More Than a House Helper…..

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This is Hesley.  When I first met her, she agreed to come to our house most days of the week to clean and help with language.  Little did she or I know how many different adventures and responsibilities that her job would involve.  Hesley is in her last semester for becoming an accountant.  So in between classes and writing a thesis research paper she has been a phenomenal help to me and our family.  From helping us learn how to call America for a penny a minute to figuring out a complicated wi-fi.  To cleaning and going shopping with me to the huge market downtown Bandung.  Hesley is always ready to help us with home work or listen to me try to babble along in Bahasa Indonesia.  Always encouraging me.  The huge task that Hesley helped us with was to negotiate with a large shipping company to take our car and “stuff” to Papua.  We could not have done this on our level of language skill and cultural knowledge.  We will miss those that we have grown close to here.

 

So about a week ago, Hesley began negotiating with the company who transports items by ship.  On Friday they said to call back on Monday and they would give us a price.  We knew that the boat left the following Monday.  The goal was to send the car and the required items of furniture for missionaries (by our organization).  So Monday came and the man who was to give us the quote was not available.  We decided we would go window shopping just so that we might be able to make quick decisions in the near future.  Tuesday came and the company said they would have our quote ready by noon.  Noon came and went, finally at 3:00 p.m. we had the green light, “go”.  The catch was they would arrive tomorrow (Wednesday), with the crate at noon. The boat shipping the next day.  OHHHHHH!  We had not yet bought anything.  So at 4 p.m. we arrive in Bandung and begin purchasing a refrigerator, couch, end tables, dinning room table…………….etc.  Everything had to be delivered to our home by noon the next day.  Would this really happen? 

 

It did!  Everything arrived in a timely manner.  Also, we feel that God blessed our shopping, because for us to accomplish all we did in that short of a period in this country was absolutely amazing.  So then we waited for the crate to arrive.  It did at 3:00 p.m.  Much to our shock it was not a crate, but a small open bed truck.  Hesley assured us that this was usual for this culture.  What could we do but trust?  So they loaded all the furniture.  Packed all the boxes into the vehicle.  Papers were signed.  Food was served.  And off they drove to Jakarta with the furniture and our car.  The ship was to leave at 2 a.m. that night.  A missionary stretch for us to just trust that this is all going to work out.

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We leave for Papua in 8 short days.  The ship “should” arrive 2 days after we do!  I’m trying to be optimistic. : )  So we are back to taxi’s and angkot’s.  Back to school.  On our last 5 lessons.  So very grateful to those who have come and been faithfully doing their best to help us in situations that we simply did not have the words or understanding yet.  I have a brand new appreciation for people who have newly  immigrated to my home country.  Perhaps if you know someone like this, you could see if they need any help with anything.  I know I will, when I return back to America.  Blessings to each of you, this holiday season.  Thanks for reading and praying!

Comments

  1. American Swede PhotographyDecember 8, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    Do you think you could get anything else into that tiny truck bed??? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kristi and Mark K.December 12, 2011 at 6:48 AM

    My oh my, the faith one must have overseas! You are in our thoughts and prayers, as your few and precious creature comforts have sailed away. Praise the Lord that you did all that purchasing in such a short amount of time! One could not have done that in America, let alone in an Asian country... that lacks consumer organization, polite lines to stand in and internet to check shopping prices. Not to mention not having Costco and Walmart. Praise the Lord for His provisions! Yippy your formal language training is nearing and end. Finally a little rest from classroom learning and textbook cramming - now onto stumbling along... amid chuckles and grins. Merry Christmas to your dear family as you create a little bit of Christmas for your 5 men.

    PS I learned in Cambodia, cooking on Christmas day, (when I couldn't sweet potatoes in the market Christmas morning); that white potatoes, mashed with orange juice, sugar and cinnamon, tastes a little like Sweet Potatoes for Christmas. And a flour and onion gravy on a tofu casserole, covers the asian flavor of tofu. Or a Mock Cranberry Sauce, made with raisins, cinnamon and sugar will also suffice. Homemade stuffing from fried bread slices, cubed and mixed with onion, garlic and herbs will work instead of instant stuffing mixes. Blessings to you as, you create Christmas dinner out of thin (humid Asian) air.

    ReplyDelete

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