa work . Well it looks like going there was a good idea as they are now teaching parts of the family again. Elder did suggest that he thought the best way to move forward here would be to see if they can visit with the children and parents, because it is currently the parents that seem to be the reason for lack of progress. We found out this morning that Sara is still out of town, so we couldn't pick up the keyboard, instead we thought we would try and visit with Bona (a cousin of Buyung Mendrofa) as we approached their home we picked up a following of about 20 kids, and were invited into the home, and waited for someone to come into the common area to visit, after a while we got someones attention and discovered that Bona would not be home for some time, so we said our goodbyes and left. We went to go meet Bro. Nefi who wanted us to go visit with a friend of his but he was a no show. We then went a little further north and visited with Erwin and Nidianus Herafa families. Everyone was home because of a holiday here in Indonesia. Because Sister Harefa has a small print of the Manila temple stuck in the corner of a framed photo, we brought the family a large framed photo of the Manila temple as a reminder of their goal to be sealed in the temple. There seems to be a dynamic in the family the kids and mom would be happy to come to church each week but the transportation is up to dad, and he seems to move a little further and further away from activity as time passes, it appears as if he has returned to some old smoking habits recently.
On Thursday Elder took a taxi in the morning to Church to work on the computer problems with someone from Senopati and I had Bro Manalu pick me up at the agreed time of 1:00 to come to the church. We spent the early afternon in the building visiting with many of the youth that were gathering there (still holiday). At four, just before we were ready to leave to go pick up the keyboard from Sara's home the young men and women who were there said they wanted to cut the grass, so they could earn some money for those who are able to attend the Youth Conference in Semarang (about a 1200 mile one way trip). So as Pres. Yosep had asked Elder got them set up with the grass clippers we had, but that is not what they really wanted to use, so after playing at cutting the grass with the clippers they asked if they could use the machine to cut the grass. So Elder ended up having to help show them how to use it safely, and not dipping the electric cord in the drainage ditch in front and side of the church property. We ended up leaving almost an hour later than we wanted to go to Sister Imelda's house to pick up the keyboard. We spent a little while visiting with Sister Imelda while we were there. The reason we picked the keyboard up is because Sara has not been actively working on learning to play, and even though Elizabeth Nainggolan does not have a keyboard she has worked hard and completed all the materials and qualified to be given her keyboard. We came back to the center of the city, stopped by the church for a little while, then went to the Nainggolan's home to give Elizabeth her keyboard, and to give her parents a framed photo of the Manila Temple. They were so happy with the keyboard and the picture that Sister Nainggolan gave us a special Ulos. The material they wear over one shoulder. Usually at special occasions. As we arrived at the Nainggolans, we saw the Mart Telambanua family visiting with the Elders, across the little ally, because everyone leaves their doors open most of the time to let a little air in, you can look from the Nainggolan's common room into the common room at the Telambanua's. So we thought we should stop there for a short time before we headed for home, after our brief visit there we visited with the Nainggolan's again, because Bro Nainggolan had returned home, they then walked us down the gang to the street where Bro Manalu was sleeping in the car. That is usually what he does while we are in visiting.
Sari, Maria, Buyung working on the yard at church
Samuel and Elisabeth cutting the grass outside the church
At Taluambanua's, this is what babies sleep in. At the top is a spring so it bounces
On Friday, Sari Panjaitan (long time investigator) wanted to share something with us so she had Maria join her and ask to spend a little time talking in private, so Elder suggested we use the room I was in and asked if I could join them, she thought that would be okay. We spent quite a while with them discussing her problem. We then spent a little time after this visiting with those who were in the building.
On Saturday the font was being filling all day, Elder is sure glad he reminded the youth who were using the extension cord for the weed whacker to put it back in place so the water pump would run. The outlets around where the pump is located have all gone dead. They are supposed to have an electrican come out and see what has happened. Elders guess is that a rat up in the attic has managed to chew threw a power line. I have spent some time each day this week practicing the songs I plan to play for Sacrament meeting tomorrow. We had our weekly meeting with the Branch Mission Leader. Then got the room set up for English, there were several who attended today who had attended in the past but had not been there for some time. Before leaving this evening Elder visited with Sari for a few minutes alone, He told her he had shared her thoughts with President Yosep (she had given me permission to do so). She informed him that she decided that she should be baptized in Medan, and she asked if Elder would be willing to baptize her on the fifth of July, before going home. So this was a welcome surprise. We doubt that she has told her parents that she is going to join the church, as they are against it, but then again she is 25 years old. Elder told her that what she needed to do was visit with Elder Haws and express her desire to be baptized to him. We then packed everything up and headed for home for the night.
Today I played the keyboard in Sacrement meeting. It was ok but I was very nervous and they sing so much slower than I was used to playing. It was hard to stay with them. They haven't learned the concept of following the piano and the leader. The Herefas showed up and stayed for the first two hours. They wanted to stay for the last hour but dad was ready to leave. We had a baptism after church for Mama Solai's son. Mama Solai was baptised a few weeks ago. I prayed at the end of the baptism. My prayers in Indonesia unfortunatley are pretty rote since I can't think that fast in Indonesian. It was a good day and we were at about 65 for attendance.
The Herefa family, Dad and Mom on the cycle, Mosia, Joice and Keven, their transportation
Elders Kekultota and Wills with Mama Solai and her son.
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