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

Anak yg Terkasihku 25 Maret 2018

My beloved child!! I love being a MAMA!

hallo lagi! Sister Ratu again reporting live in the hustlin & bustlin, craziest city I have ever been in, JAKARRRTAAA! 

Some of my favorite highlights of being able to train the incredible Sister Fabrizio is watching her experience her FIRST TIME:

with FOOD!

- eating a cabe (pepper).. she took a little nibble and her whole face went bright red. she is the BEST HAHA!

- eating sambal.. she thought she was good with spicy, until she came here.. don't worry. I am training her to be a sambal master 

- eating rambut nenek, a very delicious and under-rated treat, that is my personal fave

- eating AYAM BAKPAO HAHA also a piece of my childhood from our local Asian bakery in CA, and one of the delicacies (to me, at least.. :) ) that are sold on the side of the streets here. way cheap, way enak oh YA!

- eating soto ayam.. also another one of my faves, and now her favorite!

- PISANG GORENG!!! 

with CRAZY/WEIRD JUST IN INDO THINGS!

- being the only white person and everyone calling out "I LOVE YOU MISTER!!"

- her first BAJAY RIDE.. a crazy lil blue car that barely fits three people 

- first angkot ride. a crazy bigger van that can fit like 8 people, but they like to squeeze in at least 15 hahaha

- the jam packed buses and trains

- making babies cry because she is white 

& yg paling penting, WITH MISSIONARY WORK!!

- leading lessons already! 

- bearing powerful testimonies in her already wonderful Bahasa

- contacting and contacting and contacting like crazzzyyyyy!!! 

We had the best lesson with Sitara & Benny last night. Benyamin said a prayer for us for his very first time all by himself! It was so simple, yet so powerful. Usually he only prays if we pray, and he repeats after us. But last night, he prayed on his own and it filled all of our hearts with so much love! Brought everyone of us to tears, and makes me feel very thankful to see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people and helps us to truly be closer to our Father in Heaven. It only is the Spirit that touches the hearts of man!

have a wonderful week! I am alive & well & grateful everyday to be here. :)

After a very emotionally, mentally, physically draining lesson.. the Lord blessed me with a PUG on the way home :")

1- lunch date with some of my FAVES!!! :)

2- showing my nak the right things to buy at Indomaret

3- Norma & Clara!

4- you know you're BFFS when you do potato face selfies together ;)

5- the new district fam!

dengan kasih,

Sister Ratu <3

Zion.18 Maret 2018

Hai fam & friends!!

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN CRAZY! I don't really know where to start because so much happened and I am still very sleep deprived to be honest hahahaha. 

We said goodbye to our beloved sisters going home, welcomed in a new sister, sisters in Bogor came down for PLD, futsal, an incredible Zone Conference, heard from Elder Funk and an apostle Elder Stevenson at Konferensi, said bye to my beloved comp- Sister Fugs and sent her back to Solo, had the best week with my partner in crime- Sister Nuku, with a lot of apartment complications and taxi rides and don't forget the macet (traffic)!!!

AND THE BEST NEWS IS..

ITS A GIRL!!!!

YES, IT IS TRUE. I, SISTER RATU, HAVE BECOME A MOTHER!!!

My dream of training has finallllllly come true! I was so happy and truly did cry tears of joy hahaha.

After 15 months of longing for a child, I have finally been given the glorious opportunity to train the new sister, SISTER FABRIZIO!! It's my last 12 weeks, and her FIRST 12 weeks, and so far, sooo good! Seriously, we get along so well. She is so sweet, and so brave. I am already such a proud Ibu and I feel so blessed to be with her!!!! She gets me PUMPED!

And then yesterday, we had an incredible opportunity to hear from Elder Funk and Elder Anderson. It was probably one of my favorite days on the mission and I won't ever forget the feelings and impressions I got as I listened to the Lord's servants speak to us. I'll never forget how strong the Spirit was as I watched saints from alllll over Indonesia, from America, Aussie, Iran, etc. gather there to hear the words of an apostle of the Lord.

Elder Anderson informed us that he will be reporting back to President Nelson about his time here in Jakarta. Elder Anderson said he will tell President that he found something here.. that he found ZION!!

I can't really sum up into words my feelings of gratitude and joy for the chance I have to serve here in Jakarta Indonesia. I know that this indeed is the Lord's work and it is a glorious work. I am loving it so much, and I don't think it could get any better than this. :)

Have a blessed week!!!

rendem wie niko<3!

xo Sister Ratu<3

ADEL & THE SISTAS!!!

Sudah 1 Tahun di Indo! 12 Maret 2018

"Oma, how old are you?"- me "I was born in 1909...so I think I am 113??"-her

I was so excited about last week that I forgot about my one year mark in this beautiful and blessed country called Indo freakin nesia!!! This morning, I was reunited with my saudaras, Sis Nukez & Elder Nielsen, and we headed out to the immigration office to renew our visas. so CRAZY! I actually cannot believe that it's been a year. It was so fun to be together with them again and to see how much we've grown, learned, and experienced, and it felt good to laugh about those ye olde MTC days. Shoutout to the SUSU KELUARGA district:")

Our investigators, Adel & Elisabeth are doing great, and we are meeting a lot of great people. I have been reflecting a lot about why I am here and I often think of my family here in Indo and how much I desire for them to accept the Gospel and the blessings that come with it. I know that I am here not only to help my family know the way home to our Heavenly Father, but to also help my other brothers and sisters out! 

President Subandriyo is the man and just sent me this quote. I think it suites well into what I'm trying to put down.
"I believe that every man, woman, and child has felt the call of heaven at some point in his or her life. Deep within us is a longing to somehow reach past the veil and embrace Heavenly Parents we once knew and cherished. Yet, no matter your history—if you have faltered, failed, feel broken, bitter, betrayed, or beaten—know that you are not alone. God still calls to you."

I am grateful for the Lord's love for me and for each of us. I feel it everyday and I am thankful for the tender mercies He sends me.. like meeting a lil pug after getting hard core rejected. :-)

Mosiah 24:10-16 is where it's at! I hope you all have the greatest week! Thank you for the prayers and the support!

Rendem wia niko!

Sister Ratu<3