End of One Period.....

Beginning of Another

Hello everyone! I just got back from a 10-day treck across Indonesia. And what a trip it was!

First.....why did I go? My teammate and I went to recruit for teams going to Nepal later this year. We want to see Indonesians mobilized and take what they have to help other cultures. So, as part of this vision, we're organizing trips for them to go. We went to Bali, Manado, and Jakarta. I tell you what.....they are ready to go. All they needed was the open door.

The trip was amazing. First, we spent 3 days in Bali (not enough time). We talked to several groups each of which were really excited to go. One group in particular was full of young people about to finish their work training. In between our talks, we manage to see some of Bali. Our host took us to the new land they just purchased and we talked to Dad over it. Afterwards, she took us to a long staircase (200 steps) that led down to one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been too. Of course, it's quite the task to get back up as the stairs are quite steep. Another special event (however not that pleasant) was my opportunity to drink a rare Indonesian coffee. Apparently, it's the most expensive coffee in the world (1 kilo in America is $600). It's called "Kopi Luwak". What makes this abhorrent coffee so rare is how it is processed. First, they take a monkey (oh, it gets worse). Then they feed the monkey the coffee. After the beans get a good look inside the monkey, it comes out the other end. They take the "processed" bean and roast it and fool people into thinking this is a "good quality" coffee. DO NOT BE FOOLED! It was the worse tasting coffee I had ever allowed my pallet to taste. The good news is that I didn't have to pay for it. I had a small sample.....and that's all I planning to have!

Next stop took my teammate and I to Manado. Unlike most of the rest of Indonesia, Manado is mostly Christian. In Bali, there was a Hindu idol on every corner. Here, there is a church on every corner. Some might think this is a good thing. However, we encountered a strong "religious" spirit here. They judge on how you look on the outside more than how you look on the inside. However, I was still overwhelmed on the hospitality shown us. People would fight to be the first to pay the dinner bill for everyone. What a giving spirit. Manado was where I preached my first sermon. Actually, I preached twice in the same day. What a rush! I also had another "first-timers" as I at for the first time bat (check out the pic below). Manado food is very rich, very spicy, and very fried. I began to wonder if they were going to charge me for extra weight when I tried to fly out of there. It is a beautiful place though.

Last, but not least, we went to Jakarta. I've been hearing a lot about this city so I was excited to finally arrive there. It's a smoggy city with a lot of people and traffic. But something about it appealed to me. I'm still not sure what. It had the usual city feel to it with people going here and there shopping and working. It was here that I met an amazing group of people. A small group of random people get together every week for book study. They encourage one another and just love on each other. It was a small group, but powerful. Most of them had their own work going on the streets and in the slums. It humbled me to hear their heart for the hopeless. I could see their desire to help everyone but their frustrations on being able to help everyone.

Now, what's next for me? Well, in a few weeks I will transition from one work to another. The same school I did last year will be starting soon and I will be helping with it. My job will consist of preparing paperwork to making sure the students feel welcomed, to one-on-one mentoring some of them. On top of that, I will be working on planning the trips to Nepal for later this year. So, please think of me. I will need to figure out how I am going to fit all of this into my schedule. Thank you all for your thoughts and encouragements.

Here was my room in Manado. Though the matress was comfortable, there was no airflow in the room. It was a nice stretching time :)

Here, I'm preaching for the second time that day in a church of about 100 people. Suprisingly, I was very comfortable speaking and enjoyed it a lot! Though it was a challenge when I got into what i was saying to stop and allow for my translator to speak. In Manado, you have to wear dressy clothes, a shirt that covers half of you arm, and nothing cotton if you're the main speaker. I had to run down the street to buy this shirt before spoke since my shirt didn't cover enough of my arm.

Oh yes, it's the BAT! Here is the wing. Actually, the whole thing was pretty good. The wing was a bit chewy but the meat reminded me of a very tender duck.

This is the church bulletin. It's the first time I've ever been refferred to as "Revernd"

The small perfect beach in Bali with my teammate