Finally an update!

Sorry it’s been so long between posts the internet in the village went down for three weeks was up for less then 24 hours and was down again. Unfortunately during the short time that it was actually up I did not get anything posted. Due to not being able to post sooner I have quite a bit to update so sorry it’s so long!

Since the last update there have been tons of different things going on and many changes happening as well. It seems one week will never be the same as the last here. I am already more than half way into my trip. Time here is flying by so quickly and I have a feeling it’s going to go even faster my last weeks here.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, I was part of a teacher training. For the most part I was put in charge of the training, which ended up going well. Rachel translated for me, and it seemed the teachers took quite a bit away with them. Since I have been involved with some of the trainings it has been fun to go into a classroom and see the teachers using a game or strategy that I taught them. Seeing them use something I taught them is extremely encouraging because I know I was able to share some of what I know with them.

The first week in February, though still teaching I had a very different schedule, which changed even more in mid-February. I am officially down to just one English class, which is 1^st grade, and I really enjoy it. The kids are a lot of fun to work with, and still get a good laugh when I mix their names up ;-) After English I have 4 different times when I pull students for one-on-one help. These students are the lowest in their grade and need significant support in order to learn. Two of the students I’m working with we are working on the very basics of learning the letter sounds and the other two we are working on reading. It is interesting to read with the kids because I can read the words without too much of a problem, but understanding it is a whole different thing. After I’m done with one-on-ones I still have my four groups I pull for extra support. By the time the day is over I have had 9 different classes/groups, which I’m finding to be pretty tiring, but at the same time I really enjoy because it keeps me on my toes and busy. Now that I am working with the kids more and more I continue to learn more Indonesian. I still have a long ways to go, but slowly I am starting to pick words or phrases up, which is proving to be very helpful.

I got to see the village of Mangala, which is about 10 minutes away from Living Waters a couple times recently. For three days the students at our school went in the mornings to compete with other village schools in events like soccer, badminton, table tennis and a few other things. I went the first day, which I wasn’t expecting and ended up a bit sunburned. I didn’t go the other two days but the kids who competed did very well for their first time at the games and brought home several trophies. The second time I went to Mangala was for church. Every first Sunday of the month everybody goes to Mangala for church. It was extremely hot and stuff, and of course in Indonesian which makes it hard to understand, but another new experience nonetheless.

Saturday, Feb 6, even more changes were added to my days. On a normal Saturday I am only at the school from 9-12 rather than all day like during teacher training. During this time we meet together as teachers and discuss how things are going. I still understand very little, but I do enjoy hanging out with the teachers. I found out at one of the meetings that one of the students I am helping in 1^st grade is already starting to show improvement in class. Before I started working with him he would not write anything in class. Now he is working and writing. When I heard this I just smiled, it’s reasons like this I teach. No matter how frustrating it can get at times hearing things like that makes it all worth it. After lunch instead of working with kids I help paint the bakery that is being built. It is nice to have a change in what I’ve been doing and do some physical work. I don’t know how long the need for painting will be needed at this point, but until it is done I will continue to help paint Saturday afternoons. After that ends I don’t know what I will do, but I definitely want to find something else that requires some sort of physical labor. It’s nice to change things up a bit, even if it is only for a few hours a week.

Another change that has come is I’ve moved to the guesthouse. I was going to move in at the end of January, but Ben ended going back to Kuching for the week so I stayed an extra week with Rachel and the kids. I am staying with two other girls, one from Wales and one from Holland. They are great girls and though it is very close quarters it’s been fun. Right now we have two rooms between the three of us and an adjoining door that we leave open. This provides for more room and also more ventilation in the rooms. Since getting here there have been heaps of guests coming and going. Right now we a girl from Wales, a girl and a guy from Holland, and a guy from England. In the last couple of weeks we have also had several people leave. Three guys from Australia left not long ago as well as a lady from another part of Indonesia followed shortly by a guy from New Zealand, two ladies from New Zealand and a couple from England. It’s been fun to meet all of them and learn even more about different cultures as well as develop some friendships with other people who speak English.

Sunday, Feb 7, a group of us, over 30, went for a float down the river. It was awesome! I came out with many cuts and bruises due to running into rocks and trees, but it was well worth it. Being able to just hang on to bamboo and enjoy floating down a river and enjoy creation, you can’t get much better than that. It was for the most part very relaxing, except when you had to dodge rocks and trees. It was great to do something different for the afternoon as well.

Saturday, Feb. 13 I had the opportunity to go to an engagement ceremony of one of the teachers I work with. It was very interesting to see the different way they do things here. An engagement here is not something done between just the guy and girl, but it is something that is done as an event in front of a bunch of people. When a couple decides they like each other and are going to get married they then make it official by having an engagement ceremony. At the ceremony they give each other traditional objects, which represent different things, to the man a basket and to the woman some material. They also do the exchange of rings, both the man and the woman. It was very interesting to be a part of and I’m glad I had the opportunity to go. Another one of the teachers is getting engaged next month so I should have the chance to go to another ceremony before I leave.

Sunday, Feb. 14 I went to Nanga Pinho to celebrate Chinese New Year. It is a very big celebration here, about as big as Christmas to us. We went to a guy’s house who is a friend of the ministries and enjoyed a huge meal. It was nice to have a change in food for the day. It was definitely a good time and a chance to celebrate a holiday I’ve never had reason to celebrate before.

Every Sunday evening the Western visitors get together to worship and dig into God’s word in English. I have really come to cherish these times and look forward to them each week. I love being at the meetings with all the Indonesians and seeing them worship God, but since I don’t understand them it is hard to be fed which can be tough, so being able to come together on Sunday evening and worship God in a language I understand means a lot to me. During those times God has really spoken to me and continues to blow me away with what He has to show me. He continues to do amazing things in my life and seems to challenge me daily with something new. Some of the things that seem to be the biggest focus at the moment are trust and living each day to the fullest. Trust has always been an issue for me in my life, and although I trusted God before coming here in many things He has shown me so many areas in which I don’t trust Him. Some of them are very small, but I still lack the trust and try to do it on my own or rely on my own strength. He has been challenging me with little things and teaching me how to trust Him. He has also begun to challenge me about living each day fully. I’ve been gone for a month now and though I’m not ready to leave here there are definitely times when I miss things about home. When I start thinking about this my focus changes to when I come home which takes away from where my focus should be. The other night as I was talking to one of the girls here we were talking about how fast the time goes here and how it is so important to take each day and enjoy it as much as we can. God really challenged me with that, to take each day and live it, live for today. We aren’t guaranteed even our next breath so there is no point in me thinking weeks in advance. I guess that’s a small glimpse into some of what God has been doing in me since I’ve been here. All of it is a process and there is much to come, which means there is much to look forward to.

Please be praying for the families here in the ministry. One of the families here went to Kuching to redo their visas and while they were there their car was stolen. There is no chance of finding it so the only thing they can do is buy a new one. Please pray they are able to raise the funds needed in order to purchase a new car. Also, another couple whom live here had to head back to Australia suddenly due to the husband having heart complications. Please pray for them as they are back in Australia and for the doctors he will be going to to have wisdom. Pray nothing serious happens and they are able to return soon here to the village. Also continue to pray for the health of everyone here. We have so many kids sick at the moment. Please pray specifically for a little boy named Beno. Since I have been here, which is about the same time he arrived, he has had pneumonia, malaria, typhoid and has now just been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Be praying he can fight off yet another disease and become well. We have two others with tuberculosis right now as well so be praying for their health as well as all those around them that they are able to stay well.

I hope to be able to try and upload some photos this week or next weekend, no promises that it will work, but I am going to try. So check back sometime later in the week and maybe you can see some of what my daily life looks like right now.

Blessings!