Solo Week 1

My District: Elder Giolas, Elder Martoyo and Elder Mongan

Hello Everyone,

First off, sorry for not emailing on Monday. We had something happen which made it not possible to email that day. But I am able to email now, and I am sure that everyone had a great New Years! It was pretty crazy here! Many fireworks and horns were going off all night, so it was very hard to sleep!

I was transferred to Solo on Sunday, which was pretty unexpected, and it was very sad to leave Semarang. The members there were amazing, and it was a great city. It was sad to leave, but I know I will have a wonderful time here in Solo. Starting with Christmas, here is a little description on what happened this week:

Christmas was a bit different here, to be honest. They do not celebrate it here nearly as much as we do in the United States. There were a few decorations, but many stores and businesses were open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Also, without the snow, it sure felt like any other day! But it was still a lot of fun. In the morning, our ward had the Christmas party, and it was a great time. Many members showed their talents, and I was able to become Santa! I gave away presents to all the little kids, and they were all so happy! Some of them were quite terrified, which was funny. I was in the costume for a long time, and it was very hot! I don't think I have ever sweated as much in my life! We then mainly relaxed and did P-day activities such as laundry, cleaning, and eating. Later that evening, I was able to Skype with my family, which was great! It felt very normal to talk to them, and it felt like I was back home! However, once I hung up, it felt very strange. But it was a very positive experience. A Christmas I will remember forever.

The next day was Wednesday, and it was time for District exchanges. So the entire day, I was with Elder Mongan and went to appointments in his area. He and Elder Giolas were in West Semarang, and it was very different from the East where I served. It was astonishing that the city changed so much by traveling only a few miles. All the appointments went well, and I was able to get to know Elder Mongan much better. Most of the messages we gave were about Christmas and the real message behind it. It was accepted very well, and the spirit of Christmas was still very present. 

A fun party at Brother Budi's house.

Afterwards, we met the other Missionaries at the Church, and traveled by bus to Brother Budi's house. He has been a member for a long time, and served a mission when he was young. He was having a party for a few families and us. It was very fun, and the food was incredible! We had a great time visiting with the members, and learning about mission experiences from Brother Budi. Since it was a long way home, he drove us to the Church, and I was able to talk with him personally for a long time.

The food at Brother Budi's party was so good!

The District exchanges continued on Thursday, so since my companion was with Elder Mongan, I was with Elder Giolas. It was very different to be in a companionship with two white people. We received even more funny looks than normal! I took him to my area, and we went to a few appointments. The few that were home could not be taught, but it was still fun to show him my area. We did quite well with the language and navigation since we have both only been out for a few months. We had extra time since the appointments fell through, and so we contacted others at the mall. It was fairly successful, since we found a few people who wanted to learn English. On our way home, we picked up some Sate, which is amazing, and planned for tomorrow. It was then that an unexpected phone call came from the Assistants to the President. They informed us that Elder Mongan and myself were being transferred. At first, I did not believe them, and it was hard to grasp. I was assigned to Solo, and Elder Mongan was assigned to Magalang, becoming a Zone Leader. We were both to leave on Sunday, so we started preparing right away!

This is Brother Samuel, a very strong member and very funny!

On Friday, we were not able to do early morning service, because the food stand was closed. I was a little disappointed, because it would have been nice to do it one more time before I left. But the day went on, and it was nice. After our study times, we went to the Church for District Meeting. It was the last meeting together as a District, which made me realize how great all the Missionaries here in Semarang are. I will miss them all a lot! After the meeting, we ate, and visited with a few members who were there at the Church. They were very surprised that I was leaving so soon, but said I would have a good time in Solo. My companion and I then had a few people we wanted to visit, so we left. Sister Sudiro was first, and she is a member who lives far away. Their family is very nice, and they gave us some really good snacks. Next was Pak Budi, who is always very sweet. He has a great, happy attitude, and so teaching him is great. It was sad to say goodbye to him! I sure hope he continues to learn about this great Church! The last appointment was Pak Hadi. He has only come to church once in the past few years, so at the end of the lesson, I told him it was my last Sunday in Semarang, and that I would love for him to come. He said he would, and he did! It was great to finally see him at Church. 

Our fun English class!

Later on Friday night, we had our regular English class, and we went out to eat with a few of the people. They were very nice, and the food was great. It was a Steak and Shake place, so I ordered.... you guessed it.... a steak and a shake! However, Indonesians do not fully grasp the concept of a milkshake. It was just chocolate milk! But the steak was good, so it was fun.

Saturday was my last full day in Semarang, so it was a little bittersweet. Since it was the 29th, it has been four months since the beginning of the mission. In the morning, I did a little bit of studying, but I still had a lot of packing to do. I finished it all before lunch, and I had time to spare. We only had a few appointments today, but they went very well. One was with Ibu Anik. She is a new investigator, and is very interested in the church. Every lesson we have had with her has been very uplifting. She has such great questions, and we are able to answer them all. She wants to be baptized, but knows she is not quite ready. But she is preparing, and I think she will become a strong member! It is too bad I am leaving before I see her really progress. The only other appointment we had could not be taught. Later that evening, we played football again since it was our last day. It was great fun again! Probably the best way I could think of ending my length in Semarang.

These are the scooters in the church parking lot!

Sunday was a perfect day to leave, because I was able to say goodbye to all the members at the Church. It was pretty sad to say goodbye, but they were all very happy and nice, and I feel so happy that I had the opportunity to serve in their ward. We ate after Church as always, and I ate a ton! It is really good food, and once my plate was empty, they just kept filling it back up! I got a lot of pictures with them, and I will probably see many of the members when there is a Stake Conference in Solo. So it is not the last time I will see them. 

This is a member's cute little son, opening a present.

Semarang Ward Members

We went home after Church, and I finished getting everything ready. I took pictures with my District, and said goodbye to all of them. My companion was great. He is such a hard-working Missionary, and I have learned so much from his works. I have improved on my Mission because of him, and I sure hope I will become as powerful of a Missionary as he is. I then took a taxi with Elder Mongan to the bus station, and we took busses to our different cities. My travel time was about three hours, because of traffic, and Elder M. and Elder H. picked me up. I went to the house with them, and got settled in. It was very strange to be in a different house! But I think I will love Solo.

We went on a really fun boat ride around this lake in Solo on my first P-Day!

Monday was Preparation Day, and we went to a lake, which was pretty far from our house. It was super scenic, and very beautiful. When we arrived, Elder M. was not feeling too well, but he still came along, and looked around the park. There were some really cool things, such as elephant rides going on, and it was clean and pretty. We took a boat ride around the big lake, and took some great pictures.

After the boat ride, we ate at a place next to the shore, which had great fish. I had a whole fried one, and it was delicious. There was a lot of spicy sauce, but I am getting used to it, and some of the other Elders were impressed! This is one of the few ways for an American to impress an Indonesian. On the way back, Elder M. was feeling a lot worse, and he had to get off the bus. He sat down on the sidewalk, and looked very ill. A policeman was nearby, and suggested we take him to the hospital across the street. (Very lucky) So we helped him over there, and they took care of him. He rested, and they gave him a shot, which helped with his pain. They also gave him some medicine for when he returned home. The mission couple, Brother and Sister Greenway, came and helped us out. They gave us money for food, and a taxi home. We all went home, and Elder M. went straight to bed. What they gave him helped a lot, and he was able to rest. We were not able to email, but it was nice to stay at home and get a little more settled in. Fireworks were playing all night, but I was so tired, I was eventually able to go to sleep.

Well, there is a little about the adventures I had. It was a pretty eventful week, and it went by fast. I am now more than one-sixth done with my Mission, and I have to enjoy it while it lasts! I hope everyone back home is doing well, and had a great holiday season. I will be emailing again next Monday, and will talk more then!

-Elder James

Selamat Hari Natal!

{Merry Christmas!}

We were able to talk to Elder James on Skype this morning for a little over an hour and it was the best Christmas ever! He seemed so happy and upbeat and told us so many fun things about his life in Indonesia. He has really learned to love the people and is doing well at speaking the language. He was excited to have dressed up as Santa at the ward party this morning, even though he was in the warm suit for 2 hours when it was 90 degrees and 100% humidity! He said everyone wanted a picture with him and it took forever!

Our second package didn't make it to Semarang in time for Christmas, but they should get it soon. In the package were stockings for he and his companion that were filled with little toys and candies. I'm sure they will be just as thrilled. However, Elder James wasn't without a stocking Christmas morning! 

We put together a calendar full of random pictures of home and life in both Virginia and Utah; he really loved it. We also included some family birthdays. He is sporting his new tie and clip in this picture, along with his new calendar.

A while back I asked if he would take a picture of his favorite meal, Nasi Goreng {Fried Rice}.

We are so grateful for the sacrifices that Elder James is making while he brings the people of Indonesia closer to Christ. We are incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful son and even though we are so far away from him, we are thankful for the technology that brought us closer this Christmas morning. 

Merry Christmas!

-Ellen

Semarang Week 7

Bagaimana Kabarnya semua orang?

{Reportedly how is everyone?}

A pretty river that we bike around.

I am sure glad that the world did not end on the 21st. I'm sure everyone else feels the same way! (Just to make sure you don't think I am serious-I am being sarcastic. Ha-ha!) Today is Christmas Eve, and it sure does not feel like Christmas time. Especially when it stays in the 90's with 100% humidity. Christmas is also not as big of a holiday here, but it still is a good time of year. This year will be a little different for me, but I think it will be one of the, if not most, memorable Christmas I have ever had. It is great to hear about how the Christmas season has gone for you guys so far. The ward here has a party on Christmas morning, with lots of food, so that will be fun. I will actually be Santa for the party, so I will be sure to get some pictures. 

But since it is not Christmas yet, here is a little about the adventures and experiences I have had this past week.

Monday was a pretty normal preparation day, with us teaching a few families after email time, and relaxing around the house. I was able to read a lot of the talks from General Conference, and it was great. I sure do appreciate all the great resources we as members have, and I think after my mission I will use them much more. I would encourage all the members reading this to do the same! So much can be learned and felt from all the Church leaders give.

Preparation day sure did pay off on Tuesday. We were able to teach a good amount of lessons, and we received two new Investigators who are very interested in the Church. To start off, we studied as normal, and ate lunch. We then traveled to the Church to meet a member who would teach someone with us. We try very often to teach with members, because they help us so much with making the Investigator feel comfortable. They are the third person that connects the message to the Investigator, and the message becomes very powerful. While we waited at the Church, a friend of a member unexpectedly walked in, and asked to be taught. He had been taught a little before, and wanted to know more. It was a great surprise! We taught him with a member, and he really liked the message. I think we will see great success with him. After, we went to a few more regular appointments, which all went well. Later on we had English class, which turned out to be just a social event. But it helps them, because they work on conversation.

It is the rainy season right now, so it rains every day. Sometimes it rains a ton! When the canals overflow in some places, the roads flood. But it is not too often. However just because it is the rainy season does not mean it is not hot! It still gets super hot and humid every day.

Wednesday was a very good day. During my personal study time in the morning, I felt the spirit very strong. I am reading now in Doctrine and Covenants, and there are some really great principles in it, especially about Missionary work. This study session gave me a very positive start to the day. For Lunch, we ate at the Church, and I was able to talk to President Budi, a member in the Stake Presidency. He is super classy, and very cool. It is a ton of fun to socialize with him, and he helps my language a lot. After, we visited with the famous Brother Bambang. He is so much fun to teach, and he always has the funniest things to say. We went straight to another Investigator pretty far away, and we taught her with a member. As I said before, it helps so much, and it sure did this time as well. We then went far to another Investigator, and the one thing I noticed was how much more I understand in the language. It is great! We had a few more people who were not home, but the day was still very productive.

On Thursday, we went to a member's house early in the morning, pushing back our study times. Their house was on top of a huge hill, which was very difficult to bike up! But we knew that coming down would be a ton of fun. They served us breakfast, and we gave a short message. They were very kind to us, and it was nice to get to know them a little better. We then went to the Church, met with some more members, and they took us to eat as well! I was already pretty full from the morning, but I still ate, which was brutal! But it got better over time. Next was our study time, and after we had the regular weekly planning session. It was much easier to plan for the week, because we had the two new Investigators! I then did some reading, and went right to bed!

Friday started off as they always do, with early morning service. It was very difficult to get up, but once I started riding my bike, I was wide awake. With the traffic here, you must stay very alert when biking. Not that it is dangerous, but we just have to be careful. After we returned home, we had our study times, and went to the Church for District Meeting. It went very well, and Elder Giolas and I are becoming much more involved. Lunch was already taken care of, since the family we help out in the morning gives us tons of food. So we ate all of it at the Church, and headed out for the day. Although our first appointment was not at home, the rest were all there. One of the appointments we teach is an older man who forgets pretty much everything we have taught. He remembers us, but never anything else. So the lessons are pretty simple, and we just try to socialize with him. It is very hard to understand him! But it helps with my listening of the language. Later was English class, which is always fun, and it marks the end of the day.

In the morning on Saturday, our street was bustling with activity. Our neighbors were preparing for a wedding, and it was to happen right on the street! We continued with our studying, and then left. Right as we went, our neighbors asked if they could use our front area for the wedding. We said they could, but we had no idea what they would do! Unfortunately, today we had little success with people being home, and we biked very far. But one was home, and the lesson was fairly good. He was a Minister, so it was a little different, and pretty difficult to teach. But he is a good person, and it was fun. This was pretty much the whole day, which although wasn't very busy, it was very tiring! So I went right to bed with no problem. But I had no idea what was coming the next day!

This is in front of our house where the wedding crowd was seated.

So on Sunday, because of the wedding, the family started the festivities at 4:00am, by playing loud, obnoxious music out of huge speakers that were in our front area! Obviously, I could not sleep with it going on, so I just laid in bed, and waited for the time to get ready. Luckily, I went to bed a little early the day before, so I wasn't too tired. We got dressed for Church, and headed over right as they were announcing everyone. Our front area was filled with chairs and speakers. 

They also put speakers up by our front doors!

Church was really good. I really love this ward, and I become closer to the members each day. Brother and Sister Sugianto also came to our ward, (The family we ate with in Bogor) and it was super nice to see them again. I talked for a long time with Sister Sugianto, and she gave us some chocolate for Christmas. 

We then went right home, knowing that the wedding would have food, and since it was on our street, we were invited. When we were meeting all the people, the wedding singer was having a show. However, right when he saw me, he stopped the music, and came right over to me. He asked a little about me, and was really excited to see a white person. He wanted me to sing a song, but I refused! But this did not stop him. He kept naming songs that I might know, but I didn't know any of them! But then he asked if I knew 'Unchained Melody', which I did. So in front of a crowd of laughing Indonesians, I sang that song. It was crazy. My companion and the other Missionaries were laughing up a storm. That was pretty much the most interesting thing that has happened this week!

Well, I better get going. I hope you all have a great Christmas, and a happy New Year!

-Elder James

Semarang Week 6

Hello Dear Friends and Family,

I hope you are all living up the last days on earth! Since the world ends on the 21st of this month, we have been trying to baptize as many people as we can! Honestly though, is everyone in America still going on about that theory? Hardly anyone in Indonesia even knows about it! Pretty funny how superstitious some people become about those things.

Things here in Semarang are going great as usual. We are all preparing for Christmas, and for the festivities that will come. I hope that everyone remembers the real meaning of Christmas, and how grateful we should be for the most glorious gift of all: Christ's sacrifice for all of us. It sure has taken on greater meaning for me, especially as a Missionary.

Well, here is a recap of what happened this week...

After our email time last Monday, we went to a couple appointments, but neither was there. We did, however, obtain a referral from some members, so it was not a complete waste! We then just stayed at the house and ate a lot. P-days are very enjoyable, but also very strange because we have so much free time. We still stay pretty busy with shopping and everything.

We went right back to work on Tuesday, with the regular four-hour study time. Normally, Missionaries have a one-hour companionship study, but all new Missionaries go through a twelve-week training course, which makes the companionship study two hours. It is a very good system, and by the end of it, I should be able to know how to function perfectly as a Missionary, and ready to train others to do the same. The church sure is organized! After the study times and lunch, we went to visit the famous Brother Bambam. He is a great member, and it is always fun to teach him. We then set time aside to contact people, which is always a little hard, but it sure helps the language progress. After trying for a little bit, we found a nice man who new the Missionaries before us. He did not seem like he wanted to learn, but he was very kind to us. We will visit him later next week. We then had a few more appointments, but the only one that was able to learn was Pak Hadi. We taught about the word of wisdom, and he liked it. Later was the regular English class, and afterwards we met with the Zone Leaders, who stayed the night.

Wednesday was obviously 12/12/12 which was pretty cool! It will be a very long time until that happens again. The Zone Leaders were with us the entire day to do interviews and see how the work was progressing. It was fun to have them over. To celebrate 12/12/12, we went to KFC. (Which is apparently the only place we go to celebrate.) We ate right at 12:12pm! (see picture) Afterwards, we split up and went on with our day. We had many lessons, but one notable one was with a really graet family. They are mostly less active, but we were able to share a simple message with them, and the spirit was very strong. They believe very firmly in prayer, and we hope they will come back to church. They were very nice, and shared lots of food. We then returned home, and visited with the Zone Leaders. One of them, Elder Kjiampa had only twenty days left on his Mission. He said it went by so fast, and it really made me realize how fast it will go for me pretty soon.

Thursday was a little different, because we got permission to play Futsol (indoor soccer) with some teenagers from the neighborhood. They are the ones we buy nasi goreng from often. It was such a workout! I mostly played goalie, since I could use my hands, and it was so difficult! It was a lot of fun, but we got killed! I don't think I have ever sweated so much in my life! It was so humid and hot; I was drenched. We then returned and studied, and I was so tired during the rest of the day! 

After lunch, we went to the hospital to teach English again. We taught a bunch of younger nurses, and they were so nervous to talk to us at first. We were very friendly to them, and towards the end of class, they opened up. Afterwards they took so many pictures of us! It was pretty funny. The managers then took us out to eat, and I got Bebek goreng (fried duck). It quickly became one of my favorite foods here. It was so good! The only thing we had later was a few teaching appointments, and they went well.

Friday began with service early in the morning, as usual, and it is very fun. The food they sell is very good, and they always give us so much to take home. I don't think we are serving them, I think they are serving us! Since it was Friday, we had our District Meeting at around noon, and it was a lot of fun. It really made me realize how close us four Missionaries are becoming; especially now that the language is coming along. We set some goals, and made plans for the week. My companion and I were able to do some contacting, because we want many more investigators. It wasn't too successful, but there were some very nice people we met. Many try so hard to speak English to me, but the accent is so overwhelming, I have no idea what they say! I'm sure it goes both ways sometimes with my Indonesian. As we were traveling, I found a place that had Bebek (duck) again, and I asked my companion if it looked like a good place. He said it was good and cheap, so I got two orders of Duck! The price turned out to be 32,000 rp., which sounded so expensive! My companion and I were amazed at how pricy it was, since our meals are usually 3,000-7,000 rp. After a while I realized that was just $3.20, which I guess means I am becoming more Indonesian! Later was our regular English class, and it was a lot of fun. I mostly just talked about American football with a few people, which was refreshing.

Saturday was one of my favorite days here by far. It started out with the regular study time, but then we received a call from an Indonesian senior mission couple. They said they wanted to take us out to eat, so they picked us at the church, and they looked for a good spot to eat. They picked a place, and the main thing they served was, you guessed it, duck. This meant I ate duck for three days straight. I never got tired of it though! It was a lot of fun eating with the mission couple and hearing about what they were doing. They then dropped us back off at the church, and we biked to our appointment. After our appointment, we went to a park nearby the church, changed into exercise clothes, and met someone from our English class to play American touch football! He invited us yesterday, so we took time out of our P-day to play with him. Every week, about twenty Indonesians come to this park to play. It was amazing! They were pretty good, but I did amazing! (No bragging, haha!) I had four interceptions, threw for three touchdowns, and ran for one. I played Quarterback the entire time, and man was it fun. I also helped them a little bit with their technique, which even though I am not the best at football, it helped. They begged us to do it again, which we might. We then changed, finished our appointments, and returned home. I was pretty sore, but it was so worth it!

Sunday was pretty normal with church and study times, but we were able to visit a member, along with a few others from the church, who was in the hospital because she fell in her home. She was very happy to see us, and it was fun to talk to her. The members are pretty close friends, which I like about it here. They love us missionaries, and I feel at home whenever I am with members. They play such a vital role in the work here, and without them, we would not have very much success. The last thing we had was visiting the Joko family, who are new members. They are the ones with the cute kids, and they are very strong in the gospel. It was a good day to recover from the soreness of my body from Futsol and American football.

There is a little of what happened here. It sure is an adventure each week, which is exactly what I like. However, I really do want to hear from all of you, so send letters! I never thought I would be the kind of missionary who looked forward to letters so much, but they are so nice to get! It is great to hear from all my great friends and family. I hope you are all doing great, and I'm sure you will all have a wonderful time this holiday season! I miss you all a ton!

-Elder James

{I asked Elder James to send some pictures of his apartment.}

Our apartment

Elder James' desk is the one on the left and behind is a fun poster that has some pictures from home.

Bedroom

Entry

Kitchen

Refrigerator

Kitchen (open to back yard)

Elder James' closet (on the right)

Alley that we ride our bikes through to the back yard

Back yard

Water tank and washing machine