Hello Everyone!!
Things are very very hot here in Surabaya!!! If you can imagine a modern city with streets like DC and tall buildings, lots of GIGANTIC malls, neighborhoods that range from better than Beacon hill all the way down to the old broken down inner city buildings where people live it is all here in Surabaya. To get to appointmets it takes 15 minutes + riding a bike. Whether there is traffic or it is just far it is something different. In Solo if I rode my bike for 15 minutes I would probably already be in the other city!! With a big city comes A LOT of people and the city life. Riding bikes here is a whole new challenge with the traffic and giant roads that I don't know where they go!! With that being said, everything I've done here I have loved!!
My new companion is Elder S and he is also from Bekasi just like my last companion just different wards. If you can think of just this short little funny guy, that is him. He actually just finished his trainig as well but is a great missionary. I would have to say that he is already fluent in English becasue he understands EVERYTHING but speaking he would rather speak Indonesian. So his english is very good. As the time I spend with him I'm sure there will be more stories.
I will talk about one of the investigators I came to here in Surabaya. His name is S and he is 16 years old and is actually from Korea, He lives here with his aunt and uncle who speak a little Indonesian, english, and Korean. S speaks Korean and english and his mom came here with him and knows a little english but talks in Korean. But he is amazing. We go to his house and becasue the gospel terms are a little hard to understand he learns with the korean Elders through Skype. After he is taught we kind of just follow up on what he learned and help him work towards his baptism. He originally had a baptismal date for this last Saturday but it didn't happen so we are hoping to set a new one with him this week so he can enter the waters of baptism. He will actually return home to Korea and June and our goals out of this are him to get baptized and his mom who is a less active to return to church. It was exciting to see them at church yesterday.
You are all probably wondering well if he doesn't speak Indonesian how does he come to church and understand....
There is actually a whole family that moved here about 6 months ago from Denmark, the Eriksons, and they too don't understand Indonesian.
That's when the missionaries step in. We translate for all the people in our branch that can't speak Indonesian. I have heard that there is about 3 families who cannot speak Indonesian but have only met 2. So Dad, if you have any Danish phrases I can say send them this way!!!!!!!! We actually went to the Erikson's floor I should say yesterday. You take an elevator up to there personal floor and that is like their front door. They spoiled us!!!! We ate lasagna and garlic bread and had like chocolate brownies!!!!! I didn't want to leave!!! We shared a message and there was 3 languages going on; English, danish, and Indonesian. It was an amazing experience. That's also kind of how it is with S when we are at his house except it is English, Korean, and Indonesian.
Surabaya is still a branch and small but is growing rapidly!!!! The city may be a little dirty but there are some parts that are just beautiful!!
There was a question about where we live. We live in the Suburbs and in a house. There is 4 of us; 2 Indonesians and 2 people from America.
I don't have a whole lot of time this week but I'm sure there will be more to come!!!
It was cool to see that you met Sister Sperry and from the topic of her talk I can tell that is really good becasue that's what we focus on here!!
I love you all and keep up the good work!!
Elder Hayes
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| Ice Skating in Jakarta |
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| Elders with the Erikson's in Surabaya |
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| New Companion |
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| Transfer Day |
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| Surabaya |
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| Surabaya at Night |
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