Indonesia Jakarta Mission: Tuesday 3 April. Borobudur

From 1 April until 3 April we attended the Annual Indonesia Jakarta Mission "Senior Missionary Counsel". This year in the city of Yokyakarta. ( often spelled Jokyakarta.)

This update will be short of words & text. The photos will give a much better impression of the fabulous, exciting and "action packed" 2 days.

We arrived more than 2 hours in advance of our 4.30 pm flight at the Juanda Surabaya International Airport. Only to be notified that the flight was delayed by more than 4 hours. With attached a potential cancellation that would have torpedoed our trip to Yokyakarta. Fortunately we boarded at 8.18 pm. A pleasant 1 hour flight followed. We arrived at the Yokyakarta Marriott somewhere about 11.30 pm & finally went to bed at about midnight. The following day, Monday program required a 6 am "Exercise" start & breakfast right after that allowed us to get acquainted with the other couples. In front of the hotel 3 SUVs & drivers were waiting to take us to the LDS Church building where the intense and wonderful instruction by President Subandriyo and each couple followed. Mom & I were allowed some 20 minutes to give a presentation about Family History that ran out to more than half an hour due to an added question & answer time.

Yokyakarta is a beautiful & historic city. The chaotic traffic we daily experience in Surabaya is much more streamlined here. Reason being that most of the important streets are divided in separate lanes for "sepada motor" (scooters & motor bikes) and "mobil" ( cars & trucks). In order to not miss one second of all the impressions of Yokyakarta, the instruction, the visits & getting to know how other couples functioned in the mission field, we both "switched" back and forth between them. Causing some moments of fatigue and being overwhelmed at times.

We did not want to miss inspirations that could assist us as missionaries. We only had two days of action packed events. We are convinced that nothing of our Mission to Indonesia is "Coincidental" but definitely part of a time specifically customized for us. Missing one "beat" of these two days could just be the part that will allow us to magnify our call to serve. Everything about our Mission is part of a Plan prepared by The Lord for us. So we can "Care & Share" in the utmost sense of the expression. We realize that it is all about serving the people of Indonesia.

After a wonderful time in Yokyakarta we boarded just about on time & returned home after a pleasant flight. Now we will take some time to absorb & sort it all out. Then we apply what we learned to our work her for the next, some, fifteen months. President Subandriyo has informed us already that we will be travelling quite a bit more to the different stakes/districts, wards/branches of the Indonesia Jakarta Mission from now on.

The rest of this update is expressed in the photos. Like in: "A picture equals a thousand words."

Sister & Elder Schmid.

AT the Airport ready to fly to Yokyakarta. Mom met a Lady there & could not resist to inform her about the Family History Program when the Lady asked her what she was in Surabaya for. Mom introduced her to the other Missionary Couple, Sister & Elder Steele.

Finally we boarded the Jet-Prop Plane. The flight was delayed more than 4 hours. Managed to take a pic of another Jet plane.

The Marriott Yokyakarta Lobby. Tired from the delay we were in bed by 12 midnight. Officially we had to be ready to start the next day at 6.00 am.

Still tired it panned out it did not work out that way. We were tardy for once.

Tuesday 3 April. Visit to the world famous Borobudur Temple. Ticket Office & reception area.

Photo of an interesting Indonesian "Swamp Cooler" with attached water tank & fan.

"Elder & Sister Schmid with an orange clad Buddhist monk.

In the background the Borobudur Buddhist Temple built in 800 AD."

Tuesday 3 April. Borobudur Temple. A Buddhist priest who visited this Temple.

Tuesday 3 April. Morning visit to the Hydroponic Nursery + lunch.

"Elder Schmid standing at the back of the stage next to a very young student not old enought to participate in the Muslim prayer sessions. He is limited but required to attend, learn & watch."

Salamat Islamic Boarding School, Magelang, a town outside of Yokyakarta.

Visit to a Muslim Boarding School. Elder Schmid accepted an invitation to join the drum team accompanying a young boy chanting Muslim prayers and Quran text.