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Monday, June 25, 2012

Anniversary

Five years! Five years. Five years? Woah. What a ride this has been- living a "normal, American" life for a year, packing up and moving to Indonesia, language school, packing up and moving to Papua, Indonesia, travelling the world (with my bestie), and serving the Lord in an incredibly beautiful place. All I can say is, I am blessed. Blessed beyond measure, beyond words. Thanks to you for your prayers and support through the past five years! Here is how we celebrated life together today.

Josh arrived with two bushes/trees for our front yard. I have always said how I would like to buy some potted plants for the house. There is a nursery about 45 minutes away, so he drove early Saturday morning to buy these two beautiful bushes/trees. I write them as "bushes/trees", because when he bought them he thought they were bushes. The man selling them said,"If you want them small, keep them in the pot. If you plant them in the ground, they will grow huge." So we think they are actually trees- trees that will stay in a pot.



I was cleaning up my computer and came across a folder named "Wedding". Inside that folder were our vows that we promised before our family and before God five years ago. We had forgotten what we had pledged to each other that day, because we were both so overwhelmed! I decided to put them in a place where we would always be reminded of what we promised each other that day.


A friend of ours had her birthday on the same day, so we combined our celebrations and had a picnic on a hill that overlooks Sentani. We invited another family who we are very close with. The afternoon was spent talking, swatting mosquitos, and watching the kids enjoy creation.

The Whited Family- Melinda (Red Shirt-backrow) celebrated her birthday.

The Reynolds- you may recognize them from a previous newsletter.



After spending the afternoon at McArthur's Hill (the location of one of the major military campaigns of WWII) we headed home and tag teamed an apple pie. Josh made the crust, and I made the guts. It was the best pie we've made! Although a friend, who will remain nameless but has three boys and was pictured earlier in a red shirt, rated it a B+. I'll take a B+. Like I tell my students- I don't care about the grade, what I care about is you doing your best! So now we have a challenge- to make an A+ worthy pie for our "nameless" friend. Challenge accepted!



We had dinner with another sweet couple who will leave for Bali on Sunday to prepare for the birth of their first baby. :) Thanks for sharing your ice cream with us!

It was a wonderful day of celebrating life together with special friends. We are so thankful for how the Lord has provided for us in this amazing place we live in. Thanks again for going on this journey with us!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Everyday Life- Construction

Construction, it happens every where with the intent to make things better. Often during the construction process it can create confusion and frustration.

In our town the main road is split with a median which divides the opposite traffic lanes. During normal times there may be two, three, or even four lanes going the same direction with a lane on the far side of the road going the opposite direction against the rest of traffic. This in itself creates a "unique" driving experience. During construction those possible four lanes are forced into one lane, which most definately caused panic, confusion, and frustration. The construction squeezes everyone into one lane, so they can repave the opposite lane. Makes sense.

Here are a couple of photos of everyday life here related to construction.


Do not be alarmed! The steering wheel is on the opposite side :)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Kitty Haven Refuge AKA Harrington House

While I was at home enjoying the perks of a long summer vacation, I heard a tiny meow coming from outside. That's strange, because our cat is much larger and has a different meow. My househelper, who is amazingly wonderful, told me there were two kittens outside. Where did they come from? Where's their mom? When Josh came home from lunch, they were gone- or were they?? (Cue dramatic, mysterious music here)
They weren't gone! They had crawled underneath our car between the frame and the spare tire. That space was now their's. We refuse to allow our house to be a place where kittens or other animals are dropped off... that sounds bad, right? After trying hard for a full day NOT to get attached, we decided we (really this means Josh) needed to move them. This became a neighborhood mission.

Here's the "adventure" in pictures:

Day 1: Their territory- under the car

Day 1 1/2: Their territory had advanced to the front yard
Boo Radley checking things out. Right after this he found where the kittens were hiding.
He hissed all the way to "safety".
We called in "back-up".

Teamwork.
Kitties in a bag

They kept asking where will we take them, so I said," We are taking them to your house." Then they would giggle. :)
The "Kitty Mover"

A cat lover- he asked his mom if he could keep them.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

In Memory of Sachi Annabelle Hermanto

"Yes, it is different. We do this so we will remember. We do not want to forget them."

One of the quickest way to learn about the heart of the culture you are living in is to go to a funeral. This is not the first funeral we have attended, but it's the one that has left us the most unsettled- many questions of "Why?" have been voiced in our house the past few days.

Sachi (means God's grace) Annabelle was born on Sunday evening to Willy and Sari. She came two months early and was very, very small. She could not breathe on her own and was immediately placed in an incubator. Her fight lasted less than two days. By Tuesday morning, the struggle ended.

Indonesians will bury within 12-24 hours of a death. I think they do this for religious reasons, but living in the tropics seems to speed up the natural process of death. The burial is usually done on the same day as the death itself. The family will open up their home and visitors can come to pay their respects to the family and the lost loved one. The home is recognized by the color of flag that is out front. A white flag means a Muslim has died, and a black flag means a Christian has died.

This is the home of Pak Willy and Ibu Sari.


The casket is fully opened, and you can see the entire body of the person. The baby was beautiful. Her face looked so peaceful, and her outfit was so precious and tiny on her little body. Her mother and father (Ibu Sari and Pak Willy) look on while others pay their respects. It is custom to come inside the house, shake everyone's hand, look at the body, and sit in chairs that surround the room. Some will take pictures of the body with their camera phones. As my friend told me- We don't want to forget them.

This is Sachi's grave marker. The dates are written month/day/year.

After that you go to sit in the chairs that our outside where you wait for the service to begin. We sang songs and heard a message reminding us of God's authority and power. He never makes a mistake. He did this so we would believe that He has ultimate authority. For some reason it's much easier to hear this message when things are all okay, but in the midst of death and sadness it's more difficult to accept this message.

When the service ends we gather in cars and motorcycles to bring the body to the gravesite. The motorcycles lead the way honking and waving the black flags; the car bringing the casket follows, and other cars carrying friends and family bring up the rear.


The funeral procession from the motorcycle


The casket is carried to the burial site and is placed over the hole. We gathered around and heard a reminder that Christ's resurrection ensures that all believers will be reunited through resurrection after their death. We have hope that we will see baby Sachi again. Her parents tossed beautiful tropical flower petals on top of her casket. The casket was lowered into the ground and buried, while we watched.


Willy and Sari are the the young couple next to the tree.

I was standing next to an Indonesian friend. I explained to her that in American culture the family leaves the graveside so it can be lowered into the ground and buried. The family doesn't hear the dirt hitting the top of the casket. That sound will stay with a person. She said,"Yes, it is different, but we know this is the last time we will be with them and we don't want to forget. We don't want to forget them."



After the casket was buried, wreathes made from paper were placed on top of the grave. This is the equivalent to sending flowers. I think that because the burial happens so quickly, it is easier to have something made from paper instead of fresh flowers. The procession then returns to their cars and go back to the home of the mourning. The family and close friends will share a meal together.




We pray for God's peace over Ibu Sari and Pak Willy. They have a little boy who is a little more than a year old. Pray that the Spirit will fill that emptiness in their hearts. I pray that they will cry, grieve, and mourn in whatever way they need to. He knows each tear that falls. May the Spirit never be far from them in the days ahead.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Their World- Papua


Beautiful young people, working hard.
 They carry a heavy load on their heads.
They are strong.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Photo Booth Fun

A few months ago I attended a get together with other wives who have husbands that work for Yajasi. We were chatting about the need we felt to get together more often and have more fellowship with our Indonesian co-workers. During this time we brainstormed about ideas to get all of us more comfortable with each other, "ice-breakers". I mentioned making a homemade photobooth. WHY I mentioned this- I have NO idea, because I'm not the creative or artsy person. Fortunately, I have a friend who is both creative and artsy :)

I found a website (http://ohhappyday.com) that had these cute printable props. The props were printed out, cut, and glued on to a thick posterboard paper (really more like cardboard, but I'll take what I can get here!). We spent a couple days cutting out the cardboard paper. After that we taped the cut-outs to sate sticks (like a dowel rod).

Unfortunately, we didn't get to use these in our last ladies' get together, because [this is a good thing] we were having a wonderful time of sharing and introductions. It wasn't needed! :)

On the last day of school, I woke up considering bringing these props to school. I had no idea if the middle schoolers would enjoy doing this. Some days they love being silly, other days they are very, very serious. I decided to bring the props with a sheet and see what happened!

Here's a glimpse of what happened:










I love being goofy with them!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Good-bye Part 2

Saying good-bye seems to always come in the form of a party with treats of some sort. That in itself is not uncommon, but the unique thing about our parties is that prayer is always a part of the festivities. On the last day of school, we have a party with the middle schoolers. We pray for those who will stay here this summer, those who will leave but come back, those who will go for an extended time away but return, and those who are leaving with no plans of return.

Our middle schoolers gather around the one that is leaving with no plans of return, lay hands on them, and pray. They pray that God would give them friends, help the to fit in at their new school, and if it's God's plan that He allow them to come back here someday.

Middle school students praying for J

This time we were praying for a teacher who was leaving with no plans of return. J has served at Hillcrest for the past four years as our middle school language arts teacher. She has worked countless hours developing creative lesson plans which allow the students to display their unique learning style. I can honestly say that there is NO way I would have survived my first year of teaching had it not been for J's encouraging words and creative ideas. She was always willing to help, listen, and pray. I know that J would appreciate your prayers as she continues her journey in following the Lord. Would you pray for J? She has applied to some different places but has no idea where she will end up. Would you pray that God would speak clearly to her and that she would continue to be obedient? I know that wherever J ends up, she will be a blessing to others. She told me once that her main focus here was to be an encouragment to those of us who were here long term. J will be missed!

Middle School Teachers- J on the left

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

How We Say Goodbye

In the life of a Christian worker living overseas saying "goodbye" is part of a cycle. This cycle comes to an end (or a beginning, depending on how you look at it) every May. May is the time of year when school comes to an end and families leave temporarily or permanently.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about May. Here's how I feel: I love you, May, because you bring the end of the school year. I hate you, May, because the tears flow when friends leave. May, you bring an empty feeling that could last for a while.

I celebrate my good-byes. I celebrate because I've learned lessons that were taught in a unique way by unique individuals. I celebrate because their journey ahead is full of exciting [scary] unknowns, where God will prove His faithfulness in a special way. I celebrate because new individuals will come into my life, new relationships will be established, and new lessons will be learned.

We have a unique way of saying good-bye. These next few posts will be about who and how we say good-bye.

I'll start with one that is very special to me. This is the 8th grade class.

 
They were the first class that I ever taught. (Yes, I was one of the "crazy" ones who combined culture shock and my first year of teaching.) Although I did not teach all of them in 6th grade, I did teach all of them this year in computer class. Iam so thankful in who they have become. Yes, they are still figuring out who they want to be in this world, but let's be honest- aren't we all still trying to figure out who God wants us to be and how He wants us to live in our world?

Josh and I were invited to a celebration of them. It was wonderful to honor their lives. Their parents had an opportunity to share baby photos and give words of wisdom, encouragement, and to declare their love and thankfulness for their child. It was beautiful. I'm convinced those students will remember the special words their parents said to them. It's not often when a parent will share their thoughts on an individual child, and it's not often that an 8th grader will sit still and listen. :) So with the 8th graders we celebrated their lives and accomplishments, and we said good-bye to them in middle school and welcome them to high school.

The 8th graders created this painting of the "8th Grade Sneak". This is a surprise day when the whole class and their teacher spend the day together doing something other than school. This year they had breakfast together, spent the day at the beach, watched a movie, and had a sleepover- the boys camped out and the girls stayed in a house.


Here we are at the 8th grade celebration:

Monday, June 4, 2012

A Saturday Project

One difference we face living here is we have screens instead of windows. Our screens keep out the mosquitos but allow air to flow through the house. Over time the screens will become brittle and fragile. A small tear in them will eventually grow larger, allowing all kinds of things to come inside!

The culprite:

The damage:
 
 

[Some of] The supplies:


The Work:




The Results:




(Paint will come later!)
 
Images by Freepik