Spencer - Called to Serve: Week 17 - Family History as a Teaching Method, Funerals, and Singing in the Choir.

HELLO FAMILY!!!!

How it be going?? This week has been another hot busy one and one that has gone a little interesting. HAHAHA let's start with that fact that as a citizen of the U.S. and currently residing in another country, we still have to comply with the affordable health care act and we've been instructed by President Donald to enter our Social Security numbers. It's always great to still have to worry about that garbage even though I'm not even there.

I can now say that I have been to 4 funerals all for people in our ward and I strongly believe one more is going to happen in the next week or two. As Elder King and I teach these people mostly because they are too sick to come to church, when we see them resting they truly look more healthier and it just reiterates the importance of the Plan of Salvation. One cultural thing that is pretty cool here is when someone passes away they count the days and after 7, 45, 100, 1 year, 2 year, and 1,000 days they have penghiburan (basically a meeting a comfort) it goes to show how much the people here really love their families here.

Other than that, Elder King and I have been busy as always. We have started to implement family history into some of our lessons and there is just something about it that sets these people off. We usually ask them to share one story about their Grandma and they love it, they just light up and tell us like 2 or 3 stories. We are hoping some success comes out of this.

I don't know what it was about this week, but we've had quite a few members be able to come to lessons and it is amazing because they really know what our investigators are saying and it just makes understanding and the whole lesson better. When I say we are busy, we are averaging about 17-20 lessons a week, especially when we bike everywhere. Things are starting to pick up here in Solo.

We continue to wait for rainy season as it is the end of October and it still has yet to start. Who knows, maybe it's just saving up for a really bad rainy season.

To answer some of your questions. We wash our clothes in a washing machine and then they have to air dry. When we serve others it's a variety of things and all depends on the needs of the family or the moment that it's in. We draw water out of a well weekly for one of the families so that they have water in their bathroom. Other times if something is too high for them to reach, they usually have the Elders do it because we tower over them. One thing that we also do is sing in the choir with them. Choir here is something important to them and they put a lot of time and effort into it so we sing with them and give advice if they ask. I'm not sure why they ask me because I can't sing and yes I have been on the verge of losing my voice because of all the singing I do now that I have never done before.

An interesting thing that happened this week was the Javanese new year. So it was a holiday here for the people which meant they were home and families were together. The festivities started Friday night into Saturday morning but we couldn't participate in them because they were too late.

The pictures that you all send are awesome and truly different than here.

As far as the language goes, it's off and on when i understand HAHAHA!!!

Other than that, it sounds like things are busy there and things are finally starting to take off in the direction you want them to. It is always great to hear what is going on. Keep in touch and keep the questions coming.

I love you all and miss you.

Elder Hayes

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Yeah, I have an extra 5 minutes so why not fill it with another letter. :)

I'm not sure what to write in this one. So in Jakarta there is an import store and they have syrup so Sister Donald brought some for us and that is why we made pancakes because we had American syrup and it was sooooooo good!!!

Is there any good new movies and new music. I hope Kiersten is making a list of everything.

Catch some big fish for me!!!!!!

I almost forgot........ HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!

They don't really celebrate that here I don't think. Zach better get 15 pounds of candy.

Well time is up now haha.

Sampai kita bisa email lagi!!!'

Elder Hayes