Back home!

We’re all home, safe and sound – but not unaffected – from the trip.  We will keep you posted….

     

Back in Singapore…

Dear Friends,

We are back in Singapore, and have just had a day of relaxation, shopping and touring.  Today’s update comes from Judy, who shares just one of many stories you’ll come to hear about our experience in Sumatra.  Here is what Judy writes:

 On the seminary campus at their chapel this past Sunday, 200 or so Indonesian women gathered for an afternoon time of worship and praise.  The worship leader was wonderful leading the women in a variety of songs and, for our benefit, then sang some songs in English.  Their enthusiasm was contagious – Rebecca presented the story of Ruth and Naomi and Judy followed up by recapping the story presentation as a life application.  The women there were very open and loving and made us feel right at home.

Some quick snippits:

* John preached over the radio Sunday morning and did a stellar job.

* Mike preached at a small village church and had to change on the fly to adapt to his congregation and translator – but all went well.

* Cherylann, Gini, Jerry and Jeanne  had great sessions with youth and small children

* Our host (we will call her “W”) was terrific, providing us with terrific hospitality and a great vision tour of her ministry in and around the area, including the new Toba center that is just being built.

Well folks, that’s it for now.  No more blogs during the trip – will have one follow-up blog in about a week after our return, God willing.

Thank you all for your support and prayers – it has been terrific and sustained us when we had nothing left.  We look forward to seeing you all soon.

NW Indonesia – the experience begins…

Thursday Afternoon (from Gini)

At last!

The day I’ve been looking forward to the most!

1.  John (who’s been sick for five days and nights) felt “fine!”

2.  We were able to travel into Aceh (Northern-most tip of Indo on West coast.  There we saw much construction going on in the area of devastation from the 2004 quake and tsunami and also viewed the mass graves where at least 60,000 lives were lost).

We visited a children’s library with our host where a dozen or so “cousins” gathered after school.  One little guy, Roni, told us the story of the quake and tsunami.  He and his ten brothers and sisters were washed away from their parents.  Of the siblings, all but one brother were drowned.  They climbed up one building, but a wave washed them apart.  He hung onto a tree for three more days and was then rescued by boat.  The two boys found each other and began searching for their parent.  Only their mom was left, clinging for life is a hospital, about to give up from her personal loss.  What a reunion the three of them had!  They are a true family of three now.  We encouraged him that surely God has saved him for a special life; he agreed and thanked God every day for the special life he has.  Please pray that Roni will discover The Way.  One of the believer librarians has heard his story – the BRIDGE is under construction.

Thursday Evening (from Mike and Judy):

Picture this:  Judy and Rebecca ALONE in an
Indonesia taxi with a driver that just said, “All Americans are rich!”  They’re trying to find the rest of the group (we got separated at the airport coming back from a day trip to Banda Aceh), but the rest of the group doesn’t even quite know what’s going on… 

Our guest host here found out (at the airport) that she was an honored guest (in about 20 minutes) at the state fair (where the governor presides), so a quick decision was made to go there “as-is” after a sweaty day of touring.  Anyway, one vehicle has our host, the other does not.  You get the picture.  Let’s just say that the van with our host proceeded to the governor’s mansion, were we were greeted with snacks and water, while the cab went to the hotel, dropped off John and Gini, and then attempted to find the others.  While the taxi DID make it to the fair, Judy and Rebecca were not allowed in (the escort could not find them) so they went back to the hotel.  The others were escorted to the fair and given seats of honor at a show that begin with a welcome from the governor and our being led to special seats in front, right behind his.  The show included dancing, singing, and even a comedy sketch spoofing the governor himself.  Despite sweltering heat, it was a great time for all, though we were dead tired at the end of the day.  We learned a great deal about their culture and culture shock – more on that when we return…

On to Medan…

Dear Ones,

We had a wonderful Easter in Salatiga, where Frank preached the Word and we had a wonderful time of rejoicing in our Savior.

We are now in Solo and will be heading to Medan later this afternoon.  From there, four of us will head home, while the other four remain and then travel to Aceh.

Please keep us lifted in prayer – we need it!!  Your faithful prayers so far have sustained us and we thank you!

All is well, though John has a nagging back ache.  Other than that, we’re doing fine. 

Please tell as many as you can to review this blog and to write us with your comments.  The many that we have received so far have been a great encouragement.  (Diane, i KNOW you could help with this!)

We hope to be able to update again during the trip, but access to the Internet will be very limited from here on.  If you don’t see an update here, it’s not because we’re lazy – it’s because we couldn’t get to a computer!

Thanks again to everyone for your support and prayers.  We appreciate you all VERY much!

Much Ado about Everything

Dear Ones,

 

Today’s update comes from Jerry & Jeanne, followed by Gini, then a description of shadow puppetry, and an update on construction from Rebecca.

 

Thursday morning, we went to the Islamic College of Indonesia where Karren teaches English.  The students like to practice their English with native speakers, so we were assigned to go with teachers to their classes, either in pairs or alone.  The teacher introduced us and the students were told to ask us questions and practice their English – then he left.  The students were really eager and asked all kinds of questions – about California, differences in cultures, customs, what we thought of Bush’s policy in Iran and Iraq, how we like Indonesia and what we thought of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a governor.

 

 

 

The teacher came back in an hour and the students wanted their pictures taken with us.  We really saw how the Lord was able to give us the courage and the words we needed when we felt unqualified and unprepared.  Thursday afternoon, we went back for more construction work.  It’s coming along nicely.  Walls are going up, door and window frames are installed, septic tank holes are being dug, and roofing is being painted so it will be ready for installation.  It’s gratifying to see so much progress every day.  We appreciate your prayers – they are being answered in many different ways.

 

Ups and Downs (from Gini)

 

 

1. I forgot my gloves; Judy had extra ones.  Rebecca forgot sox; I had extra.

2. Jerry got sick; Frank had charcoal pills that stopped his problem.

3. Mike had a RANK shirt; Karren has a strong sense of smell and a washing machine.

4. Erika and Leslie are still single although proposals have been plentiful.

5. Cherylann was tired at the bottom of the hill; an empty wheelbarrow got her up the hill.

6. Jerry was worn out digging the septic tank hole; Mike broke the pick on a boulder just in time.

7. Frank & Karren had a set of seventeen plastic chairs; they now have fourteen (we broke three – so far).  The housekeeper took the broken chairs home – they now have wooden replacement legs and a new home. 

8. Liz wanted representative pictures for her Bible study women; they’ll be thrilled with the pictures of all types of people, including the handsome uniformed garbage man we snapped.

9. A scavenger hunt in the market place involved seven (two teams) to find nine items. The list was written completely in Indonesian.  Ed paid through the nose for two flowers.  The team was thrilled and the vendor closed the shop WAY earlier and went home smiling.

 

     

 

Praise the Lord

 

 

Cherylann and Leslie were able to talk to Ina (mother of the boy Faiz, who received the wheelchair) about why Christ is so important to them and about His love and forgiveness.  She was very open to the conversation, probably due to Karren’s previous sharing with her.

 

 

Three of us had the opportunity for an overnight stay at a local orphanage, which also houses Muslim women college students, and includes a small Mosque.  The orphans are boys, age 11 to 17, about 15 in all.  They are all being brought up in the instruction and tradition of Islam.  We were allowed to interact with the orphans and students.  Part of this was formal, and included an introduction of each of the boys, their age, area of study interest, hobbies, etc.  The other formal part of this was observing their time of afternoon prayer, and then meeting with both the boys and women in a time of sharing.  Afterward, we shared a wonderful meal, and then the women went with our women to talk through the evening.  Although there was not any deep conversation, there was much that was learned from both sides about cultures as well as getting to know them as individuals.  There was not the same opportunity to interact with the boys, but the next morning, a lengthy conversation with the Muslim leader of the facility was very enlightening – for both sides.  This was a terrific opportunity to understand the Muslim culture and for them to gain a better understanding of Americans.

 

   

 

Shadow Puppetry

 

 

Friday evening, we all had the chance to see Frank and Gideon (local co-worker) perform their shadow puppetry at the town square.  This is so popular with the Indonesians that they set up two giant screens to allow viewing for the overflow audience.  There was a drenching rain before the show that dried up just minutes before the start.  As an opening to the show, there were dancers representing many of the subcultures – both ancient and modern – that exist within Java.  The dancing was accompanied by traditional native ethnic music, and their dress was colorful and fanciful.  After the dancing, Frank and Gideon appeared in full regalia – traditional outfits including head wrappings, decorated coats, traditional pants and even swords at their sides.  The show was also accompanied by traditional music, wrapped around a story told through the puppeteers.  Each scene builds in excitement, and often ends with a battle – physical or verbal or both.   

Construction Update

 

 

The wall construction is going well – they are almost to their full height (we just hope they STAY up).  The “chain gang” continues to remove dirt from the two holes for the septic system (if it gets any deeper, we’ll hit America), and the sand pile is getting a lot smaller as sand is moved to the site to make mortar for the wall blocks.  We have the day off Easter Sunday from construction, and Monday will be our last workday.  We don’t think we’ll get the roof on the building before we leave, but the local workers have materials in hand to finish the work.

 

   

Play Day

This past Wednesday, we had a day of relaxation – a needed break from construction and other activities.  The day began with a drive to
Borobudur, an ancient Buddhist shrine mound constructed about 1100. 

       

The shrine was abandoned (possibly due to a volcanic eruption, or outbreak of the plague) and became completely grown over.  It was rediscovered in the 1800’s and through three separate efforts (the last in the 1970’s through UNESCO funds), it was fully restored.  After our tour of the shrine, we were hoarded by local vendors selling their wares – VERY persistently!  We were hounded by many of them at once, all hoping for a sale of some souvenir-type items.  From here, we went to a local resort hotel, where some of us pampered ourselves while others swam in the pool.  VERY inexpensive here compared withUSA services!  Example:  $6 for a facial.

Settled In and Doing Well – Mostly!

When we completed our last update, there were photos that we didn’t have with us that we would like to share now.  Here are photos of Faiz receiving the wheelchair.

 

  

On Sunday, we had a day of rest and worship.  We broke up into groups that went to different churches in the region.  Cherylann, Rebecca, Leslie and Karren all went to a small village church (about 15 attend). They sang with their church, and later shared a meal at the pastor’s house. 

Liz, Ed and Mike went to another small village church where Liz was the speaker (she shared her testimony).  The congregation was like a large extended family – about 30 in all. 

 

We were also invited for tea and a meal, then on an excursion ride through the volcanic region, high up the mountains where the air is cool and the scenery is spectacular.  However, the roads near the top were less than stellar – we spend part of the ride on a cobblestone road bouncing around like crazy!  Liz thinks this may be the WORST road she had ever traveled.  Well, life is full of bumps, isn’t it?  John and Erika attended services in a small church where the music was even more contemporary than our first service, and both John and Erika were asked to sing on the spot!  Judy, Jeanne and Jerry attended the local Dutch Reformed church with a congregation of about 150 people.  They had a formal type of service, but with a modern praise band (keyboard, drums, guitars).

After everyone finished church services, we gathered at a local restaurant – where they played Randy Travis music and featured Western-style food!   Sunday afternoon was a day of rest – we all seemed to need it, and a few of us felt the effects of fatigue and unfamiliar food.

 

Monday, we started construction anew – our third day on the dormitories.  The walls are going up quickly and the doors and windows arrived today.  We also painted the roof panels on one side (the other side gets done tomorrow). 

  

While at the seminary, we heard the English testimonies of each of the seminary students enrolled in Karren’s English class.  It was also a testimony to God’s desire to reach the people of Indonesia.

 

So we should tell you that not everything has been rosy.  We’ve broken two plastic chairs (the $3 variety), broken about 5 or 6 glasses and a coffee cup, Frank & Karren’s cat has been in heat and yowling all the night long, the chants at the very nearby mosque begin at 3:30 AM each morning, several of the team have been hit with a flu bug or gastrointestinal dilemma, Karren smashed her finger (but it’s healing fine), the clutch went out in the van (it’s fixed now – $110).  And we’ve only been here what – five days??  Come on, people, we need your prayers!!

 

We leave you with this picture of one of the nearby volcanoes that dot the islands of
Indonesia.  A rare clear morning gave us this beautiful view.

 

 

Finally, Frank, Karren, David and Rebecca wanted us to tell you that there very much appreciated all of the goodies that you all generously sent.