First Week of December

On Monday morning we were headed to a car that would take us to the train station, then a train to the airport, a flight to Jakarta, and a taxi to our hotel.  As Sister Porter rolled her suitcase down the ramp to the street, she noticed this interesting beetle, but did not mention it because they were in a hurry.  But of course Elder (Dr.) Porter saw it and took the time to examine it.

And here is the interesting point:  I thought it was monochrome silvery metallic.  But up close, it was much more complex and interesting.  My first impression was not quite accurate.  That principle applies to a lot of things in life.

Our trips to Jakarta give us an opportunity to sample various cuisine.  I found a Lebanesse restaurant only a short walk from our hotel.  It was great but we ate too much, considering that the meal started with a piece of incredible blueberry cheesecake.

Trips to Jakarta also give me a chance to be treated by a chiropractor.  Mine is located quite near the mission home, and is the president of the Indonesian chiropractors organization.  He is a native Indonesian, but went to an international school as a youngster and then chiropractic training in Australia.  He speaks perfect English with an American accent.

When we first started talking about a mission to Indonesia, I told the mission president that Medan would be fine, because there were three chiropractic clinics.  But all have closed.  In 2016, an Indonesian woman died after chiropractic treatment, causing a great deal of concern.  All expat chiropractors have been eliminated (the best one in Medan was Canadian).  A while back I saw a sign in Medan something about chiropractic school...and my chiropractor confirmed that indeed, they just enrolled the first class at a school in Jakarta that trains all the health professions.  It is a 5-year program so hopefully in five years it will be easier to find a chiropractor.

We had a very uplifting zone conference, including a visit from Elder Meurs of the Area Presidency.

They brought in professional translators because of the general authority.  Good exercises on teaching.

Our flight arrived back in Medan in time to make our Wednesday afternoon English class.


On Thursday we found out that the contract on our new church building had fallen through.  So we spent time scoping out new buildings and updating the status of those on the previous list.

That afternoon we had our last session with a great group of kids at an after-school program.  We brought fancy colored pencils as a going-away present.  But they each had to ask for one, in English.

On Friday, Elder Porter was preparing a talk that he would give the next day at the 4th Internasiional Conference on Biological Sciences and Biotechnology.  One of the brethren in our congregation is faculty at a local university, and invited him.

Sister Porter left for a while to help the new elders to purchase and deliver their desks, a carefully orchestrated dance that involved our credit card and multiple Grab cars.  One of the Grab drivers helped us lift the boxes, and he was gratefully tipped accordingly.

Elder (Dr.) Porter spent all day Saturday at the conference, and met an entomologist who works with mosquitos.

He had barely arrived home when the young sisters called and said that one was sick, could Sister Porter come and stay with her so that the other sister in the companionship could make an teaching appointment, going out with a member?

Sister Porter left in a hurry.  The young sister was warm, clammy and a bit disoriented.  Another car to the sister's house, which was the right move because the sister fell asleep within minutes.  She was much better the next day.

Getting Ready

This week we spent some time getting ready for Christmas:  Elder Porter is playing Scrooge in the branch Christmas play, and has been trying to learn his lines.  We have been planning for our English classes for the rest of the year:  Since we will be in Jakarta next week, I had to plan the lessons and create handouts for six lessons, for the next two weeks.  I also want to prepare lessons about the holidays for the last week.  We also had to prepare for the trip to Jakarta.  Our return flight had been shifted some, so I had to convert the Powerpoint for Wednesday's lesson into pictures so that the sister missionaries can teach it if we are delayed.  They are flying home on Tuesday night, but I have a chiropractor appointment right after zone conference ends, so we can't return until the next morning. (And we are NOT flying Lion Air....)

On our Monday Preparation Day, we were able to do all our errands on foot, without needing a car. 

We needed to go to the klinik at the hospital across the river, to get some prescriptions renewed.  We went to our local grocery store.  And we went out to supper at a nearby restaurant that is supposed to be one of the best seafood restaurants in town.  We also found a good papaya at a fruit market near the restaurant.



On Tuesday, we went up to the port city of Belawan, to visit a couple whose adult son joined the church some years ago, before moving to a city in the south of our Island, perhaps 14 hours by car/bus (and no train or air connections).  He still lives within our branch boundaries, because our branch includes the entire island of Sumatra, as well as several of the major islands nearby.  We were wondering if their son and his family might be coming home for the Christmas holiday?  But he is not.  However, another son who lives in Java was visiting and had lots of questions about our church.  We enjoy talking with the parents because we have a lot in common; they had seven children and now have grandchildren as well.

On Tuesday, we did NOT have our usual district meeting because some new missionaries were flying in.  We are getting a new companionship of elders!  That means 10 of us:  6 elders, 2 sisters, 1 senior couple.

On Wednesday, we had district meeting and then used our car and credit cards to help the new elders get stuff for their house:  bicycles, mattresses, wardrobes, chairs, a blender.  Unfortunately, we returned to the parking garage below the mall to find a burst sewer pipe splattering right near our car.

They had covered the car with plastic and we made it out of the parking garage without too much of the flood.

On Friday, we picked up one of the Young Women from school and headed out of town to make a ministering visit to a sister who has a new house that is more than an hour away.  That couple have three children and the air out there is definitely clearer.  But it is a very long way from church.

We were heading back to town around lunch time, and we offered to take my companion to lunch.  When we asked about preferences, first she said it was up to us, but then mentioned that she had never been to KFC.  Yeah, that's the same fried chicken chain as in the states, except they serve rice and hot sauce here.  As we were finishing eating, we realized that Elder Porter and I needed to head in different directions, so I took her back to church in a"Go" car.  I asked her if she was kenyang, or satisfied, and her enthusiastic response was, "Banget!  Serius."

Friday night one of the young church members who did not attend our English class that night apparently ducked in long enough to take and post a photo of the class to his Facebook.  The picture did not include us because the new television is mounted on the wall under the stairway; we stand on either side.

The next few Friday classes are about houses.  The course that we are using recommended singing "Home on the Range."  I decided to use Our House from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.  Good examples of future tense, imperative mood and antonymns.  But it was hard to explain the concept of "evening sunshine" shining through a window, because most places in Indonesia the sun sets shortly after 6 p.m.

Saturday was the birthday of our wonderful Relief Society President, who also spends her Saturdays teaching Seminary, then Institute.  We brought a cake.