As hard as this month has been I can't believe that it has been one month already since Christmas. There is so much work to be done that he has to step up the pace. Jemmy who is over the public relations for the church is the one who has been bringing the Physical Therapist here for Dad. He is a really go-getter and him and his wife either know a lot of important people or they are related to them. So they are a great help to us. His Dad was high up in the government and he spent most of his younger life living in the area where the Palace is.

On Tuesday night he had made an arrangement to meet with Gunawan Sumodiningrat who is the Director of Social Affairs (the same job that Gov Leavitt has in the US) He got his PHD from the University of Minnesota. He has other status here also he is a Prince. I thought that Dad would just be going with Jemmy and Pres. Marchant, but when it was time to go Jemmy came to our house and he had his wife with him. So I quickly got ready to go. We had just eaten dinner, because the meeting was not until 7:00 pm. They took us to the Sultan Hotel. A very nice place. Sometime when we go to these place it is just like stepping into America. So then we were thinking maybe we would just go into the coffee shop, but no we went into the restaurant for dinner.

As we talked to them about the Family Enrichment program he was very excited about what we are going to do. He spoke in very good English. He suggested that the conference we are having in July be attended by all of the 38 Governors of Indonesia. He believes that families are in trouble here and he agrees that emphasis on strengthening the family and holding family home evening would help Indonesian become a stronger nation. He likes the FE manual and he is looking forward to being able to have the one that is translated in Indonesian. He would like to have about 200 people attend this seminar, including the managers that work for him in each of the 38 provinces. He was pleased that the Media group would also be involved in the project.

Then he said that October they are having a meeting for all the Ministers of Social Welfare in Bali and he said, "I want you to be there to help." The attendees will be from many countries such as Japan, China, and Australia just to name a few. The topic of discussion there is how to strengthen families in these Asian Countries. It will be held in English. Then he wants us to visit each of the provinces and help with the program in each area. That would be fun, but by the time they really get this going we will be coming home, but it will be great for the new couple that comes here. Dad has really done a great job in getting this together.

Then we had to go to Bandung. They are trying to get a clean water project going there and the village leaders were a little uncertain about who was behind the financial part of this project. So Dad had to speak with them. I was concerned about us traveling up there again, but the Pres let us take his car, which is a much nicer car. We did Ok. And we had a good time with the Davis too. We stayed up there overnight, because Dad didn't want to make that trip in one day. After we had been up in the mountains to see the people about the water we came back and on the way we stopped and picked fresh strawberries. Can you believe that? I said here it is in the middle of January and we are picking strawberries. I will try to send pictures another day.

The week has just got busier. We have taught English class, but we did not go to the English class on Thursday night, because we had just got from Bandung. On Friday the sisters said there was someone there that wanted to visit with us. There has been a gal coming with two little boys to learn English. One time it was raining and she said her little boys had prayed that the rain would stop so they could come to English class, because they have to walk. I was talking to her one night and asking about her husband and she told me that he knew English and he wanted his family to speak English. I said, "where did he learn English?" and she said, "He went to school in Kentucky." Of all places. I told her I had a son in Kentucky and she called her husband right up and had me talk to him on the phone right in class. So the sisters made arrangements for us to meet with them today at the church. It was really great after talking to them for a while Dad asked them if they would like to learn about our church and they said No problem. Which means yes here. He had his Dad with him too. So we begin to teach them. The sisters were helping. After about 1 ½ hours we had to go so we tried to set another date for them. The Sisters said how about next weekend and they said, "How about tomorrow?" So we are going to meet with them again. They are Muslim so I don't know what will come of it.

English Students

We had a dinner tonight in Borgor for the NGO, which have been helping with different projects up there. It was very nice. We went up with the Pres. and Sister Marchant it made the trip go faster. Dad is feeling better tonight even after a busy day so I hope that he is getting better. I hope because it is much better to be busy than to sit around here. We have Zone conference this week and next week we will be going to East Java to a place called Surabuya. That will be a new experience too.

Pictures

This is how they cut our grass

A man sewing on the street

We are in a cart that is typical for the area

This man is plowing his field to plant rice

Exciting News!!!

Our exciting news for this week is that we got approval to do a program that we have been working on. It is to introduce a family Enrichment Program in the country. It is a manual that BYU has published that is a "non-denominational" Family Home Evening program. We started the process of having it translated into Indonesian back in September. Whenever we would meet with people (members of parliament, ambassadors, assistants to the president, the first lady, tv media etc.) about various projects (water projects, wheelchairs, bathrooms for schools, cleft palate surgeries, earthquake relief) we would mention the desire to introduce a Family Enrichment Program to the country. All the while we were working on getting it translated and getting approval for the program from Salt Lake. The leaders of the country have been very excited about this program and they recognize the need to strengthen their families. The biggest TV station has agreed to air commercials about it and even air a program with a demonstration of an actual FHE role play.

We just got approval from Elder Oaks this week to do it. It is very exciting. It is going to change the way missionary work is done in the country. The missionaries will deliver the manual to anyone who wants to receive it and doors will be opened that were never there before. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. When we told one of our grandson's the exciting news, he said, "I wish we could introduce Family Home Evening to the whole world." Indonesia is a start.

This Family Enrichment program will be presented during a week when a family seminar will be sponsored by LDSC where government, community and religious leader from all over the country will be invited. (we hope there will be about 1000 people) where families subjects will be presented by authors of the FE booklet and other professionals from the US and other countries.

The floods in Solo were bad. Water up to 9 feet in some areas. We were in Madero or we would have probably had to go over there. They have 2 mission couples there and 7 missionaries so they took care of it. We had to request money from the church for assistance, because those families lost everything. A dam broke on a river that caused so much flooding and then so much rain caused the mud slides.

We have an Indonesian Wedding Party again today, but this couple went to the Temple in the Philippines to get married so they spent their money to do that so this party will not be as elaborate as the last one we went to at the church. But I can guarantee there will be rice. I hope we can eat rice when we come home.

There were exchanges with the missionaries this week. With so few sisters in the mission it is hard to transfer them and Sister Hinckley has been here 10 months she has been my main translator so I don't know what will happen because there is going to be 2 Indonesian sisters here now.

Next week we are back to teaching that English class again 2 days a week. So that will keep us busy again.

The start of a brand new year. Things really slow down this week for us. All the parties are over. We were invited to a party at Hendro and Bertha house. They are members of the LDS Charities team. They live in a really nice part of Indonesia. They have a nice house. It is a 2-story house probably the same size as Mike and Jen's house. For Indonesian standards it is a nice house, because the average person here in Indonesian doesn't live in a home like that. They both own really lucrative businesses. Anyway, this party was held outside which is just hard to believe on New Years Eve. They had opened sided tents set up and they had a program. Dad, Elder Subandriyo and Pres Marchant gave talks. They had some music and then a big buffet dinner. It was very nice. Something happened in the kitchen and there was a grease fire and 2 women who are their cooks got burned on their legs really bad. They had to take them to the hospital and then it started to rain really hard so that kinda broke the party up. They had some fireworks, but it was too rainy to do that.

New Years Day we didn't have anything to do so we just went over to the mall and hung out. You could get lost in that mall. It has two big anchor stores and many other stores. Then there are 3 grocery stores in the bottom level. We met the Elders and we took them to lunch at the Burger King. You can get a whopper meal for under $3. so it is a real bargain and it beats rice. Ummi sent us a huge arrangement of flowers thanking us for all that we did in Bengkulu. That was so sweet of her.

Dad is so involved in reports all the time. He has all the office staff doing things for him all the time too. They have just been charging things here and there on any account or project that was convenient. Dad is trying to straighten it all out and get the records right. Elder Subandriyo has also had him tracking down all the projects that have been done and how much was spent and how many people have been affected so he has had the crew in Hong Kong working too. If Metro TV decides to give LDSC an award this year like they have said, this information has to be given to them. So he has been hustling on that all week, besides trying to get 3-4 more water projects going.

Well, this will be the last letter of 2007. What a different year this one has been, we have been places and done things that all seems impossible that we are involved in the the things that are happening.

Monday afternoon the Davis's and us made Yummy potatoes. We boiled a bunch of potatoes and then peeled and grated them. It would have been nice to have some frozen grated potatoes. We made 5 big casseroles. I made 3 large jellos and a gingerbread cake. The cook made all the rolls and cut up most of the fresh fruit and vegetables and a tossed salad. Sister Davis made brownies and Sister Pier made carrot cake. What a lot of food, but there was hardly anything left over. We cooked 4 huge hams. I cut 2 large pineapples just before dinner.




Christmas Trees at different hotels

Christmas Day was different for us, but it was special. We got up early and opened presents. The we fixed apple pancakes for about 20 elders. They watched the movie Cool Runnings and then they watch #2 of The Work and the Glory as the other Elders started to gather. There was 38 Elders and 4 senior couples. After dinner they had all brought a white elephant gift so they played that game. While they were watching the movie the Davises and Dad and I had John take us to a hotel here to see the decorations. It had a huge gingerbread house. It was really gingerbread and frosting with the candy on it . It was as tall as a house.





We left on Wed night for Menado our flight was to leave at 8:45 pm., but it was late and we didn't leave until almost 10:00. It is a 3 hour flight so it was really late before we got there. Then a long wait waiting for the luggage. The people from the Christian Church picked us up and took us up into the mountains to their church. It was an hour and half drive on a very windy road. We took 2 elders and the two counselors from the branch presidency in Menado. We went to the Minister's home and sat around. Then they had lunch. That is the hardest part of the whole thing. They took us out to a beautiful place where they were going to have a ceremony the next day. Then to visit some people.

Scenes of Menado

They decided we should go back to the hotel to get ready for their program that night at 7 pm. Back to the church and a 4 hour Christmas program. Dad gave them the wheel chairs. We only had 4 so we will probably have to go there again. Then back down to town again and the same thing the next day, but at least the entertainment was better they had some good dances, but then it started to rain and we were just out in a field. At least we had a cover over us for the program. We heard a group planning instruments made of bamboo. Instrument played like flutes and clarinets, trumpets etc, the sound was very woody. They played Christmas music, and other. They had manufactured something that looked like a tuba out of metal that added a bass tone to the music. There were no percussion instruments in this group.



It was so hot that we used the umbrella for shade



We left and went back down to town about 5:00 PM and went to visit some poor members of the branch in Menado.





We finally got back to the hotel at 8:30. We had to be up at 4:00 so we could be to the airport by 6:00 am. When we were on the way home John told us that we had to go to a program for the Institute students and they were waiting for us to get there. We went right to the church. The program went on until after 12 and then they told us that we would be going to a great Indonesian Restaurant for lunch. Wow. We finally got home at 2:30 and we had to leave at 4:30 to go to a party that a Indonesian member of the English Branch was having dinner for all of the missionaries.

While we were gone they had a big flood in Solo we should have gone there and we may still have to go. It is really serious though and a lot of members have lost most everything they have. Which isn't very much.



We have been working with Metro TV and the First Lady Office on the idea of introducing a Family Enrichment Program that was introduced to us in the MTC in Provo. The last time we met with Lisa of Metro TV, she mentioned some of the terrible things happening to the families in Indonesia, such as murder, drugs, family separations, children running away from home, and etc., and she was in very much in favor in presenting the Family Enrichment program on TV to help stem the tide of the troubled families. She then introduced her staff to us and asked them to work with us in the development of the program once the translation is completed and samples of the booklet are available.

This will be a bigger project than we can handle, we will need a lot of outside help to accomplish this program. Metro TV boasts a TV audience of 10 Million viewers. Should this be present several times during a week's period time we could have a lot of Indonesian exposed to Family Home Evenings. What a wonderful thing this could be. The booklet would be sent to those who would inquire free of charge. This would also be additional tool for the missionaries to have to interest people about the Church. Currently the missionaries cannot proselyte in Indonesia, but with a family home evening manual they have something to talk to people about in the streets. This could change the course of the missionary work in Indonesia.

Sunday we were invited to a program at that University of the Simabala family. They invite us to everything they have. They like to have the Bulas there. The Pres also took about 14 Elders and sisters with us. They fed us an Indonesian dinner yea! The elders were in heaven though. Then they had a program that lasted until after 9:00. As we went in they gave the Pres, Sister Marchant, Dad and I and 2 elders were given cards with scriptures on that they wanted us to read in Indonesian. Luke 2:4. I was given since my Indonesian is not really great it was really funny. I did the best I could.

Monday we had to be up at 4:00 because our flight to Solo was at 6:00 am. We flew into Solo and the missionary couple met us. We haven't met them before, but we knew who they were because of the white shirts. Elder Subandriyo was there also. We went to see some water projects that we may be doing. It was a raining day and a little cooler up there anyway it was in the 80's. We had a good day with the Roberts and it was fun to get to know them. We flew back to Jakarta and got home at 9:00. We packed and got ready to go again in the morning. We were up before 4:00 because the flight to Medan was at 6:00 am too. I told Dad on the way to the airport I thought we were retired.

We got to Medan after 8:00 and we had to be at the hospital by 9:00 am. We got into an old beat up taxi with no air conditioning and it was hot. It was over 100 there. We arrived at the hospital and Purba who is the legislater of Maden met us we got out of this beat up piece of junk and the cameras were all over us. The Minister of Indonesia came right behind us. We were there because they were doing the cleft lip and palate surgeries, but that was over shadowed by the presence of all the dignitaries that were there.

Some of the children that had surgery

They took us into a hall where the Purba family 4 sons and 3 daughters had a ceremony planned. The minister spoke and then they gave several of us one of those blankets again.

We also learned that one of the girls in that family is married to one of the sons of Simabala. The plot thickens. The rich marry the rich. We took a tour with everyone including about a dozen TV cameras. They were even circumcising some little boys and everyone went right in there and took a look. We were then done for the day and we went back to the hotel. I wasn't feeling very good. I was getting a cold so I took so Actifed and laid down and took a long nap. It really helped. I needed the rest more than anything. The next day, the president of Indonesia was coming. He was there for a program of Solitary of Indonesia. The program was outside and it was over 100. They put up big tents for everyone to sit under. Pubra got tickets for us to be there. We had VVIP tickets. The guy that was with us only had a VIP ticket so he was not able to be by us. We went through 3 security checks to get to our seats. We weren't that close to the Pres., but close enough that we could see him. They were supposed to have a wheel chair ceremony. They did but LDSC was not given the credit even though they used our chairs. Oh well. This ceremony was big and they put on a really nice program for the Pres. They had the flags and dancers dressed in many different kinds of costumes and beautiful. They had the badenese drummers and a marching band. It was very good and worth being there for. Then they had some tents set up on the side and they were doing some of the operations in the including the circumcison. (these were boys that were 9 and 10 years old and everyone was just walking in there.) I chose not to watch and someone grabbed me by the arm and said you need to see this. Those little boys were in pain, but I am sure the pain was more to have everyone checking it out.

We sat by a man and his wife at this ceremony, his name Rahmat Shah. He invited us to go to his museum that afternoon. What a place. He has hunting etc. He has all kinds of bears, lions, elephants, Insects of all kinds; butterflies, ants, beetles, rocks, shells, you name it and it is there. We spent over an hour there and we just touched the surface. It is a very interesting place. Pres Bush, Clinton and Jerry Ford have been there and 4 Miss Universes. They took a picture of us and it will probably go on the wall too of people who have been there. We came back to Jakarta late and were glad to be back again. We spent so much time waiting in airports, flying on airplanes, driving in the car and taxis that it is always great to get back to our bed. Even though we do like to see the different parts of Indonesia.

The other couples wish that they were in our shoes. Even the Pres wife wanted to go with us last week, but they had a zone conference. They have been to Maden though, but she wanted to go to these ceremonies with us. Thursday we were so glad to stay home and Dad had lots of reports he had to catch up on. It has really been raining so it is nice to stay inside. We did have English class though so we had to go out for that. And it is never too rainy to go and get ice cream at McDonalds.

John's wife brother and his new wife invited us to a party on Fri night. John's wife cooked all the food. A lot of food. They were really careful not to have hot food for us. We had a great time with them, but it is a little uncomfortable because we can't really talk to them too much. They keep feeding and feeding us. They made a black forest cake and we had two big pieces of that besides all the food and ice cream and Dad got 2 dishes of that before he just had to put his foot down for no more.

Well, I will close. I never thought that I would be in a situation where that song I'll be Home for Christmas, please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree would apply to me. but only in my dreams. We miss home, but we are doing Ok. Dad said, You need a present for Christmas and I said what do I need? I don't need anything, but I would like to talk to my family and that is enough. I love you and I will miss being there and seeing your happy faces.

We had a wedding Saturday night. A couple in the Indonesian Branch got married. The Bishop married them. I guess it was a typical Indonesia Wedding. It was a real shindig. From the dresses to the make up to wigs and crowns. They really go all out. The food and the decorations were excessive. A lot of money was spent on this wedding and this is a poor family. I wonder how they did it.

Sunday was the Primary Program in both branches. The English branch had 9 children and that included 3 little sunbeams which gave little talks also. Each child had memorized several little talks. It was the same way in the Indonesian Branch, there was about 17 children there. They all participated several times. I think I need to explain what the English branch. They are families from America that are living here. Some work for oil companies, some for the embassy and there is a family that works for Ford motor company. They are paid really well and if they are not given a house to live in they have a huge housing expense account. So they all live in really nice places. Pres. Marchant describes it like they live in Indonesia, but some of they don't really realize that because they live in nice complex with swimming pools, exercise rooms etc, etc. They shop only at the nice place and they don't really see Indonesia. They have some Indonesians in the branch, but they are not really treated like the others. They don't get involved with the Indonesian branch at all. They all go home several times a year with the whole family. A lot of them of leaving this summer their time is up here. So I hope the branch holds together because they are losing some strong families.

We had Zone Conference this week. It is so great to be around all the missionaries and to listen to the comments and their testimonies. It is held at our church so we don't have to travel very far.

I made a lot of gingerbread man this week. Sister Marchant wanted 100 for the program on Sat. She wanted 900 cookies. Her cook made 23 big loaves of banana bread. She cut 15 slices out of each one. Then for English class I decided to make some more gingerbread men and tell the story of the ginger bread man. I read each paragraph and then Sister Hinkley translated it into Indonesian so they could understand it. It was fun. Something they have never heard and they like it. Then I gave them a gingerbread man and they thought that was fun. Dad and I helped her package all the cookies yesterday. The 300 bags of cookies. We started at 3:00 and didn't get done until 9:00. It was a big job.

We are going to have a Christmas program with the missionaries. It is a big thing. That is what the cookies are for. We have been practing for weeks. But they are having a practice today and we have to be there at 9:30 and stay all day until the program at 6:00. So that is how we are spending our day. They put it on for the members of the branches and they are suppose to invite the non-members.

On Friday we were invited to a special program with some special needs children. They really like to drag out these programs. It was from 9:00 to 12:00. The children participated and it was a good program. It made me cry to see some of these little children and their struggles. I thought and Jesus loved the little children. All of them. This same group have a program at a rest home tonight which they wanted us to be too also, but we can't go to everything. They want us there and they want us right up on the front row.