May 5: Surakarta

Traveling was the name of this fifth day of our international tour. We began with an early morning in Bandung where we ate breakfast at our hotel and then immediately boarded the bus to drive to the airport in Jakarta. We planned for a five-hour commute to Jakarta, but we arrived at the airport after only a quick three hours. The traffic is completely unpredictable in Indonesia, so we always have to plan accordingly!

After arriving at the airport, we went quickly through security to wait for our two o’clock flight to Surakarta, also known as Solo. The airport was our venue for lunch today, and many members of the choir took advantage of this by searching for a familiar establishment while others were more adventurous with their meal choices.

We boarded the airplane for our quick one-hour flight to Surakarta, which seemed to end just as BYU Singers dozed off to make up for lost sleep in the past days. Once we arrived in Surakarta, we received our bags and were off to our hotel for the night. We were immediately very impressed with a decorated lobby and friendly staff as soon as we entered the hotel.

Shortly after our arrival at the hotel, the choir left their belongings in their respective rooms and then came together for an hour-long rehearsal. They rehearsed Mari, Mari Orang-orang Suci, the Indonesian translation of Come, Come Ye Saints, along with I Am a Child of God accompanied by their angklungs which they received two days ago. BYU Singers will perform these pieces along with a few others tomorrow morning in a devotional just before a nearby local LDS stake conference.

Once this rehearsal ended, the choir was dismissed for dinner and a little bit of free time before going to sleep tonight. We are all very excited to meet the members of the LDS Church in Indonesia tomorrow morning. We have high hopes that together we will feel strengthened through the power of music and testimony.