Christmas Morning

Mery Christmas!  We've had a wonderful day here in Salatiga.  We woke up early (not as early as Zach, he was up at 4 am wondering if it was time to open presents!) and then connected with family in Thomas, Oklahoma via skype.  The kids opened their presents while Papa & Grandma Jackson watched.  Thank goodness for technology.  Unfortunately even technology is unpredictable.  Our electricity went out during the call, but we were able to reconnect with them later in the morning.  We did finally open the rest of our gifts.  The picture shows our family showing off our new Hesston College t-shirts from Papa & Grandma Selzer.  We are proud supporters of the Larks and always welcome new paraphernalia.

Jeff & I decided to get the kids sarongs, traditional clothing worn in Asian countries.  We went shopping at a Batik store downtown and chose fabric.  From the reactions of those standing around we were probably charged three times the original price.  At some point we will start to make sense of the Indonesian language.  Ibu Ti's husband is a tailor (she is one of our pembantus) and he sewed the fabric into sarongs for us.  Abby & Zach were very excited about the sarongs and have had them on most of the day.  Quin's reaction to the sarong was a little different.  In fact this picture may be the only time he is seen in it!

The rest of our day has been a mix of eating, sleeping and playing, all with Christmas in mind.  We are always mindful of our loved ones at home and you are always in our prayers and in our hearts.  We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

The Selzer Christmas Letter 2009

“Selamat Hari Natal dan Selamat Tahun Baru!”

(Merry Christmas And Happy New Year!)

We hope this letter finds everyone filled with the spirit of Christmas. Finals are done, grades have been recorded, and the last program has been performed, and yet here in Indonesia it does not feel like Christmas. In fact if we didn’t look at the calendar we could say that it is August. We are used to telling the passing of time through the four seasons. Here our weather is the same year round, except for six months of the year when we get rain almost daily. So instead of it “feeling” like it is Christmas with the cold weather, we will carry the “feeling” of the Christmas season in our hearts and share that with those around us.

Experiencing Indonesia

We arrived in Salatiga, Indonesia, on July 9, 2009, and have been trying to make sense of the many changes in our lives. Moving from a town of 1200 to a city of 176,000 is enough of a change to send a person into shock, but throw in a new language, new ways of transportation, new cultural expectations, new jobs & school setting, and to top it all off we feel like giants in a land of short people! Fortunately for us, our Indonesian neighbors are very forgiving and understanding of our “foreign” ways.

During Fall Break we traveled to Yogyakarta with friends. To reach our destination we traveled by bus and then by train. That was quite the experience. We enjoyed every minute of it and plan to travel by train again.

During Christmas break we are planning to travel to Pacitan with three other families. Pacitan is located on the south side of the island and will be our first trip to the beach.

What have we been up to?

Like every year we’ve been busy with our different interests and pursuits. Quintin continues to read, read, and read! One of his favorite authors is Brian Jacques. If he’s not reading you can find him playing games on the computer, His current favorite is “Age of Empires. “ Not only does Quintin spend time on the computer at home, but he will catch the angkota (public transportation) and meet friends at NEO’s (a computer hang-out) where they will sit side by side and play computer games for hours!

Abby continues to amaze us with her creativity and imagination. She spends much time and energy writing and illustrating stories, as well as producing plays in our living room with friends. She also enjoys playing soccer and basketball and is extremely competitive (if you can imagine that).

Zach enjoys spending time with his two friends, Ezel and Jimin. He is taking after his brother in that he also spends much time playing computer games.

Dana still enjoys scrapbooking, but is having to create pages digitally. According to her “It’s just not the same type of therapy as when you are physically moving the elements around and creating 3-D pages!” Dana also spends much time and energy preparing lessons for her first graders, which she is enjoying very much!

Jeff has been busy being a teacher. He has a broad curriculum guide to follow but no student textbooks so much of his time is spent lesson planning. Outside of school, Jeff spends time trying to learn the language and explore the city.

Reflections

What a year of contrasts. Last year we greeted 2009 with family in Oklahoma. This year we anticipate celebrating the New Year with friends in Indonesia. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to be a foreigner in a foreign land. Most Indonesians are very gracious and patient. However, when we go downtown to shop, small fearful pointing children remind us that we are different. I hope that no matter where we are we would always embrace diversity as an opportunity for learning and understanding and not a platform for fear and division.

At a Christmas gathering, a long-term missionary told a story about a Muslim man in the last stages of life whom he recently met. This man was sleeping only two hours a night. When asked why, t man replied that he is preparing himself for hell where he knows that he will get no sleep. I continue to be astounded by Muslims who persevere in their practice of faith without hope. Indeed, the harvest is upon us and all around us. Christ’s message of hope and healing for all people is not outdated nor is it obsolete in the post-modern world.

As I reflect on our first six months in Indonesia I’m still surprised that we’re actually here. There was so much for God to work out in order for us to come. The only credit we can take in that process was the willingness to be available. I give thanks for God’s care and provision. Through your availability, your prayers, your fellowship and financial support, God sustains us. This Christmas season, we rejoice in the message of hope found in the birth of the Messiah and give thanks for the great cloud of witnesses that we enjoy fellowship with.

May God bless each of you in 2010!

Quintin Turns 14!

Sorry, that it's been awhile since our last update.  The last two weeks of school went by very quickly and were full of projects, Christmas programs, and finals.  Now that we're a few days into our Christmas vacation we can relax and enjoy our time at home with family.  Yesterday we celebrated Quintin's 14th birthday.  He seemed to have a good day, but it's sometimes hard to tell with teenagers.  He spent the night with a friend and watched movies til late.  They got up early and went to eat breakfast at Soto Kesambi's and had his favorite Indonesian meal, chicken & rice soup.  Then they headed to NEO's, a computer hangout.  They played for hours and then he came home to celebrate with his family.  Abby & Zach had decorated the dining room with "Happy Birthday" banners and balloons.  They had the table set, the cake ready, and his presents wrapped for the moment he walked in.  For his birthday Quin received a hand phone (cell phone)!  He spent the rest of the day playing with it to figure all of it's functions out.  Hopefully he can figure it out and then help me with mine (I have the same one)!

A Renaissance Festival

The middle ages were an exciting time. Hope was starting to pull back the dark veil covering civilization during the dark ages. The drama and history teachers decided to put on a Renaissance Festival as a project for their classes. Soon the whole highschool was involved. The large gathering was a re-enactment of one of King Henry's weddings, his last one I think. Keeping King Henry's wives straight is a chore.

I led a session called Heretics and Heathens in which I pretended to be an inqustitor for the church. After familiarizing the group with the inquistitor's job and some of the tortures used in the process, Spencer, a 12th grade Bible student and I acted out the Diet of Worms. I was Johann Eck, the papal representative and the man responsible for questioning Martin Luther (Spencer).

Quintin and others from his class also participated in the festival. They put on a puppet show for some of the elementary students and served as performers in the Renaissance village between sessions. Quintin was a mime. He's pictured with a friend from his class, Zach.

The Renaissance Festival got me thinking. It's only been a few hundred years since the middle ages, yet the world or at least the world I've known, has changed dramatically. Since coming to Indonesia we've seen places barely touched by time; places where the people continue to live just as they have for hundreds of years. In seeing these places I can better understand what the middles ages might have been like. This causes me to wonder what the average Indonesian thinks of us. Are we seen as crusaders armed with wealth, priviledge and a New Testament Bible? During my research on the middle ages, I found myself appalled and ashamed of some of the church's history. I think and will continue to hope that the aliens living among the indigenous people here are living a better story than the one's that came out of the middle ages. Of course this is the hope that we are all called to live out.

Shalom, Jeff

Fixing the Roof!

To help deal with the leaking roof we found out that we needed to clean the debris off. Jeff was pretty sure that the termite infested roof wouldn't hold him and so we asked the lightest member of our family to climb the ladder to the roof, Zach. He did a wonderful job. He brushed the leaves and branches off so the water could run off and not sit and then leak through. Everything was going along fine until from inside the house Quintin and I heard a loud "crash!" Zach's leg had come through the roof. He handled it very well and even finished cleaning off the rest of the leaves. Jeff found some old clay tiles and with Zach's help they repaired the roof. We hope the repair job will keep the rain out. It continues to amaze us how much maintance everything here requires. It's as if the jungle is determined to reclaim the land it once enjoyed.

Rainy Season is Here!

Since arriving in July people have tried to explain to us what the "rainy season" was like. We were told about how it rains daily in a downpour, not a sprinkle or a mist. We've also been told that nothing dries and everything feels wet and smells musty. Well, what we were told is correct. The rain does come down in a downpour. It is the most amazing thing, there is no rain and then suddenly you're in a downpour and it can go on for hours. It is also true about things not drying because the air is so damp. Our laundry is done in the early morning so that it can be completely dry before the rains begin. In the picture to the right you can see the rain pouring through the drain pipe. Another tidbit about the rainy season in Indonesia is that you will always have a leak somewhere in your house...and it never leaks in the same place twice! A week ago we had a "waterfall" in Zach's room! Literally! The water was coming through the roof and leaking down two of his walls, as well as streaming down his doorway. We moved his room and he is bunking with Quintin now. To look at us you would of thought we had been caught outside in the rain. Sorry, I didn't take the time to take any pictures of this "Indonesian moment" and hopefully there won't be a repeat experience. We are just at the beginning of a rainy season that will last 6 months, please pray that we have the stamina to endure the daily rain...inside and out.

Unwelcome Houseguest!

We have heard about big critters here and we've seen a few large lizards, but we had yet to see any scorpions until one evening...Quin and I were in the kitchen and he commented on the "big"scorpion. Because he is always exaggerating about the "big" spider I didn't think anything of it. I quickly changed my mind after I turned and found this fellow sitting in our kitchen. They say that the bigger the scorpion, the less lethal the sting. Fortunately no one was stung so we didn't have to test the validity of that statement. The kids were fascinated by this scorpion. Abby took it to school as show and tell. I think there are two lessons we have learned from this...first always wear shoes and second always look before you step!

Who's Your Favorite Book Character?

On Friday, October 30, the elementary students dressed up as their favorite character from a book. Zach chose to dress up as Geronimo Stilton. This is the main character from the series "Geronimo Stilton." Who is Geronimo? Well, he is a mouse that runs a newspaper, but his true passion is writing adventure stories. The books are about his adventures in which he always turns out to be the hero... somehow. Jeff and Zach enjoy reading them together. Abby dressed as Prince Caspian from the "Chronicles of Narnia." She made her costume out of cardboard and did an exceptional job on the design. The only drawback was she couldn't sit down in class!

As for me, well.... Since I have seven students this year, I had a great idea to have the whole class dress as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs! The kids were adorable. They made their costumes in class (the hats and their beards). Oh, when we discussed our costumes my class said that Snow White had to have "black hair" so yes I have a wig on! Anyone coming to Indonesia to visit us don't pack any taffeta...it doesn't breathe at all! I lasted until lunch with the dress and the wig, but it was worth it.
The day was a success. We had 100% participation from the elementary students and faculty. Everyone dressed up. Parents were invited to chapel where we sang praise songs together and the teachers performed a couple of readers' theatre from well known children's books. From 10:30 to lunch we were split into multi-age groups that rotated between hearing a few favorite books read to playing "Literature Pictionary" and "20 Questions." Then on to drawing their favorite scene from a book on a mural and participating in a school wide reading challenge. It was a very busy, very fun day!

Learning Perseverance

One of the things I've always enjoyed doing is cutting grass. Perhaps it's because I like the feeling of control, pushing or driving a dangerous machine that chews through grass before spitting it out. Perhaps it's the smell of newly cut grass or the sense of accomplishment, making tall grass become short, though I'm not completely sure that this counts as much of an accomplishment. When we arrived in Salatiga three months ago, our backyard was starting to look overgrown. I immediately found myself wanting to cut some grass.
Soon, school started and I forgot all about the tall grass in the backyard. The school sends a gardener to each teacher's house at least once a month to help maintain the property. I asked that the gardener cut the grass in our backyard since the front yard requires virtually no care. Slowly, the gardener has been "mowing" strips of our back yard. I must confess that I've been a bit disappointed with his slow progress. So, being the American I am, I decided to cut the grass myself. Filled with a sense of the pioneer spirit I decided to walk downtown to buy a tool to cut the grass. Notice I said tool not lawn mower. The walk took me a bit longer than I thought it might and my initial attempt to locate a vendor selling what I was looking for failed. I couldn't remember where I had seen the man selling tools. Before long I found a different vendor and purchased my hand scythe for 20,000 rupiah ($2 US). I returned home eager to cut some grass.

I decided to cut a strip of the backyard like the gardener had been doing. Five minutes into my lawn cutting project I soon realized why the gardener only cut a small section of the yard at a time. It's not particularly hard work just slow. Two hours later I finished my small section of the lawn. Dripping with sweat, I look with satisfaction at the small area I had cut.
It is amazing how two hours of cutting the grass had changed my expectations. Normally, I like nice straight lines when I mow and an even cut. With my hand scythe, I was pleased to just cut the grass. There are no lines and it is certainly not cut evenly but at least it's cut. The grandeur of my accomplishment quickly fades as I survey the rest of the yard. The good news is that there are only about 5 more hours of cutting to do. The bad news is that I don't know how to keep up with "hand mowing" 14-16 hours a week during the rainy season. These reality make me feel discouraged and hesitant to even continue the lawn mowing project.

When despair starts to set in I like to put my situation in perspective, theologically speaking. Dripping with sweat and bleeding from two self-inflicted wounds due to my lack of experience with the hand scythe I'm reminded of other situations in my life when I've felt similarly. These memories are some of God's best gifts to me. Some of the memories are triumphant where everything works out just like a Hallmark made for television movie. Some, remind me of failures; times where my knowledge, strength and/or perseverance failed. While I don't like to dwell on failure, these stories remind me that despite the negative outcomes, God has seen me through them. I know it sounds cliche but maybe that is the point. Through good or bad, God is faithful. Through good and bad God calls us to be faithful. Perhaps God will use my hand scythe and love of mowing to teach me more about faith. As I learn I'll pass it on. God bless. Jeff

Becaks, Buses, and Trains!

MICS's Fall Break began after school on Friday, October 8. Students and faculty were all excited for this 10 day break to begin. Our family decided that during this school break we wanted to do a bit of traveling. We enlisted the help of three of the single teachers to serve as our tour guides; Leah Koger (Abby's 4th grade teacher), Christine Switzner (2nd grade teacher) and Hannah Van (Quintin's Geography teacher). Our destination was Yogyakarta, there are many accepted spellings including Jojyakarta (which is how it is pronounced). For transportation we decided to catch a bus from Salatiga to Solo City, which is what we did, literally. We went and stood on a corner where the buses travel past and waited until the one we wanted (the air conditioned one!) came by. The man in the picture was trying to get us to ride in his mini bus that was not air conditioned...we decided to wait.

After being dropped off in Solo, we hired three becaks (bicycle-rickshaws) to transport us to the train station. We were excited about riding on the train since Jeff was the only one of our family who had ever ridden a train before. We weren't sure what to expect before arriving...first impression of the station and trains took us back into the past to maybe the 1940's. We arrived at the train station early and so we waited right on the tracks, literally. After the train arrives people quickly get on board to claim their seat because you don't want to stand or have to sit on the floor since there is no limit to how many people are riding. Fortunately there were not many passengers headed to Yogya.

The train stops multiple times in Yogya. The first stop is at the airport, second is in the middle of town, and the third stop will let you off on Jalan Malioboro (Yogya's main shopping street, the street to the Sultan's palace and to the motel where we were staying). Unfortunately we got off one stop early and weren't quite sure where we were... our tour guides stepped in and used their Indonesian to ask a few of the locals how to get to Malioboro. After asking for directions three different times we finally arrived on the right street.


Upon arriving in Yogya we didn't have reservations for a place to stay but had been assured by our three tour guides that that would not be a problem. Our first choice was the Bladok Losmen (meaning lodge) and Resturant. In the "Lonely Planet Guide to Indonesia" it describes the Bladok as "having oodles of charm". They are right, our family has decided that we will definitely stay there again.
During our stay in Yogya we ate at McDonald's twice, had delicious doughnuts from JayCo Doughnuts. went bowling, and yes of course went shopping on Malioboro. This street is one long bazaar of souvenir shops and stalls selling batik (printed cloth made by coating part of the fabric with wax, then dyeing it and melting the wax out), leatherwork, woodwork, jewelry, and so much more... It was very over-whelming. You can bargain with the vendors on the street to get a lower price for items or head to Mirota, which is a multi-level store with fixed prices. We enjoyed Mirota, for one it was air-conditioned and for two no bargaining! Although the bartering allowed us to practice our Indonesian, or at least our numbers.

Even though our stay in Yogya was short, we had a good time experiencing Indonesian transportation as well as being introduced to Java's cultural center, Yogyakarta. This trip was definitely a success because of our new friends, Leah, Hannah, & Christine. We look forward to more visits to Yogyakarta, maybe with some of you.

Zach's Birthday!

We celebrated Zach's birthay on October 3. We can't believe that he is 9 years old...but that is what happens, they continue to grow and get older. Zach decided that he wanted to spend his special day at home with family, his birthday presents, and pizza! When we moved to Salatiga in July all of the kids had to make very hard decisions in what to bring and what to leave in Oklahoma. Since arriving here we've second guessed all of our packing decisions. Zach even realized after being here for a week that he did not pack his favorite toys, legoes! Unfortunately we are unable to buy any legoes in Salatiga. But fortunately his grandparents and his aunt sent him some via the postal service for his birthday. Now we're good.

A Dokar Ride

Each Saturday, we journey downtown to do some shopping for the upcoming week. We try to purchase items that are heavy so our helper doesn't have to carry them home when she shops on Wednesday. Unlike our helper, we don't shop at the pasar or local market. Instead we shop at American type stores, places where the prices are clearly marked and you can get by speaking minimal Indonesian. On one such shopping trip we decided to purchase two "buckets" (gallons)of paint in addition to the usual items. Like other Indonesians without a car or motorcycle, we depend on the angkota, public transportation, to get around. There is an angkota (the light blue van) just to the left of the horse. Like in the U.S., you have to be on the angkota's route to get a ride. With the paint and groceries weighing us down, our usual three block walk seemed like more than we wanted.
So, we decided to take the dokar. A dokar (do-car) is simply a horse drawn two-wheeled cart. We bargained with the driver, actually, we explained where we lived and then agreed to pay what he asked, and got in. It was quite a drive. Sections of Salatiga are quite hilly. This means that the driver must really slow the horse down when going downhill and then have the horse gallop to get up the hill. The trip reminded me of a wooden roller-coaster ride. I don't enjoy roller-caoster rides, especially wooden roller-coaster rides, they're too rough. The speeds weren't as great on our dokar ride but like on a roller-coaster, I found myself wondering why I thought this would be a good idea. In the end, we arrived safely at our house. Since our dokar ride I've heard stories that really make me question our use of the dokar. Of course, if you come to visit us, we will most definitely take you on a dokar ride just to say you've been. Shalom, Jeff

Wishing Summer Away

A dripple,a drabble,
a rainfall comes.

Drought had reigned.
Drought now perished.

A country town sang and danced,
like a nation rejoicing in its' independence.

The rain fell hard upon the land,
as if kings punishing rebellious subjects.

Floods sprang out upon the land,
like a conquering army seeking the spoils of war.

The sun comes out and rules,
til the moon takes its command away.

Oh, how I wish the weather of summer
would just hurry away.

(Written by Quintin)

Quintin's poem comes on the heels of our first good rainfall. While the rain doesn't mark the end of the dry season, it does signal that a change is coming. The change will be welcome as the temperatures and humidity have risen. Our friends tells us that the transition between the seasons always seems to be the warmest time. Like Quintin, I think we are all missing the simple joy of cool Autumn nights. Shalom. Jeff

The Feast

Rahmadan is over. The fasting month ended September 21 & 22 with a celebration called Idul Fitri. This is also a time to reconcile with family and friends. During Idul Fitri, the cities empty out as people make their way back to where their parents live. Salatiga is one of those places people come back to. Over Idul Fitri the population of Salatiga swelled. On the advice of the school, we didn't venture out. Doing some shopping downtown days before Idul Fitri, Dana and I experienced just a glimpse of the growing number of people to our city. I had no desire to experience the full force of the multitudes during Idul Fitri. Like Thanksgiving or Christmas, Idul Fitri is a time to visit family, friends and neighbors. Our neighborhood had lots of visitors. Dana and I didn't do any visiting this year. Hopefully, our Indonesian will allow us to enjoy this visiting time next year.

In the midst of the Islamic fast, students from Mountainview began gathering Tuesday nights for "The Feast". The Feast is the equivalent of a midweek youth group gathering. I've enjoyed meeting with the leaders of the Feast and was pleased when it transitioned from an idea or concept to an actual gathering. So far, it's been student-led and the students are doing a great job. My role is simply to advise, encourage and be present as an adult sponsor. I'm excited about what I can learn from the practice of a student-led gathering model.


The first two gatherings have been in our home, spilling out of our front room and onto the porch. I can bearly describe what a blessing it was to have the prayers of the local mosque drown out by the praises coming from the mouths of 56 youth. Equally amazing, where the different races and cultures represented by the youth in attendance. During the gathering I remember thinking, this must be what heaven is like. The first gathering introduced the Feast at which time we celebrated Christ by sharing communion. I hope the Feast will continue to be a time of joy and encouragement to all.


It is custom to remove one's shoes or sandals when entering someone's house. We couldn't believe the pile of footwear that accommulated beside our door. Now that I think about it, I wonder where God will guide all of those feet in the future. I pray that our feet and your's are under God's control. Blessings, Jeff

Fridays is Chapel Time

Every Friday the Elementary and the Secondary have a time to come together and worship in the form of Chapel. For the Elementary the teachers take turns planning the chapel time. Last year one of the students asked "Why Jesus?" Meaning... with all of our religious choices why should we choose Jesus? In this part of the world it is very obvious that "Jesus" is not the only choice and there are many around us who have chosen another path. We hear the call to prayer multiple times a day and see women wearing traditional clothing that attest to their Muslim faith. Why should we believe that Jesus is The Way?

The teachers agreed that this would be a wonderful focus for this year's chapels. The first chapel started with a courtroom complete with the judge, the prosecuter and the defense attorney. In the witness stand is a cross representing Jesus. The prosecutor is bent on proving that Jesus is a fake while the defense attorney is confident in Jesus and the truth of the Bible.

For this first semester the teachers at MICS will be walking the students (who are the jury) through a line of arguments that attempt to make Jesus someone He wasn't. On the other side of this argument is the defense attorney who will be making a Case for Christ (Case for Christ is a book written by Lee Strobel).

Abby's class was in charge of chapel this past Friday and she was the judge. Their class presented the argument through the prosecution that Jesus was insane. The defense attorney quickly refuted any and every argument that was made and in the end even the "expert wittnesses" (Abby's Classmates) had changed their minds and turned to Christ.

I will be planning a chapel in October and my argument is that Jesus can't be who He says He is. There is no way humanly possible that He rose from the dead after dying a tragic death on the cross. No one can return from the torture He endured, so He must of been faking. He didn't really die...

Thank you PVMC!

On Thursday, August 27, my class arrived at school to a surprise...Pleasant View Mennonite Church sent a package of school supplies to us! During Bible School in July the children at PVMC raised money for school supplies to send to us and we are extremely thankful. You can find some supplies here but the quality is not always very good and there is no variety. So the markers, crayons, colored pencils, erasers, and stickers are going to be very helpful. We are very excited about the writing pencils because we have yet to find pencils with erasers on the end (one thing we always took for granted in the states, pencils that come with erasers!). Besides the glitter...the favorite item pulled out of the box was the Crayola markers! In fact we used the markers as soon as we could get them opened! The kids were also fascinated with the cool pencil grips and the erasers that go on the end of the pencils. We are going to have a ton of First Grade Fun with the supplies that you sent...Thank you!



















My class consists of eight students; three are from Korea, one from Australia, one from England, and three from the states (unfortunately there are only 7 in this picture, one student had not arrived from Korea yet). Of those from the states one just moved to Salatiga from Oklahoma! What are the odds of that? The majority of my students are MK's (missionary kids), and their parents are studying at the language school which is located at the edge of Mountainview's property. The student population is made up of MK's, BK's (business kids, their parents have found employment here on Java so that their children can attend an American school without having to move to the states. Salatiga is a much cheaper place to live than the US.) and teachers children (which are MK's). It makes teaching interesting when your students are world travelers at the age of 6. They have seen parts of the world that I have only read about in books or seen on tv. There is one thing that I can promise about this year, with these students class will definitely not be boring!

Thank you PVMC for sending us supplies to help us learn in class!

Help from above in a helper from here

I find it hard to believe that it has been over a week since our last post. School is in full swing which means everyone is busy. Dana and I teach and then spend a few hours each night preparing to teach the next day. It is good to have meaningful work and the ability to do it. The beginning of school has been more significant for the kids. It has given them the opportunity to meet new friends and more importantly new playmates. The infusion of new playmates has lead to increased harmony at home. Before school started I think we had too much together time. When the kids aren't playing with friends they're doing homework or amusing themselves with something around the house. The pattern is familiar, just as in the states.

Well that's a brief update on the goings on here. Now I want to introduce you to one of the people God has blessed us with in this time of transition. Ibu Pasira is our pembantu, or helper. Ibu is the English equivalent of Mrs. It is a sign of respect for someone who is older or in a position of higher authority. At school, the Indonesian staff always call me Pak (Mr.) Jeff. If I were single they would call me Mas (Mr. for a younger man) Jeff.

While we are scurrying off to school, Ibu Pasira is making lunch, doing laundry, sweeping, mopping and shopping for food. I don't know what we would do without her. Again, Salatiga is not like living in the states. You can't just jump in your car, drive to the nearest super center, do all of your shopping and then go home. For starters, we don't have a car here, nor is there one stop shopping. Knowing where to get what your looking for is very important, however it doesn't mean that you'll find what you looking for. The availability of products comes and goes.

Our kids, especially Abby and Zach, have taken to Ibu Pasira. In many ways, she is our Indonesian Grandmother. Ibu Pasira has a number of grown children who are married and a daughter who just graduated from Indonesian high school last year. She comes at 7 AM and works til 2 PM Monday through Friday. We fend for ourselves on the weekends, during holidays and when Ibu wants off. Without Ibu Pasira, both of us could not teach. Maintaining the home and shopping is indeed a full time job in Salatiga without a car. Ibu Pasira is God's answer to our prayers regarding Him preparing a place for us in Salatiga. Our continued prayer is that Ibu Pasira may come to realize that she is a gift from God and come to faith in Christ. Blessings to each of you, Jeff

First Day of School

We've finished our first day of school and I think everyone in the family was exhausted! Our morning started early because Jeff & I were supposed to be at school by 7:15. Let's just say that 50% of us made it...okay so I was late my first day! I hate to admit but three of my students beat me to school... The bell rings at 7:40 a.m. and students are to be in their seats by that bell. In elementary our day is done at 2:45 and for secondary at 3:00. The kids and I made it to school by 7:35, before we left I convinced Abby & Zach to take the traditional first day of school picture. Don't they look ready for school?

We started the day with a K-12 chapel. It was awesome, we got to begin our day praising God through worship songs. Then the superintendent spoke about our school theme for the year which is B.E. R.E.A.L.

• B - Bold


• E - Expectant


• R - Redeemed


• E - Extraordinary


• A - Authentic


• L - Loved

There is a song by Matthew West called "The Motions" and it talks about "not wanting to have any regrets...I don't want to go through the motions, I don't want to go one more day, without your all consuming passion inside of me...I don't want to spend my whole life asking, what if I had given everything instead of going through the motions?" It is a song with powerful words. The school is going to use the song as kind of the theme song for the year.

Upon returning to the classroom I had a room of eight first graders, six boys and two girls. It will be an interesting year, three are from Korea, one from Australia, one from England, and three from the states. In fact one of the girls is from Oklahoma, what are the odds. I am looking forward to this year with these students.

As far as the rest of the family...I'll let them respond at a later time. Dana

Independence Day Celebration

August 17th is Indonesia's Independence Day. This day is widely celebrated because it is the only holiday that all of the relegions represented in Indonesia can agree on. In fact everyone goes all out...they paint the fronts of their homes as well as their gates with vibrant colors. The curbs throughout town are repainted yearly in anticipation of this holiday. They hang flags everywhere. Each neighborhood celebrates together, but you don't have to necessarily have your party on August 17th. Our neighborhood, Dukuh Krajan, has it's celebration right in our front yard...we have heard it's quite the party.

In anticipation of Independence Day, the national staff at MICS (Mountainview International Christian School) planned an afternoon of games. All staff along with their families were invited to participate. Our family had a great time taking part and in just watching. They started out the afternoon with "tug-of-war" which is known by everyone no matter where you're from. My team proved to be the strongest at the end of the day.

Then there were the games that we had never seen before like the "greased watermelon" game. Jeff got to participate in this one...and he was excited! The object of the game is to extract the most coins out of the greased watermelon. They cut slits in a watermelon and then stick coins in them. After that they "grease" the watermelon with sweet soy sauce and hang it from a pole. Each team had 3 participants who took turns extracting the coins with just their mouths...unfortunately they use the same watermelons over and over again and Jeff's team was the last to compete. (This isn't exactly the most sanitary game, same watermelons & the same coins used for the different "heats"!) Jeff was the third player on his team to go and there were only 5 coins left...he only got 2 because the last 3 kept sliding up into the watermelon and he couldn't latch onto them.

Then there's our favorite game...the "eel" relay! I'm serious, they used real eels. You had to dig them out of the mud and run them to the other end and put them in a bucket. Abby and her friend did it for my team. They loved it! It may sound easy but the eels don't exactly cooperate. They are extremely slippery and once you drop them in the grass it's hard to get them picked back up. Abby and Naelyn won with 7 eels in the bucket!

There were a few other games such as "teklek" (looked like a 3 person cross country skiing team/on the same set of skis!) and bust the water bag (blind-folded). We're planning to introduce a few of these at our next big bash in the states! So everyone be ready to enjoy some Indonesian Independence Day celebration games! Dana

Living in a small town

Since our arrival, people here have been anxious to know how we like living in Salatiga. Our reply has been and continues to be that we like living in Salatiga. A typical comment to our reply is that Salatiga is a nice small town.
Now I recognize that one's perspective is almost everything, however I'm not to the point where I would call Salatiga small. Our previous two homes were in nice small communities; Communities of two thousand or less. Salatiga is a community of roughly 176,000 with the population swelling to close to 250,000 as people travel into town for the day.

The picture to right was taken at the north end of the downtown area looking south. Shops line both sides of the street and continuing south about a half a mile. Behind the shops lie more shops and vendors, each happy to sell you something.

The challenge of shopping here is that you may visit 4-6 different shops to get the little bag of stuff that you will carry home. For instance, I purchased a light bulb and extension cord at one shop, brought bread and a few groceries at another, purchased canned goods and soy sauce at another, fabric at another, hooks for hanging things in Dana's classroom, some charcoal tablets (for an upset stomach that I've been trying to calm for a week) and a few plastic baskets at yet another shop.

Mind you, none of these stops is quick. In shops here you must either hunt for things or try to explain what you are looking for to the shop keeper. In some stores, once you have found what you are looking for you must take it to a desk where someone hand writes a ticket for you. Then you take the ticket, to a cashier and pay for the items you want. In the mean time, someone has brought your items to the cashier. Upon payment, the cashier gives you the "stuff" you purchased. Shopping in Salatiga is certainly a different experience than at Super Wal-Mart in the states!

The pictures of house tops was taken from the top floor of a hotel in Salatiga. Like in large cities, people here build up not out. In fact as you look across the house tops you will notice very few green spaces. Trees grow along the sidewalks and streets. There are a few green spaces but nothing like what we've been accustom to living in the rural Midwest.

I find the constant flow of people and traffic somewhat exhausting so I'm always thankful to get back to our community and home which is less than a mile from downtown. I'll take the roosters crowing, goats bleating and cows lowing over the hustle and bustle of downtown.
Can you see our house? Let me know if you can, because I can't. I think our neighborhood is located somewhere left of the six tall trees on the right of the picture. Blessings, Jeff

More Pictures from our Hike

Indonesian Sunset

Greetings to everyone! I know Jeff posted yesterday, but last night we went hiking with some friends up what they termed a "hill"...in Oklahoma & Nebraska it would be called a "mountain!" We arrived just before sunset and then climbed a good distance up...all the way to the top. We could see seven volcanoes, one was even smoking! Don't be alarmed it's not about to erupt. The view of our new world was breath-taking. God has created an amazing world and being in Indonesia gives our family a different perspective on life. We did watch the sunset behind the volcanoes and when the last rays were hidden we began the climb down. I had thought the climb up was interesting and it was light then! The climb down definitely went faster, even though it was dark. Thank goodness for the flashlights! It was a wonderful time and we look forward to many more hikes and days of exploring in our new world.