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| The Neighborhood |
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Barely co-hearent I wiped the sleep from my eyes. I rolled over to look at my family all crammed into one bed slowly recovering from the effects of 30 hrs travel, half-way around the world. If only Jules Verne could have lived to see the day his classic work have become a joke in modern day transportation. Suddenly it hit, what had we done? We were no longer home, and the reality of that statement has been evident ever since. ….
Three days after landing in Jakarta we jumped on yet another airplane to head off into central Java where the language school is, and our residence for the next year or so. We landed at a small one conveyor belted airport where if you didn’t claim your luggage off of it, it became a log jam as your luggage stacked up on the end and backed up the belt to everyone else’s cegrin. Don’t ask me how I know I just do.
This last airplane ride became the beginning of a chapter in my history that I don’t think I will ever recover from. After a short van ride through some of the most impoverished areas that I have ever seen, we entered onto a jungle road that was completely shaded from the sun by some of the tallest bamboo and banana trees. Because of the dense forest foliage there are entire areas covered by dense moss because the sun just cannot reach through the grasp of the jungle. I sat in amazement to pass through such deep jungle only to be surprised when the brakes of the van came to an amazing halt in very short order. My only thought was that we had stopped for one of the million motor bikes that covered the road, but no I was quickly informed that we were “here”, wherever here was. With a sight bit of confusion I quickly realized that just outside of the jungle sat a village of houses, one of which was ours. Home again I thought, even though home has become a bit ambiguous.
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| Our Home |
From that day forward I have begun to have the utmost respect and admiration for the pioneer missionaries who didn’t have any of the amenities that people now have arranged for them. To look back at some of the great missionary stories of long ago, I don’t know how they did it. No airplane, no internet, no phone, no contact to home, nothing. Armed with only the passion and inspiration that God has placed on their lives, they ventured out into an unknown that is indescribable with words and is only duly justified through the experience of one’s own endeavor. Wow.
We have entered into one of the most difficult experiences of our lives, but have also uncovered one of the greatest honors as we have begun to learn a bit about Indonesians, their language, and the stories that shape who this incredibly open and loving people are.
This week we started language school after a mixed week house preparation. Sadly, our house was not quite ready for us to live in and the effects of the jungle had started to take over this house that hadn’t been lived in for a little while. It is amazing to see how quickly the jungle tries to take over in a very short order, and how if left unattended how quickly rainy season can diminish a house. Needless to say we had quite a few things to do to begin to make this home.
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| Language School |
I want to apologize for not keeping you all up to date but we have realized that internet connectivity at our house leaves something to be desired and we are praying for a solution that would allow us to be more connected. Please pray along with us, I know it sounds trite but internet is a way of life, and without it things can become very difficult here quickly.
Language school has been great and Amy has taken to it like I have never seen her take to anything before. It is almost as if she is a walking dictionary, and after only hearing a word a few times it is written into her memory for later recall. It will be a challenge to be in class with her.. Overachiever, and her overly competitive husband. Right now for these first three units we are in language school for four hours a day, from 8-12 and have been blessed to have E in the daily play group while we study away. We all come home to a wonderful home cooked meal that our house helper has prepared and then work on homework by taking the kids out into the community and brutally butchering what little Indonesian we know with our neighbors and those we know around us.
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| Learning Language requires coffee no matter what continent your on. |
Sadly I must cut this short as I don’t know if our bandwidth can handle me being online this long, so we will have to say goodbye for now. Thankyou so much for your prayers they are greatly appreciated and extremely desired right now. We have so much to say so….stay tuned.
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| Learning the Neighborhood |
