Week 14 - Bogor

My day today was pretty good.  We are in Jakarta from Monday to Wednesday for PDL meeting.  Today we went ice skating and it was great!!  We're staying at the Jakarta house with the other missionaries.   There are 8 of us in the house and only 4 beds so I'm sleeping with clothes as a pillow and my towel as a blanket on the ground for the next 3 days. 

Happy Birthday to my buddy Logan! Have an awesome birthday! I’d send you some crazy and cool stuff if I could,  but I’ll just have to do that when I come home!   

 

I'm pretty sad to hear about grandma passing away, that's sad.  Be sure to tell me all about the funeral okay? I got your letter mom! Thank you for that, it was nice to get a letter in the mail!!

 

 

I got your package too, thank you so much!  The sunflower seeds are amazing  and I haven’t read any letters yet but I will when I get back to Bogor and everything in the package looks so good!! It made my week!  I thought it was fun that the Elders from Wickenburg wrote in the bottom of my box!  Tell Aunt Carrie thank you for the stuff she sent too.

 

 

The mountain in the background is Mount Salak.   This is where that Russian plane crashed into it in 2012.   It has had 8 planes crash into it from 2002 to 2012. 

We went to the little town of Puncak (pronounced "poonchuck") it was awesome it’s up in the mountains and they grow tea there all over the mountains and it was so cold and foggy I wanted a jacket!! It was beautiful no pollution and you could see for miles and the volcano in the distant with the sunset, it was just amazing!

 We ate Indo-mie on the top of the mountain which overlooked Puncak that was awesome!

I almost bought a monkey but resisted.   He was a cool little guy... I could see he was hungry so I bought him a deep fried banana which he ate faster than I could have!

 

 

This week at a members house I ate Pig fat chunks with hair in them and it was supposed to be hairy and fatty!  I had to pretend I liked it and smile while eating it, then I had to say It was yummy.... So remember not to complain about anything mom cooks, Amanda and Logan :) Because I'd pay $100 dollars for any one of the things she makes! Even split pea soup!! :) ha-ha 

I have learned a lot about different kinds of people and the importance of respecting all cultures. The reality is that we are all just people, we all get hungry, we've all been happy and sad, we all want what is best for our families and we all want to succeed in life. The only difference between other people is a language barrier.  Once I understood that and then brought the gospel into the picture it has been so much be easier for me to be Christ like and enjoy my mission more. 

Each day I realize more and more how serving a mission is so important and how not only will it effect me for the rest of my life, but it can effect everyone's life who I come in contact with.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

I love you guys and hope you're all being safe!  Be sure to tell me everything going on back at home and how the funeral is (wish i could come) how the dealership is doing? How's Wickenburg and that kind of stuff!

Love- Elder Jones