Time of Transitioning

The landscape of our multiple island nation is extremely beautiful. We live in a coastal city just below the mountain range. This is one of my favorite combinations of terrain. The days are either sunny or rainy. The rains are very powerful. It creates a beautiful sound when it falls on the tin of the rooftop. The vegetation is beautiful as well. It is very green in our city, which I enjoy. Cleanliness is also much different. This affects the ocean, the rivers that run through our city, the ground and the streets. It also affects the people in ways that many are unaware of.

I almost feel as if my time in this country is already quickly coming to a close. When I think of all that we have planned and consider the important unplanned opportunities that will arise, I realize how short a 6 month timespan really is in the overall picture of life. This is a good reminder to work diligently and efficiently in the time that I have been given not only in this place but also in all places that I am directed. In addition, this time does not belong to me but rather I am to obey my Father and allow His desires to be fulfilled in the manner in which He pleases. After witnessing various types and people of service I have been reminded that opportunities exist in all places. Therefore it is the person, not the career that determines the level of focus within service I believe. I am to conduct myself in a similar manner in all places. Service is a mentality, not a location. However, I am pleased that I have been chosen for this place at this time.

We have now moved out of our homestay and have plans to move into our new house that will serve as our home for the remaining time we have in country. However, our new home is not yet ready for us to move into yet. There is still much work that needs to be done on the house before it can be lived in. We are staying with our supervisors in the meantime. They have four little girls with the oldest being 5 years old and the youngest being 4 months. This has been an incredible opportunity for Rebekah and I to learn and observe life as a wife and mother. All four little girls have blonde hair and blue eyes. We fit right in with their family.

Now that our homestay is complete, our schedule will begin to look much different. We will still maintain contact with our homestay family but obviously we will no longer be in their home on a daily basis. We will soon have our own mode of transportation. We will be using a motorcycle, as that is what all nationals use. This will allow for easier access into the city and to visit with others. We will also begin to complete our assignments from our university while continuing to study our language.

Tidak Apa Apa (no worries...my favorite phrase)

Eye of an Elephant

He is faithful. Always. The time we have been given here in Southeast Asia has been profitable. I look forward to the remaining time we have to live in this place. I'm thankful to be here and to be here with the people that I have been blessed to live among.  This includes my dear friend Rebekah, our supervisors and their friends, our soon to be roommate Rachel and all the nationals that we have been getting to know this past month.

As I mentioned in the last post, we have continued language learning since recovering from Dengue Fever. Rebekah and I have a private tutor that comes to our home each day for class. There are two teachers that rotate teaching us. This has been a good way to learn the language and culture as they have become our friends as well. However, our sickness delayed our studies of the language a little more than two weeks time. Therefore, since we have now continued, we are able to perform all the means of practice we wished we could have done when we first arrived. For example, we are now able to practice our language with our house helper, Mbak Ria. This is good as she is a national who speaks little to no English. She is in the home everyday. We also practice the language by visiting our neighbors. Our country offers a very communal sense of living so all of our neighbors are welcoming to us. There is one neighbor in particular who is aware that we are beginning language students. She is very good to work with as she is patient with us in our time of continual learning and practice. Another great way to practice language is by using the public transportation system. The name of the public transportation system here is Angkot. Riding an angkot is a wild experience in of itself! Great cultural encounters!

It is now time for our homestay to come to a close. We have greatly enjoyed our homestay family during the past forty days we have lived with them. They have taken good care of us as well as offered us wonderful and numerous cultural experiences. However, the best part of living in their home has been the conversations that have taken place around the dinner table when we spend time together in the evenings. We enjoy and are thankful for this time. He is good. We fully intend on maintaining contact with our homestay family for the remaining time we have in country. As we now prepare to move out of their home and into another later this week, we do greatly look forward to this time as well. We are excited for our move as we will be living with another friend of like-mind that arrived in country several months prior to Rebekah and I. We believe both living arrangements we have been given here has and will be great but it is a different aspect of greatness that is offered in each.