6 Bulan di Jakarta yg Ku Kasihi 30 April 2018

Reflecting on the last 6 months that I have served in Jakarta 1,2,&3, I have come to a conclusion that this week has got to be one of the hardest weeks because I had to say goodbye to the people that I now call family, and the city that I now call home.

 It has been soooo hard saying bye, and if ya really knew me, you'd know how much I HATE goodbyes!! But with it all, I sure was overwhelmed with how thankful I am for them! So so ssoooo thankful! Hatiku dipenuhi dengan rasa syukur.

This week, we welcomed in 4 new sisters and it's been a real joy being their adopted mother here and sending them out to their cities today. I head out to Manado on Thursday, and tomorrow I am headed for Zone Conference. This will be another crazy week, but I am stoked outta my mind! 

The joy that comes from the Gospel is real, I know that to be true!

I love you guys!

<3 Sister Ratu 

Minggu terakhir & kota terakhir. 22 April 2018

The last week and the LAST CITY!

he LAST WEEK in JAKARTA & the LAST TRANSFER CALL!

20 April 2018 at approximately 1:10 pm, I receive a call from my wonderful AP, Elder Brown. he continues to inform me that I will be MOVING for the last 6 weeks of the misi, and that I will be moving to...

MANADO!!!! The land of my LELUHUR (ancestors), and the city where my family lives !!!!!

AHHHHHH!!!! SO MANY TEARS! MY HEART EXPLODED!!! HAHA I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT AND STILL CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!  ALL CAPS BECAUSE AT THAT MOMENT I WAS SCREAMING "IS THIS REAL?!?!?!?"

My whole mission I would have never ever thought in a million years, that I could possibly serve in Manado. And I will be flying out there next Monday on the 30th. It truly is a miracle, and I testify that God indeed answers every child's prayer!

To say that I am overwhelmed with gratitude and amazed by God's great love and His great plan does not do justice as to how I truly am feeling about the chance I have to go to Manado, and introduce this incredible Gospel to the people I love so much, my family.

And exactly a year ago last week, I met my family in Manado for the FIRST TIME in my life! I will never forget the impressions I felt when I met them and how strong the Spirit was. It was only a few hours there, but it was enough time to know how much I love them, and how Heavenly Father loves them so much too. Since then, I haven't gone a day without praying for their hearts to be softened so that they too can accept the Gospel and the blessings that come with it.

My desires and prayers my whole life growing up was to meet my family in Indonesia, and to have my family be together forever. My desires and my prayers are still the same, and I feel so thankful that Heavenly Father has allowed me to have the opportunity to meet them and now to teach them, and help them to understand the way home to Him. 

I know my family will be and can be together forever, and I know that this Gospel is exactly what everyone needs to find the peace and joy they need. 

I have so much love for this crazy city Jakarta, so much love for this country, the people, this Gospel, and so much love for my sweet family!

Whether they accept the Gospel or not in the next weeks, I know not, but what I do know is that my responsibility to serve and to love them and introduce the Gospel to them will not end at the end of my misi, but will continue on for the rest of my life. 

God is a God of love, and I pray each of you continue to look for His love, and to give His love:)

IM GOINGGG HOMEEEE TO MANADOOOO!!!! dreams are coming true out here in Indo!!!

rendem wie niko,

Sister Ratu <3 

IM GOING TO MISS MY SWEET CHILD SO MUCH. HERES A PIC OF US LAUGHING/SMILING/CRYING/HUGGING AFTER TRANSFER CALLS!

1 our fave english class

2 ibu laura 7 pak jack :)

3 fretty asked me after she sees my fam picture: "Why are they all white... and you are... black???" #blackgirlprobs 

4 buy one get one free at our fave place ;)

5&6 the BEST WARD jakarta 2!!!!!!! and the funniest/weirdest TALENT SHOW hahahahhahaha

7 my mom Sis rawuh in jakarta 2 likes to suap me HAHA

8 sweet Roya after her baptism!!

the last WML!! & distrik fam! 

Hope you all have a beautiful and blessed week!!!

Pimpin Aku, Bimbing Aku 16 April 2018

Lead me, Guide me

Hai all!!! 

This week in Jakarta... so many miracles! Ok ok ok, with alllll honesty, it has actually been pretty rough the last few weeks because our most progressing investigators that were going to be baptized at the end of this month, have NOT been responding to us and now are very busy with life. Along with our other investigators.. so we have been starting from 0, and finding, finding, finding, annnnnnnnd FINDING!!!! 

It has been CRAZY, and so happy, sad, and so hard too, but the Lord does not let His children wander! We made a goal this week to specially pray to meet one person who was ready to hear our message of Jesus Christ and His Restored Gospel. In every single prayer we said, we made sure that we would specifically pray to meet that person. 

As the week came to an end, we met a few people who were really sincere, and felt like our prayers have really been answered. 

AND THEN FRIDAY HAPPENED! WE MET IBU LAURA ON THE BUSWAY FROM BLOKM!

I actually accidentally dropped my Kitab Mormon (don't do that kids!) and she noticed we were from church. She told us she wanted to come on Sunday, but a lot of people say that, and then don't show up. Sunday morning we call her, and she tells us, "IM ON THE WAY TO CHURCH!" but then a salah faham happened and she thought that "balai sudirman" was "sudirman".. so she went to Jakarta Pusat on accident, and ended up at the WRONG CHURCH. We were like "Uhhhhhhhhh...!?!?!?!?" and she called and told us she had a feeling it was wrong, and came to Jakarta Selatan. 

AFTER 3 HRS, SHE MADE IT TO JLN DR SAHARJO AT GEREJA YESUS KRISTUS! Akhirnya!! It was such a MIRACLE! She came to church, all tired and super sweaty, but with a HUGE smile on her face. She kept saying, "I know that God provided a way for me to be here. I feel so much peace here. I know that even though I was tired, and hot, and wanted to go home instead, and church was far, I know that God needed me to be here to feel what I feel right now." She is so keen to read the Kitab Mormon and will be back at church next week. :)

HOW HAPPY! Happy tears shed! She is so wonderful, and has so much faith, and moments like that where my heart just explodes because of the Spirit makes me so so so so thankful for this wonderful and beautiful life as a missionary here in Jakarta Indonesia. 

1 Nefi 17:13- And I will also be your ^alight in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the ^bpromised land; and ye shall ^cknow that it is by me that ye are led. 

The Lord will do all He can to lead us. I promise He will never leave us comfortless. I hope you all continue to feel His love throughout this week and notice His hand in your life!

I love you all, and I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love INDONESIA!!

rendem wie niko,

Sister Ratu <3 

fotos: free motor wash and free english class have been a party!

Kebahagiaan yg Nyata 8 April 2018

Real Happiness

I don't really remember much from this week, but in a nutshell... I somehow got wayyyyy sick for a good 2.5 days and accidentally overdosed on Panadol lol, but the Lord blessed me with strength and we somehow still managed to meet wonderful people and have some pretty cool and small miracles along the way, along with the weird happenings as usual. 

General Conference this week was much needed, and I also had the chance to attend MLC where we are spiritually and physically fed :) Nothing better!

From Konferensi, Masimo De Feo talked about how the greatest commandment for us is to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. He then reminded us that the greatest TRUTH is that God loves US with all of HIS heart, might, mind, and strength. It was exactly what I needed to hear and helped me to remember God's great love for me as His child. It was like He was giving me a big hug right then and there, and I just thought about how thankful I am for His church, and this Gospel, and how this feeling I was feeling was true and everlasting happiness. 

God is a God of love, and I know that to be true! 

rendem wie niko,

Sister Ratu <3

1- if this doesnt make your day, i dont know what will:)

2- REUNITED WITH MY ADIK! the new Jawa tengah STL!

3- my view every pagi :")

4- Manado friends & DURIAN!!!!!

5- MY CHILD LOVES DURIAN JUST AS MUCH AS ME HAHAHAHHAHA YESSSSSSS

6- durian or DIE!!

7- a missionary (5 yrs ago was Elder Mitsuharu) served in my homeward when I was 15 randomly showed up in JAKARTA!! such a smalll world!!! Tijeras canyon ward represent!

8- a pengaman that reminded me exactly of my lil bro Dabey :)

Selamat Paskah! 1 April 2018

Happy Easter to you all!!

I don't have much time today, but here are a few pictures of some of the greatest people and some of my favorite moments. :") 

We had the blessed opportunity to watch 4 of our friends join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this weekend. They have all been investigating for about a year, and the members have really been there to teach and fellowship with them through it all. A rule just came out where we now are not able to baptize refugees, and this weekend, the last ones in Indonesia were baptized. 

Their stories are incredible, and I wish I could explain how great their faith is in Jesus Christ. I know that their decision will not only bless their lives, but their ancestors and generations to come! 

A South African man named Michael asked me last night, "Why are you black??"

I didn't know how to respond. #blackgirlprobs. A game I like to play while I contact is "Guess my ethnicity!".. I got a whole bus this week to try to guess where I was from. I usually get India, Phillipines, Australia, Mexico, etc., but this week I got..."Dari Jepang ya??" "From Japan ya??" hmm... coba lagi ya pak??

Astaga naga!! HAhahahahahahah. Long live INDONESIA!!

rendem wie niko,

Sister Ratu <3 

A lot of happy tears were shed!!

We washed 71 motors.. for FREE!!! Gratis dong