Week 76

NEXT WEEK IS MARCH!!!!!!!!!

How does this keep happening?!? I remember when I typed in Week 20, and I thought that was amazing. Well, time just keeps marching on, and we are grateful to be healthy and happy and busy. We have complete faith in where we are led. We have mentioned that we would like to do something with the Primaries. But, we can see that it is not the way we are being led. Perhaps Heavenly Father would like to see the local members figure it out. It is sometimes hard to accept answers when they differ from our desires, and especially when there is such a need. However, this is His work, not our work and so we will step back and go the direction He takes us. (sigh)... We are very grateful to be here, so we will do as we are told.

We've had so much going on this week. Last Sunday afternoon we got a text asking Elder if he would give one of the Sister Missionaries a blessing. Sister Manalu is Batok, from Sumatra, and a fabulous Sister Missionary. We don't take that request lightly, however when we go anywhere we either have to call Bono to come in or take a taxi. We really try not to interfere with Bono's Sunday afternoons, so I text back and asked about the problem. She was so sweet and told me that she was in great pain, and felt terrible. So we called Bono, and took care of the blessing. Now, we also told Sister Hutcheson (the other half of this wonderful companionship) that we thought Sis. Manalu should get checked out at the ER. We gave them money for a taxi, and told them to call us when the knew something. They went and were sent home (because the Dr. was not a "spesialist" and could not help). The next day she was terrible, so we sent them back and soon they called to tell us that she would require surgery and a 3 day stay in the hospital. Elder and I went to the hospital and stayed the day with Sis. Hutcheson, until we knew the surgery went well, and everything was under control. There was some shuffling of Sisters so that the stress of the work, and hospital would not be on just one person and by Thursday morning the Dr. said she could go home. We took them to lunch...but alas.... she got home and could not keep anything down, and by Friday afternoon she was vomiting blood. We had been texting all day and night, but when that happened we told them to take a taxi back to the hospital and we would meet them. The same Dr. that had treated her the week before(who was not a spesialist) told her she had a peptic ulcer because she had consumed to much juice :( ! But they kept her, started an IV, and gave her something to settle her stomach. She is still there as of tonight. We have gone back and forth all week, but it is nothing compared to the love and dedication of sweet Sis. Hutcheson. She has stayed by Sis. Manalu's sided 24/7. She sleeps on a mat on the floor, she eats when anyone gets there to bring food. She sang to Sis. Manalu when she was so very sick, and has provided comfort every moment. I cannot say enough about her Christ-like love and companionship. Sister Manalu has taken to calling me Sister Mom, she could call Sister Hutcheson, Sister Perfect! Added to all of that are ward members & Elders visiting, bringing food, a sleeping mat, pillow, and blanket, ice cream, and support. Those girls have felt so loved.

We have still held piano lessons, seminary English, done some visiting, and last night the Solo 2 youth asked us to teach them some dances! AGAIN! So we taught some western line dancing, some just movin' around, some slow dancing, and the ever requested "Virginia Reel"!!! It was held a Uskup Catur's home, outside, and it was like a sauna last night. So, for those of you who know us, I did a bit of sweating (3 or 4 gallons), even Elder did some heavy sweating. At Seminary English we played a game that Grover's gave us. The youth drew a card from the deck, and each card had an assigned action. Most were to read and answer a question, or have someone else answer, or do something like touch your nose etc. One question was: What kind of a person would you like your future husband/wife to be? Yos drew that question, and had to answer it. He just pointed to Novi(a girl in the class) and said "like her". CAN YOU IMAGINE THE EXPLOSION! Everyone just howled, and Nofi about died, but Yos didn't even flinch. Yos (you remember), was the one who put a watch on the freezing stick figure they were to dress and who only had on it's underwear. What a character! Elder has been working hard with Friska to get her Australian Visa. (She is the sister who was call to Australia on a mission). She has 4 different names, none of which is a last name. Sometimes they just put FNU or LNU (first or last name unknown). However, they have had people called Mister or Miss Fnu or Lnu. He is also helping her with Preach My Gospel in English. She was going to New Zealand to the MTC, however New Zealand is harder to get into than the U.S., so we are hoping we can get her to Provo.

Finally, we must tell you that Jumali, Dika, and Brother Suriyanto were all at Church today. These are all less actives that have benefited from "being found" and visited by the missionaries. We had a baptism today in the Jebres Ward. A father of a family, the only one not a member..how wonderful! When we got here, no one in the family was coming, but the ward has done some amazing fellow -shipping and the Elders some amazing work. Now the entire family is active and coming. Next week the same is happening only in the Banjasari ward... and it's the mother being baptized. Three of those two sets of Elders are being transferred tomorrow. We have come to love them like family and will miss them. We feel so blessed to be a part of the Solo family, to be close to these members and missionaries, work with them, and have fun with them. A little bit heaven...

Feeling Heavenly,

Elder and Sister Greenway