Hey Family!!!
It was so wonderful to see you on Sunday and to feel like I was in the family room again. Everyone looked so good and I think Hansen looked like he had already aged about two years since I left. I can't imagine what he will be like when I come home. There is not many times when I can legitimately say that I am mad at an apostle, but I still can't believe that he stole my thunder! Ridiculous!!! I told my mission president about it and he laughed and laughed because he has known for about six months and for most of that time he couldn't even tell his wife. He said if he knew that apostles were over in America just blabbing the news around he wouldn't have worked so hard to keep the secret. Nevertheless, it is still a wonderful announcement and it will be very exciting to be apart of history of the church in Indonesia. It was pretty funny when they made the announcement in the Indonesian Branch on Sunday only about 5 people made a reaction. So many people here don't even know the significance of having a stake here, because they are so new in the church and haven't seen how the church runs elsewhere. But I am very excited for it, and very excited to meet and hear from Elder Bednar. The missionaries get a 3-hour meeting with him next Friday. All the missionaries from all over Indonesia are coming into town. It will be quite the event. I am getting very excited.
In other news... I don't know if there is much other news. I did just talk to ya'll on Sunday and all the weeks are starting to blend together. I've been here 7 weeks now so technically am not a greenie anymore, however, I am still with my trainer, still in the same area, and still don't know the language so I think I am going to hold on to that title as long as I can.
Sounds like life in pretty exciting at home. I am so proud of the Mavericks!!! I can't believe that they swept the Lakers! That is awesome. I try not to think about the Mavs and how they are doing too often, part of the sacrifice, I guess. To think that when I left they were on a 4 game losing streak. Not too shabby. And I am glad Bevan is getting all ready to go. Only 2 more weeks. That is so exciting!!! Are you going up to Utah to drop him off Mom? Or do you just do that for your daughters? And congrats on the yard of the month. I am quite shocked and don't know if I believe it. I guess I will never know. I am still searching for a yard in Indonesia at all. I'm convinced that there has to be at least one, but I have yet to find one. It is one of my mission goals!!!
The investigators are doing well. Riyanti is proving to be one of the easiest investigators known to man. We thought that maybe she was just pulling our leg and not really that easy but just trying to get baptized for her boyfriend so we asked her about her testimony this week and how here life has changed since she started learning. She gave one of the sweetest testimonies that I have ever heard. She is definitely ready to be baptized; we are just waiting for the most memorable date.
Ibu Yani is doing well. We were able to get back to the basics with her this week and help develop her testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, but she still can't give up her job. It is a little frustrating, but at the same time, she has her agency. We just keep teaching and helping her and praying that soon she will make that commitment and be baptized. Her sons are also doing well and we hope to commit them to baptism tonight.
We have started teaching a new family, Ibu Yanti and her husband, whose name I can't even pronounce let alone spell, (I will work on that for next week). We have taught them for a while but they never made too many commitments and finally we went there to give them an ultimatum kind of thing, and they had read parts of the book of Mormon and were finally doing a little better. I really love teaching this family, not only because they have air conditioning, furniture, and two of the cutest kids known to man, but rather because I have such a desire to help that family be sealed in the temple and maintain those covenants. It is such an amazing feeling to have and one that I think of often as I struggle to keep going sometimes. I have definitely learned how important family and the gospel are in this life. I have survived about 4 months without seeing a basketball game, but I never would've survived this without my Heavenly Father and the support that I have at home.
Now that mom is crying... or at least Deborah, I think I will share my funny story. So I get lots of reactions from people when I sit next to them in the bus or on the streets. Depending on what part of town we are in you don't see many white people or Bolehs, as they are called here. Well this one time I sat down next to this old guy and as I as getting out my money to pay for riding the bus he turned to me and told me how beautiful I was and that I must be rich American and asked if I would marry his son. Needless to say I as surprised, and not only because I could understand all that he was saying to me, but I politely declined and said that I had a boyfriend back in America (which my mission president said we could lie and say to people). He then told me he didn't' think I understood Indonesian and was very embarrassed. It was kind of funny.
Well I miss you all. I really do, but I know this is where Heavenly Father wants me to be. I am determined to serve Him till the end, till Alice turns 5, even though this is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I know this church is true. If it weren’t true I definitely wouldn't be here. I am so glad that we have a prophet on the earth today. I love you all!! Write again next week!
Love,
Leah
No comments:
Post a Comment