Week 12: "We Really are Serving as Missionaries!"

Today during the worship service, Sacrament Meeting, a striking young 19 year old girl spoke quoting verses of scripture found in I Corinthians Chapter 12 about the diversity of “Gifts of the Spirit “. I thought deeply about what she was presenting and about as individuals we are all unique. Life really is a project of learning how to love, accept and serve each other no matter how different we are. She was excited about leaving to serve a mission in Brisbane Australia . After she concluded speaking, the congregation sang “Called to Serve” “Kita Dipanggil ‘Tuk Melayani.” I barely understand the language but I felt the spirit of the message as we sang, and tears ran down my cheeks because at that moment …..it really hit me …. after all the years of my life thinking about being a missionary we were sitting on the other side of the world, really serving as missionaries and doing whatever we can to make a difference in the lives of others. Missionary service is incredible! We talk frequently and communicate with our children at home, but daily life is different for us because we are immersed with the desire to invite others to hear the gospel of Christ, serve, and for us to be an example of a believer.

We were in Yogyakarta for a baptism.  A really nice girl we have visited and taught with the missionaries and developed a friendship with who has a Muslim background asked to be baptized.  Her mother passed away and she cares for her father who suffers disabilities from a stroke.  She is married to an American she met on line and it is very difficult for him to get a visa and get legal re-entry into Indonesia. It is just like the US it is not easy to cross borders.  She hopes to go to America this year for a short visit.  She texts me because she lives in a different city.   She studies English with the Elders in Yogyakarta and is learning!  It is really wonderful to watch how the gospel of Jesus Christ  strengthens and lifts people in so many ways.

We often visit the sick. We see what we describe as a crisis in the number of stroke victims and the evidence of diabetes.  With shortened life-spans and long term care in many homes we see generational Christ-like service in combination with the financial burdens and stress resulting from death and illness. We helped to organize a support type group for Widows and shared a theme from Mosiah 18:21 “having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another”.  It was a great beginning and we learned so much from women who have recently lost their husbands. They taught us what strengthens them and the kinds of positive support that is helpful.  Tonight, we attended the 100 day “Remembrance” of the loss of one husband/ father.  We gathered and sat together on the floor in her home with many friends and neighbors lining the Gong and it was beautiful! It was amazing to me because not long ago we were in the same home on the 40 day “Remembrance” which I remember as somber.  There was last night a feeling of the beginnings of healing!  The Javanese tradition of “Remembrance” of the passing of a loved one we shared with her at the  40 day , now 100 day ,  and we look forward to sharing the 1 year.  Additional remembrance will continue at  2 year, and 1,000 day remembrance.

We feel so fortunate to work with all the young Elders and Sisters.  There are many people in Indonesia that the young missionaries meet every day and have abundant opportunities to teach and serve.  We often meet the young missionaries and assist with teaching and they translate for us.  We are often helpful as a Senior couple because of  our mature  “age” and lifetime of experience.   Many  view us as the “Grandma and Grandpa”  which can be a comfortable friendship.  Our white skin is also of great interest because in Solo there are very very few white skinned people.

It seems that everyone in Indonesia, like America, has a cell phone in their hand.  Many have very old technology and others have smart phones.  Even as we walk in very humble Gongs we see many phones. The young missionaries will soon have smart phones to be able to keep up and communicate with those they teach and serve.  That will be a great help.  Most of us use a service called  “Whatsapp” and apps are only available with a smart phone.

We had zone conference this week and we had great leadership training.  It is fun to be together.  The young Sisters who we each reimbursed bought enough of the same fabric for ties, skirts and dresses that we each had made for all of us in the Zone.  In central Java it is the culture and shows unity to wear matching fabric.  The color and design of traditional Batik is unique and a very important form of art in every city so if you are dressed in the traditional color and design of Batik someone would be able to identify the city you lived in by the Batik fabric.  Before we leave the country I hope to have a shirt for Elder Miller and a dress for me made in the traditional Solo Batik fabric design and colors.

We went to a spectacular waterfall Tawangmangu  with the young 4 Elders and 4 Sisters and it was such a great day off from Missionary work.  We hiked and ate and laughed and enjoyed the beautiful outdoors. There were little monkeys everywhere and they were kinda creepy they will  try to steal any food in your hand and  actually open a back pack looking for food if its set down.  We do not have an oven in our apartment.  We have two propane burners and a rice cooker.  I made chocolate chip cookie batter and Robert fried them in a pan with a lid to take on our picnic it was hilarious watching him fry the cookies ha ha but oh they were delicious!!

We Really ARE Serving as Missionaries!!!  Love Sister and Elder Miller