well, the 4th was a lot harder here than i thought it'd be...i have a feeling this whole month is going to be like that if i don't get busier and with someone who doesn't talk about going home all the time. it's been a long week, but it's still been a good one. we always have our ups and downs, but as long as there are more ups, the downs don't seem as bad :)
thursday i taught english class, and none of the regulars came...instead, it was a class full of new kids that were muslim, and i had a really nice conversation with their moms while they drew pictures of their families. it was different, but it was really fun. hopefully they keep coming.
friday, i finally got to meet pres groberg...and let me tell you, i am SOOO excited! he's exactly what this mission needs. he knows the language REALLY well (i was writing down words that he was saying so i could go home and look them up), and even sis groberg was talking in indo better than i did when i first got here. i guarantee in 3 years she'll be more fluent than me! but he introduced himself, and dad his son is serving his mission in finland right now, and he got to the MTC the same day as me and carter...so small world there. he shared a few things with us, like what he's looking for in the mission, and he really made a positive impression with the indonesian missionaries, which is good cuz thats where it's REALLY gotta start...and friday is zone conference, so we'll learn more about what he wants to do then. but the most exciting part is that sis groberg wants to come teaching with us! i am SOOO excited for that, cuz i love having someone there who can help you know how to teach better. so we'll see how things go, but i think the work is going to progress a bit quicker in the next few years.... :)
we've met with raz a few times this week...fridays was good...she had a problem with her dad, and so we watched a movie called "family answers" that was really good, with tons of advice on how to improve your family relationships...mostly for parents, but raz liked it a lot, and she's going to try apply the things she learned from that and Mosiah 2 (we read that last night together, and she got to write down all the ways that our families can be happier and more united) with her family while she's in australia these next 2 months. we just got back from lunch at her house, and i'm really gonna miss her. hopefully she's around when you guys come out...you'll like her a lot.
we also met with atika and her husband for FHE last week with the 2 office elders (elder silalahi served in Medan where atika was a member, and he's the one that sent me and siman to check up on her) to try and help him get more comfortable with the missionaries, and hopefully more open to atika coming to church after the baby is born. it was a really good lesson on families, and atika said after we left, he was happy with it. we also played an awesome new game that i want to always play for FHE now called James Bond (007)...i'll explain it when i get home, but it was really fun, and i think it helped him get a little bit more outside of his comfort zone. but atika is awesome, and i already told her we're coming to her house when you guys come...so you'll for sure meet her :)
for the 4th of july, we celebrated it with the english branch, and it was really fun...all the families that are here right now are young families, so we get to enjoy their hilarious kids. seriously. some of these kids say the darndest things. like..."what animal am i?" "you're a...........eating a donut!" (a lot funnier if you were there, i'm sure), among others. they're so dang cute. the millecams put on the party, and us missionaries were in charge of the games. then everyone from the different countries got to sing their national anthems, which was SOOO cool...we had sri lanka, australia, new zealand, malaysia, indonesia, and america. so it was really fun, but still not quite the cabin experience. to answer your quesion mom, the people that work here are here cuz of work....for the embassy, or oil companies, etc.....basically those 2 are the main companies, but i'm sure there are a few others.
Chern is still doing awesome. she really does just make me so happy! whenever i feel down about investigators or question different things, all i hafta do is think of her, and i know i was sent here for a reason...one of the main ones being her. she just told us monday that they're considering a job offer in china, and in a few weeks they'll hafta make a decision....so there ya go. between raz and chern, i might not have any reason to stay in jakarta much longer.
so tomorrow we're going to have interviews with pres groberg...and apparently he'll let us know about transfers after that. i hope nobody thinks i wanna get transferred...cuz i really don't completely....its just that 8 months is a lot of time, and i haven't experienced the real indonesian experience yet! so i'm getting excited to finally venture outta the big city, and see green again. oh how i miss green!
this week, i've really tried to focus more on serving sis simanjuntak...altho at times i'm REALLY crappy at it. but i'm trying, and hopefully that helps our relationship so that we can always come together, especially when we're teaching. cuz that's really where it gets important. i'm learning more and more that this mission is REALLY hard if there's only one of you talking at appointments....cuz there should be at least 4 people talking....me, my comp, the investigator, and the Holy Ghost. so it's something i'm working on :)
anywho, i hope you all enjoyed the cabin (ugh...the jealousy. i wanna play ball with the cousins!), and tell al hi and that i love her and that she looked absolutely gorgeous! oh, and to be safe when she heads to scotland...when is that? anywho, i love you all, thanks for everything! loves,
~Sister sara
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