Preparing for Christmas in Indonesia

This was not the way it was supposed to be! Was it? Yosef's senses reeled as he led the donkey toward the mouth of the cave. 

The quote above is from the book Fifth Seal by Brock and Bodie Thoene. It is a book I have read at Christmastime in several recent years. It does an amazing job of weaving history, Old Testament promises, and Scripture and bringing the story of Yeshua's birth to life. Here are a couple more quotes... 

So many bulls, so many goats, so many rams, so many sheep. Zadok (chief shepherd of Bethlehem) looked over his charges in the field, multiplied that by the number of years he had been a shepherd, multiplied that by all the shepherds back to the time of Moses. It was staggering! All those sacrificed animals, all that blood poured out. When would it ever be enough? Would it ever? 

~~~

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 

Zadok found himself humming deep in his throat, rather joining in as the air around him droned. But it was not just the air. The very earth beneath Zadok's feet groaned... the long protracted reverberation of an impossibly deep resonance. It was the sound of a city gate opening. The entry to an embattled fortress being thrown wide to welcome its Deliver; the creaking unfastening of the rusted-shut cell door to an imprisoned world being offered its freedom at last. The hinges of Creation revolved. Stars and earth and men held their collective breath and listened to the resounding chord echoing with the lifting of the Curse. 

I have had a hard time feeling like it is Christmas this season. Warm weather, busy days with school and medical needs of the community, I am sure have all contributed to this feeling. It was amazing, however, as I started reading Fifth Seal once again and our Jesse Tree Advent readings, how I started noticing different things about the Christmas story. How Joseph and Mary were far from home and loved ones. How I am sure things were not going as they expected. Again and again God has gently reminded me that He is Emmanuel - God with us - no matter where that is.  

I still miss my family and friends a lot this year! I am sad that my Christmas decorations, including the stocking my mom sewed for me when I was little and several special Christmas tree ornaments, were taken from my luggage and I will never see them again. I am however excited to spend Christmas with my friends here in Salatiga. I am looking forward to watching young kids experience Christmas morning. I am blessed that I will be here and still able to care for several people who are facing health challenges this Christmas. Most importantly, I am looking forward to celebrating and remembering the birth of Jesus Christ who offers such hope to a lost and broken world.

Putting up with Partial Weight-Bearing

It has now been four weeks since I fell and fractured my right fibula and almost four weeks since I had surgery to repair it. Until this past week I could only put about 50% of my weight on that foot. It has been such a blessing to be surrounded by and now living with friends during this time. I couldn't have survived without people to help me. I have had to do a lot more leaning on people and my Lord Jesus through some tough days! At least now I can manage to get myself dressed and take a shower by myself and do it with a closed (but not locked) door :) It has been quite the humbling experience.

My very valuable backpack! 

One of the first recommendations I got from a friend (thanks Christy Kinley!) was to use a backpack to help me carry things around with. You have to use both hands on your crutches, so you can't carry much of anything! So that is how I get my clothes to the bathroom in the morning and haul pretty much anything that is not liquid around from books to computers. 

We have made a few adjustments to the house where I living, so that I can be as independent as possible. We have a chair that I can use to sit down on while I shower, so I don't tip over or put too much weight on my leg. (Herman family - I might owe you a chair when this is all over as we couldn't find a good plastic one and are using one of your wooden ones, but don't worry it is not one of your nice dining table ones!) We try to put as much as possible in reach but still one of my scariest transitions I make each day on my crutches is getting out of the shower with its wet floor.  

I quickly also realized that if sat on the closed toilet and pulled the small wooden table with many of my bathroom items on it closer, I could sit to do things like brush my teeth without trying to stand on crutches. 

The one room of the house I have yet to master is the kitchen. Thankfully we have a house helper who keeps my water glass filled and makes lunch etc. The Geary family helps me get breakfast and dinner. Although at the end of this six weeks I am going to have some serious dish washing duties to make up for all the times they have washed mine :) 

I have another couple weeks of partial weight-bearing to go. Thankfully, my arms are getting stronger and as time passes I can put more weight on that leg. I have been also been blessed with a walking boot that as the incision heals up, I am hoping to use more and more. 

There are times I feel a bit trapped at home, but have been blessed by friends stopping by for visits, going to church and the occasional trip out for lunch or a basketball game. I am hoping to start back to language school this Friday but some of you may remember the picture above of the stairs up to language school. They are steep with some bigger than others and no handrail, so that is going to be a challenge on crutches. I did my first trial run today with the help of a physical therapist and while I was hot, sweaty, and worn out by the end, I made it! You can be praying for strength and energy not only for getting to/from language school but normally just two hours of language learning can be wearing. We will hopefully be doing an x-ray sometime the end of next week and I will be able to get rid of the crutches around December 3rd!

Seeing the Sites... World Heritage Sites that is

Following Field Fellowship in mid-October we took some time visit some of the amazing historical sites in this part of Indonesia. We went to Borobudur and then to Prambanan. Both are temples from many centuries ago that are still standing today. I had done readings about and studied both of them in language school, so it was fun to see what I had read about in-person. Here are a few pictures from the day...

Borobudur is a Buddhist Temple that was built in the 9th Century

There are nine platforms. The bottom six are squares and the top three are circles

You can climb some very steep and uneven stairs to the top. I only made it to the 3rd level though :)

Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs, some that tell a story and others depict life in Java at the time it was built. 

There were also over 500 statues and reliefs of Buddha originally. Unfortunately, over 300 of them have been damaged or stolen. They are all essentially the same except the position of the hands (mudras) representing the five positions - north, south, east, west, and zenith. 

A view of Central Java from Borobudur

 Then in the afternoon we moved on to Prambanan Temple... 

Prambanan is a Hindu temple constructed around the 9th & 10th centuries and the compound originally consisted of 240 temples. 

There are three large temples dedicated to the gods, Shiva, Visnu, and Brahma

There are also several medium temples and almost two hundred small ones but many have been destroyed over the years, in the past by looters and more recently by earthquakes and volcanoes. 

The temple is adorned with panels of narrative bas-reliefs telling the Hindu epic, Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana. 

All in all it was quite the day! Seeing such history in-person was amazing. It is hard to imagine how these places were built without the use of modern equipment. It was also fascinating to me how the different kingdoms and religions that have come through Indonesia each leaving their mark on this land. 

Field Fellowship 2013

 - originally written October 15th but didn't get posted -

We just wrapped up a couple of fun but long days here. Every year about this time we have our annual Indonesia team meetings. This is a chance for all all of my WorldVenture teammates to get together to share and debrief, as well as make plans for the upcoming year.

We started off our time with worship and prayer for several hours on Friday evening. What joy and power there is in praying together! We also had a pastor from the US (he was the pastor for 31 years at a sending church of one of our missionaries) share with us.

Saturday each missionary "unit" (mostly married couples as I am the only single on the field right now) had a chance to share about what was happening personally and in their ministry. Several of these teammates were here when I left in 2006, so I know them. It was good to get reconnected and get updated on what is happening. There is a lot of transition in our team right now! One couple has moved to a new area of Indonesia, one couple is looking at how the Lord can use them after finishing a doctoral degree and in the next 10 years before retirement, one family is transitioning back to ministry in the US, and my teammates who serve at the hospital are splitting time living on two different islands in Indonesia as they balance the needs of their family with the ministry. After each unit shared we spent time praying for them and their ministry.

We also had time to discuss team business and financial matters. For example, we have three new families from the US preparing for ministry here in Indonesia in various locations and ministries and one family on home assignment right now. Finally, we take time to play during our Family Fun night. This year our three youth planned the night, so we had games where you had to chew up but not swallow three Ritz crackers and whoever could whistle first, won. We also played a game that is variation of Telephone, except it uses alternating sentences and drawings. When you have several players from several generations and two different languages, it gets even funnier than when I have played it with my family.

All in all it was a good time and too short! Here are a few pictures...

Praying over teammates, Paul & Becky Geary

Worshipping together as a team

Game Night! They are trying to whistle with mouths full of Ritz crackers :)

Celebrating teammate, Carl Reed, finishing his doctorate 

Learning Patience by Being a Patient

Wow what a week it has been! Just 7 days ago I was wrapping up my time in Serukam visiting at Bethesda Hospital. It had been an amazing time and I was ready to head home to Salatiga for the start of a new unit of language school. This past week feels like it has taken a month! So much has happened in the past few days it is hard to keep track. Lots of challenges but so many blessings as well!

So my last post had us to Sunday afternoon, when I had been told I needed to head to Kuching, Malaysia to have a plate and some screws placed surgically There were a couple of complications though that were going to make that difficult but the Lord provided in some amazing ways, which you can read about more in this blog post.

On Monday afternoon we were blessed to find a boot in one of storage rooms that helped provide support and allowed me to put a little weight on it while walking. The other option was casting it but because of the large amount of swelling that was not a great option, especially since it was likely to swell more with the travel.

I was so blessed to have an amazing supportive community around me, when this happened! I was rarely alone in my days in Serukam. There was always someone bringing me food, helping me with personal things, and praying with me. There was also a chicken named Caspian (belonged previously to a missionary family who returned to the US in June) who would come every morning and hang around all day long. We had lovely conversations as I sat on my patio and he in the tree outside :)

After getting the boot on Monday afternoon I practiced walking with a walker and partial weight-bearing on the foot. I then headed to dinner at the hospital director's house, with our guests Pastor Bruce and Julie and a couple of other Indonesian teammates. Shortly after that we left for Pontianak. It was a long bumpy and very uncomfortable trip but we made it just before 1 am. We then slept for a few hours before getting up early to catch a 8:30 am flight to Kuching, Malaysia.

We went directly to the doctor's office in Kuching. He took one look at the x-rays and recommended surgery to have a plate put in. So I was immediately admitted to the hospital and surgery happened just four or so hours after we arrived in Kuching. There are many friends of the hospital in Kuching, including the Wong family. Mrs. Wong helped things happen smoothly, and it was during her prayer right before surgery that the tears started and were hard to stop. My cell phone helped me keep in touch with family, friends, and teammates during this time. It was such a blessing to know that so many were praying. The surgery took about 2 hours. They did spinal anesthesia with a little medication through my IV to help me sleep.

Keeping in touch - thanks to my iPhone!

Post-surgery - looking and feeling a bit pale. 

I come with a bit of new hardware these days! 

That first night in the hospital was a bit rough due to pain and not being able to get out of bed. I would definitely put it in the category of longest night ever :) I did get a couple of shots of IM Demerol which mostly just helped me sleep. At the visit the next morning with the surgeon, he suggested staying 48 hours after surgery but with a little sweet-talking he was ok with me leaving at 24 hours. So on Wednesday afternoon I moved to a hotel. It was more comfortable and gave me more control over position in bed, food, meds, and activities. That night was my first good night of sleep in almost a week and it was amazing!

Resting at the hotel and keeping my leg elevated

After a couple of days of recovery we were back in the Dr's office on Friday morning for a post-op check. He pronounced the incision good and told me I could do partial weight-bearing, which was way better than hopping to and from everywhere! He also cleared me to return to Indonesia. So this morning we flew back as far as Pontianak, Indonesia. I am blessed to be at the New Tribes Guest House with a lovely room and several friends around. I will spend a couple of days recuperating here and practicing using my crutches, especially on stairs. To get back to Salatiga on the island of Java I will need to be able to climb about 20 narrow stairs up to the 737 plane. I am looking forward to being home in Salatiga! There will be lots of friends there and since I am living with Paul and Becky Geary in their house I will have plenty of help. There is also a physical therapist in the community who has offered to help with my rehab. I will be partial weight-bearing and dependent on crutches for at least 6 weeks. I am also hoping I can arrange for one of the language school instructors to come to my house, so I can continue language school. So there you have the rest of the story.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and well wishes via email and Facebook! When I was discouraged and lonely all I had to do was read a few to encourage me. It will be a long six weeks ahead and means adjusting to a new normal but I know God has a plan for this time too!

As Long As You Are Glorified

So I wanted to take a minute to share some of the amazing work and provisions of the Lord in the midst of these difficult times...

One, I didn't have a current exit permit in my passport. Now that I have a KITAS visa that lasts for a year I also have to have an exit/re-entry permit to leave the country, so that I don't lose that visa. I assumed I had one and hadn't even checked my passport for one, because at the hospital the people who do our visas just always get one whenever we get a new visa. I didn't know I had to make a special request to the people at the language school, who did this visa. Normally, you have to apply at the office where you got your visa (which was on the island of Java and I was on the island of Kalimantan) and it usually takes three days. So the guy who does our visas at the hospital called his friend in immigration who called his boss, the head of immigration for our island and asked for a special permit. Our visa guy made the 5-hour trip down to the capital city at midnight on Sunday night, so that they could be at the immigration office at 8 am to meet with the head of immigration and the permit was given immediately and all the paperwork processed by 1 pm. Wow!

The second issue was how to best get me to Malaysia. So the island is officially called Borneo and is shared by Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. The Indonesian part where the hospital is located is called West Kalimantan. The first thing to keep in mind is that roads are rough in this part of Indonesia. Second not much is disabled person friendly. At this point I was using a walker or crutches and could not bear much weight on my broken ankle. So we could choose a 12-hour trip road trip (with squatty potty toilets) or a 5-hour road trip and then an hour plane ride to Malaysia. Both had their negatives and positives but in the end we opted for choice B. So we left at 9 pm on Monday evening and made it to the hospital house in Pontianak, just before 1 am, where we slept for a few hours. It was a really rough road trip due to pain as we hit bump after bump but I had good friends along to make me as comfortable as possible. We also had a fabulous driver who had officially retired but knows that road like the back of his hand and is a good safe driver that drove for us.

We were up at 5 am to shower and leave for the airport by 6:30 to catch an 8:30 am flight. Once again this is not a disabled person friendly country, so negotiating the airport was going to be tricky and exhausting on crutches/walker. Once again though the Lord provided. As our van pulled up there was a Mr. Candra, a friend of the hospital. His son has thalassemia and has been treated over the last several years at the hospital. He works as a travel agent in the city. He was waiting with a wheelchair and escorted me through security and the check-in process. I still don't know who told him that I would be needing help and what kind of help exactly.

Throughout this time I have been cared for by my missionary team and Indonesian friends at the hospital. It has been a lesson in humility but I could not have made it throughout this week without them. On this trip I have been accompanied by Donda. She helps with the administration of MedGo at the hospital. She has been amazing in helping me take care of needs like personal care, to arranging things at the airport and in Kuching. What a blessing it has been to get to know her better, even if it was in such an unexpected way.

During our annual WorldVenture Field Fellowship just two weekends ago (feels like a month!) one of my teammates recommended worship music by Sovereign Grace Music. So before I left the conference I downloaded one of their CDs from iTunes called Come Weary Saints. I have listened to that CD so many times in the past week and it has been such a blessing to my heart! Several of the songs have been special but I think the one that rings so true in my life right now is the song As Long As You are Glorified. None of the events of the past week were part of my plan and at first it was hard to see through the pain, confusion and fear. Again and again though my community and my God reached through that pain, fear, and confusion and helped me feel secure and even joy. While it was not part of my plan I truly hope that God is glorified in this situation.

Here are the lyrics:

VERSE 1

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings 

Yet not welcome any pain?

Shall I thank You for days of sunshine

Yet grumble in days of rain?

Shall I love You in times of plenty

Then leave You in days of drought?

Shall I trust when I reap a harvest

But when winter winds blow, then doubt?

CHORUS

Oh let Your will be done in me

In Your love I will abide

Oh I long for nothing else as long 

As You are glorified

VERSE 2

Are You good only when I prosper 

And true only when I’m filled?

Are You King only when I’m carefree 

And God only when I’m well?

You are good when I’m poor and needy 

You are true when I’m parched and dry 

You still reign in the deepest valley 

You’re still God in the darkest night

BRIDGE

So quiet my restless heart

Quiet my restless heart

Quiet my restless heart in You

© 2008 Integrity’s Praise! Music/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Or you can hear it on YouTube:

A Change of Plans

Well this is not how I had planned to be spending this weekend but the Lord has been present even in these difficult times. I have really been enjoying the last week off from language school. I had team meetings, the chance to enjoy seeing some historical sites, and finally made a trip to the hospital where I will be serving shortly (more blog posts to come on all those adventures). Going to the hospital requires flying from the island of Java to the island of Kalimantan. The plan was for a short visit to reconnect with old friends and meet the current staff and talk with people about my arrival in February of next year. My new unit of language school was starting on Monday, so I was going to fly back on Saturday.

Friday night was my planned last night at the hospital. I was headed back to the room where I was staying, when I fell down some steps. I felt a pop and instant burn and was not able to stand on it, so I called my teammate, a doctor, Paul Geary. We quickly headed down to the hospital, which thankfully was only a football field away or so, for some x-rays. Unfortunately, it was pretty obvious on the x-rays that I had broken my fibula (the smaller bone of the lower leg) near the ankle. So we wrapped it up and I got a shot of pain reliever and headed back to my room for some sleep.

It is now quite swollen and since I cannot bear weight on it, it was decided I should delay flying back to the island of Java. It is about a 5-hour car trip over bumpy roads to the airport and unfortunately getting in an airplane here, requires walking across the tarmac and climbing a steep set of stairs. We are talking with an orthopedic doctor in Singapore who has reviewed my x-rays about options. His opinion as of this morning (our Sunday morning) is that it needs surgery for a plate to be placed. This will enable me to walk on it much sooner and increase the chances of having full mobility and better stability in the future. So we are working on the logistics of getting my paperwork together and transportation figured out for a trip across the border to Kuching, Malaysia. Unfortunately, I do not have a current exit permit in my passport, which is complicating things. 

Some big praises!

• This happened just a short distance from a place and people that I trust to provide medical care for me, which can’t always be said of medical care in Indonesia. 
• The community here is loving on me and taking care of my every need, from food to pain medications, to helping me take a shower. I have a steady stream of visitors :)
• Good crutches that fit appropriately and have all the rubber pads etc can be hard to find in this country, but one of our current missionaries has been working in our supply area cleaning up the crutches and getting the ones we have in good working order. He was able to find a good pair for me in just a few minutes last night.

Prayer requests:

• That the pain would decrease quickly and I would heal quickly.  
• That we can figure out the logistics of getting me to Kuching in the easiest manner possible. Things aren't exactly disabled person friendly in this country. 
• That God would give me patience with myself! It is never fun to be the patient, especially when you are use to being the nurse :) 

All wrapped up but still swollen. 

A gift from a a friend here. Sometimes chocolate does help make things better. 

Just got told my leg is broken and still able to smile (although I am not sure if this post or pre shot of pain medication!) 

Things are all set-up in my room. Everything is pretty much at arms reach or at least just a short hop on crutches away.

So How Hot Is It There?

Happy Summer! Yep that is right, here just a bit south of the equator we are in our hottest time of the year. So all you people talking on Facebook etc about enjoying your favorite autumn foods, stop it! You are making me miss the change of the seasons :) No, really it is just weird to feel it getting hotter, when I keep expecting it to be getting cooler. Partly because when I was in Indonesia before, things would be getting cooler at the hospital by now, as they are just a bit north of the equator. So there the hottest part of the year is over and the rains are coming almost daily now.  

On the map above, the hospital is just a bit north of the city of Pontianak (which is on the island almost right in the center of the map), which is located directly on the equator. Right now during language school though, I am living just south of the city of Semarang (look directly down from Pontianak), so we are south of the equator. 

Here is our forecast for Saturday (I started to write this blog post on Saturday but didn't get it finished) to give you an idea of what our weather is like right now. Pay attention to that "feels like" area which is a combination of the temperature and humidity, sometimes called heat index. Saturday afternoon for example it will feel like 100 degrees F. Our low at night is feeling like the mid-70s. 

The other interesting thing about living near the equator is that the sun rises and sets at about the same time each day throughout the year. So right now the sun is coming up around 5:30 am and going down around 5:30 pm. There is a little variation on that during the year but it is pretty much always 12 hours apart. So when those winter blues hit in late winter, come for a visit - our weather will be nice and with a daily rain to cool us off by then, it is always green! 

You Are Not Your Own

A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: "You are not your own." (I Corinthians 6:19). 

My devotional My Utmost of His Highest by Oswald Chambers recently started the day's devotion with that sentence. It of course caught my attention because I consider myself a missionary and it sent my thoughts a spinning. I definitely don't think I have this Christian life figured out! I struggle with sin and even though I am writing this as a missionary serving in Indonesia I still struggle to submit my life to the Lord. It is a daily (sometimes minute-by-minute) battle. 

Those of you have lived internationally, especially in the developing world, know how frustrating it can be. You had your day planned. You had things you were going to get done on your to do list. Maybe it was going to be a day of rest. Then the phone rings or there is a knock on the door and you can see your nicely planned day flying out the window. 

A couple of Saturdays ago I was all set for my second MAWG (morning alone with God), since I arrived in Indonesia. I need these mornings to rest and spend some focused time with the Lord. I usually listen to a sermon in English, listen to some good music, and write in my journal. That morning, just as I was waking up, the phone started buzzing. There was a text with questions about medications that were safe for a mom to take for nausea/vomiting when she was breastfeeding. As the details rolled in it became evident that she really needed a home visit so she could be assessed. She had three small kids at home, so a night in the hospital for IV rehydration really wasn't a great option. So instead of taking my MAWG, I spent the morning caring for her. Other times it has been a trip to town for some shopping and coming home with less than 50% of what I needed because no one had it in stock. Or don't get me started on trips to offices for visa work etc :) 

The question becomes what will your response be when these situations arise. It doesn't matter if you are living in America or Indonesia, we all have a choice on how we will respond when our plans and schedules are upset. Sometimes I think Christians are so busy serving that we miss the opportunity to be used by God. I know I have missed opportunities or my response has been selfish when these situations have come up before.  

Now back to the that devotional... Oswald Chambers goes on to say, "the missionary's secret is truly being able to say, I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me." I think I would replace the word missionary there with disciple, because really this should apply to all of us. No matter where you are serving today, remember that you are not your own and be entirely His! 

Its a Noun. No Wait! Now its a Verb

I am digging deep into learning Bahasa Indonesia now and slowly but surely putting together the puzzle pieces of the language. It is one of the simpler languages in the world to learn. It uses the same 26 letters of the alphabet (A-Z) as English does, although some letters are pronounced differently. So, there is no learning complicated symbols like Mandarin! They don't conjugate their verbs for past, present or future tense but they do have an interesting system to turn a noun (and sometimes an adjective) into a verb. Yep, you read that right, in Bahasa Indonesia you can take a noun (kata benda) and turn it into a verb (kata kerja) with the simple addition of a prefix and sometimes a suffix.

The picture above is the list of Grammar (Tata Bahasa) lessons I am learning in the mornings right now from Unit 3. You can see all the different prefixes and suffixes you can add to each base word (kata dasar). Each of these additions, changes or adds something to the meaning of the word and has rules attached to it, like some need to be followed by a preposition. Here are a few examples: 

Lesson #41: Ber + Adik (younger sibling) = have a younger sister. Or in my case I could write "Saya beradik tiga" (I have three younger siblings). There is a more formal and longer way of saying it too of course - Saya mempunyai tiga adik. 

Lesson #42: Ber + Topi (hat) = wearing a hat. Dia bertopi hitam (He is wearing a black hat). 

You can add "ber" and "ter" to a whole lot of root words to make someone have something, wear something, something to exist, be a multiple of a number, happen unintentionally, or be the most, just to name a few. There are lots of different combinations of prefixes and suffixes you can add to make words say something new like me+root word+kan or me+root word+i. 

Then they get a bit more complicated. To start with you can add the prefix "me-" to most of the nouns to make a verb. But you can't just add it to all of the words in the same way, it all depends on what letter the word starts with. For example if the word starts with "l" like the word lihat (look) you can just add me+lihat = melihat (to look). If however it starts with a "b" like beli (buy) you have to add mem+beli = membeli (to buy). To different starting letters you have to add, mem, men, and meng, so you just have to know which one goes with which and memorize each one. Then it gets even a bit more difficult with some words, like those that start with p, t, k, and s. When you add the prefix "me-" to words that start with those letters you have to throw those letters out and replace them with either, m, n, ng, or ny. For example: the word "kering" means dry but the word "mengeringkan" (the k turned into a ng) means to make something dry. Yep, more memorizing!

Where it gets really interesting though is when the adding of all these prefixes and suffixes actually changes the meaning of the word. For example "umum" means general or public but the word "mengumumkan" means to announce something. 

Well there you have it, just a little glimpse into the fun of learning Bahasa Indonesia. There is a lot of new information coming at me every day and it quickly gets overwhelming. As of today I am halfway through my second unit (of six) of Language School! 

Visa Trip to Singapore

My New Visa in my Passport

Well it is official - I have my one-year KITAS visa to study Bahasa Indonesia! I have just about wrapped up my time in Singapore and will head back to Indonesia tomorrow and dive right into the next unit of language school.

Though Indonesia and Singapore are only about two hours apart by plane they are two very different worlds. I woke in one world with a vinegar bug in my shower, water that wasn't safe to drink, and the sound of the morning call to prayer from the mosque in the background. Travel in Indonesia is full of the sound of car and motorbike horns and airports are full of people pushing and showing to get to the front of the line. It doesn't matter what "boarding group" you are in, everyone wants to get on the plane right away. No personal space at all! My first stop in the Singapore airport was the women's bathroom where all the women were lined up and patiently waiting. Two women tried to cut in and edge to the front of the line and the whole line of women reminded them rather firmly to queue and they were ushered to the back of the line. There isn't a lot of personal space here either but everyone is so polite about it. Here everything is organized from the taxi line, to a lovely room with AC and safe drinking water. And the metro system here is amazing. I take a taxi to and from the airport and that is about it because the subway and bus system can get me just about everywhere else. (technically I could take the subway to the airport too but it is a bit tricky with all the escalators and my bags.) Anyway it is quite the adjustment and I am headed back through it again tomorrow.

The View out my Hostel Room

Traveling by myself and doing these things by myself is never my favorite idea but the Lord has provided as He always does. I have a great place to stay - the YMCA Hostel, which close to some great shopping and three different MRT (subway) lines. I was also incredibly blessed to have someone process the visa for me, which saved me a lot of time and frustration. I dropped my passport off at his office in the morning (just three subway stops and one transfer away!) and picked it up again that evening. Back doors take one day and front doors take at least a couple of days and lot more stress, especially when you are trying to do it by yourself :) The malls near my hostel have lots of stores with familiar brands and favorite foods. My list of things to take back to friends in Indonesia keeps growing -- good thing I brought a big enough suitcase :) Thanks for all your prayers for the visa and a safe trip!

Ramadan

Here in Indonesia, the most-populated Muslim country according to many sources, we are wrapping up a special month in the Islamic calendar called Ramadan. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, or marital relations during the daylight hours (about 5 am - 6 pm). In addition, those fasting are supposed to refrain from bad habits - lying, getting angry, using bad language as well as to be more diligent in prayer and give to charities. Participating in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Reasons they participate include:  

• To develop compassion for the poor and needy who feel hungry every day.
• As a spiritually and physically cleansing experience. Just like many other faith traditions, fasting is seen as an opportunity to separate yourself from the things of this world and to concentrate on your relationship with God.
• To become closer to God by contemplating his will in your life.
• To build self-discipline and to become a better person. 

So what does this look like living here in Salatiga, Indonesia. Our mornings start early between 2-3 am with a wake-up call provided by band of drummers walking through our neighborhood. Their job is to wake everyone up, so they can eat a meal before the sun comes up. You can listen to it below: 

Then shortly after that the local mosques call out bangun, bangun, bangun (wake up) and a short prayer. Then about an hour and half later the first of five official calls to prayer comes. The call to prayer sounds something like this:




The pace slows down during the month as there is no eating or even drinking of water during the day. Many take naps during the day and are awake at night. Around 6 pm (sun goes down at around 5:30 pm) the fast is opened (buka puasa). Family, friends, and neighbors eat together in a very celebratory fashion. There is an added extra hour of prayer in the evening after the fast has been opened for those that want to attend. Evenings and nights tend to be nosier as more people are awake and there are lots of (big!) fireworks etc going off. I will admit it has taken some time to get use to the noise but it has been interesting to observe. 

This week Ramadan comes to a close, with two days of celebrating and feasting called Idul Fitri. All offices are closed, people have received a bonus and they head home to their villages. This creates a mass exodus from big cities like Jakarta, creating huge traffic jams. Shopping places and markets are packed and prices are high as people buy food for the feasting and new clothes. Typically, people go to visit their extended family members, neighbors and others to pay their respects. It is typical to say when you greet people during these days, mohon maaf lahir dan batin, which is basically an apology for anything you might have done in the past year to cause offense or to shame them. 

One of the things I try to do every morning is read an online version of the Jakarta Post, which is an English language newspaper from Indonesia. I figure it is a good way to learn more about this place I am living. Here are a few recent articles from the Jakarta Post about things happening during Ramadan and Idul Fitri...

• This article talks about the many different sects of Islam in Indonesia and how they determine when Ramadan starts. Let's just say they don't all agree. 
• During Ramadan, many restaurants are closed during the day and stay open late at night. As you can imagine, it is considered rude to eat in front of those fasting during Ramadan, even if you are not fasting. In some places there are raids on local eateries, if they are not following the rule. This article has a picture taken of a couple during one of those raids and lists as some of the different regulations being enforced in different areas of Indonesia. 
• To prepare for Idul Fitri, this article had several suggestions of things to do. 
• The huge increase in traffic though does lead to lots of problems, including severe injuries and deaths. Last year 908 people died in traffic accidents during Idul Fitri. As of this article today, the number of deaths for this year was 178 and climbing but still significantly less than last year.

Last night Idul Fitri started and this was part of the parade that went in front of our house. It was quite long and loud but fun to see! 

Sorry the quality isn't better, but it was dark out and there are not a lot of streetlights around. 

Happy Birthday!

For a couple of years now, I have been dreaming that next year I would be celebrating my birthday next year in Indonesia. This year that dream came true. It was a bit bittersweet though because I would have loved to be celebrating with my family and friends in the US. My sister, Kristin, reminded me that instead of cake on my birthday, we would frequently celebrate with a layered ice cream treat that my mom made. This year though I started some new traditions or at least borrowed a few traditions from Indonesian culture. Here is how the day went, with a few pictures...

I woke up to find these beautiful flowers and a card from the friends and teammates I am living with right now on the table along with a breakfast of coffee cake and eggs. 

Then after an hour or so of homework I headed off to language school for my grammar class. For lunch we had a traditional Indonesian celebration meal that includes yellow rice (rice that has been soaked and cooked in coconut milk and spices). Yum! 

Then it was back to language school for class. Mondays are chapel days, where word had gotten out it was my birthday. So as a language learning exercise they sang me the an Indonesian birthday song, which goes on for many many verses :) 

Unfortunately, by that time my stomach was bothering me, so the afternoon was a bit rough but I was determined to go out and enjoy a birthday dinner with my friends and housemates. We went to a local restaurant that serves several different types of cuisine and I enjoyed a hamburger and fries. My mouth thought it was delicious and so it didn't matter too much that my stomach didn't like it as much :) 

I was so blessed through the day by Skype conversations with friends, texts from family, cards from friends, birthday greetings via Facebook, gifts from teammates, and a phone conversation with my Grandparents! I was loved by family and friends around the world and over many, many hours thanks to the time difference!  

A gift from my friends/teammates/housemates

A birthday card from my church in the US that actually arrived on my birthday (well ok so it was technically still my birthday in the US). 

Life Amidst the Flood of Language Learning

This is what life feels like right now! For those that haven't done this process of moving to a new country and learning a new language, it is an interesting but exhausting experience. The new information just keeps coming at you despite the fact that you already feel overwhelmed and want to scream at it to stop. Thankfully, I already feel like I have learned a lot but I know there is still so much to learn!

I am currently studying Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia, as it is called here. I am studying at the Indonesian Language Center for Cross-Cultural Communication (IMLAC). There are two campuses of IMLAC, one in the city of Bandung in West Java, Indonesia and one in the town of Salatiga in Central Java, Indonesia. I am studying at the school in Salatiga. 

View of the school from the road

Yep I get to climb those steps twice a day every day, but at least it is beautiful

To give you a little glimpse into life here, this is what a typical day of language learning looks like for me... I get up in the morning and do a couple of hours of studying and homework. I walk to school just before 11 am for a Unit 2 grammar class that lasts an hour. In this class, we focus on all the different ways you can conjugate root words (kata dasar) to make verbs (kata kerja) by adding different prefixes and suffixes. I am with two others students in this class, they are a married couple from South Korea. 

I walk home again for a quick lunch and head back to the school for Unit 4. For this class period, I am the only student. This class usually lasts two hours. It starts with a prayer in Bahasa Indonesia by me and singing of a couple of songs in Indonesian. Then I stand up to give a presentation, based on questions I had for homework the day before. Then I am asked a series of questions by the teacher regarding that assignment, that I have to answer. After that I get to sit down again and the teacher writes everything that I said wrong or sentences that were not grammatically correct on the white board. We go through them one-by-one, until I understand what I did wrong and the correct way to do it. Then depending on the day we either do a reading assignment or grammar lesson. Most days are reading assignments. First the teacher reads and explains any words or concepts I didn't understand. Then I read it. Finally I have to explain the concepts or main points of the story in my own words (yep still in Bahasa Indonesia). Then once again we go through and correct anything I said incorrectly in that process. Finally we go over the homework assignment. Usually my homework relates in some way to my reading. If there is time left, I get to spend some time talking about or telling a story about me or from my life in Bahasa Indonesia. I am done with official classroom learning around 3 pm.

After a few minutes chatting with other students I start walking home. When I have the energy, I start my homework on the way home. My homework consists of questions to ask my neighbors and people at the little stores near my house. Usually I stop at one of those little stores for a snack or something we need around the house. Slowly but surely as I walk to and from school and stop in these little stores on a regular basis I building up my network of people with whom I can practice my Bahasa Indonesia.

When I get home I tend to hibernate a bit and let my brain relax with something in English :) Then I get to work on the homework for both of my classes, which includes grammar drills, writing several sentences with new words I have learned and preparing my presentation. I have found that doing a few hours of homework in the evening and then a few hours the next morning, seems to work the best.

Here are just a few pictures from the last couple of weeks of language learning... 

A page from my reading assignment last week, with my notes. 

The white board with corrections on it after one of my recent presentations

Sometimes I bring a friend to class :)