Power's Out... Again

Power outages happen here... a lot. Some times one can go a few weeks and not experience any outages. Other times you have frequent outages lasting a few minutes to hours or even days. It's not too bad when the weather is rainy and "cool", but often it's sunny and hot. You sweat. You lay flat on the cool tile floor, and just hope that the power will return soon. 

I have "rules" for power outages that happen at night or in a store that I try to abide by. 

Rule #1- I stop moving. I just freeze right where I am. I'm not going to run the risk of bumping into someone or something during a power outage at night. Dark is *really* dark when there are no lights. 

Rule #2- Announce to Kate where I am, tell her to stop moving, and reassure her that we're still here. (She hasn't panicked before, so this is rule is a keeper.) We added the stop moving part after during a power outage she took off running full speed ahead in whatever direction she was facing and ran straight into the kitchen cabinets, knocking her over. She's a tough cookie and brushed it off. 

Rule #3- I allow someone else to get the flashlights. At our house Josh has excellent night vision, which allows him to safely, quickly, and confidently make his way to the nearest flashlights. If Josh isn't around and a power outage happens at the store, then I just wait until the store's generator turns on. 

Last month at the grocery store, the electricity went out (not unusual) but the generator had issues re-setting. The gen-set turned on, but then quickly went out again. So I followed rules 1 and 2 and was waiting like rule 3 says to do, but it did not return. So I brought my phone out and clicked on the flashlight, and honestly waited for an employee to come around asking me to leave- where did I think I was??  No employees came to me, so we continued to shop. 

This grocery store is creepy when it's dark. I mean even with electricity there are things that I have to choose to avoid looking at- like the rat that walked across the cross beam above my head, or the moldy tops of the bell peppers, or the fruit flies swarming around the rotting avocados... but with no electricity it's even worse. 

Also, just a heads up, the place to weigh your produce so you know what to pay at the register doesn't work when there's no power. OH and also... the registers don't work either.... sometimes. 

So, you may never leave this grocery store if the power goes out. You might be stuck in the store with others who are stuck and are shopping by cellphone flashlight fooooorevvvvver.... 

Ramadan 2016

Ramadan is the month that is intentionally set aside by Muslims around the world to fast from food, drink and other physical forms of pleasure like smoking and sex. From a Muslim's perspective the month of Ramadan is an opportunity to purify their souls, refocus their attention on Allah, and practice self-discipline and sacrifice. Participation is considered one of the five pillars of the Islam faith.This month is an opportunity to rededicate themselves to worship and faith and to re-evaluate their lives. Forgiveness is both extended and received. The physical effects from the fasting reminds them of those who suffer throughout the year, and not to be wasteful or neglect those who hunger. Fasting during the month of Ramadan requires a total commitment to maintain the fast.

I honestly have mixed feelings about the month of Ramadan. Everything around me slows way down during this month. Work tends to slow down. Offices or stores may be closed. Drivers tend to be more aggressive, and people tend to be a little more on edge. The muezzin gets cranked up to incredible levels and is on all night long with people practicing the "Allah Akbar"(this is probably in proportion to the level of music played on the "Podok Natals" around Christmas time). 

While there are a few things that "bug" me about a month long fast, there are many aspect of it that I have learned to appreciate and admire. Here are a few of these lessons learned from Ramadan. 

1. It's good to be intentional and re-focus our faith. 

Life can be crazy and busy, sometimes at the same time! We can easily fall into a routine that distracts us from communicating and listening to God. Muslims have taught me the importance of intentionally setting aside a time to focus on the importance of God. Through their example our family has added the tradition of Advent, anticipating the birth of Jesus, and this past year I studied Lent, which helped me focus on the importance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This intentional focusing helped me keep the main point, the main point- not allowing the busy-ness of the season to distract from the actual reason for the season. 

2. Anticipation is wonderful! 

Recently I was talking with a friend who grew up in Muslim home and converted to Christianity in her 20's. She shared fond memories she had growing up celebrating Ramadan. She mentioned how she missed that feeling of anticipation and excitement knowing that the entire month was leading up to the culmination of the breaking of the fast with a great feast. The anticipation could be compared to kids going to bed on Christmas Eve with an incredible feeling of excitement about the next day. It could be compared to a bride preparing to walk down the aisle to her waiting groom, who is also anticipating his glimpse of his beautiful bride. Anticipation is wonderful! I want my family to anticipate good things in life- learning that waiting for something often only intensifies the significance and value of what you've been waiting for. 

3. Ramadan is hard here. 

Celebrating Ramadan in Papua is more difficult that celebrating Ramadan in Java. I remember in language school being told to respect that others around me were not eating or drinking. We had to discreetly drink quick sips from water bottles on busy streets or eat our lunches in restaurants behind closed curtains. This caution helped those who were fasting, because it developed a sense that everyone around you was fasting so you can continue to persevere. However, it's not like that in Papua. No one has cautioned me to be mindful of chugging water on a hot day in public. Right now I can't think of one food stall that has a curtain over the windows. Last year a neighbor said that this was the most difficult time for her to live in Papua, away from her family. She expressed how in her hometown you could just assume that everyone was fasting, but here she said you automatically assume that the majority of people are not fasting. In that moment I could relate to her in way I have never been able to relate to fasting Muslims in Papua. They are homesick. This is a special month and holiday and they are separated from their loved ones doing a physically, emotionally, and spiritually demanding task with little support from the outside community. Her feelings resonated with me to how I feel sometimes around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The distance is truly difficult. This discussion changed my perspective on fasting Muslims in Papua and has challenged me to encourage and support them in their obedience by being aware of my eating and drinking in public. 

4. A simple date can open many doors. 

The daily fast is broken the same way the Prophet Muhammad broke his fast with a date and a glass of water. Nothing will open the doors quicker than offering a package of dates to your Muslim neighbors. This small sign is a reminder to them that you are aware of their fasting and it's also a sign of encouragement to press on in their search for communing with God. 

5. Prayer changes things. 

While those around me are fasting, I am praying. I am praying that they would experience God in a real and unique way. I am praying that God would reveal Himself to those who are truly seeking to know Him. I will be following this 30 day prayer guide (http://30daysprayer.com/index.php) to more specifically pray for fasting Muslims around the globe. 

There are more things, but these are just a few. I hope we can continue to learn and glean good things from those around us.