April in Solo

April started off with Zone Conference in Solo.  President Groberg counseled us that nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach so there was a lot of emphasis on opening our mouths and talking to everyone we meet!  We decided the same is true for our family history work, so we have been trying to talk about family history whenever we get the chance.

We had all of the consultants from the Surakarta Stake gather in Solo for a workshop.  Sis. Widap did some of the training.  We had fun working with the consultants and I think we accomplished our goal of helping them feel like a team.

The stake president reimbursed them for their travel and provided lunch so that really helped get everyone there.  I made carrot cake for dessert, something new for most of them, and they really liked it!  Thanks to GiGi for that wonderful recipe!

We have been trying to figure out how to get documents from the local palace for members so we went with Bro. Didit to the Kings Palace and found out it is almost an impossible task.  You have to have a certificate that has been passed down through the generations proving you are a royal descendant.  Until you can locate that certificate you cannot have access to the royal genealogy.  

 Some of the documents they showed us were in bad shape.  It's a shame they will not let these records be digitized for posterity.

The cart that holds our Microfilm Reader at the center was about to collapse.  We took it over to a member's metal shop to be repaired.

 Bambang recently moved into this new shop.  He did a great job strengthening the legs of the cart.

We were invited to attend a re-interment of the body of Tutut's daughter who died in a motorcycle accident three years ago.  Before the grandfather died in December he had requested that his granddaughter be moved right next to his grave.  It was a once in a lifetime experience as they pulled the shroud holding the body out of the ground, opened it up, removed the bones and the Book of Mormon and replaced them in a nice white cloth and reburied them.  The neighborhood men dug the graves in their bare feet.  It was hot, hard work.

 

 Church leaders were there to support the family.  One of the young missionaries was asked to dedicate the grave.

 A job well done!

The Surakarta Stake held their spring conference in a large assembly hall just across the road from our apartment building.  It was well attended and very inspirational but hot as the dickens!  We know it is really hot when the Indonesians start fanning themselves and Pres. Groberg removes his jacket.

The Saints gathering.  All the Bishops stood in the aisle to shake hands with the members as they entered.

Sister Greenway did an amazing job with the youth choir.  The missionaries were a great support to her!

 Fennie from Semarang with her non-member mother.

 Bro. Tommy and Sister Esti, his daughter-in-law, and Sister Lily

 We had wonderful translators.  Sonia and Aster and the young Elders worked together to make it possible for us bulais to understand the speakers.

 Eko and Evi, who was recently baptized and is working on her family history.
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Check out the look of the little girl gazing up at the white giant.

Surabaya District President Iwan and his wife Mistri. 

Once again we were invited to another wedding for a couple we did not know.  It seems the family is honored when the missionaries attend but I feel like it is the other way around. . .  .we are honored to be invited!  We had front row seats.  Franky's daughters came with us.

 

 The special guests of the family wear Javanese traditional costumes and all the men had their keris in their waist bands.

 Everyone gets their picture taken with the bride and groom.

We were scouting out sight seeing for the Senior Conference and went to visit the palace of the prince.  He is strictly a figure head who has a day job and lives in a small part of this palace.  

 The local peasants enjoying the royal sofa!

We enjoyed watching a paving project going on outside our apartment the past few weeks.  It was high in man power and low in technology.

 The paving material was heated up with wood fires in these trays.

 Hand pouring the oil for transport.

Stirring the pavement material.

Another exploration trip for the senior misi conference took us here.  While this was a great museum it had very little English explanations of the displays which was basically a history of humankind.  Java Man remains were found very near here but we didn't see them in the museum.  

 

 We enjoy seeing this man napping during the heat of the day on the comfort of the street bench where we walk back and forth to the church.

The youth of the Solo 2 Ward have been coming into the center.  Ayu, the little girl in red was so excited to assign some of her ancestors to the temple to be baptized and sealed together for eternity!  Devara signals victory!

Jojo is very computer savy.  We had fun with these kids.

 Yvonne got a start on her family tree.  Gilang is in the background.  We had about 10 youth register on Family Search from Solo 2.

Yos with the center director, Widap.   We took a video of Yos saying "I love technology" as he added photos to his family tree and sent it to our leaders in Hong Kong.  They asked for his phone number so they can interview him.

The youth here are very proud of their membership in the church.  They recognize it as a great blessing in their lives.  The plan of salvation gives them answers to "Where did I come from?  Why am I here?  Where am I going?"  If you want to know the answers to these questions, check out mormon.org or ask your nearest LDS friend!