Fabulous February

Our big event this month was a return trip to Jakarta where we installed 6 recycled computers in chapels to be used for Family History work.  The consultants were happy to have their own computers rather than having to share with the ward clerk!  Elder Knorpp had to do a lot of technician work to make that happen.  He was grateful for the assistance of  local IT people to get the computers up and running.  The internet speed is always a problem but the service center promised they would upgrade the buildings!  We also met with most of the consultants for follow-up training and did Priesthood training with Jakarta 1 who was not available last month.  We loved being with these good people!  They were welcoming and eager to learn!

 This is Edi Rochadi, Counselor in Bandung.  He set up the training for us and  invited us participate in a Family History Fireside for the Branch.  He and his family are stalwarts of the Branch.

The Rochadi family.  Lisa, is the family history consultant.  They made us feel so welcome in the Bandung Branch.

Check out those eyes!

This could be Tyler in just 2 1/2 years!  Both of these Elders told me they were so glad they learned to play the hymns before they left on their missions.  Hint, hint to Tyler!

Elder Mulia

Elder Coleman

The fabulous Bandung Elders - Coleman, Marsudi, Martoyo, Mulia

They clean the church on Saturday, with smiles on their faces, as a service project since most of the branch members live quite a ways out of town.  

This baptismal font in the Bandung building was beautiful!

Back in Jakarta we worked with Yennie and Nining.  They were delightful to train!  Nining, in green, had just been called as the Family History Center Director and was so excited about learning everything she needed to know.  She teaches third grade and speaks English very well.  Yennie is the brand new consultant for the Jakarta 1 Ward.

Happy Valentines dinner back home in Solo!  We had a real double date night with Elder and Sister Greenway, the member support couple who live just down the hall from us.

 This is a typical building site in Indonesia.  No OSHA around here.  The scaffolding is made of bamboo a readily available resource.

Yuli, Tommy and Bishop Suparno.  We love doing family history with these people. Yuli is Tommy's assistant consultant.  She does all the computer work.  Tommy is descended from the Batak tribe in Sumatra and has amazing ancestral records available to him.  Bishop Suparno is Tommy's son-in-law and has been doing his own family history on his own computer!

We took some time this week to do a little sight seeing and went to see the Kraton or Palace of the local king.  The king has no governing authority and has a regular day job.  The palace is poorly kept up but interesting to visit.

 

The King's genealogy!

This is the sign that greeted us as we went into the court yard.  Let's see, no sandals, no cigarettes, sunglasses or underwear, right?

Actually, they let us wear our underwear :) but not our sandals.  Shoes were ok, but sandals were disrespectful.   Sis. Greenway and I kept saying that we could not walk across that "sand" in our bare feet but they would not let us leave our shoes on.  Our guide assured us that the "sand" had mystical power that would make us healthier and younger!  So off we went to walk across the sands of Paris, brought in from an Indonesian beach. Well, I just about died.  Call me tender foot, but I could not walk across those ROCKS!

  

The king's meditation tower.

 This guy represents knowledge and prosperity.  Hmm...what part of this statue could represent prosperity?

 The painting of the Princess has eyes that follow you around the room.  Honest!

The royal brides were carried on this platform by 6 men.

The first moving picture show.....scrolled from one side to the other as the band played on.

 
 
You could sit on this frog, Marly!

An old, very ornate Dutch coach.  Indonesia was called the Dutch East Indies and ruled by the Dutch until the 1940's.

Of course, Elder had to admire the guns!

From the masthead of a ship.  Doesn't he look familiar?

 Ming Dynasty pottery.  Honest!  And they let us hit them to hear the tones they made.

The bouncer.  

The work here is demanding but you can see we also have some fun.  We still have at least one more new area, Surabaya, to visit in East Java.  It looks like that will be in May as March and April are looking pretty busy here in Solo.  This work of family history is so important to families. What a blessing it is to know we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We are who we are because of the dreams, hopes and sacrifices of our ancestors. 

An old Chinese proverb says:

 "To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source,

A tree without a root." 

Check out familysearch.org to help you discover your family history!