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!

the tropical island of Bali!

We started our adventure on Saturday evening, arriving in Bali at midnight. We hopped into an over-priced taxi and picked a town we wanted to stay in. Thankfully, we had an Indonesia travel book where we would pick out some hotel ideas and tourist options. After checking in a couple of places, we found ourselves at a comfy little inn, a kilometer from the ocean. We slept wonderfully, more because there was no mosque to wake us up! Bali is an island south of Java, and most people follow the religion of Hinduism. We can already see some of the differences in clothing and culture. There are many temples around with stone statues of their different gods.
Anyway, we woke up in the morning and got onto a boat to head to Nasa Lambongan. We heard about this island from other teachers and decided to check it out. It was on this boat that we were robbed. Our bags were "checked" on top of the boat, and we sat below. In this time, my bag was scavenged through, where they found $100 and our cellphone. We were quite disappointed but instead tried to focus our attention on the good, that our passports, visa cards, camera, and mp3 player were left in the bag. Praise the Lord! Our arrival to the island had our jaws dropped! Palm trees, crystal clear water, and bamboo huts were upon our horizon, with surfers and travelers accompanying the beaches. With our bags strapped to our backs, we walked around to find a place to stay. Bungalows were perched all around the shore where we ended up finding what we would call "home" for a couple of nights. The heat was incredibly warm and we couldn't help but go for a swim near after. The water was so clear, and shallow, we could have walked about a kilometer if we had felt like it! We discovered that this beach and body of water was the local "farm" community of Nusa Lambongan, where the Balinese harvested seaweed for cosmetics. In the afternoons, they would take out their small "canoe-like-boats" and gather in seaweed, where later it dried on the sidewalks. We couldn't help but take many pictures of the cultural day-to-day work. Tourists, mostly from Australia, were in many of the restaurants and lounge areas, where we would make casual conversation. So...as for our first two days, we felt a cultural change, a heat-change, and a security change. We adapted to these things as we could, but were ever thankful for what we were experiencing. Laying on the beach, reading a book, was so relaxing. The landscape was gorgeous and we were given the time to just think about nothing. amazing.

Break Bound

As happy as I am to be teaching (and I am!!!), I’m really looking forward to Spring Break. This whole week I’ve had my eyes set towards this Friday, our first day of a ten-day break. The last couple of months have been heavily focused on education and planning (both lessons and the wedding!) so a week off for relaxing on the beach is highly intriguing. However, knowing Kristin and myself, we are far too curious to sit around when there are jungles to be explored and birds to be heard (!). We’re going to Bali! Bali is another Indonesian island. It is a touristy place, but also a lot of area to explore. As most of Indonesia is Muslim, this island’s major religion is Hinduism. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to say once we return.
My carpool team was all camping, so I had the pleasure of walking to school this week...at 6:10am. A beautiful walk. I couldn’t believe how warm it was already! The hustle and bustle of the city had already begun, and the workers were out in the streets, sweeping the leaves with their straw brooms. I walked the same path one of the evenings and couldn’t believe the number of toads frolicking along the path. I carefully placed my feet insuring their safe lives as well as my “clean” sandals. Even though my walks to and from school gave me the chance to reflect, I felt this week was rushed. There were a lot of things we had to get through in the curriculum department, therefore we pushed the kids, we pushed ourselves, and pushed some limits. I found myself exhausted day by day, maybe it was the heat but probably more of the on-your-toes working habits. Being alone back at the apartment gave me permission to work ahead on some of my lesson plans, which feels good too. Thankfully I still got out, ate supper, one night I went over to one of the other teacher’s house for supper, and then she helped me book the flights for our Spring Break adventure. Now the week is over! We leave for Bali on Saturday night (which for you who are reading this is most likely is early Saturday morning) and we return the following Friday. Palm Sunday will be spent on the island, under palm trees. An Easter I plan to remember! We understand that Easter is a Christian holiday and we are entering into a Hindu territory, so Easter is most likely not celebrated there. We’ll see what happens. We fly back on Good Friday, and have the rest of the Easter weekend back in Jakarta/Lippo Village to relax and look towards the week to come. The week back, I’ll be teaching around 75% of the day, woot!
I’ll be taking many pictures over the break, and hopefully will have the time to post them to give you a better idea of Indonesia. I can’t wait to discover more!

I pray a blessed Easter season to everyone as well. Not a season, but a lifelong awareness of God’s grace and sacrifice.
Love always.

Chopsticks and Ojeks

Today was a day of confidence. I slept through the prayer calling for the mosque and actually didn’t wake up until 5:20! So wonderful! Then taught a full English lesson on Helen Keller, put together a bulletin board, and took an ojek home! An ojek is a motorcycle, one of the common ways to travel here. Kristin and I decided to ride home instead of walking because we were tired, and it was the one day we weren’t wearing skirts. I’m wearing the school uniform to school (blue skirt and a white shirt) and then Friday’s are casual days. And then....ate a whole bowl of rice with chopsticks! For me....an accomplishment!
Not much to update here. We had a school assembly today in which I ended up tearing up. The worship was so neat with the students. I’ve learned a little more about the school mission. Each student is required to do some community service. The students gather pictures and they present a slideshow about different things they’ve done in the community. Truly God’s hands at work!
Saturday I slept in to 7:30am! What a different lifestyle.... I decided to make the most of the time and went for a run. I got back sweating buckets, not necessarily because I was running so hard but because the warm muggy air was already present. The swimming pool was the only thing on my mind by this point, where I ended up staying until around noon! We went out for lunch to Burger King (!) and shopped around for some essential food items (and camping supplies for Kristin who is camping with her seventh graders at the moment)
And then it started to downpour. And I mean downpour. We were doing our laundry on the top floor of the building, and we watched the storm come in. Lightening struck right infront of the building, a booming thunder at the same moment. We watched the mighty weather, while watching our watch. We were supposed to walk over to one of the teacher’s houses....not going to happen at this point.
We waited for a half hour but the rain continued. We decided to brave the weather (being from BC and all....I mean come on) as the lightening had stopped. We walked the 15 minutes to her house, and were drenched! Later we found out the storm was classified as a typhoon! Anyway, together we cooked and prepared tacos for a group of 17 fifteen year olds from Australia who were working on a mission’s project in one of the local towns. We discussed stereotypes of Australia and Canada, learning more of cultures, dialects, and geography. It was quite entertaining actually. But also neat to be with teenagers. It made me think a lot of my brothers. It also made me feel old. I was challenging the kids by asking, “what are you taking from this experience?” and “how will this affect your everyday life?” I’m going through the same types of questions and couldn’t help myself try to start them on the same path. Both Kristin and I later discussed how much it was a blast from the past for us, when we were that young, energetic, and almost “clueless” about what life would bring. It made me want to become a church youth leader! We’ll see where God takes that I guess. For the evening we went to see Alice in Wonderland at the local theatres. I was thinking, “alright, it’s Indonesia...don’t expect much...” but the chairs were amazingly comfortable...it’s remarkable I didn’t fall asleep :P
Sunday we attended the chapel here on campus. We sang some Easter hymns together and reflected on the advent season. It’s been a long time since I’ve celebrated Easter in my home church back in BC, and I miss it. There is something about a church family that makes a spiritual life-walk come together. I still hope to make some more connections with some of the people here in the churches and in the school. The afternoon was spent taking a glorious nap (after all, staying up last night till 11 was the first time in a while...haha) The internet was down ever since the typhoon came through so we were accompanied by books, lesson plans and assignments. We cooked with a rice-cooker and made stir-fry! Indonesian style!
Now it’s Monday. Kristin has left to go camping and I’ve returned to our white-walled dorm room. I actually ventured out on my own for supper and found what could be my new favourite food! Not sure what it is, or what it’s called....but it’s delicious! I would describe it as a “spring roll” and “chicken pot pie” mix. And an ice-cappachino (not exactly Tim Hortons style...but close) to quench the thirst....not bad....
So.....over all...taking in the experiences as much as I can. The mosque in the morning is still a little aggravating...but I’m reminded of many more things I’m blessed with and thankful for.
Blessings to all.
Love always.

Sacrifice

On Wednesday we had an Indonesian teacher speak at our teacher chapel. She used to be a part of the Islamic faith in this city. She discussed her struggles as a teenager and further into adulthood, until she was brought to a healing ceremony put together by a Christian organization. She committed her life to Christ. When she returned to her family, she was kicked out of her house, verbally abused, and told never to contact them again. She had become disowned by her family. She talks about the struggles of being a Christian knowing that her own parents almost “hate” her for it. When she sings these praises to Christ, she means that she is giving her “All in All” to Him, including her relationships with others. With the Lord’s mercy, her family has reconnected communication, accepted her lifestyle, and loved her again. But it wasn’t an easy journey.
I think of my sacrifices. I was troubled by my sacrifices of leaving my fiancé, my family, my friends for a couple of months to be here in Indonesia. Truth be told, I know that they support me and would be on the other side of the phone, computer, or airline with encouragement like no other. I couldn’t give up these people in my life, ever! I can’t wait to see them again! So what kind of sacrifices am I willing to give? I can give up my hot showers, my clean tap-water, my Tim Hortons coffee. But what kind of sacrifices have I made for my faith? It doesn’t seem like many. Being raised in a Christian household, attending Christian education, and growing up with tremendous church support, I feel I haven’t given up anything because I love the way my life is. I try to count my blessings and still am far-low of reaching my thankfulness capacity (which I don’t think there is such thing as thanking too much). Should I be making sacrifices for my faith? The word sacrifice has such a negative connation as if I would be losing something. Maybe I should be looking at it more as “Is there something in my life that I should get rid of in order to become closer God? “ This is a question I think we can all wrestle with. With thanksgiving and praise I thank God for my opportunities and experiences I am able to encounter while being here in Indonesia. I am also very thankful for those in my life who profess the same faith, people who help and encourage my walk in the ways of the Lord. I pray that God will give us the eyes to see and the ears to see His works and hear His word in the world so that we can share these great testimonies of Truth with those around us.
“You want to be real. You want to be empty inside.
You want to be someone, laying down your pride.
You want to be someone someday, lay it all down before the King.
You want to be whole. You want to have purpose inside.
You want to have virtue. And purify your mind. You want to be set free today,
and lay it all down before the King.
This is my desire. This is my return.
This is my desire, to be used by you.”
-Jeremy Camp in his song “My Desire”
Blessings.
Love always.

Through the week...

Tuesday, March 16 was a Hindu holiday, which all of Indonesia recognizes, so we had a day off from school! It was wonderful to sleep in all the way to 8:00am and relax in the morning. The great thing about being around in the morning meant we could catch up with people back home! I had a skype date with my family while they were at church, and it just so happened that the Dordt College Concert Choir was eating a potluck meal there! I was able to see and say hi to a handful of my fellow Dordt colleagues...but boy was it strange to see them with my family in my church when I was on the other side of the world! I wish I could have been there to show them around! Indeed it was a wonderful video chat with my parents and Monika (as Ryan and Tyler are in Mexico, and Nathan is in Kentucky!) After the call, I met up with one of the first grade teachers to buy...get this...my very first cell phone! Yes, that’s right...to all of my friends who said I’ve been out of the loop, I’ve caved in with society and purchased a cell phone! The phones are cheap and apparently I can text to people in the United States, but I haven’t been able to figure it out yet! After the cell phone purchase, I went out for coffee (at Starbucks!) with my new this teacher and we discussed the importance of Christian education. She grew up in the Anglican church and we interpreted our faith differences and how these thoughts might be reflected in our teaching. The reformed perspective has such an influence here in the SPH school and I can see more following this worldview of glorifying God to further his coming Kingdom.
The afternoon was filled with some teacher duties: cutting and gluing together a bulletin board on sound and putting together a portfolio for application proposals. Got to love it!
Wednesday and Thursday have been school-focused days. The weather has been cloudy and rainy, but the muggyness remains, which makes it easier to concentrate on school work in our dorm room. I am leading English lessons and loving it! This morning (Thursday) I was observed by the principal during my lesson and it went really well. The kids were energetic and engaged on our Helen Keller discussion. I love my routine of walking home after the long day at school, chatting with Kristin about the days work, then lay on my bed, and dip a piece of dark chocolate into peanut butter and relax for a good twenty minutes before doing anything else. Not a bad habit :P
Wednesdays classes end at 12 and the teachers have professional development sessions with a staff-chapel. The staff chapel was so encouraging! We gathered together (maybe 60 people?) where we worshiped and listened to a speaker(which I'm going to write about in a separate post) Listening to the hearts of different nations coming together in song gives a little taste of what heaven will be like. You can’t help but smile.
I am daily encouraged by e-mails and messages which I try my best to respond to! With this comment, don't think you shouldn't e-mail me because I'm too busy, I love hearing about how God is working with you too!

Love always.

Beginning to explore: 1st weekend in Indonesia

Monday, March 15
Another week begins! Early as usual, 4:24am thanks to the mosque! We thought the weekend would be a nice time to catch up on sleep….that didn’t happen! Friday night we took it easy by going to the mall and eating out for supper for the first time on our own! Saturday we woke up early to talk to people back home, and then met with couple from Michigan to go into Jakarta and visit the zoo. George and Sharry are an older couple who have graciously opened up to us. They took us into the city, where we found coffee (!) and then headed to the zoo. We laughed as we saw displays of “Canadian raccoons” and a variety of cows! We walked around and began to realize we were considered “exotic” as well, we could have been a part of a display. People were taking pictures of us! Some would ask for permission, while others we would see trying to hide their cameras below their waste. They were polite about it for the most part, it was just different. You could hear groups trying to practice their English in case we asked them a question.
One of the benefits of standing out is the zookeepers recognized we were foreigners and offered to give us a “behind the scenes” tour of the lions and tigers. We got to go into the back and watch the feeding. The animals seemed so much larger when closer! And fierce! Then again, they were in tight enclosures, but it was very neat! We look back at most of our pictures and realize we have more on the outside of the displays then of the animals. We were amazed at the beauty of the trees, flowers, and butterflies that were natural to the Indonesian environment. (The picture above is a flower from the zoo) We also saw a beautiful blue toucan of some sort which we managed to get a picture of yet still have to find the name for the guy.
Kristin and I had many laughs today. A day of enjoyment but also exhaustion. We shopped through a couple of Indonesian stores but didn’t end up buying anything. Supper was in the local city and closed off our evening with a cup of Canadian tea  We were also given a rice cooker, a frying pan, and an iron so we feel great about our living and cooking situation.
Sunday we went to chapel on campus. There were around 800 students coming together to worship our Lord. The service was quite long as it had to be translated back and forth from English to Bahasa but the structure was similar to what we are used to. We sang `Praise the Lord From Whom all Blessings Flow`as our Doxology, and it was one of the strongest times I`ve sang it. How wonderful to be with fellow believers in another country, praising the same God. After the chapel, I went to another church service on the other side of town where `people of different nations`` meet for a service. I was introduced to the crowd as a `Canadian`and the pastor says, `We like Canadians`and the people shouted ÀMEN`. This made me grin. I didn`t recognize as many songs, but the overall concept of worshiping God was evident and refreshing in a more Àfrican style of worship.
We went out for Chinese food with the dorm parents (our carpool teacher). We`ve noticed that this city does not stop on Sunday. Everyone goes about like any other day. We were invited to multiple activities but really wanted to take the day to rest. Having a Sabbath rest was never more appreciated as it was today. We took the afternoon to drink tea, watch a movie, write e-mails, and then took a nap by the poolside. There is a pool on top of dormitory which has some lounge chairs, and palm trees. Were both a little picky when it comes to our tanlines now since we`re both getting married this summer….
Now it`s Monday. I had a great day at school, learning more about the kids, and now putting together a bulletin board on the properties of sound. We walked home today, discussing our day. Exhausted, we usually just lie motionless in our beds, waiting for the air conditioning to kick in. I grab a piece of dark chocolate and dip it in peanut butter. We made spaghetti tonight for supper which was absolutely delicious. Weird how the North American food can hit the spot after not having it for a week. A rainstorm is passing by now. Picture a tropical rainstorm…and that`s what it is. Downpour! It wouldn`t be good to get caught in a storm because the roads flood so easily because of the pollution in the drains. The rains make it comfortable to pick up a good book and put on some comfy clothes.
Every day I see how God is working. The students, the teachers, the creation around us, in Him everything is seen as GOOD. And it is. I look forward to the experiences to come!
Hope all is well for my family and friends on spring break! I think about you often and can`t wait to share more stories with you in person!!!!
Love always.

Indonesia!

Crazy, here I am writing out my life on my computer. Experiences, adventures, learnings, and thoughts to come! My first entry is extremely long, probably because my mind is racing 10 times over trying to take it all in. So...I'll give a couple details before I go on:

Where am I?: Lippo Village, Indonesia, about 20 km. from Jakarta, Indonesia
Why? I’m student teaching for my final practicum at Dordt College. I am teaching 3rd grade at SPH school (Sekolah Pelita Harapan).
For how long? March 5-April 30, 2010
With who? I am here with my roommate from Dordt, Kristin Tenbrinke, who is from Lacombe, Alberta. She is teaching grade 7 and 8 science. She also likes birds so we both have our eyes and ears peeled.
A little about Indonesia: It’s hot! The average day has been 35 degrees C!
There are over 300 languages in this country! The language of this island is Bahasa (we’re learning some of the words, especially menu words!)
A lot of the food is fried, and includes rice! So delicious! And the fruit!
The common way to get around is motorcycle, which we haven’t tried yet!
They drive on the left side of the road.
The people are very friendly! It’s strange how much we stand out. Many people take pictures of us, sometimes asking permission, sometimes trying to hide it.

And for the rest of the entry (I wrote it earlier and am just posting it now that I've figured out the internet situation)

March 7, 2010

So we’re here! After a long, thirty-some hours on planes we have come to a tropical haven of palm trees, banana trees, and muggy air. Our flights went well, although it was strange to us to receive supper at 1am (which for us was 3am). We were both able to sleep 11 hours out of 14 on our long stretch which was wonderful!
Our drive from Jakarta to Lippo Village had our eyes glued to the windows. We saw a bit of the city life, more of the traffic, which travels on the left side of the road, with tons of motorcycles! As we got more into Lippo Village (about 20km out of Jakarta) we noticed newer structures and a cleaner city. The vegetation is remarkable, greenery everywhere with flowers and butterflies all over the place. Simply gorgeous!
We live at the University in a dormitory. There are beds, desks, and a bathroom with a shower. Down the hall is a kitchen and a lounge with couches. Although we are adjusting to cold showers, eating on our desks/beds, and a mosque behind our building that chants at 4:24 every morning, things are working out! We find the waking up at 4:30am isn’t so bad when we go to bed early (8:30pm!) and all of our friends back home are online! The 13 hour time difference (to Iowa/Winnipeg) and 15 hour time difference (Abbotsford) is beginning to feel doable. We have access to clean drinking water (hot and cold!), a gym (which we still have to use!), and a huge cafeteria. The mall is right across the road, which we were happy to find a Burger King and Starbucks!
The school community has been very helpful! We have had two of our meals at teacher’s houses, which were delicious! It was nice to be in a home setting. We are going to make some of these meals weekly and we look forward to other inclusive activities.
Now to the school: the purpose of why we came! The school is huge! And gorgeous! A brick structure, built with different levels, with no walls! They have a roof to protect everyone from the rain, but the classrooms/meeting rooms/offices are walled in for air conditioning. There isn’t a point to AC the hallways, so they are outside. At first Kristin and I got lost around campus, but now we have figured out different locations, based on the two outdoor pools, tennis courts, and fountains.
I am teaching in third grade, with a class of 22 students. The class has two teachers, one with the prominent language of English and the other prominent in Bahasa, Indonesia (the local language). Both teachers are in the class the majority of the time as they work together for translations and routines. The one teacher is originally from North Carolina, and the other has grown up here. The school day starts at 7am....yes....7am! and ends at 3pm! So the days are quite long. For those who know...curriculum standards are quite high here. The summative assessment is regarded with high expectations so the lessons have to be prepared effectively in order to meet the standards. I look forward to the challenge!
The students are great! They call me Ms. Shena, as every teacher goes by their first name with either Ms., Mrs., Ibu, Mr., or Idu, for the preface to their name. Students give high respect to the authority, and all wear uniform of skirts and ties, with hats for recess and lunch. Most students come from this area, but there is also a mix of Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Caucasian, and Japanese in the group. I find the students are very intelligent in math with the ability to compute facts quite well. However, problem solving and individual thinking are new concepts.
The Christian atmosphere here is wonderful. We have chapel with other grades, devotions in the morning, devotions with staff, and prayer circles with the students. Today we sang “Mighty to Save” and “Indescribable”. It brought tears to my eyes to hear such lovely and familiar words sung by such precious children.
Kristin and I walk home from the school (about 20 minutes) and discuss what we see, if we ever could live here, if our fiancés would live here (yes, we talk about them often), if our families would live here, and what the school is establishing as their worldview.
It’s a different type of culture. We find it hard to accept how every student and most teachers have a maid, a driver, a gardener, security guards to their complex, and a nanny. We understand how they are giving the Indonesian people jobs (who else would not have jobs) but the concept of living highly and knowing that they are going back to the village (just outside of the city) where the roads are made of dirt, the children playing soccer in bare feet. Janitors, gardeners, there are even people who do my photocopying and laminating (plus cutting out the laminated paper) for me, and they can’t be paid a whole lot. We just look and wonder how they see us. The American students who come over to experience what it’s like to live here -- but are we really experiencing the Indonesian culture? Or rather this bubble formulated around this highly regarded school? We keep hearing about how great the community is within the school. Yes, there is strong ties within the teachers and parents, which are wonderful! But what about the people that see us from the other side? Are we stuck up? Rich? Do we show our Christian joy? We wrestle with these thoughts. We look at what we have and we’re thankful, but now what?
We look at the school mission. A Christian man started the school in efforts to one day see a saved nation. If you want to change the whole nation, you have to start with the new generation. This school is for the wealthy. These are the students that could one day be running the capitol city Jakarta, being only 20 km. away. We understand that these children need to be taught the Christian worldview and life style as well, and we are whole-willingly ready to give ourselves to bring this message across. There is a bigger picture and goal in mind then we can imagine. With this in mind, the staff and rest of the school community know that the only way to get down this path is through the work of God. We are trying to be a part of this walk. How is living the Christian life applicable in the rich community? It’s almost easier to think of how we would teach for the poorer regions, but when you are guiding future thinkers for the nation, you want to be strong in what you believe, honest in your actions, and filled with the Holy Spirit so that our words will sound of his truth.
Here’s just the introduction....wooh!
We are growing as teachers, but also as believers. Thank you for your prayers of safe travel. Continued prayers for health, wisdom, and strength are appreciated! We are trying to keep up with the e-mails!!! I Messages and e-mails are sooo encouraging and we love to share our daily experiences too!
I hope to keep updates on our activities! I led devotions on being humble, and a math lesson of capacity at the poolside today. Next week I will be starting a literature unit on a book entitled “Helen Keller: A Light for the Blind” to correspond with our unit on Sound and Light in science.

Thanks for keeping up with me! God Bless!!