Week 82

We are so jealous,

We get Conference a week late here, so you get all the news long before we do. It is interesting to hear from you, and hear your comments about the news of the Church. The first week of April is always so exciting. You have those first tastes of Spring, General Conference, and Aunt Paula Jean's birthday. Well, we'll just have to wait for next week to report on our thoughts and feelings about what will be to you, old news.

We have had a busy week. We had Zone Conference on Tuesday and that always gets everyone moving! We baked 10 loaves of sweet bread (banana, and chocolate zucchini) to share with the zone at break time during the Conference. We also visited with the President and Sister Groberg. This is their last set of Zone Conferences before they head for home. They are tireless, and dedicated, and the people of this Mission will long remember them. President took the time to meet with Ratmini's family on Monday night. Sister Ratmini came to Elder and I wondering what her family should do. Ezra, the son, will be 18 in June and will have graduated from high school and be ready for his mission. Aster, the daughter, will graduate from college in July and wants to serve a mission also. Ratmini and Maryono (husband) have been saving for years so they could all go to the temple together and be sealed. They will finally have enough in September. So, what to do??? We did not feel we had the "calling" to advise them. So we asked the President for some time for them. It was a surprising answer, and Ratmini was very content with it. She kept saying to me, it is right Sister, it is right. President advised them to get Ezra on his mission, then get Aster gone, and then get she and Maryono sealed, and then go back after the missions and have the children sealed to the parents. Both Aster and Ezra will have been to the temple as part of their MTC experience. We are wondering if they will both go to an English speaking mission. They are both capable, but only the Lord knows that. Interesting.....

Zone conference was about "Finding People to Teach". We practiced "contacting" and making power statements to introduce the Gospel, and make appointments to teach. They even had we old folk practice. It was fun because the missionaries would portray themselves, but then they would have another missionary portray the contact. It was fun to watch the missionaries become Indonesians from all occupations. They also did some role-playing later on, and we were instructed by the President and Sister Groberg. It was a great day.

Today three very wonderful things happened. We attended Church at Supomo, that is Solo 1 and Solo 2. Today we handed the "all done", completed, finished, and sweat over less active roster to the Solo 1 Bishop. This is a list with the names, addresses, and suggested actions of the less active for that Ward. For instance: Sri Rejekti Rt1 Rw13 *needs home and visiting teachers. The Rt 1 Rw 13 is the address... ya.... we know.... go figure.... So there were two pages of that, a list of names that went to the Indo Branch in Jakarta, a list of dead people, and a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong list of lost sheep that will be sent to SLC. On Friday we started looking for the less active for Banjasari Ward. We already found 2 dead people and about ten that are the 3 m's. Moved, Married, & Muslim. It's kind of like house cleaning, and you all know how I love to house clean! The second wonderful thing: Didi, Dandi, and Devara played for Sacrament Meeting today. They are siblings and one played each of the 3 songs for a typical meeting. They were wonderful, and their parents were very proud. (so was their piano teacher). The third wonderful thing: Nanik blessed her baby in Solo 2 today. This is a lovely lady whose husband is not a member, but she is definitely faithful. Bishop Catur was to bless the baby, and as they were gathering the "circle" together for the blessing, he just motioned for Elder to come and be a part. Then he said his name, "Elder Greenway". So Elder, thrilled to pieces, stood in that circle while the babied just howled!!! But when it was done both Elder Greenway and Bishop Catur were in tears. They are both such softies...

We have some new piano students. Five to be exact. Two are Muslim children that the Elders encouraged. They don't always stick with it. Two are from Solo 1, and one can already play and is older (college student), but wants to be better. I have had a number from Kapatihan give it up. Those two wards worry us anyway, more than simply piano. Oh the Indonesian culture, so....... sleepy...but lovely. Bila, the girl who painted my Javanese portrait a while back and who is gifted in music and brilliance, has entered a contest where she has composed 3 pieces about Indonesia. You would be amazed. The pieces are technical and lovely, and then she comes to me with a piece she wants to learn and has trouble reading the notes. Sort of Brook Shifflerish. But most of all, she texts us to tell us that she has retained her high ranking in her school class, and wants us to be proud of her. She is a 14 year old Muslim, but she loves to talk to us on Facebook to get advice and tells her friends about us. She is so dear.

Well I must go get ready for choir. We wish you could hear them sing. They have improved so much over the past 2 years. They are learning parts, and they are improving their voices. We are just so proud of them. We wish you could just feel the growth in these people. Heavenly Father has such plans for them, we know. He loves us all so much. Sometimes it seems like a long, unforgiving road we trudge through life. There are certainly enough calamities along the way. Indonesians really do experience their share of life's "pot holes". There are "pot holes" galore, and most of them are simply because they lack the knowledge and the money to fill the proverbial "holes". However, they have a huge surplus of Faith & Hope & Love, and that seems to get them where they need to go. We have seen it over and over. So, hold on to that Faith, Hope, and Charity (love) that is spoken of so often by the Lord. He knows our need...

Always with our love,

Elder and Sister Greenway