Happy Dayz! 24 Sept 2017

HI! im alive and im well and im HAPPY!

THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY!! I don't really know where to start hahaha. All I know is I am wayyy thankful to be serving here in Malang, and in Indonesia, and I am so thankful that I am able to experience more of Heavenly Father and our Savior's love each and every day.

sooo highlights-

1- my new homecomp, Sister Mentari, is the BEST! We are having so much fun, working way hard, and the Bahasa/English routine is goin pretty smoothly. She leaves for the MTC in October, and lemme tell ya, she don't need the MTC haha she is SO awesome!! I am seriously so thankful for her!

2- PLD this last week in Surabaya, and one thing I am so grateful for is that I get to hear from the missionaries in Manado, who are teaching my sweet family! This week, I was informed that my Oma, who is not active, came to church! And that two of my cousins, Nefi & Cinta, who are not yet members, came to church too. Along with that, the missionaries showed me some pictures of them with my fam in Manado, and if I were to describe how I felt when I heard my family went to church, I would say an overwhelming wave of gratitude and love from the big man up above, our loving Heavenly Father! HIS PLAN IS IN ACTION! I am thankful for missionary work, for eternal families, for this restored gospel! Semuanya benar!

3- ok ok and last story- our simpatisan, Pak Joko. He is STELLAR! He calls us one morning and asks "hey sisters, can you meet me real quick. i need a Book of Mormon because I really need to show my friends kebenaran (truth) karena mereka belum mengerti (because they don't understand yet!)." and we're like.. "uhhh ya!!! hold on we will be there in 15!" hahaha. so cool. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!!!

anywho

until next week fam

i love you more than you know!

lebih banyak dari pada es degan dan jus mangga dan ayam bakar dengan sambal wkwkwkkw ;;;))))

HAVE AN INCCREDIBBLE WEEK! never forget the Savior is beside you!

<33

Sister Ratu

kutipan2:

"Dijahit lesung pipinya?" (did you sew on your dimples??"- Bayu

"Anda kacang-kacangan. You're nuts." 

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end therof, if we pursue the path that leads to it."- Joseph Smith

FOTOS
1- jus dengan bayu yg terkasih

2- BYU homies, Sister Hyde and Elder Brown, meet up in the JAWA TIMOR ZONE! but missing one of our homedoges- shoutout to Elder Johnson, we await your arrival to Jawa Timor!

3- our reward for each companionship getting 2 investigators to church.. FUTSAL :)) yes, I gladly had the opportunity to sport my pug shirt and socks

4- the district fam (almost complete, missing nordwald haha)

5- my beloved companion :'')

6- my old beloved comp :")

7- #translatingteam @ PLD

8- OPEN HOUSE!!

17 Sept 2017

9 Bulan, gimana si? 10 Sept 2017

HELLO WHATS POPPIN!

This week was one of the rougher weeks, but what's a mission without a rough week?;) Nevertheless, I always am finding the joy in the rougher days, and the rougher days help me to appreciate the better days! 

Coldplay yg terkasih speaks near and dear to my heart.. their wise words, "When you lose something you can't replace.." is exactly how I felt when I lost my memory card with all my pics from mtc, solo, manado, malang :( soo sad. but here;s to another 9 months worth of happy people and happy memories I never wanna  forget :). I will gladly meet my SD card in the next life tho, im sure of it HAHA. 

When we face trials in life, often times, Heavenly Father answers our prayers through the people around us. It is evident that He only wants His children to feel of His joy and His love.. and boy, I have felt it more and more each day! I learn so much from my investigators each day.. I have really come to understand how carefully and powerfully the Spirit can change hearts, and pierce souls. 

I hit my 9 month mark on the mission last week on the 7th, and my 6 months in Indo. I seriously feel like I am on my 12th week still hahaha and I really can't belive how fast time has gone by. like ok.. WHAT????? The other day I accidentally told someone I have been out for 3 months.. my B!

In the last 9 months, I have come to understand that the worth of souls indeed is great, that our eternal mission is to help each other return home to Heavenly Father, and that true everlasting happiness only comes through our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ! Some thoughts that have brought me great comfort- 

Alma 36:3- God has delivered me and supported me through every single affliction I have faced and He will continue to do so, if I keep turning to Him

Alma 33:23- Our burdens are made light through the joy of Jesus Christ!

This is a joyful work, because Jesus Christ is the center of God's Plan, and He is JOY!   

"greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children." is a line in our mission calls that just brings joy to my heart- filled to the brim! I have seriously and truly experienced more happiness and blessings than I have ever in my life here in Indonesia. SO HAPPY!

The gospel is true! Jangan lupa bahagia :)

I love you guys, and I feel your prayers.

Montersuwun! Ingatlah tuk peluk suatu pug bagi aku ;) 

xoxoxo

SIS RATU

kutipan2:

"Just as vital as what you do, is WHO YOU ARE!"

"We are in the position, as musicians, to touch the souls of those who listen."- Pres Spencer W Kimball

"Berkumis?" HAHA I dont even know how to translate this, but basically a bapa asked us "Do you want to have a mustache?" 

"Blacccckkk sweeeet!"- (hitam manis HAHA) random screams to us on the side of the road as we are biking

FOTOS: thx to my handy dandy back up sd card, i still snagged a few this week

1- the happiest man learning the happiest message out there :)

2- alfons.. CUTEST!! gemus banggeeet

3- english kelas <3

4- bayu, willing to do missionary work like a boss

5- johan HAHA he is so excited about his kucing kecil :')

6- one of my favorite fams in the ward!!

7- mita yg terkasih

18 Cabes and Counting 3 September 2017

Hey hey WHATS UP!

Inilah Sis Ratu, reporting to you live in Malang. Last week I forgot to report the fact that I gladly achieved my goal of 18 cabes (chile peppers) in my Mie Setan. I couldn’t feel my lips/tongue after. :-)  And after 3 months here, I am pretty sure I am now a shade lighter in Malang than when I was in Solo. Dad, you would be proud! LOL you know how Dad is always like “vinny you are too dark, you can’t go to the beach anymore, or go outside anymore, your skin does not look pretty” well it’s not just Dad, it’s Indonesian people in general hahahaha. People love light skin here and they’re always like “SISTER WEAR A JACKET YOURE GOING TO GET SO BLACK!” Ya wis!! #darkchocolate #browngirlprobs #somethingsneverchange

ANYWHOOOOO… :) THIS WEEK,

1-      Hari Raya! A huge holiday of the wonderful Muslim people here. All week long before Friday, there were goats and cows to the left and right, prepping for the sacrifices. Those who have enough money will buy a goat or cow (wayy expensive), kill it, and cut the meat up to share with those who are poor, or cannot afford to eat meat, or simply with their neighbors. It’s way legit and people are filled with love to the brim here. It is clearly shown as they are unceasingly wanting to share food with every person they meet :”) seriously! And not to get into too much depth on the sacrifices.. lets just say there was a goat just a couple of doors down..

2-      One of my favorite things about Indonesia is how everyone and everything is alll about food. For reals- we will walk into a house and this is how it usually goes:

ibu-     “Have you eaten??”

us-  “yes”

ibu-      “Oh no you haven’t!”

us-      “Yes, we really have. We are stuffed.”

ibu-      “Oh ok, hold on, let me grab some rice, and chicken, and snacks, for you.”

 HAHA. I love it. One essential life long lesson I have learned here is that when I become a mother, I will stuff the stomachs of my guests as much as the people of Indonesia do. As in follow the example of my parents cuz that’s exactly what they do too hahaha.

3- And yg paling penting- MUKJIZAT!!  Hahaha OKOKOK. PAK YOHANES JOKO AND IBU SRI. They are angels and my favorite 62 year olds who are so so semangat (excited) about the Kitab Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These are the people that sell right next to Sis Yandel, and Pak actually came up to us and asked for a Book of Mormon, since he always saw us reading it with Yandel. (You never know whos watching!!)

Well fast forward to earlier this week- he is asking us so sincerely to pray for him and his wife so they can go to church this week cuz lately something has always come up..

And on Sunday morning at 8 am, we got a call from him, and they were already waiting for us near the church!! Oh, it was soo happy to see them all cute and dressed up in church clothes with their huge smiles.

AND it doesn’t stop there.. it’s fast and testimony meeting, and right at the end, Pak gets up and bears his testimony. He is SO LEGIT and the bravest, most in tune with the Spirit man that I have met in Indo. He never fails to makes me laugh too, HAHA funniest man ever, and I really have never met anyone so excited about the church and the Book of Mormon. It is a testimony builder to me that this is the true church on the Earth. That the Book of Mormon is the word of God and with the Bible and Book of Mormon, we have the FULLNESS of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We SHOULD be so stoked about this- like Pak Yohanes is!! Because this is the truth, and this is what God wants for us as His children. I know that this Gospel is true, and testifying of the Savior everyday on my mission has helped me realize that I will never stop testifying of the Savior for the rest of my life. There is much happiness and joy for each of us to find, a kind that is everlasting, and I testify that it is and only is through this church, through the restored gospel, through our loving Heavenly Father, and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the wise words of Sis Yandel,

Ayo kerja buat Tuhan, selalu manis ayy!   

<3 don’t forget that your brown sister in Indo is loving and praying for you!

I love you tons keluarga dan teman yg terkasih!

Dengan segenap hatiku,

Sis Ratu J

Quotes:

“God notices us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs.”- Spencer W Kimball

“You are not white though. Gimana si(How is that??)??”- a cute lady’s reaction when I told her I am from America

“See you in heaven!!”

“If the dogs beat you on the street, you can call me.”- nice man we contacted. he's got our back

“Salam ke Obama ya??” (tell obama i say hi!)

1- MORE PUPS<3

2- indos dont hug here SO YA KNOW IM FORCIN HUGS ON EVERYONE!

3- my fave kids

4- HAHA everyone and everything eats rice.. look closely..

5- you know its cold in malang when.. #freescarves

6- trying out the whitening products here for skin.. they don;t work by the way

my BFFS

1-our investigator has LAB PUPS ok HAPPIEST SIS RATU EVR

2- Bu Ida :)

3- distrik fam

4&5- BAYU my 9 year old mini me <3 he has double jointed arms too!! HAHA.

6- AND HAPPY BDAY & 1YR OF MARRIAGE TO MY FAVE PEOPLE.