Sunday

We piled into a blue bird cab in our Sunday best. (The cab size is similar to a Civic). We were just a tiny bit squished, with a few lap-sitters. But cabs are our only choice until we find a car. So we rolled with it!

The roads were eerily empty at 7:30AM. We've been used to bumper to bumper traffic and hoards of mopeds. So it felt strange, but oh so nice, to drive at 40 mph down the streets.

All throughout Jakarta are huge bronze statues. But this is my favorite so far. It is called the Pacoran Statue and it represents the Indonesian airforce. We saw it on our way to church...and would you believe, he's pointing the way to our LDS chapel!

Amidst concrete buildings, and various stores, there it was, an LDS church building. A sight so familiar, down to the golden insignia sign (of course this one was in Indonesian). I got a bit choked up pulling into the parking lot.
We were warmly welcomed by everyone. We took our seats on a cushioned pew and opened up a green hymn book to sing the opening song. "Go Forth with Faith." The significance was not lost on me.

There are only two primary classes here: Junior (ages 2 to 7) and Senior (ages 8 to 11). It looked like there were about 20 children total. Madi wasn't sure how she felt about being in the same class as the 8 year olds. But I told her it was good chance to be a leader and example, right? And the twins echoed the sentiment about being in the same class with 4 year olds. But they emerged from their classes happy to have met some new people.

My favorite moment of the day was sitting in Relief Society. There were only about ten of us - but there were women from all over the world. I sat next to the sweetest Australian sister who has lived here for six years. There was someone from the Philippines, a woman from Tonga, an Indonesian sister, and the rest from the states. We sang "As Sisters in Zion" and that song has never rung truer for me.

"As sisters in Zion we'll all work together,
The blessings of God on our labors we seek.
We'll build up His Kingdom with earnest endeavor
We'll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak."

Out the window, I could see the palm branches swaying in the morning wind. My tears of gratitude flowed freely. And I didn't wipe them away.