Week 85

Happy Almost May!"

 

It still amazes us.... how the time seems to fly by.  April is gone, and here comes May.  We already know that May will be a crazy busy month, so much already on the agenda.  Soon we will be saying, Whoa!  It's June!!!  But while it is still April, we would like to say "Happy Avinursery"! John and Lynn!!!  and.... "Happy, Happy, glorious B.Day to our beautiful Amy (coming up on May 4th)!!!!!!!!

 

We will do this up quickly, we have a wedding celebration at 6:30 p.m. (another wedding we'll attend for someone we don't know.)  The wedding is for a cousin of a member we DO know, and they love to have the missionaries attend, so off we'll go.  But the big news of the week is that Elder Greenway baptized Luki today, said the baptismal prayer IN INDONESIAN with no trouble, and made Luki one happy little boy.  Luki kept looking at us all during Sacrament meeting, shook our hand about 10 times, kept watching Elder G. all during the opening comments at the baptism, and had a huge smile when it was over.  The Bishop said, in his remarks, that when he asked Luki why he wanted to be baptized, Luki replied, "So I can be a missionary."  We missed our grandson Eli's baptism, and that was very hard.  So it was a treat to be a part of Luki's baptism.  To have baptized 2 children in one family gives us a big investment into the families success.  We love them dearly.

 

We are busy with piano!  Three new students this week.  I feel a little bad taking new students because I will not be here long enough to see them progress to where they want to be, PLAYING THE HYMNS!  But I will get them started, and then we'll see...  We have been contacted by the couple who are suppose to replace us, but of course that is up to the new Mission President who will be here in June.  They are from Arizona, and we hope they WILL come to Solo.  We know that the Knorpps will be here for 6 months after we leave, and so that keeps us happy.  They are doing a super tremendous job getting the Family History program going in all the Wards in Indonesia.  Not a small job, but they have been very successful.  It is so hard in central Java, (Solo) because people do not have family names, and many have only one name.  For instance, Bono's real name is Sarbono and that is it!  There is nothing to tie the generations together.  Most people know their grandparents names, and that's it.

 

We finally made it to Boyalali (we leave at 9:30 a.m. and get back around 4 p.m.) to see our dear Kini and Markini.  We have really missed them.  They are still amazing.  The Sisters asked them if they were still reading the Book of Mormon, and Kini said that her husband took it to work to read at lunch time.  Markini said her good friend had asked to read it, so it was at her home.  They have read all of the old conference issue of the Liahona, and were thrilled to know there would be a new one.   So next visit we will take them more Books of Mormon, and a few Liahonas.  We just hugged and hugged.  I wish I could pack them up a bring them home with me.  I suggested that, and Kini asked what she would do with her husband.  I just waved my hand like, Oh well...who needs a husband, and we all laughed and laughed.

 

We also went to the government hospital on Friday to see Brother Slamato.  We have been to that hospital numerous times, but it still creeps us out.  Brother Slamato was in a room with 7 other patients, no air conditioning, families sleeping on mats on the floor, dirty, smelly, and just sad.  I think I told you that we went once to see a new mom, and there were at least 15 new moms, and new babies all smashed into one room.  Anyway, Elder looked over the medication in the I.V. and just sitting on the little bedside table, and figures Brother Slamato was in there for a bleeding ulcer.  So Elder could sympathize.  We had Bono ask if he wanted a blessing and he said yes, so we drew the curtain best we could, and Elder and Bono gave him a blessing.  His son was there, but as soon as they started to pray he was out of there.  He is probably Muslim.  When Brother Slamato fell asleep, I shook hands with all the women in the room, and then we left.  We were probably all they talked about the rest of the day...they sure stared at us while we were there.  Then it is hand sanitizer all around when we got to the car!

 

We also had Seminary English 3 nights this week, we are working on doing a fourth night at Kapatihan.  Tomorrow we will have 14 missionaries (including ourselves) to our apartment for P.Day. We will watch "How to Train Your Dragon" (to thank them for helping with the Stake Choir), have a lesson, and eat lunch. (Taco Soup was the vote winner).  So I am off to fry up some hamburger, run to a wedding, and grab some sleep.  We LOVE it!  We love these Elders and Sisters!  We love the Knorrps!  AND WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!  Keep smilin'....

 

 

Da mom and Da Dad