Sekitar Satu Bulan di Jogja (About 1 month in Jogja)

July 21, 2013

Dear Family

Get ready, this is a long one for some reason. Before I forget! I've been curious: how is your member missionary work going as a family? Especially with Jacob's baptism coming up, I've been wanting to ask :) PS when is his baptism again? I always forget but I'm going to write it down this time!

Secondly I forgot to tell you that last P-day I was craving sea food SO badly. Me! Craving sea food! So I bought fried fish and ate the whole thing (not bones) but I ate its eyes! Later that week we went to a new members' house and they fed us small catfish (pecel lele) and those you do eat the bones. I loved them! I had three! ("eating its teeth, eyeballs and bones... and that's it" haha)

Next. Remember back in Kansas City when we would have the missionaries over and ask them REALLY hard gospel questions? You should start doing that for me! Hit me with your best shot ;)

Lastly, Mom if you ever send a package/letter I have a few more things to add to my wish list. A Four Gen. fam. history chart, dried mango, ranch packets, biking shorts and the family pictures we took just before I left. Not urgent! But just so you always have some ideas :)

So this week was a good, average week. Sis Suryani and I are finding our place in the work and even though our numbers are low, we are contacting so many people and trying to serve whomever we can. I feel like I'm finally breaking through the language barrier and I am just starting to understand full conversations. At least the gist of them.

Alexcia has committed to read the Book Of Mormon, pray every day, follow the Word of Wisdom and has already completely quit drinking tea! She is too good to be true and I feel like her conversion is all between herself and the Lord and we are just the lucky missionaries who get to remind her about God's plan. She said she found the church where she wants to stay. I love her more every day. She stopped by the church the other day when we had a meeting and just wanted to say hello. We were going to watch the missionary broadcast so she watched it with us and loved it. Then she asked if she could go proselyting with Sis Suryani and I at the park and so she came! We talked to 3 families and then she went home. I think that she feels lonely here but has told us repeatedly that she feels home at the church and that we are all a big family.

Funny that we also have been teaching that bible basher guy I told you about. Well we taught the plan of salvation but he had another long-winded speech and this time we had the elders with us. It got a little more heated than before. He had three different translations of the bible and was trying to prove different points with different versions and then he was so upset that Joseph Smith "claims the Book Of Mormon is the most correct book" when his three bibles must be more correct than the Book Of Mormon. So sad it is almost funny. We just hope his family will get to be together someday. He gave us this story from yahoo.com and told us to pray before we read it to have the holy ghost and that if we did, the Lord would bless us. What?! hahahaha . Ya I didn't do that, sorry!

Funny story! The other day we wanted to do something to serve someone but had no clue what to do. So we stopped at a little shop on the side of the road and asked if we could wash their dishes and help them cook. They were so confused and kept trying to give us free food but we just washed and helped them cook chicken and wrap food. We were painfully slow so they ended up doing most of it anyways but I think everyone got a kick out of a Bule trying to wrap rice bukus (bundles) and we laughed a lot.

But we also have had a lot of frustration this week. As part of the 12 week training, we study videos, Preach My Gospel and talks about how to work with the ward and leaders. We also watched the broadcast finally. But through all of these activities Sis Suryani and many others kept saying, "But Indonesia isn't like America". Who cares? Baptismal services, ward activities, FHE, firesides or new member lessons with members... I was getting so discouraged because I don't believe that the whole chapter 13 of PMG doesn't apply to us, like they were making me feel. Especially after the missionary fireside. I feel like people have given up on the members here saying that it will take generations for them to change. What's wrong with now? I guess I just don't like people telling me I can't. But it has inspired us to work even harder and not accept the limits that others give us. I know I also need to humble myself and accept the culture more but still I am not going to stop before I start or settle with our goals. Just because it has never happened before does not mean that I should limit myself. I am going to try and work and never give less than my best for these people. Sure it's different but that doesn't mean we have to sit around and wait for the members to "learn the Utah way". Times are changing and the work is growing. It is a miracle that this is even a mission but I know that there are so many strong members here and all the Returned Missionary's do some amazing work when they come home.

I got your letters and LOVED them. The one with pictures made me cry and laugh and I can't believe that I get you as my family. But I feel so bad. I try to not talk about home/family/Utah very often but Sis Suryani has been really homesick this week. The difference is, she has no clue what is going on with her family and has no way to contact them when they have only sent her an email twice. She will most likely never get to go home either because the neighbors will probably hurt or even kill her. I want to say something or do something for her but it is so different than my wonderful family and I feel bad. Maybe you could send her an email this week! Just something short even! Just because she never has people to email or anything. I love you guys so much and know that faaaamilies arrrrre forrrever!!!! Dad, mom, emily, andrew, joshua, samuel, jacob, lucy. S H E F F I E L D!!!!!

One cool fact, last night it rained but in the morning one of our neighbors told us that it was raining ash from Mt Maropi (idk how to spell that).

To respond to your email. If I like teaching the English classes. I have mixed feelings about but we always sing a song from The Seekers (the Barnards are from Australia and they teach haha) and the night Alexcia came, we were singing Lemon Tree!! :)

My comp has felt funny for a few weeks so we went to a lab to get her blood tested but it all normal so we will see!

Loved the TL and HP quote of course!  That is so cool you met with the sister missionaries! We went to the member's house whose son I met at the MTC and she spoils the missionaries. I think that missionary families must do that since they can't spoil their own children. True? :) I loved the pictures from Bear Lake! You're so funny. Don't feel like your emails are too long. They're great! I LOVE MY MISSION! I LOVE MY FAMILY!

PS Dad thanks for the extra pictures and the email. Sis Suryani and I were just asking about judgement the other day. How does it work in 1 Ne 12 when it talks about the 12 disciples vs the 12 apostles judging. Who is who and who judges whom?

WHEW! That was long. Sampai senin besok!

<3 Sis Sheff

Week 4 "Hurrah for Israel"

July 15, 2013

Dearest family,

Thank you for your thoughts about charity. Relief Society is the meeting that I always feel the most lost in, so sometimes I forget that we have that as our purpose. My companion is from Magetang? I don't know how to spell that but she has been living/working in Hong Kong for like 8 years. All four sisters are in one house and I LOVE IT! They are so great to work with and so fun to talk to. We have language study set aside but I didn't have much room to bring books so we usually just read something and I will read in Indonesian to practice and Sis. Suryani reads in English to practice. We will read from the Book Of Mormon, from Preach My Gospel or from Gospel Principles, whatever! And then I try to memorize scriptures too. We cook breakfast and usually lunch too but the members and those we visit always, always, always, always, feed us so even lunch I usually just make IndoMei (ramen noodles) or a PBJ or an egg or something. We eat out a lot since there are so many food places. Fun fact: this month is fasting month though so most food places are closed until it is dark out of respect for the Muslims.

SO! My week. Wow.

Last Tuesday: woke up so happy! We had an average day, visited a few people and did some online training courses. One highlight- Sister Baantjer recieved a jump rope in the mail and all the missionaries were at the church at lunch so we all jump roped in our church clothes and it was so funny. I love our little district! Oh, I found my one qualm with Indonesia... they don't believe in leaving the heel of bread on a loaf when they sell it. Waduh!

Wednesday: I remember specifically telling Sis Baantjer that it was going to be a great day. We showed up to our morning appointment and she canceled, then the Barnards told us our after service project was cancelled so all we had left on the schedule was study, find an address and visit a member! (PS my study was so good that day. I wanted to know about "the council of the eternal god" from D&C 121 and I was struck in awe at how magnanimous our Heavenly Father is, yet he is "a being who cares for the salvation of our souls" as the bible dictionary bilang.) Then right before we left to find the address it started to rain. We had to wait it out a little then we got on our huge rain poncho's and my bag to protect my backpack ripped so I had my backpack on under it and we headed to find the address. Well it was JAUH BANGET! (really far) and I got so tired that I had to stop and put my backpack in my basket anyways (this is important later) since the rain had eased up a little. Well we found where the address was supposed to be but it was non existent. We took off our rain poncho's and Sis Suryani noticed that my nametag was lost. AGAIN!!!!! SECOND TIME IN THREE DAYS! I had no idea what to do! It was now completely dark, still drizzling, we had an appointment, and we had driven for probably 45 minutes. I was so frustrated and upset and confused and hopeless. Why did this have to happen again? What was I supposed to learn?! We prayed for a miracle and then tried to figure out a plan. We could either walk the busy street with our bikes on the wrong side in the dark and in the rain and be late to our appointment to check the ground for the whole path we drove, or we could just ride our bikes back to the spot where I stopped to take off my backpack and hope it was there. I had no idea what to do so Sis Suryani (trying to keep us good to our appointment) suggested that we ride our bikes back to the spot and she said she thought she remembered where that was so we got riding and I was still trying to clear my thoughts to just be lead by the Holy Ghost but I was thinking a million things per minute. How to make a new nametag, what lesson was I supposed to learn, trying to watch ground the other side of the road still, wondering why I hadn't gotten a miracle to find my last nametag, feeling so vulnerable without anything to set me apart as a representative of the Lord. Then I thought, "Everything had seemed to go wrong today, even though I told sis b that it was going to be a great day. So was it still a great day? YES! Everyday is a great day that I get to be a missionary." And right after that I thought I recognized the spot across the street so I shouted to Sis Soriano and we crossed the road. And IT WAS THERE! Name-side up, lying in the mud. I stopped crying tears of worry and started crying because I knew it was a miracle. THE MIRACLE OF THE NAMETAG! It was seriously amazing. It probably sounds so little but it was so important to me and the Lord's hand had to have been in that experience. (I seriously looked down and didn't even move before taking this picture since I was so grateful.)

The Miracle of the Nametag

Thursday: we were tracting/biking in the rain and contacted so many people! Then we got my favorite foods from these carts by the church and when we got to English, 3 new people were there. One was a girl from Portugal named Alexcia who stopped by the church just to see what it was. I got her number and then we had to teach another family. He is a total bible basher who believes in the Trinity and read the whole Book Of Mormon but also read the Wikipedia source about the church like his second bible. What do I do about him? Anyway I got really shut down after his lesson but Friday: we had a big spaghetti lunch with ranch dressing and salad and garlic bread since we wanted to spoil our district. It was amazing and then I called Alexcia. She asked me if we could meet before I even did! So we set up an appointment for the next day and visited a member then went to Atin's house. She has been investigating the church for 9 months but we asked her about baptism again and SHE SAID YES! She is going to be baptized AUGUST 18TH!!!!!!! Saturday: Went to visit a member whose husband is bed ridden and then on our way to the next appointment my chain came off my bike in the pouring rain and I had black all over my hands from fixing it. Too funny. But we taught Alexcia and SHE ROCKS! She is like the most unique person I know. She came to church the next day and SHE WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED IN AUGUST TOO! A little about her. She is 21, her dad was a prince from Solo, Indonesia and her mom was Indonesian. She has an adopted son from Australia still in Portugal and she is writing a book/teaching watercolor here right now. She is also pregnant from a sperm donor and wanted to find the truth to give her future child. She has previously been Buddhist, Hindu, Jehovah witness, catholic, Muslim... she believes our church is true though! She feels so much peace and I asked her to pray with us for her first time and we were all crying after her prayer it was so sincere. She knows the plan of salvation is true because she has a sixth sense and sees people waiting around in the spirit world. She has a potty mouth and flirts with the elders a lot but she is a miracle. ALSO she doesn't speak Indonesian, only Javanese, Italian, Portuguese and every other language, so we have to teach her in English. Miracle or what?! She has a lot of changes to make but I am so excited for her that she has finally found rest in the Lord.

Sis. Suryani, Alexcia and Sis. Sheffield

I HAVE TO GO! :( I LOVE YOU ALL! The temple was fun today and the art gallery was beautiful. We had FHE with the bishop. So fun!

LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK NO CALL BACKS!

Water Castle

Had to... smile

Selalu, Sis Sheffie

Tithing

Wishlist

Family picture

gaylin/teresa's email address

Alexcia/ctr ring

Miracle of the Nametag

Week 3 pictures

Me on my bike in front of our house P.S. I am wearing Sis. Collins hand-me-down skirt,
it is exactly the one I had been looking for to bring on my mission

Sis. Suriyani, our investigator Nurul, who just moved to Jakarta to get baptized this week!
and I in front of the chapel in Jogjo

My brother Andrew is even in  Indonesia (pointing to his picture)

All the Jogjo sisters on our first P-day

Es. Kolapa Muda on the way to the house of a new member family
(3 hours by bus there, 3 hrs with the family and 3 hrs back. And they go to church every week- so stalwart!)

My District

You can almost see America from here

Week 3

July 8, 2013

FAMILY! Whew what a week eh? I am so lucky to have a family like you. Extended family too.

Tuesday of last week, we went to an inactive members' home. They are inactive because they only have one motor cycle but too many people in the family to fit on it to go church and can't afford to even send their daughter to high school let alone but another motorcycle. We watched a church movie with Indonesian subtitles and I felt so guilty. It showed this family sitting by the fire eating popcorn and playing board games and here we were sitting on the floor in one of the 2 rooms of the small cement house watching this on a borrowed laptop. I am so grateful for what I have been blessed with!

It was kind of weird too to have Sis Soriano tell me she heard something on the radio about a fire in America comparable to 9/11 and not know. I eventually asked the Barnards (a mission couple) but that and 4th of July made me have a renewed love for the home of the free and the land of the brave. We sang the Nat'l anthem for companionship study haha and after our English class I bought brownies to celebrate for dinner, which was Sate (kind of like BBQ kabobs). Good 4th of July I’d say!

3 bule's eating out 4th of July brow nines and Sate (like BBQ...kindof)

July 3^rd for my half birthday we had nutella on toast ;)

I am jumping all over the place but one quick funny story: we were at an inactive member's house and she gave us what looked like a mix of refried beans and oatmeal so I prepared myself for either taste but it was actually cinnamon lentils... ya it reminded me soooo much of cinnamon chicken that I almost laughed out loud! But Sis Suryani didn't get it when I told her later so Dad, maybe you just are instinctively good at cooking Indonesian food? :)

We had PLD this last weekend, which was the best ever! I was ecstatic to see Sis Jibson (my MissionBFF ya) and meet the new president. We rode a train to Solo and stayed in a way fancy hotel (hot shower never made me feel so clean after cold water/bucket style for so long). We played futsal with all the missionaries in the zone (like 6 sisters and 20+ elders) and that was a BLAST! I even scored a goal what what!

Zone at PLD futsol

Pres/Sis Donald are fantastic. So loving, and full of excitement to get us working hard. He shared a quote from an apostle that basically said: that which we persist in doing will become easy to us-- not because the task becomes easy, but because our power to accomplish it will increase. His Indonesian is really good too! When we got home it felt like home sweet home until SURPRISE... a rat in the kitchen. Gotta love that haha.

Then yesterday we had fast Sunday and went to a park to contact at night. I get so much attention and people will just ask to get pictures with me so it makes it a great way to contact. Today I woke up with a swollen eye but that went away quickly and we headed with an investigator to the beach. It was a beautiful place but I am so embarrassed... I don't even want to say. I lost my nametag. We were taking pictures of our nametags in the sand and a wave came and I grabbed my nametag but it slipped out of my hand and washed out to the Indian Ocean (probably halfway to Australia by now). I thought of every metaphor and lesson that I was supposed to learn from that. Without my nametag I felt icky and almost sick. Luckily I have an extra and got it once we were home but I think it made me appreciate the fact that I am set apart as a servant of the Lord. I don't want to feel like a "normal person".

Stupid idea, but awesome picture

We had family home evening with a member and it was fun. I ate a pepper thinking that I was tough and it was the spiciest thing I have ever eaten. The roof of my mouth was on fire and I started to cry. I couldn't  drink enough water and it seriously burned forever: not your tongue, just your throat and nose and ears. You know it is spicy when you get a runny nose.

I have been "adjusting to the altitude" here in Indonesia but I am buckled down and ready to work. Thank you for your fasting and prayers. I know the Lord is watching over me, and all of you because of our prayers. He called me here to be successful and wants us to be happy in this life.

The cabin sounds like it was so much fun! Congrats on the triathlon winners! :) I think that sacrament must have been one of the most special experiences. And so cool to have all of the family there for one meeting too. Such great stories. I feel so selfish when I send these emails because I just tell so much about my life and never ask much about all of you. Keep me updated! The pictures were fun too! I know that life is not perfect but I know that Sheffield's can overcome whatever challenges or temptations come our way.

I wish I had more funny stories. With so much bike riding time, I always think of good one liners about indo, like "I've never driven a car here in Indonesia, but I think when you honk the horn it gives you more gas" (you honk to let people know that you are there and it is seriously like driving in a movie set.) 

This doesn't even show how crazy traffic is when you're riding a bike

I have tried goat and chicken foot and a ton of random snacks/desserts that I have no clue the name of. Anything else? Oh satu lagi! (one more) I LOVE MY FAMILY! I pray for you and my friends always. Stay strong and keep smiling.

<3 Sis Sheff

PS just realized I never really type in Indonesian but I sometimes think in Indonesian. Still am jelek (terrible) at understanding and holding conversations but I am learning more every day. I just wish I could be myself since I am so quiet here with the language barrier but someday!

Sister Suryani at Alun-Alun (like a park) after contacting

PSS tell friends to send letters instead of email since it actually is pretty reliable. Address is still:

Sis SheffieldIndonesia Jakarta MissionJalan Senopati 115Kebayoran BaruJakarta 12190 Indonesia

Week 2 (the nitty gritty)

Before I start, I wanted to add a disclaimer: I LOVE MY MISSION! I
know that I am supposed to be here and it is truly the Lord's work. Ok
now for the nitty gritty :)

I made it to the second week in Indonesia! It is so different here
than Jakarta that it really feels like a different country! Anyways I
love it here so much but I had a really rough week. It has been a week
to go down in the books. 

I began sorely missing you all and the comforts of living in a westernized country. Coming here it feels like I am seriously on the opposite side of the world and that is basically
true. I wake up with so much fear and doubt and homesickness and
worry. After being in Jogja for 24 hours I remember thinking that i
wanted to be home. I didn't want to GO home, I just wanted to BE home.
Remember that one summer when I would cry before going to nanny every
day but everyday I went and it was actually not bad at all? It's a
little like that. The best solution I have found is work and I've gone
to bed each night so happy and so excited about serving the Lord. The
mornings are the worst and I have found myself crying in the shower a
few times. As soon as we left the house though, I plastered on a smile
and soon found myself laughing and contacting and loving everything.

The 26th I remember just sitting in our house (which is huge but so
far the most dilapidated. I love that it is turquoise though! Side
note: there is sooo much turquoise in Indo! I think it is Heavenly
Father's way of telling me he loves me.) and writing in my journal and
feeling so discouraged. I think it dawned on me that I had been so
selfish, Even in my reasons to come on my mission. If I wanted to be
home just because I didn't like it, then the reasons I came must've
been the wrong reasons. I was getting annoyed with all the ants and I
was worried about emailing home and all these stupid things that
really are nothing in comparison to the goodness and miracles of my
mission. I was feeling very alone here and like no one really knows
where I am or what I am doing but I know that Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ are very aware of me. 

I LOVE Alma 26! It has been such a comfort. Alma 26:27 is a life changing scripture. The second to last verse in the chapter also about God being mindful of us as wanderers in a strange land. So grateful for w hat I have. I know sometimes I'm just a baby on the inside even though I act so tough on the outside, but I also know that this is no longer my time, it is the Lord's time.

The next day (the 27th) we had an appointment with a member family
really really far so we had to ride a bus for an hour or so. The dad
is extremely sick and bed ridden and we just shared a message about
prayer. I started to cry when bearing my testimony to him about prayer
because I knew that I was so blessed to have prayer. It was the first
time I ever cried during an all indonesian setting and it was because
I felt the spirit so much and knew God loved me. And get this- it
started to rain! Oh Heavenly Father knows me so well. I was looking
out the window at the rain pouring on this turquoise fence and
something just switched. It's OK! So many people have survived
Indonesia and I am going to be one of them., I am not just going to
survive, I am going to thrive.

I have needed every scripture, every quote, every encouraging thought
and every family picture to keep me going this week but I also needed
to pick myself and just keep riding my bike! The biggest secret to
missionary work is work, as PMG (preach my gospel-missionary training) says. As the week continued, things have been much better as well. Would you believe I love spicy food now?! and I love riding bikes! I love the pouring rain out my window right now and I love the sisters I am living with. My trainer is Sister Suryani. She is an angel and so helpful. We have been on the search for new investigators though (since she just had 3 get baptized last week!) and have continued to visit some inactive members. I love that she is always encouraging me to take the lead in contacting or planning for a lesson while still guiding me through this country that I am not familiar with. It has been so fun to get to know her and her conversion/life story. I don't know what I will do in 3 months when I have to get along without her.

I hope this email wasn't worrisome. I just want you all to know that
this has been the hardest thing I have ever done. It's not necesarilly
the work, it is the change and trying to convince your natural man
that there is more. Lemme think of a few funny stories to brighten
this email. 

Oh! We got a contact just because this little girl wanted
a picture with 2 Bule's! (me and elder wood) Sister Suryani said that
they call it the Bule Power hahaha. There are ants everywhere in our
house (reminds me of that song that Janice and Meredith and I used to
sing "those ants, ANTS, those ants, ANTS... they just keep on a walkin
and nothing's gonna stop em those ants") But I was going to mention
that we have to keep all of our food tightly sealed, in the fridge or
in a rubbermaid. This morning we were eating breakfast all together
when Sis. Suryani screamed bloody murder and threw her bag of bread
accross the room! We were all so worried I ran over to look at the bag
and she is shouting and about crying and saying "cicak!!!"
(prounounced chichak). Turns out there had been a lizard in her bread
and she had already eaten 2 slices! She was gulping water and saying
that she felt like there was slime in her stomach. Oh it was soooo
funnnny! We have been teasing her so much about it too. Oh! I got two
huge black patches on the back of my skirt from my bike on my first
ride of the day out to the church and had to walk around like that for
the rest of the day.

Last tidbits: I love listening to music on my ipod. It is such a
comfort. Church is so intimidating because you can't understand
anything. We had an hour and a half bike ride to an investigator's
house and a little more than that on the way back and I am only a
little sore!

OH there is so much I want to write about and so much I want to ask
you about! I am just trying to not think about Island Park but every
time I spray bug spray it brings so many memories. Have SO much fun
for me and tell me all about it. BE SAFE! And please send me letters!
I can't ever find a way to print emails. I am going to try to write
real letters as well and send a few pictures that way. I LOVE YOU SO
MUCH! So much that I am going to do everything I can to live with you
for eternity. I hope that I can help the Indonesian people here have
that same blesssing of eternal families. It takes sacrifice but the
Lord promises us he will make up for our trials 10 fold!

Sister Suryani says hello and I have so many TL's about how cute our family is.
I don't want to say farewell but I really need to!
Take luck! Be good. Remember who you are and act acordingly! CTR!
Brush your teeth! Write me! Pray for me- I pray for you always (that
is a quote from a knight's tale actually i think)
KASIHMU SELALU!
Sister Emily Adelaide Sheffield