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.