Abducted by Aliens!

 According to a National Enquirer report:

 Two unsuspecting senior persons were taken non-violently from their temporary home to an awaiting aircraft. Their belongings were x-rayed, and confiscated for further rummaging of their suspicious contents. A magnifying mirror was dismantled and questioned. They were then transported from their rural and oceanic surroundings to a foreign, more highly populated destination by greenish, yet nearly human looking space aliens.

The aliens spoke an unknown language but gave the victims palatable food and sustenance. The cabin of the spacecraft was filled with a mist of unknown substance which rendered the victims into a state of lucid unconsciousness for much of their journey.

Cut off from handheld means of communication to establish any contact with fellow earthlings, they continually repeated the mantra to any unseen power that would honor their request--"Take us to your leader". The abductees landed and were deposited into another conveyance and given a secret password that would release them from their temporary imprisonment.

                         The portal passwords

Then after a lengthy process of questioning their declarations, photographing them,  looking quizzically at their identifying documents, and eventually returning their confiscated belongings, they were finally located and given audience with the new planet's bilingual Leader, Presidente Tandiman, who spoke their mother tongue fluently. He was friendly and welcoming, and the detainees were relieved that their long cross-examination and abduction had come to an end.

     I Come in Peace, Live Long and Prosper 🖖

In due course, they were met by a welcoming party of non-hostile inhabitants of this highly advanced and populated civilization who also spoke their language and provided much initial orientation, including comforting foods of their origin, suitable lodgings, bins filled with provisions, and many other creature comforts to assist them in their reorientation. 

                 Their alien food is delicious👽 

The two mere humans have decided to remain amongst this advanced people for a period of 4.5 months, to learn from their culture and to promote interplanetary goodwill and harmony.                                  The End.

(The power of click bait! Did it work?) 

Yes, we are obviously here in Jakarta but missing the waking up in the morning to the sounds of birds in the trees and the roosters announcing the sun.

We miss Dili's daily solar eclipse through the window opening at the cemetery chapel 

 We are now reliving the 4:30 am Muslim call to prayer like we first heard in Coimbatore but unlike our initial experience,  this man can really sing and it is beautiful! I will have a hard time sleeping through his daily morning performance. 

      The mosque outside our bedroom window

 I do want to make a final report of our last week in Dili before we move forward. I've completed all that one solitary and semi-nimble person can do at the Santa Cruz Cemetery with over 2500 uploaded photos. I'm not even halfway done but some person or group will have to pick up where I left off someday. 

    I feel a strange kinship with the departed souls of Timor-Leste. I imagine their stories as I look at their graveside photographs and as I transcribe their names and birth and death dates. There is way too much infant mortality. Too few people die of old age. A portion were mercilessly massacred. I hope I'm given the privilege of meeting a few of them someday. 

    I will find it hard to flush this work for the                               dead out of my system! 

    This one was the final ice-sing on the cake 

 We are still mourning the end of that idyllic experience. Can we just state one last time how much we adored it all? As one of our final experiences, Niju (think Need You) one of our Advanced students, invited us to be judges of an English Speech Competition at the University of Timor-Leste, sponsored by his grassroots organization-"Student Development For Future." We gladly accepted the opportunity to be of service. It was held in an

 un-airconditioned room crammed with many hot bodies and no fans, only open windows on a hot humid day for ventilation. It was very toasty but no locals seemed bothered whatsoever. The competitors who had the added layer of dark jackets, showed nary a bead of sweat on their nervous brows.

 This young woman was picked as the winner.

                The esteemed panel of judges 

As a token of appreciation, we were given "tais" (pronounced ties) , the culture's equivalent of a lei, as a thank you. A very lovely gesture.

That's Niju on the far right. We were so taken by his quasi-proficient English and his excellent organizational and leadership abilities during the whole event. He kept trying to apologize for everything but we assured him it was a wonderful experience for us. Elder Dunlap felt impressed to take him out the next day to thank him for the opportunity but also to let him know we sensed in him great untapped talents. The subject turned to faith and religion. We learned he is already on fire for his Savior Jesus Christ and has an abundance of faith in him. So along with a Burger King meal, Elder Dunlap gave him a Book of Mormon and an invitation to meet with our young missionaries which he graciously accepted. 

               Zooming with the Jakarta Elders 

In addition, two other older men from the Novice class have also been meeting with Janu and the Elders as well, and are very earnest in their desires for baptism. They are being taught in Bahasa. Janu is there to translate to Tetum when needed. 

                   The dedicated cadre of Elders...

                             ...the 3 Amigos...

                           Dino, Rui, and Janu

We are so happy to see the ball rolling and the potential for growth in the Dili Twig on the cusp! Our greatest joy was in hoping  that we planted a few seeds of friendship and goodwill in the hearts of some of our students and others we met on the streets and pointed them towards the restored Church. They are already oriented towards Jesus Christ but the cultural traditions of any religion are always an initial obstacle for the restored gospel to take root in any new country. With the Pope coming for a visit in September, the fervor is slowly building to a pitch. People are selling flags and banners on the street as a precursor to this major event. We won't be there to see it play out. But we know the Lord has his eye on the sparrow. In His timing, we will see His kingdom grow in this far remote corner of His vineyard and we have no doubt it will be a force for good as it will bring light and truth and prosperity for the humble people of Timor-Leste. 

We know the Dili Branch is in good hands with President Uber at the helm, his wife Amy as the Sunday School Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Brother Janu as the Elders Quorum President with Elder Jimenez as his counselor, Sister Domingas as the RS Pres, and Sister Zelia as her counselor and the 4 Da Silva daughters fulfilling their respective callings, Sister Harris in YW and at the organ and Brother Harris in the Young Men's, with their 2 oldest sons passing the sacrament, the Snows as the Primary teachers, and Sister Eden as the Physical Facilities coordinator. They are all held in the ultimate good hands of the Lord, and we have absolute faith and hope the work will roll forth! 

                The quintessential Uber couple.

            Everything is absolutely grapefruit!! 

Goodbye Timor-Leste, Hello Indonesia! 

"...the servant said unto his master, How comest thou hither to plant this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of the vineyard. And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore...I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it (will) bring forth much fruit."  

Jacob 5: 22-22