Indonesia gave us a BIG going away present! We originally were scheduled to leave on August 23rd but then we started hearing advertising months earlier for a huge Stake Cultural Event held on August 24th. Knowing how much we love that sort of thing, we requested if our release could be delayed just a few days more so we could attend it as our last hurrah. When I think how much we might have missed with our original date, I'm so grateful for these extra bonus days. Timing is everything!
President and Sister Mak had us to their home for a farewell dinner along with 3 elders who were also completing their missions. Ask any senior missionary and they will tell you how working with the young missionaries is one of the most rewarding aspects of it all. They are so earnest, so dedicated to the cause of bringing souls to Christ. It truly is an honor to work with them and call them lifelong friends. They inspire us.
The Stake Cultural Night also did not disappoint! We made a point to arrange rides for our refugee friends, so we could enjoy this last time together. Many of them made it on their own too and it was a treat for us to be surrounded by so many of our Jakarta 3rd ward friends.
Rebecca and friend Dheka. They rhyme!
Waiting for the show to begin
It was absolutely thrilling to see the talent and efforts of the Jakarta Stake. There were some true professional dancers in the mix but we loved how they involved everyone to be a part of it, no matter their skill level. The hours they had put into practicing their numbers were so evident. There was such a rich variety of styles and costuming that although it went on for 2.5 hours, we were never once bored (yeah, except maybe through the beginning speeches that we couldn't understand).
I don't have a video, but only a picture of all the Primary children (there must've been a legion of them!) singing happy 100th birthday to President Russel M. Nelson, our beloved Prophet. I hope he gets a video of it sent to him. He is loved by the Saints all over the world!
The colors, the music, the drumbeat rhythms all made it exciting and memorable. I got so choked up listening to them sing their national anthem. Each place we have lived has had their national pride in their culture. Yet, being united in the Culture of Christ gave us this feeling of a universal unity of heart and mind, no matter where we have lived.
Well, the party didn't end there. We invited our Iranian friends to come home for dinner. Hiresh had to decline. But Rob and Mahdi took a final dip in our pool while I cooked some Tom Kha and rice. (Me cooking!)
Ahh... We have so loved and relished the serenity of our pool area. Either early in the morning or early evening, I would walk around its perimeter for exercise, Vitamin D, and meditation. 200 steps per rotation. It was peaceful and profoundly beautiful, surrounded by the lights of the early rays of sun by day and the lights of the skyscrapers by night.
We were surprised when we got a text from a brand new friend we made during our last week here. We stumbled across Ian as an owner of a booth in the food court in our nearby mall. He is a Yankee from Connecticut, born of Chinese-American parents, living here on his own for the last 8 years. He asked us what do two crazy kids like us do for fun on a Saturday night? We invited him over for dinner and games and he took us up on it! We had such fun playing "golf". He and Mahdi both were completely fluent in their secret language of Bahasa Indonesian, something we ashamedly made little effort to learn in our 4 months here. We shall stay in touch with Ian via Whatsapp since our overlap time was way too short. 
Ian played the part of Bloody Mary in South Pacific at his all-boys military school. We share a love of musicals and word games. Wish we had had more time with Mr. Lucky Chin!
And then our last farewells on Sunday at church. How dear these people have become to us!! How can we bear to say goodbye?? After sacrament meeting Sister Lee asked if we could share a prayer together. We held hands and bowed our heads together at the back of the chapel, asking Father to bless us both and thank Him for the blessings of our friendship. She promised to send us pictures of her baptism when it happens.
Go in peace/ stay in peace, dear Sister!
Next, my dear Iranian friend, Sister Nahid. I cannot hug her enough!! She is so very dear to me too. She has given us far more than we could have ever given her and her little family. She is a skilled leather craftswomen along with many other talents, and she made me a custom-made leather wallet and Elder a coin purse.
And speaking of the Lord's perfect timing, did I mention before that the Rastgoos finally got their tickets to immigrate to America?! Such a miracle! Though we are going to different cities via different airlines, our flights overlap at the airport. Incredible! We could never have planned that, ever in a million tries. Thank you Heavenly Father, for that tender mercy.
Last of all...our Scarecrow. (the one you'll miss, most of all) Dear Mahdi...the most humble, patient, happy, earnest, friendly, hard working man you'll ever find. We finished the complicated WelcomeCorp application with a small group of our wonderfully supportive American friends with only days to spare on August 23rd to sponsor this good brother to come to America to begin a new life as a free man. We now can only wait and pray daily for his deliverance. We know we will see him again but still, parting is such sweet, sweet sorrow!
And thus concludes the 99th blog of our incredible mission. How could we have possibly planned that number? I believe I'll have to do one more post-mission just to make it an even 100, coinciding with the 100th birthday of a Prophet of God which happens next week. The timing is personally mind-blowing and symbolic for us.
..."Behold my brethren I say unto you, could we have supposed when we started from the land of (America) that God would have granted unto us such great blessings? Behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God! Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.
Alma 26: 1, 11, 16
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I'll miss your weekly account of mission miracles, but will much enjoy having you both back home!
ReplyDeleteWe agree with you about the amazing young missionaries
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed these reports. We look forward to seeing you soon
ReplyDeleteYou have both done an incredible work there.
ReplyDelete