Last October Update

This week was a milestone:  Sister Porter did not have language training.  Our church has an excellent language training program for young missionaries, as noted in an NPR report.  The U.S. Army's Intelligence Brigade, made up of linguists, is based in Utah because it draws on returned missionaries to fill its ranks.  Returned missionaries, most who are current at Brigham Young University, are also instructors at for the Missionary Training Center (MTC).  Not surprisingly, these students are also recruited by international business firms and government agencies.  

Senior missionaries can attend the in-house training at the MTC; we know one humanitarian sister who did that.  But she already lived in Utah.  So instead seniors are also offered weekly online sessions, in the months leading up to their mission, and then for six months after we are settled in our assignment.  In the beginning, I practiced numbers, formed sentences, learned the nuance of certain phrases.  In recent months I have prepared lessons and talks that I have given at church.

We didn't get as many months of pre-field training as we might have.  Our application was a bit late being submitted because I had to have a second treadmill test.  Then the MTC didn't have anyone to teach this obscure language to us; I had my interview with the coordinator on September 19th and met with the instructor the first time on October 18, 2017.  He actually served in Malaysia, rather than Indonesia, but the languages are close. We've also had volunteers join us for part of the lesson and those have all been Indonesians or served in Indonesia.  

So it has been almost exactly a year since I started with our online tutor.  Before the mission, we would meet in the late afternoon or early evening, with only a 2-hour time difference.  Here in Indonesia, we had been meeting at 7 a.m. my time, which in Utah is 6 p.m. the night before.  This worked in my favor for the final lesson, because I had one more Young Women lesson to prepare on October 20, but knew my 6-month window was up on October 19th.  Fortunately, it was still October 19 in the U.S. because of the time difference :-)

We have been fortunate to have the same instructor the entire time.  Thank you, Andrew Orr!

This week we went to a birthday party for one of the Primary kids. It was held at her school.  We got to provide the cakes.  

In other visits this week, we brought a few talks from General Conference into he home of a wonderful family who missed conference due to an ill child.  We also brought a framed family photo to a couple, and information about family history.  

Elder Porter finished the ping-pong table and had a successful Young Men activity with it.

Our chapel sound system has not been working reliably for some weeks, and it totally died two weeks ago.  Last week we had to get through sacrament meeting without a functioning microphone.

Because we  are moving into a new building in January, the church did not want to spend much on fixing it.  Fortunately, Elder Porter and Bro. Manalu found a sound technician who had it ready in just a few days.  The foam piece over the microphone, which helps prevent popping noises, was worn through right over the microphone.  We cut a double layer of black out of this sock, anchored it with a rubber band and covered it with the foam.  It looks and works well.

When we fixed the microphone, we didn't realize how important that would be.  This Sunday was the Primary sacrament meeting program, when the children present songs and talks.  They were all able to grab the microphone, pull it to whatever angle, and we could hear their little voices.  

The primary children and teachers dressed up in matching ties and skirts, which is something they do here a lot for stake conference choirs, etc.  

We were asked to speak to the Institute class about temple marriage, which went pretty well.  It got us thinking about the importance of temple marriage and after various promptings, we decided to give ourselves an anniversary party and invite the congregation and some friends that we have met here.

It is hard to believe that a year from now we will be in Florida.  Or maybe off visiting the Ohio grandkids, or on a cruise somewhere.  Tetapi tidak di Medan.