Week 40: TRAVELING TO SEMARANG and an EXAMPLE OF THE SISTER MISSIONARY COMPANIONSHIP

There are so many different places that we visit.  Semarang is a city located on the north Coast of the Java Sea.   Semarang is the capital and largest city of Central Java and province in Indonesia.  During the church meeting the theft siren kept going off on the Van and after having to disconnecting the siren ultimately the car would not start.  We had so many wonderful men trying to help us resolve the issue.  Elder Miller was trying really hard to read the owners manual in Indonesian which was not going well ha ha.  Then he tried to google how to reset the anti theft engine mobilization system.  Finally we were able to get a Toyota mobile service help and they gave us a battery jump and off we went back to Solo.  There is actually a toll way between Semarang and Solo and it it the only drive so far that we have experienced that has a similar feel to roads in the United States.

These two Indonesia Missionary Sisters in Semarang are examples of an amazing companionship of self confident, courageous self-less women.  They have innate GPS systems in their minds. Riding bikes in dresses they can find any address because they know how the Indonesian streets and villages are organized. They are fearless in the traffic with motorcycles swerving all around them.    They bike in the hot weather and the rain and you see them soaked from either the rains or sweat from the  high heat.  They understand the culture and traditions.  They help to teach all the American and other missionaries not native to Indonesia about their people. They can cook the most amazing tasty dinners from absolutely slim ingredients because they have learned how to make the best out of what they have!!  Everyone adores their smiles and these two Sisters are filled with the desire to share the message of the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with those that choose to listen.  They serve others.  They comfort the sick.  They mourn with those that mourn..  The Sister on the left was baptized for exactly  one year the month that she entered her assignment to serve as a full time missionary in the Jakarta Indonesia mission.  As they  both serve they are instructed with the admonition to study daily and learn the English language which will help lift them personally into the school and work environment when they return to their homes when their service is finished.  Missionary service is an incredible priviledge and we watch the development of important character attributes every day!