Merdeka! MERDEKA!

Everything last week was building up to Friday's celebration of Hari Kemerdekaan, Indonesian Independence Day.  This year the Republic of Indonesia is 73 years old.  We went shopping at the local grocery store earlier in the week, and they were playing patriotic pop music, with workers in the store were humming along.  Then Thursday night we heard the spirited singing from the street as a military parade passed by.

We had a big party at church that started with a formal ceremony where they sang patriotic songs and recited the Pancasila, the founding document that ensures religious freedom. Whenever someone shouted "Merdeka!" It was met by an even louder, "MERDEKA!"  (Freedom.)  If the flag looks something like the flag of Poland, yes--but the red is on top with ours.  "Sang merah putih!"

We were talking with an Indonesian this week who reviewed the history of Indonesia.  First being colonized by the British, then the Dutch, then occupied by the Japanese in World War II.  But he went on to list the Chinese, who currently exert a great deal of economic power in this part of the world.


We gave our driver the day off, and when we got on the ride-sharing app to find a way to church, the map showed cars with little red and white flags.

Of course the church event was a party, so after the solemn patriotic part, everyone headed outside for games.

Elder Porter and I both were urged to participate in this game.  If it looks familiar, at home it would be with doughnuts.  Here they used krupuk, a fish-flavored cracker, kind of crunchy like a cheese puff is maybe the closest USAmerican analog.  The game was surprisingly difficult because the wind was blowing and the cracker was curved.

At home the church has gotten away from having real competitions with winners and losers, but here they had definite winners that were awarded prizes. I was honored to present these awards.

[Unfortunately, after they were done marking the prize packages, someone left a permanent marker out and a child doodled all over the sacrament table.  I was grateful for my mother's teaching that rubbing alcohol removes permanent ink if it hasn't been set by heat or water.  So I grabbed out my hand sanitizer and tissues, and we got most of it off.]

Sisters from our congregation dressed in red and white.  I never did buy a red shirt, but I had a red flowered top in my closet.  I had the opportunity to give a short message for the family home evening at the end of the evening.

An excerpt from the program: