Stories: Memories of Indonesia by Douglas George Wendel
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| Brother emailed me today to share some of his memories of Indonesia before and during the time the missionaries were there:
My father was Raymond Wendel. He was an agricultural advisor with the state department. (USAID, USOM) Later he worked for the World Bank in Jakarta. We first went to Indonesia in 1959. After spending a few weeks in Bogor for my father's orientation, etc. We spent the next two years in Surabaja. There was no LDS church there at the time so we went to the Baptist church presided by Reverent Sears. My mom taught some ambitious Indonesian military officers English.
In 1961 we moved to Jakarta. My mom taught the first grade at the Joint Embassy School. We stayed there until the coup (spelling?). If I remember right that was around 1965. If you ever saw the movie "The Year of Living Dangerously" with Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver, that was when communists tried to take over Indonesia. Anyway, we left Indonesia and moved to Korea. We came back to Jakarta in 1969 after spending a few months in Manila.
That is where we met the Whitings (Cecil Whiting) and the Grimms. "Pete" (Edward) Grimm and Maxine Grimm were very influential in getting the church established in the Philippines. She now lives in Tooele, Utah. There was an article about her in the Ensign. She knows some of the history of the first Indonesian LDS converts.
The first LDS missionaries that came to Indonesia stayed at our home in Jakarta. Somewhere we have a photo of them but I haven't seen it for years.
I know my dad helped with home teaching, etc.
My father took Ezra Taft Benson in our car (a navy blue 4 door Mercedes) up in the mountains to dedicate the land of Indonesia for the teaching of the gospel. Walter was our Indonesian driver. My mom Dorothy Ann Wendel was also there for the dedication. Her short-term memory is starting to fail; hopefully her long-term memory will be good enough for her to recount the story to me one more time.
I went to Singapore for the 9th grade (1969 to 1970 school year). I went to the Singapore American School there. I stayed with the Whitings. They were also LDS. I went to church with them. We knew the mission president of course.
Back in Indonesia at the time one LDS family was the Vanderhooven's. (spelling?) Bro. Vanderhooven was an accountant with the US Embassy.
My family was in Taiwan from 1970 to 1974.
They were back in Jakarta from 1974 to 1976.
After we left Indonesia, our housemaid, "Mort" short for Morsinee (spelling?, pronounced: more-seen-nee) joined the church and was one of the first Indonesian Relief Society presidents. She was originally from Surabaja. Our servants from Surabaja moved with us to Jakarta when we move there.
My sister Barbara Ann Wendel graduated from high school there in Jakarta.
After serving an honorable mission in the Illinois=Chicago Mission
(1974-76) the church paid for my transportaion to Jakarta because that is where my parents were. I met with the Indonesian mission president to be released from my mission.
My mom and older brother (Steven R. Wendel, now a high priest in Aiea, Hawaii) have been back for a quick visit but I haven't. My father, my sister and Mr. Grimm have all passed away. |
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