My Recent trip

I recently visited another island here on Indo specifically to figure out where I'm going to live next year.  Here are a few pics from that trip

The girl who helped me get around and translated for me

Day 1: flew in and got on a bus for a 6 hour trip

Second location: this is where I'm going to be living next year

this is the only road it has

The main place you can buy food

Some of the surrounding country: beautiful!

Saw this lady cooking fish this way.  Over hot coals on top bamboo sticks.  I couldn't resist so i bought one (for about $0.50).  It was delicious!!

Overall, we visited 3 towns.  This was the third town.  Even though I knew I wasn't going to live there, it was a great trip.  The church that hosted us asked us me preach (I know this will rock some people's theology).  This was their usual way of worshiping.  Beautiful dancing and great flag waving.  I impressed that boys this young could keep the beat so well.  They LOVE performing arts here.  It's everywhere

Again! me preaching (rocking some worlds :)

after church, my friend's friends took us around the area.  Here I'm drinking a local drink made of condensed milk, brown sugar (which isn't sweet here) and chunks of coconut meat.  It was ok :)

I think I was the only "bule" (Indo langauge for foreigner) in the entire region!  Everywhere I went people stared, pointed, and many wanted photos.  Like this lady who attached herself to me while my friend and I were eating.  She was VERY friendly...to the point of taking food of our table and eating it (knowing we were the ones paying for it) and then offering that food to other people.  Talk about culture shock and trying to keep calm.  I had never met here before until she wanted to take this picture

Another example of perfect strangers wanting pictures with the white person.  This poor girl was terrified of me and didn't want to.  Her mom dragged her to my side and made her take the picture.  Poor thing.  I tried to lend as far away from her as possible so I would't freak her out too much.  After this picture came a slew of other pictures with their phones.  This was a common occurrence 

Luckily this girl wasn't scared and we got a long GREAT! She was pretty cheeky

Our hosts in the third location.  Amazing people of God!!!

Of course you would have Santa beside Jesus.  Who wouldn't????

The mosque in the middle of the third location

Unfortunately, I got a parasite there and this was all I could eat for 3 days

One of the youth group girl brought her 2 friends (the ones on either side of me).  She brought me in and asked me to "get a word from God" for them.  Wow! talk about pressure.  I ended leading them both to Christ.  YAY!

Thank you all for your prayers!