The Stuff of Life

Rainy season is in full force here in Salatiga. The upside to the rainy season is that there is no dust. The downside is that we have mud and mold. At least every other day we receive about 2 inches of rain. Yesterday, it rained hard and then on and off for the rest of the day. We easily exceeded our usual 2 inches.

We've had to adjust our thinking toward rain. In the Midwest we welcome rain. It's something that happens throughout the year. While we are accustom to rain in Oklahoma, it is not a season in and of itself. Here, there are only two seasons and they are named by the frequency of rain; rainy season, rains almost daily, and dry season, rains occasionally.

During the rainy season we have discovered what it means to have and maintain stuff. Our first experience came when the hard rains began to fall. A collection of leaves where two roof lines converge caused the rain to come in. Frantically we moved furniture and "stuff" to somewhere dry and then spent the next couple of hours soaking up all of the water. After this initial soaking, the mold has been growing everywhere. We've tried to repel it by running ceiling fans 24 hours a day. We've been fairly successful at stopping the mold from growing on most of the walls and ceilings.

However, what do you do about books, clothes and shoes? We're familiar with items feeling and smelling damp when stored in a basement. But what happens when everything everywhere feels damp? Clothes mold, books mold and everything made of leather molds.

Over the Christmas break I left my pair of leather shoes up at school. I usually wear sneakers to and from school and then change into my dress shoes once at school to avoid tracking mud everywhere. I didn't think about mold growing on my shoes. After two weeks, the mold had taken root. Even after a good cleaning and multiple coats of brown shoe polish, my shoes still bear witness to the realities of the wet season. Another causality of the wet season has been my leather sandals. The picture tells the story. The mold developed in just a few short weeks. Colorful, right? Well, I cleaned them multiple times before I smartened up and had our maintenance crew install light bulbs in our wardrobes. The bulbs provide just enough heat to dry out the air inside the wardrobe and keep the mold from growing. Now we keep anything that can mold in the wardrobe with the doors tightly shut.

Our experience with "stuff" and the rainy season has lead to a new perspective on Jesus' sermon to the people gathered on the hillside somewhere in Galilee. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [and mold] destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust [and mold] do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Perhaps we all need some type of rainy season in our lives to remind us of what is important and what is just "stuff".

A Typical Day In Indonesia

It is amazing how quickly one gets used to things being a bit different. While the differences seem obvious when you first arrive in a new place or start a new job, they quickly become "normal" for you. I was reminded of how much we've gotten used to Indonesia this morning while shopping downtown. Dana and I took our motorcycle downtown. Traffic was a bit heavier than usual but we zoomed in and out of the traffic without too much difficulty. One of the ways I measure the traffic is by how many people in the opposing lane pass forcing me to the far left of my lane. Remember, we drive on the left here. While oncoming traffic crossing the middle of the road to pass really bothered me when I first started driving the motorcycle, I barely notice now. I'm even comfortable with forcing opposing traffic, specifically motorcycles to their far left so I can pass slow moving traffic. I know that this sounds like aggressive driving but I’ll ask that you withhold judgment until you’ve visited.


After finishing our weekly shopping, we headed home. Suddenly the heavens opened and the rain began to fall. A motorcycle is a bad place to be in a downpour so people usually park their motorcycles and head for some type of shelter. Today, like everyone else, we parked the motorcycle and sought shelter in an abandoned eating place along the road. The downside of this decision was that it was next to a garbage collection site. Yes, it smelled. Looking around I noticed a barber shop. Needing a haircut, I went in. I say went in loosely because the shop is just one small room, actually more of a temporary shelter then an established place of business. After a few confusion moments where I tried to explain how I wanted my haircut, the young man began. Drops of rain continued to fall both outside the shack and inside. The radio, which was up too loud, was playing a mix of Asian and Western pop music. Geckoes darted between holes in the wall. In about 15 minutes my hair was cut. Most barbers on the street charge 5000 Rupiah. (US 60 cents). He did a good job and looked like he needed the money so I paid him 10000 Rupiah. Anyone in a temporary shelter cutting hair next to the garbage collection/distribution site needs money because clearly they don’t have many options. As a practice we’ve started trying to pay more for services/products from Indonesians instead of giving handouts to people who come to the door. In this way, I hope we can be a blessing to people in need without enabling folks.

While I was getting a haircut, Dana was waiting under the food stand awning. She was joined by about five other Indonesians who, like us, didn’t want to get soaked. While they were trying to overcome the language barrier, a big rat run through their midst and across Dana’s feet. I say “big rat” to distinguish it from other smaller rats. There are a lot of rats here. Most of the time Indonesians pay little attention to rats aside from killing them. Dana said that this particular rat was big enough that even the Indonesians jumped! What makes this even more impressive is that some of the Indonesians that had sought shelter were folks who worked at the garbage collection/distribution site. I assume that if anyone is comfortable with rats, it would be these guys.

Eventually the rain let up enough for us to make our way home. As I’ve been writing this entry the rain has come again. When the rain comes, the power often goes out. Anticipating this I had unplugged the computer from its charger just before the power actually went out. Like rice and chicken, rain and rats, the power going out is just one more thing that happens here often, almost daily, and we hardly think twice about. While we miss the States, I think we are getting used to Indonesia.  Blessings from halfway around the world. Jeff

Here's A New One

"Okay, what do you get when a gecko crawls in an outlet?"  I think everyone knows the answer to that one.  We're not sure why the gecko crawled behind one of the 22O outlet covers in our kitchen, but I do know that when I touched him he squirmed in further.  About the same time that Jeff was trying to grab him, the gecko's tail suddenly went very straight.  In this moment, both Jeff and the gecko got the shock of their lifetime.  For the gecko, it was his last moment.  For Jeff, it was a surprise that left his hand and arm a bit numb for a few minutes.  Unlike the gecko who remained very still, Jeff was fine.

I can honestly say that we never know what to expect and life is definitely not dull here in Indonesia.  Part of the reason for that is the nature that surrounds us.  Just this morning I was telling Jeff that it was extremely noisy here, between the birds, the insects, and our neighbors' goats and chickens...let's just say that it's hard to sleep beyond 6 am.  There are many other noises throughout our neighborhood that are beginning to become a part of our life.  I think we've gotten used to the neighborhood mosque and their call to prayer at 4 am.  In fact we don't usually hear it anymore, it has become background noise. 

As for the geckos...they are everywhere, small ones, long ones, dark ones, light ones.  The little ones, an inch or so long, are quite fun as they will crawl all over your hand trickling you with their small feet.  They do provide a bit of amusement, if you can catch one.

The Wedding

After being in Indonesia for eight months the thought of returning to the states was....I don't think there is a word for what I was feeling.  I was sad that the rest of the family couldn't go as well, but was extremely happy to be returning to "what I knew!"  To finally hear "English" or at least "Okie English" and to be able to read a menu without having to translate a word at a time and to walk into Walmart and know that I could buy everything in one stop...needless to say I was a bit excited and didn't sleep much the entire 38 hours it took to arrive in OKC.  The best part was seeing my family waiting for me past security and to actually touch them instead of only seeing them on SKYPE. 
The entire trip is a bit of a blur considering I was sleep deprived when I arrived and didn't get much sleep while there.  I am thankful for a few aspects of my trip.  I am glad that Pleasant View Mennonite Church gave me the opportunity to share about our family in Indonesia.  It was "wonderful" being with our church family and expressing our gratitude for their support.  I wish I had had time to visit our church family at Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, Nebraska.  We also thank them for their support, love and prayers that they send our way.
I also had the special priviledge of visiting Thomas Fay Custer Public Schools and visiting with former students and co-workers.  I miss working in that environment and with the students there and continue to pray for them.  I was also able to visit with my family, my aunts and uncles, as well as many cousins.

But the whole reason for my visit was to be there for Betty and I am very glad I was able to.  I will be honest when I say that the lure of relaxing at a tropical location was a perk, but then again at present I am living on an island that has beaches.  Pretty ironic when you think about the fact that I traveled from one tropical location to another one on the other side of the world... but all the travel was worth being with Betty at the beginning of her marriage to Eric.
Before leaving I was told that it would be hard to return to Indonesia after being in the states.  They were right.  When I am surrounded by what I know I am very comfortable and returning to a place where everything is unfamiliar is in one word "uncomfortable."  But maybe God doesn't always want us to be comfortable and maybe when we're "uncomfortable" that's when God is able to work through us and in us.  Our prayer will continue to be that God is able to work through our family while we are here in Salatiga, Indonesia.

My Poems by Abby

I fly through the sky on a golden airplane

As a butterfly swiftly flies in the rain

Belle

Active Pup

Likes to jump

I miss her so

Dog

Let's Play Some Basketball!

At the beginning of January I was asked if I wanted to coach the JV Girls Basketball Team.  Because I didn't want to do it alone I recruited some help from my loving husband.  We actually make a good coaching team and seem to compliment each others strengths and weaknesses.  The most important attribute is that we both love the game!  We have been very lucky, our players are very eager to learn and to improve their game.  We have ten girls on the team and so everyone gets playing time.  The JV Team's season is very short, only about six weeks.  We only have two weeks left.  So far we've played five games and are 3 - 2.  The girls improve with every game and as coaches that is what we want to see.  We are also getting to know the girls in a different setting, the gym instead of the classroom.  Which can also be reversed...the girls are getting to know us in a different setting as well.

Not only are Jeff and I involved in JV Basketball, but Quintin is playing on the Boys JV Team.  His team is made up of 7th and 8th graders.  He is improving daily with his skills as well and seems to be developing a love for the sport, or maybe it's a love of the 3-pointer.  During one game his team could not seem to score.  Coach put Quin in and he shot a three and sunk it!  GO QUIN!  I'm not sure who looked more surprised...Quin or his parents...

 

Life's Questions

Who is the one and only?

Who made the earth?

Who do the mountains bow down to?

Who can make the earth be covered by water?

Who do the angels worship?

Who made man?

Who made you and me?

Who is the three in one?

Who is this that Christians sing of?

It is the Lord, God Almighty!

 - Quintin