Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH)

This is the name of the school where I am student teaching. There are over 1,000 students in this building, from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, with a staff of over one hundred and fifty people. The school is absolutely beautiful. I thought it was about time I talk more about what I'm doing with teaching -- it is the reason that I'm here after all.

I am working in a wonderful third grade classroom with two teachers, one from North Carolina, and the other is from a village an hour away from here. There are three grade three classes, where we are joined together in a pod of classrooms. As teachers, we collaborate quite often, arranging summative assessments and lesson ideas around four times a week. I'm learning a lot more about working with other teachers, grabbing ideas and modifying them to fit my own teaching style. The students are a joy to teach. They love to learn, name facts (a girl who asks me the capital cities of multiple countries constantly) and ask questions. I am often reflecting on my own work, my own thoughts, and my own beliefs so I can have a better understanding of how my worldview affects my teaching, and will affect the lives of these students.
Some of the lessons I have been teaching include an English unit on the book "Helen Keller: A light for the World, how to write a paragraph, a science unit on light, a math unit on mass, and the Ten Commandments in Biblical Studies. Lessons have to be arranged and thought through in a cultural context. There is a difference in teaching the Ten Commandments here in Indonesia then in North America. I would find the "harder" commandments to teach would be on resting on the Sabbath, and perhaps lying or adultery (with the divorce rates and all). But I ended up spending over two lessons talking about idols and having only one God. Here, the students know multiple people who believe in Buddha or some of the Hindu gods. There are idols all over. What happens to them, Ms. Shena? Is it okay to have guardian statues in front of our house? Well....we talked about which God we should trust, and who has the ultimate power to protect us and that is God. He comes first, and we don't need statutes and idols to protect us. A bit of an adjustment to deal with such reality.
I am reminded of this constantly. Trusting in God will get me through any day, any circumstance, any lesson, any decision. What a comfort.

But I am loving the teaching. Last week I completed my full-time week of teaching! It was stressful and a lot of hard work, but the rewards were rich and the smiles made me realize why I love this profession. I used some of the ideas from my last practicum, (math games but modified and a song) so that was great! I have been reminded constantly by other teachers and the principal that there is an opening here at the school in third grade. But the school year starts in July, and I so happened to be getting married that month (!!!!) so I guess teaching here wasn't meant to be. However, I am thrilled about the experiences I am making here, and look forward to the last couple of weeks. I have been applying to other schools back in North America but have yet to hear back. If you wouldn't mind mentioning a prayer or two for Nathan and I about jobs and future that would be fabulous. We continue to seek His guidance on our future plans!

Two more weeks to go here in Indonesia. I try to have the mindset...I'm not busy --I'm just trying to be fruitful in my work --.

Easter Weekend

After coming back from Bali we headed back to campus, a couple days to spare on our break. It was the Easter weekend and we were cuddled in our dorm room, working away, content with air conditioning, and again greeted by the mosque in the mornings. The weekend was full to blog-posting, e-mailing, lesson planning, and talking to people back home, after all - it was Easter! I was a little homesick coming back --we both were. We felt as if we were going through culture-shock all over again. The busy streets, the carbon-monoxide, the frantic grocery stores, and our white-walled room didn't give us much comfort. Sunday morning we attended the Easter morning service. The attendance of the chapel was low as most university students had gone home for the Easter holidays, but we were still thankful they had a service. Without the service, Easter could have passed by without us noticing! Because Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country, they don't celebrate Easter. There aren't eggs, chocolate, and bunnies everywhere --an interesting cultural outlook on what Americans perceive Easter to be about. The Lord has risen! He has risen indeed!
Thankfully, I was able to talk with my Dad on skype that morning, while he called my mom on the telephone so I could also say hello to her. Then ten minutes later, I got to talk over the computer with my grandparents in Ontario. What a wonderful surprise! It certainly helped my Easter feel a little more like a celebration when I got to speak with my family. It makes me all the more excited to see them again, and join with new family soon as well.
The pastor of the service talked about spring and new life. How in North America, they have a season called spring and it's a time of new birth. That's why we celebrate Easter in the spring. I always knew this connection, but I never thought about what it would be like to be in a different culture where they don't have much for seasons. Understanding "new birth" in Christ isn't used with the metaphor of dying trees having new buds, or a flower coming out in the spring. It was a beautiful reminder of the life given to us, and here, we could say, never dies.

Happy Easter to all! Even if I am a little late, we can still celebrate the fact that we are saved by the blood of Jesus!

Last Day in Bali

Sorry I never got around to finishing up our Bali trip!
Our last day in Bali we packed up our bags, threw them on our peeling backs, and headed out of town. We had originally planned on viewing a bird sanctuary, but when we heard most of the birds were in cages, we were quite disappointed. Our plans were changed to visit a waterfall. We got to the site and climbed down the rocks to reach a river with an overflowing shoot coming out of the rock. We noticed the locals used the place to shower, how there was a marked path for women and another path for men. Someone asked us if we brought our bathing suits, but they were at the top of the hike. With how warm we were by the time we got down, it would have been a good idea. However, the water wasn’t the cleanest (not your glacier water like in BC) We took pictures none the less, as the green vegetation surrounded the scenery and added the tropical depth we were amidst. Now onto the airport. A busy place filled with visitors we could only do the touristy thing and have good-old McDonalds for lunch.
With an hour flight and the hour time change, we arrived near the time we departed. Strange. Add on an hour of driving, and we were back in our dorm room—exhausted, burnt, and stinky. Our bags were dumped into the laundry and we arranged ourselves back into our humble home.
Overall we look back on our trip and are amazed. What a wonderful time of relaxation and reflection in the beauty of God’s creation. We wish others could have been there to bask in the glory with us as we thought of our loved ones often. Maybe one day we will return. We thank the Lord for keeping us safe and relatively healthy. We also thank you for your prayers and communication throughout our adventures!!!

Temples and Mountains, Coffee and Rice

We woke up determined to explore. An 8km walk was laid out in from p. 89-90 and we were ready. But with the restless morning of rooster calls, and a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius by 10am, we were convinced otherwise. We ask our taxi driver to take us to the beginning of our hike, and he said, “have you seen the volcano yet?” We replied no. So, he explained he would take us there as well as some other touristy places, and we agreed. On the way to the volcano, we stopped at a Hindu temple known as the “Holy Springs” Temple. There were statues, shrines, and water springs lined with gold and offerings of fruit and incense. I had to wear a sarong in the temple (a colourful skirt) out of respect, which makes sense. The area was beautiful, yet the ambiance a sick feeling. There were people bowing, praying, offering sacrifices, and the such to these statues. I didn’t feel right about it. We continued on the road to Kintamani, a volcano that last erupted in 1994. We got there at good timing as a storm was coming in. The volcano stood tall amongst neighbouring mountains and you could see the devastation the lava made on the once-vegetated area. Our driver took us to a restaurant on a hill, where we ate buffet Indonesian food and overlooked the valley and the volcano. The pictures look fake. We kept thinking it was fake! Birds would fly by and we would remind ourselves where exactly we were, and why...well for student teaching of course. How blessed we are! Our meal was delicious! It also gave us a chance to try some of the food we weren’t too sure about without losing our money. I tried some fried banana dessert as well as a chicken curry type of dish for my first time. The view was fantastic. Our stomachs satisfied we hopped back in the car towards our next destination: a spice and coffee garden! I was truly excited! We walked through the gardens on a tour of the different spices: lemon grass, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla, cocoa. We also saw pineapple plants, a variation of tomatoes and peppers, and let’s not forget: coffee beans! We were able to see the coffee process as some ladies were grounding the beans from their shells, roasting them, and then grounding them finer. If you have ever seen the movie “The Bucket List” you might remember the man drinking the most expensive coffee in the world. This is called Kopi Luwak. It is made from the coffee beans found in the feces of a certain cat. This cat’s digestive system works the coffee bean into a new mixture, and when taken from its feces, has its own coffee formula. Anyway, it was founded in Indonesia and is the only place that makes it. These cats run wild in their jungles and go through this process on their own will (I just wonder who was the first to try eating the coffee beans from poop!) This very garden kept one of the cats in their facility to nurture and heal. However, most of their product comes from the collection in the backwoods. What a crazy job! The owner of the garden sat us down after the tour and let us try some of their teas and coffees that they produce from their plants, all for free! He then offered us a cup of Kopi Luwak for a price of three dollars and we had to do it! When you pay $3 at Starbucks for a coffee, you can surely pay for “the most expensive coffee in the world” for that price, even if you do know where it was made from. It had the similar coffee fragrance, with a stronger taste. I wouldn’t say it was phenomenal, but it was good, and worth the experience. However, halfway through a fly landed in it, and then I was done. It was really neat to see the garden and how Indonesia works with their exports of coffee, tea, and spices.
Such a wonderful day already, and we weren’t finished! Our driver took us to a beautiful area of rice fields, where they climbed the mountain side in layers. The bright greens of the rice grass mixed with the vegetation around them brought a colourful array of life. As we stood in amazement, we noticed a “fog” rolling in. Little did we know, it was a downpour of rain and our driver was a block down. We got caught in the storm and were drenched. The locals watched us walk through the rain and chuckled. We embraced the coolness, and the ambiance. Picture the sounds of a rainforest, and thats what it was like. Pounding against the leaves, the water had a rhythm that made you smile. We got into the car, and headed down the road. The ditches filled quickly and the road was becoming more of a flowing creek. The water systems are often filled with garbage, so when the rain comes, the roads fill with water, which slows down traffic. Thankfully, we were in the backroads and it wasn’t too bad. We look back at our pictures and think, “wow, we did that all in one day?” and are still amazed at the beauty we continue to see day in and day out. God is good.

The City of Ubud

On Wednesday morning we headed back to Bali by boat. The waves were crashing against the sides, we’re guessing up to 10 feet sometimes! A couple of prayers were said, not going to lie! We got to the mainland safe and sound, found a driver, and drove to Ubud, a city inland known for its Balinese culture and rice fields. We were able to find a home stay place that was cozy and downtown, perfect distance to do some shopping! The marketplace was colourful, busy, and full of life. Merchants carried all sorts of baskets on their heads and would convince you to see more of their merchandise. Towards the end of the evening we noticed the sellers giving us cheaper deals but in a way that they were begging us to buy from them. It was hard to be there as a foreigner, them knowing you had money. They would grab our arms as we passed and say “please buy from me for good luck” “for my family” “for my babies”. We were always told “for luck” and from talking with our driver and some other locals, we learned that the Balinese people have a strong belief in karma. They want to do good for others because then they will receive good things from their gods and possibly others. It was so hard to say no to these people sometimes because of their down spirits and begging. There days were spent here, trying to sell trinkets and souvenirs similar to the next stand. Bargaining didn’t seem fair, but they were more than willing just to try to get a dollar. I ended up taking the opportunity to buy some kitchen things, perhaps for my future kitchen?! And some other cultural materials. Our evening was dinner outside in a busier part of town, where across the road was a Hindu ceremony of some sort. It was neat to hear the drumming patterns and people walking past in different colour outfits. Later we walked around some of their temples. It felt like I was in the setting of the show “survivor” where they have the stone walkways and temple areas, with greenery everywhere and the lowlight settings. We also walked through an “orchid garden” of some sort. Sadly, it was a little dark, but still really pretty! It feels strange to be back in the city, where the hustle and bustle of life is the norm. Its different than Jakarta, as the cultural outfits are still worn, and the people are so overly friendly. Every thirty seconds were asked, “Ms.....taxi?” and I say “no, taramakasi” in my sleep. We head back to our place for the evening, excited we have hot water for the first time in a while. Hopefully the geckos and spiders can keep out for the evening. Some pillow talk and oreos always help calm those fears. Little did we know that we would wake up early to the rooster crows.

Joy: A language without words

After exploring the ocean floors, we thought we better cover some of the grounds too. What better way to get around then by the local transportation....motorbike! The shock of it all is that we drove our own bikes! I was a bit nervous about the idea (if you know my thoughts about driving it makes sense) and then think about driving on the left side of the road, if we can call it a road! There were bumps, holes, cracks, trees, all sorts of things...but we did it! We each had our own bike, and I carried the backpack of our day supplies. We sought some directions on which beaches to hit up, and we followed the windy paths. The green vegetation and landscape made us pull over often to take some photos. We came to dream beach and boy was it ever dreamy! Waves crashing against the rocks, with the palm trees and grass huts, white sand, it was perfect! Our sweaty bodies couldn't help but jump in. The waves were strong, so we kept guard of how far we went out, but it was probably one of the best places I've ever jumped in the waves. After our beach experience, we followed the roads into the village, bringing us to the other side of the island, where a bridge connected one island to another. A rickety boarded bridge was all a apart of the adventure, not to mention the foot-gap in some places. Best not to look down! The other side was an island we never figured out the name to. We searched for a lookout point, as we could tell there was a "mountain" in the middle of it, but only found a steep incline that led no where (the harder part was getting down while local kids laughed at us!) We thought it would be best to stop for a cold drink at a local stand where young children were playing.
While eating a freezie, Kristin talked with the woman running the stand, and I played peek-a-boo with two younger children. They were adorable. Isn't it funny that we can play a similar game in a completely different part of the world? and are so easily amused? I didn't even have to speak their language to get the giggles and laughs to flow. The woman asked if we could come back tomorrow! We told her we were looking for a lookout point, and she said, "oh let me get my father-in-law to take you." Minutes later we were being led by foot through their farm land up the mountain side. And up it was. His grandson joined us and we climbed and climbed. It was incredibly warm, we both confess that was the sweatiest thing we've ever done. A quick break of eating local berries and we continued to the top, of which was a view to remember. We could see the whole island of Lombungan (where we were staying) with the ocean and bridge connecting the two. Breath taking. Our guide didn't speak English, but pointed yonder, saying "Blue Lagoon" so we followed. He brought us to the other side of the mountain, where we took in the view of a lagoon, with yet more islands in the distance. Another incredible view we would have not been able to witness if it wasn't for this local farmer. The trek home was quicker then up, but our knees felt it. We got to the bottom and his wife came out to the path and invited us into their house. Together, neither of us knowing each other's languages, we shared a bunch of bananas. It's remarkable how we could feel such a connection without speaking. We could share the views with our awe in silence. We could eat together while smiling and sharing pictures. Such hospitality was much appreciated. We couldn't help but reflect this as being one of the biggest highlights of the trip so far. Getting to know more of the local life and the beauties of the country gave us a joy that the regular touristy things couldn't.
We thanked them graciously and continued our motorbiking to some other beaches. Our evening was cooled with a tropical storm that coloured the skies in various shades of blue and gray. We couldn't help but cozy up with a book in our bungalow. Another wonderful day of exploration!

Spectacular Creation

The next morning we lounged around along the beach, grabbing coffee at one of the cafes. I can't put the feelings into words: a morning coffee while viewing the Indian Ocean....gorgeous (and delicious!) We were convinced to check out what this ocean actually encompassed. A local Balinese man took us out on boat, along with two other ladies from Sweden to a settled water section just off the island. (by the way, I spoke with these Sweden women about the winter olympics, and of course, hockey with henrik and daniel sedin...)
We spit into our goggles, wiped them, and jumped in the sparkling water. It was refreshing thats for sure. Our goggles bubbled our face, and we placed our flippers on securely. I had no idea such beauty could be underneath the water we were just above. Colours of all sorts, purples, greens, yellows, blues, pinks, in the coral, and in the fish. I really wish I had an underwater camera at this point! Pretty much, picture finding nemo....that was it! We could see the coral moving we were so close to them! The water was shallow we could have touched the ground...but with the ground so alive we didn't dare try to interrupt the creation. Angel fish, striped fish, horned fish, starfish swam up so close to my fingers I felt like I could have grabbed them to take them home! The sun was shining so brightly, the sparkle and clarity of the ocean floor was exuberant! We would swim with the current, then turn back, find each other to point out new discoveries every which way! I saw a school of fish swimming quickly in line and it reminded me of the "traffic" on finding nemo. A swordfish swam along the top of the water and we gave each other quick faces of nervousness, but we knew we were safe. The beauty of it all could have been taking in all day, but realistically, we were holding our bodies afloat for an hour and half (our sunburnt backs can testify) , and had to return to shore because of the tide changes. We were most grateful for this experience! Kristin has her diving license from her trip in Thailand, and she mentioned that this was the best range of colour and fish that she had ever seen! and this was just from the snorkeling, not even the diving! The rest of the day was spent on the beach, reading our books, relaxing with our coca colas. Sunsets and palm trees make for a great background to our evening dinner. Surprisingly, we kept to eating Indonesian food even though we were in a popular touristy area that offered "western" food. We wanted to compare "Nasi Goreng" (Fried Rice) and "Mie Goreng" (Fried Noodles) and spring rolls everywhere we went. It was too delicious! Another wonderful day of taking in the wonderful creation of our Lord!