Chaos - You got to Love it!!

A lot has happened since I wrote last.  First the Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Gereja Yesus Kristus Dari Orang-Orang Suci Zaman Akhir) Russell M Nelson, passed away on 27 September 2025.  He was an amazing man, and we will miss him greatly.  He lived to be 101 which is quite remarkable.  In Indonesia, to honor President Nelson these huge signs with flowers were placed in front of the Mission Office. 

 The new Prophet and President of the Church is Dallin H. Oaks.   We are looking forward to seeing what new and wonderful things President Oaks will do and say.  We had our General Conference the weekend of October 4th and 5th. We have General Conference twice a year.  It is a worldwide conference that the leaders of our church speak on topics that God would have us hear.   All the talks were great, but I especially liked Kevin G. Brown's talk titled the Eternal Gift of Testimony.  Because we lived in Louisiana for 6 1/2 years and know (really well) his wife's family, I also enjoyed John D. Amos's Talk- The Good News Recipe.  It bought back a lot of feeling of why I Love Louisiana and Louisianians.  

Our latest adventure was going to the Bogor Botanical Garden.  It was a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy nature and all the beautiful flowers and plants that God created.  They even had a section with cacti.  I really enjoy that.  It reminded us of why we love Arizona.  Cacti don't grow naturally here in Indonesia.  

 

 

 

All around Indonesia People dress the same to exercise.  They must have biking and running clubs.  At the Bogor Botanical garden there was a group of bicyclist riding around the garden in their cycling uniforms.    It looked like fun.   After the garden we went to lunch and saw all these men sitting on the sidewalk playing chess.  People here sit on the sidewalk, curb and side of the road talking, eating, and just hanging out.  It seems a bit odd to me but they do it all the time.  

 

The next week we had zone conference.  Zone Conference is when a group of the missionaries all get together and have instructions from the President of the Mission and the Zone and AP leaders.  This Conference's themes were (the ones that I got out of it- because it is all done in Bahasa Indonesia language) Be All In- Meaning being fully engage in the Mission and Ten seconds of insane courage- meaning be brave in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are all sons and daughters of God, and we all want to live with God again.  So, share the gospel of Christ with our brothers and our sisters. 

 

 After the Zone conference in Surabaya, we went to Malang- the sisters in Malang made Scott (Elder Baird) and me a pancake breakfast.  It was so sweet of them.  Thank you, Sisters!!

  From Malang, we went on a short trip.  We went to a water Fall at Coban Rondo and an ancient Hindu temple. 

 

              

  

  

 Then at midnight we were pick up by our guide and we went to Mount Bromo for the sunrise.  Mount Bromo is an active volcano.  Indonesia has many active volcanos.  It was a crazy trip.  We drove for about 3 hours and then we got in a jeep and drove for another 2 hours up the mountain on rough terrain  to the sunrise watching site.  It was chaotic up there.  No one was directing the parking of the jeeps.  So everyone parked all over the place and in the middle of the road.  So the jeep took you as far as they could go and then you walked up in between all the parked jeep and then there were motorcycles that were also going in between the jeeps with people on them to get them up closer to the top of the mountain to see the sunrise.  After hiking for a little bit our guide told us to get on one of the motorcycles and they would take us up the mountain so we would make it for the sunrise. So, we jumped on three different motorcycles- one for me and one for Scott and one for our guide.  It was crazy as we drove up the mountain weaving in and out around people and parked jeeps. Amazingly we made it safely to the top of the mountain.  We got some hot chocolate and then went to the sunrise spot to watch the sun come up.  This is the first time in Indonesia that I have needed a coat.  It was cold up on the mountain at 4-5 am.    It was a beautiful sunrise, and we took some pictures of the sunrise and of Mount Bromo.  After the sunrise it was back to the total chaos of trying to get back down the mountain to the jeep.  All the jeeps were packed in and couldn't turn around to go back down the mountain to go over to the hiking area.  So, we hiked down the mountain a bit and waited for our jeep to be able to turn around so we could go back down the mountain.   

 

 

Then the hike

When our jeep got turned around we went over to the hiking area and hiked up Mount Bromo to get to the crater's edge.  It was sandy in the start of the hike and then it was really steep and then at the end your got to a bunch of steep stairs.  Before you start the hike there was a place you could rent a horse to take you up to the last part of the hike which was the stairs.  But we decide it was more of an adventure and a better experience to do the hike instead of rent a horse.  But it was crazy because as you are hiking the horses are also coming up the trail so you are always looking out for people, horses and the steep terrain.  Again total chaos!!!  If I were to do it again I think I would try the horse.  It looked pretty fun but it was too late for us to change our minds after we had already started on the hike. 

 

 

 

 

 


This is a picture of our jeep that we rode in up the Mountain.  Then we had a picnic before heading to the airport.  

I was surprised that on the plane they had a Prayer card in many different languages.  It was a safe travelers Prayer.  Doa means Prayer is Bahasa.  I really quite enjoyed reading the prayers.  

 

We made it back home after the plane was 4 hours late and decided to land at the other Jakarta Airport.  HaHaHa  What airline does that!!!! " Oh, by the way we decided to land at the other Jakarta airport. " We book that flight because it was going to the closer airport but what do I know.  I guess that airplane decided it wanted to go to the further away Jakarta Airport.  Sometimes things are very different here in Indonesia.  All is Well that Ends Well!! 

 Below is a picture of our Mission office (we live in a small house right behind the mission Office)  The Mission office is a short 2 story building surrounded by skyscapers.   

 
This is the beautiful building painting that is just across the street from our office.

In Indonesia, I have decide that rules are there if you want to follow them.  If you don't then you park in no parking area.  You drive your motorcycle the wrong way on a one way street.  It work better that way,  then you don't have to go down the street and turn around on the street that is going the direction you want to go.  Sometimes they go down the street in the wrong direction even if it is a two way street.  They are on this side of the street and don't borther to go on the correct size because they are not going that far.  Also the motorcyles make they own lanes.  A two lane road will be more like 5 lanes.  With the two lanes of cars and the motorcyles going in between the cars and on the inside and the outside.  The motorcyles also something drive on the sidewalk.  Car and motorcycles also park on the sidewalks.  The sidewalks also have holes and poles and trees and people sitting down in the middle of the sidewalk or on the curb etc.  So when we go out for our morning walks it is an obstacle course! 

 GOT TO LOVE IT!!! 

One morning when we were out for our morning walk we saw all these high school students.  They were so excited to see us.  The yelled and screamed and waved at us.  You would have thought we were movie stars or something.  It was so funny.  So we took a selfie with them.  They were so excited and happy to meet us foreigners.

Last Sunday morning when we were out for our morning walk they were having some kind of event.  Tons of people were out running and the street was blocked off so cars couldn't drive down the main road.  This was the same street that the riots happened on.  

The police that were walking down the street with the runners saw us and stopped us.  I was a bit worried at first because we have never been stopped before and because we didn't have our Kitas on us.  Kitas is our foreigner card that says we are allowed to be in the country legally.  You are supposed to have it on you at all times but sense we were just out for our morning walk we didn't have our Kitas with us.  After talking to us the Police man smiled and went on his way.  I think he was just curious what two white people were doing there in Jakarta.  We don't see many other foreigners. So, we are a strange site to see!!!
 

 

They do some things here that I think are strange.  Here is a picture of the guy who is washing the sidewalk with a power washer that in the USA would be for inside floors.  Also here is a picture of two men mopping the glass roof over the parking exit.   

Cleanliness is next to Godliness I guess!!!

Funny story.  So, I am trying to learn Bahasa Indonesia language.  In our office we have a candy bowl and one of the missionaries asked if they could have a piece of candy.  Boleh - means yes you may.  But I said Buleh - which means white skinned person.  Everyone laughed.  

So Boleh to all you Buleh!!!

Sampai Jumpa Lagi!!!!     Until next time!!