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.