Elder Williams' 1973-75 Mission to Indonesia

The Malang Missionary District

Elders Moyes, Hobson, Snow and Williams

Suharto, 1974,
Our first convert in Malang, and later,
one of the first Indonesian full time missionaries.

E. Kadarusman and his wife,
they later became leadersin the Branch and District.

Brother Kadarusman became mission President, 

and his both his sons served full time missions.

Another strong convert, Gunawan Tjokrokusomo,

Malang 1974 with Elder Hobson and Me.
Gunawan later emigrated to the US and attended BYU,

earning a masters degree and working for Nu-Skin.

A typical Kali scene.

These rivers served as bathing water,

water for clothes washing, and
sometimes less pleasant necessities.

We never went in them.

Malang City Square/Park 1974

Onward Christian Soldiers.  Malang 1974

Malang City Hall 1973

Care packages from home were always appreciated.
A cake made from a mix was almost like Mom's...
but not quite.

In Malang with a local restaurant owner who befriended us.

The kids are wonderful everywhere.
And often a good way to break the ice with their parents.
We had such fun with them.
Many seeing western white guys for the first time.
They seem fascinated by arm hair.

Notice the English Book of Mormon.
This scripture was not translated into the Indonesian
language until shortly after my mission ended in 1975.

We occasionally were invited to a
Traditional Indonesian Wedding

A group meal at a local restaurant
at a mission conference in Malang

The Indonesian mission was a small mission...only 35-40 missionaries in 3 zones, and about 8 cities in Java.  Occasionally we had an all-mission conference.  President Miller Shurtleff, 1972-1975, was a wonderful respected leader.

Another country side scene.
Beautiful rice padis.

We often had a hundred non-Mormons to our weekly Mutual Events held at the chapel.  We had talent shows,
formal instruction on first aid, Gospel lessons,
Judo demonstrations, etc.

Eagerly learning from visiting General Authorities

An occasional rat-hunting safari in our kitchen.
Our cook is holding our trophy.

A nicer residential street in 1974.

A familiar experience every 6 months.
Sister Shurtleff, our mission president's wife,
giving us gamma gobulin shots.

A typical countryside scene as seen from a train in Java in 1974.

The first chapel and missionary residence
in Surabaya 1973

Inside the first Surabaya chapel 1973.

Elder Steven Taylor and an investigator family
in Malang, 1974, at the church.

A street scene in Malang 1973.

Sate Vendor outside our house.