I don't remember the "other world" and my mission life has become my "real life"

I love you more than….

Drinking "Sprite-lemonade mix" on road trips together :)

Did you know that I have had my mission call for 1 year and 4 days? Indonesia has been on my mind (our minds) for everyday since a year and 4 days!

People are getting ready for Chinese New Year! Took this
picture on the way home

Last week was incredible and it's true we have seen a total turn-around in our district here (well at least I feel that way) and so I feel like I am actually in a real mission these days! I seriously respect State-side missions sooooooo much. You guys work so hard. Seriously. But we have had three let downs with a baptismal date getting postponed, someone returning a Book of Mormon and our "golden" investigator avoiding/ignoring us and becoming unreachable. Oooo it kills me that he doesn't even know what he is missing out on. BUT! We started teaching the little sisters of a new member and they both want to be baptized next month! I'm so excited and they are so stinkin’ cute and smart and wonderful! With all of these experiences, I'm seeing Heavenly Fathers plan. If He wanted the whole world to be baptized then they would already, but He wants those whom he has prepared and wants us to work to find them.

Haha I love that I've gotten to the point where I don't know/remember the "other world" and my mission life has become my "real life". How great is that!? Even in my dreams, I always have a nametag on, a companion and mission rules.

 

Me and Sis. Manurung at Kraton Surakarta (Solo Palace)

So for the weekly update... Monday we went to the Kraton in Solo (the palace) and I love old things! And doors! And taking a million pictures of everything! (Hmmm who does that sound like? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree eh?) Then that night we went to one of the bishop's house for a get-together and then to the stake president's house to help him practice his english.

 

Just one door picture (out of many) at Kraton

On Tuesday it was a Muslim holiday so we tried proselyting (which is a great way to contact people... if you want to contact all Muslim people haha) then we biked back and forth going from one appointment to the other. But funny story! We were at a less-active's house and shared a message, got ready to go then they start storytelling... 50 minutes later! We are trying to interrupt every chance we can get, but long story short we ended biking our tails off to get home and still got home like 10 minutes late. I say that's a funny story because it happened 3 times this week! Even with members who know mission rules! Ya ampun! (My goodness!) I think my calves alone have gone up 5 sizes this week!

 

Which one is not like the others?

Wednesday we went to visit an investigator that the elders used to visit and ended up teaching english. But since she is so far we rode the bus. That is one of my favorite things to do in Indo! Riding a bus and just seeing everything. OH! guess what- my favorite primary song is in the hymn book! "Sing Your Way Home" Cool ya? funny story! I was singing it in the house the other day and when I finished, we just hear this voice shout "AMEN!" Bahaha our neighbors live really close but I didn't realize it was that close! So later that day is when we went to go teach a new member but ended up just talking with her 2 little sisters and teaching them the restoration. That night I had the worst thing happen- I got asked to start teaching piano for the ward. I can't even begin to imagine how much time that will take and since I got to Indonesia I have been avoiding "kelas - piano" like the plague but bishop just announced that I was going to start it soooo ya, guess we'll see about that!

Thursday: my 1-year mission call date! We had a good day at service because we met a lot of people. Then we went back to the new member's house to teach her little sisters again. I found this Plan of Salvation outline and turned it into a coloring page for them and it was so cute how excited they were. And they had such awesome questions and basically they are so prepared to get baptized! They were asking us about it! SO we set a date in Februari! Then that night we had the let down when the "golden investigator" was a no show and another investigator gave back the Book of Mormon and said they already have a church. Then I had another let down when this parkir (parker) outside of the place we had dinner, moved my bike into the pouring rain and destroyed my Indonesian scriptures. That has always been my biggest fear, my whole life, that my scriptures would get ruined. So that was another bummer. That day alone could've been terrible if I didn't see the miracles with the two sisters who want to be baptized :) they made my week!

 

Zone Futsal Tradition

Friday I made lemon poppyseed muffins for district meeting! One of our investigators who wants to be baptized, had been feeling so confused lately and said it was hard to think straight (who blames him, he is 81) but we threw out our lesson plans and just started talking with him and he really opened up to us. Sister Manurung shared 1 Nephi 3:7. I seriously underestimate the power of that scripture. How often did I sing about it or quote it in Primary, but here it was helping an 81 y.o. man make the decision to be brave and get baptized!

 

My last time with Sister Manalu before she goes home, but she made me a shirt with our picture!
T-shirt-ception

Saturday: I got some mail which was awesome and then we went off to visit some less actives. The only problem with serving in 4 wards is that we visited 2 people who said that the elders had already been to their house that day... haha whoops! Great minds think alike? But we went to go teach an investigator that the elders gave to us because she is an 18 year old, really pretty and quite lonely girl, but I really am starting to see her potential. She actually used to have the sisters over to teach back in the day too and I think she will be a great member someday. Another highlight was when this lil’ 10 year old member asked if she could be our fellowshipper to visit her neighbors who were just baptized a few months ago (they are 25, 50 and 55). She got on her rain coat and gets our her Book of Mormon and is telling us to be careful with the cars in the road. Ahhh kids are so dang cute. How come we have to get old and boring?

 

McDonalds and local Rambutan, Gotta love it!

Sunday we had a great day because we always get to go to sacrament 2x. The lessons made me Temple Trunky but I plan on going to the temple 1,000x at least, once I get home. Want a good doctrinal question that I was thinking about that day? One of the members gave their opinion about praying to Heavenly Father vs praying to Christ and then later we were reading from Mosiah 5:7 when it says we become as Christ's children when we are baptized.... So how does that work exactly with praying is what the member was trying to explain. I had never really thought of those two things in one context before, so anyways!

 

The sisters of Jawa Tengah with Sister Donald and some great photo bombers!

Today we played starwars monopoly, liars dice, I watched some of Emma Smith that I just ordered with Indonesian Subtitles (that will make any sister missionary trunky haha) and then we went out to run a few errands.

I loved your email! I love that story about Marlene. Don't apologize for not writing! I've been the worst with letters lately! It's one of my goals this week. Jacob and Samuel, I want to see your pinewood derby cars when you get done! Joshua you are going to be the best missionary ever someday! I think you would love BACH and SET at Ogden High. How did grades go? Andrew: been there, done that. I'm sorry that it always comes down to either going crazy or nothing getting done as an officer. One thing I wish I would’ve been better at is just relaxing. Honestly no one really cares what happens as long as it is entertaining. If it is going to be elaborate, take 40 hrs and only make 5 people laugh, ditch it and just go simple. But also remember that there are a million people who want this to go well, so grab a few friends and make them paint with you or whatnot.

Mom: I love your scripture stump! I haven't really thought about it that way before. We study the most basic things on the mission but it is like you can never learn enough. I'll be thinking of that this week!

Give Nate a big wrestle hug for me at his farewell! I am going to miss that kid! But I am so excited for him :)

PS mom you should text Mere and tell her congrats from me ok?

PSS I LOVE YOU GUYS! Hope you have a grand week!

PSSS how is our dog Lucy doing? still not walking?

x 1,000 + 1

~Sis Sheff