Week 70 Photos #2

On Friday, at noon we attended the funeral of Brother Sugino, who had been ill and passed away on Thursday. Remember, it is the custom/tradition practicality that burial takes place, usually within 24 hours. The details are handled by the person's church and the RT. (Air-Tay)

Here is looking into the home. That's the casket on the chairs and members of the church are in the house for the service consisting of Opening and Closing Prayers, A couple talks, (Brother Sukro and the Bishop), several songs (A Capella).

Then the RT says a few words, (this is looking to the left, up the "street") followed by ........

The RW (Air Way) ....

This is looking to the right down the street.

Then the lid is nailed closed and adorned for transport to a vehicle for carriage to the cemetery.

And all the neighbors and friends attend to pay their respects to the deceased and family of the deceased. It was an honor for us to be there for them, also. These are wonderful, friendly loving people!

Week 69

Dear Relished Resolution Rejoicees,

Well the first week of the New Year has come and gone, and I just realized that I failed to make any resolutions! I am hoping that you will send me some of yours, so that I can keep up. We have a number of projects on our agenda, but nothing that resembles a resolution. Oh well, we do have two wonderful boys having birthdays this week!!! (January is a busy month for birthdays in the Greenway clan). First comes Hiram Nathaniel Greenway III (alias Nate) who will be TWELVE YEARS OLD on the 9th of January!!! He is the oldest of our Grandchildren (and the oldest of Adam's kids) and by far the most handsome Nate we know!!! Next will be William Roy Greenway who will be the BIG 5 on Saturday. He is the most wise of all the William Roys I have ever known. John's family will be celebrating that day! We have had much news this week. Some really great and some not so great. So it is good to know that everyone will rally to show their love for one-another. Sometimes it is harder than other times to be so far away.

Our language skills remind us constantly that sixty years old brains have "cemented synapses" (as President Groberg told me), but we are still trying to do our best communicating. This last week we had two interesting experiences. The teacher in Relief Society asked me... "Are you mystic?" The lesson was on forgiveness, and I had been trying to follow the Indonesian (all lessons and meetings are in Indonesian). So I said, "Apa?" (What?) "Are you mystic?" she said. "Mystic?" said I. "I don't think so..." She said something to the group, and then she wrote MISTAKE on the whiteboard. "OOOOHHH!" I said. "Banyak!!!" (much!!!) She was asking if I made mistakes. A few days later a waitress asked me if I wanted woll wet. Woll wet, I thought.... but since I was ordering a sandwich, I took a guess at whole wheat, and was right. If you knew how Indonesians pronounce vowels, woll wet is right on. We do enjoy talking to these super people, but it is nice to have Bono along to bail us out.

On Monday we had some errands to run, then we wanted to do our home teaching, then we were to fetch a new to Solo Elder coming from Manado at the airport about 5 p.m. So we accomplished the errands, went to visit Bro. Mulyono... and probably stayed a little longer than we had planned. He is so delightful, and we love him so, that is hard to leave. Anyway, as we were heading to the airport we get a call that one of the Elders is in the Emergency Room. Luckily, he was at a hospital on our way (one of the gad-zillion hospitals in Solo). When we found him we also found his entire apartment there. Apparently, he had flu symptoms the night before, but didn't want to stay home from a District trip, so went on a hot bus up the mountain, hiked around, and rode the hot bus home without eating, etc. When he got off the bus he was so dehydrated he could not stand and his companions nearly carried him to the ER. (Boys will be boys). We talked to the Dr. who was treating him, who wanted to observe him for an hour, and gave the companions some taxi money with strict directions to call us when they were home. By now it was pouring, like buckets full, so we dash to the car and head to the airport. We got Elder Hernandez, and drove him home in a perpetual car wash. By then it was dark, and past time to meet the Knorpps for New Years Eve dinner. It was at that dinner that the "woll wet" happened. We were in bed long before midnight...however... the next day we ate lunch while watching the "ball drop" at Times Square!!!! Crazy.

It has rained here everyday, which is not unusual for the rainy season, but the length of time each day IS unusual. Normally the rain begins around 3 p.m., and then it rains off-and-on until later in the evening. This year, it starts about noon, and rains all day and all night! That really takes a toll in our weeks activities because, as we have told you, nothing happens when it is raining. We did manage to see Katrin, a less active older lady, who once owned a "warung" (a little noodle eatery) along the same street as the Supomo building. She is too infirmed to run the warung, so now she helps to park cars near her place. That means she has almost no income. She was dirty,(we think it is hard for her to get to water), and she said her children won't come and see her because she is dirty. Her warung is really a shed with an awning, and she sits under the awning all day, and sleeps in the 6 ft. by 4 ft. shed at night. No water, no electricity... she does have a little iron bowl she can burn in to heat a kettle. We asked if we could get her some food, rice, water... but she said she didn't need food, she needed money. We aren't allowed to give money, so we will go to the Bishop and ask what can be done for her. She finally shooooed us away because we were keeping her from parking "motors", and it started to rain. The poverty is so hard....

President and Sister Groberg are here for Zone Conference, and our District is singing. We will sing "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd" in beautiful 2 part harmony, and "Come Follow Me" with Elder Mendrofa singing a solo. We practiced Friday and it was lovely. The Knorrps and the Greenways had the President and Sister over for lunch (Ty, I put the "over" in there for you) after Church today. It was nice to visit with them. President and Sister Groberg are on their downhill run toward home. We will get a new Mission President in July.

The rain slows us down a bit, but does not stop us. We are anxiously engaged, and have many other items of business (but they might be a bit over-talked to all of you). We do love to watch it rain, and it does cool things off, and Bono will not get out of the car if it's coming down too hard... but It's all part of the adventure we call a Mission in Indonesia. What ever we do to serve these loving dear friends blesses our lives with "joy beyond measure". Serving is just blessings in disguise. We are so grateful that service is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the world gets hard, service is the answer. When the day seems long, service is the answer. When others are suffering service is the answer. When we want to change others, our service changes us, which is the answer. We are so grateful to all who so lovingly serve and support us.

You are our examples,

Elder and Sister Greenway

P.s. I wish you could hear while reading this letter. The "Iman" is calling the Muslims to prayer. So, the sound of rain, the palm trees swaying in the wind, and the iman singing his call to prayer. Just like a movie......

Week 69 Photos #1

Here is our Christmas !!

Our tree, Christmas package from home, and what Sinterklaus brought.

Much of the contents of our Christmas Package ended up on our wall !!! Thank you to everyone!!!

Week 69 Photo #2

Oh, and I had to share this. This past Sunday, Eo came dressed from the week before. Eo (Tristan) is Uskup Catur's youngest son.

Week 68

Selamat Tahun Baru!!!!! (Happy Year New!!!!!)

Wow! 2013!!! I am so glad I am not Mayan!!!!! Here in Solo there are a few Wards having New Year's Eve parties. Jebres' will be at the Church, and Aster said they will have "Family Home Evening" (which is what they call any "serious" get together outside of regular Church), then they will have a party. We attended their Ward Christmas Party (news to follow)! Solo 2 is having an over-night party at a villa that their Uskup (Bishop) rented for the occasion.... brave. But Solo 1 will be having their party at the Supomo building, and their BIG draw is that they will be serving RICA RICA! (pronounced reecha reecha or woof-woof whichever you choose)! We are sooooooooo grateful for missionary rules which ask us to be in by 9:00 p.m. In the good ol' USA, they will have a celebration this week at the Adam Greenway house. Cecily Lauren Greenway will be six years old, and she loves animals, and anything artistic. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CECILY!! We will talk to you in a couple of days!

As I mentioned, we spent Christmas week attending Ward Parties. All other functions cease to exist. All the wards practice and practice for these events. Unlike a U.S Ward Christmas party, the Solo Wards have more of a grand talent show. It is very hard to visit, no one is home, as we found out. The Jebres Ward was first on Christmas Day. We got a very excited call from Aster asking us to be there at 4 p.m. and to bring our music for the Virginia Reel. So we took a taxi there (we did not want to drag Bono out on Christmas) and arrived a little before 4. At 4:45 Aster arrived, and told me that they had "improved" the Virginia Reel, (I think she meant changed, although her English is very good), and that we would wait for the rest of the youth..... they came about 5:15. The party was to begin at 5 p.m., but got under-way around 6, and then it was one OH MY! after another. Elder took pictures and one video. We hope you will be able to download the video. It was the Relief Society portion of the program, and all I can say is that each of you must picture your home Relief Society performing this at next years Ward Christmas party! The Missionaries sang "Oh, Holy Night", and "Drummer Boy", which seemed a bit out of place compared to the other performances. All in all, it was VERY LOUD, and very....interesting.... and by 9 p.m. showed no sign of stopping, so we called a taxi and left early.

Whew!!! Solo 1 was next, on the 26th, and was the same talent show, but much more calm. We must tell you that many members attend all the ward's parties, especially Solo 1 since it is the oldest ward. So that party was packed, and steamy, and noisy. At all events, the dinner will be a "rice box". This is usually a "tube" of sticky rice with chicken, wrapped in a banana leaf, 2 or 3 deep fried foods that are spicy, and something sweet. Our new Elder Miner from St. George, call the sticky rice portion his "chicken and rice Popsicle". On the 27th, Banjasari had their party, which was much more subdued, and the whole ward learned the Virginia Reel!

The week before Christmas, we went to visit Bro. Tukirin in the hospital. He is an older member, one of the original pioneers in Indonesia. He lived with his daughter,Ttut & her husband, Bambang. We have been to their home before wwwwwaaaayyy out about an hour northeast of Solo. Brother Tukirin had not been well and developed pneumonia. He wanted to go home from the hospital. So just before Christmas they gave him his wish. Last Thursday evening he passed away, and they had the funeral on Friday at 9 a.m. at his home. It was a tribute to him to see so many members make that journey. At Indonesian funerals there are chairs set up in front of the home (sometimes closing the street). At Brother Tukirin's they were full of his wonderful neighbors,and Muslim villagers. The body rests in the home, much like funerals were held in the US before WWII. The funeral ceremony was held around the wooden casket, and was conducted by Uskup Catur. We sang hymns, and testimonies were shared, and all that time the villagers sat outside and visited. When a Muslim dies, the roles are just reversed. When that was over, we all walked to the cemetery about a block away. They dedicate the grave, the casket is lowered, and the workers fill it in, and then rose petals are strewn over the grave, and the graves of loved ones nearby. Quick, efficient, and frugal. We then zoomed down the mountain to get to DDM by 12:30.

Saturday, Elder Greenway, Bono, Elder Knorpp, and others drove off to learn about hydro-ponics? Sister Knorpp and I stayed home and did the Saturday chores. He will have to tell you about this adventure... I hope he took pictures.

We are ready for things to get back to normal. However, we still must get through New Year's day! Wednesday I just want to go visiting!!!! ALSO!!! did we tell you that Elder Mendrofa got his glasses!?? He said it is nice to see the world, and when I asked, he said that he hasn't seen well for the last 2 years... He looks very distinguished. He also sang a solo at the Banjasari Ward program. What a voice! We also sent Elders Yim and Fisher home. All done... and Elder Townsend was transferred to Surabaya. So, tomorrow we will get 3 new Elders. We sort of get attached to these wonderful young missionaries. Sending them home or away is tricky on the heart.

Thank you for all of your wonderful, tender emails, and all of the loving and supportive Christmas treasures and pictures from home. The pictures cover our apartment wall, and fill our tender hearts. We spent Christmas day with some of the missionaries as they skyped home. Those who were waiting watched "17 Miracles", so we got to watch it twice in one day. I think it should be called "17 Hankies"... We all blubbered through it, and it was a great way to spend Christmas. We hope you also had a beautiful day, and we will see you again next year!

Warmest regards, and love galore,

Elder and Sister Greenway (alias Gramma and Grampa)

Week 68 Photos #1

Where to start? We were able to provide a Christmas Dinner to the missionaries and our drivers' families on Monday the 24th. Sister Greenway had cooked one turkey at our apartment on Sunday the 23rd and had de-boned it for easier transport to the Soepomo building. We and the Knorpps arrived at the building with all of our baking and other paraphernalia at about 11 AM. With the Knorpps turkey in Mr. Easy Bake, the other fixings were then prepared and cooked so that it all came out together when the missionaries arrived at 4:00 PM.

The cooks, up to their elbows .....

All set and ready to go.

Just a little something to remind some of home and to show some a Christmas tradition from the U.S. and Canada.

Purwono (Frankie) and family. Yami, Purwono, Paris, Sydney, and Carin.

Our Guests of Honor!

One of the donors to our dinner - he gave his all - clear from Manti, Utah via Norbest !!! For the Indonesians, this was one BIG CHICKEN !!!!

Everyone seemed to enjoy the food. It was a little different for some, but everyone seemed to eat their fill. Yeah, we even had some sambal on the side.

Week 68 Photos #2

On Christmas Day evening, the Jebres Ward held their Christmas Party. Here they all are prior to the start of the festivities.

The full-time missionaries treated everyone to a rendition of "Little Drummer Boy," and "O Holy Night."

Kiki and Lala performed their duet. "O Come All Ye Faithful."

Then the Primary sang .....

.... and danced !!!

Not to be outdone, the youth performed their improved version of the "Virginia Reel."

AND to out do everyone, the Relief Society Dancers did their thing... See video.