On the Count Down

We are counting down the days to departure from Bandung.  Only 2 weeks left.  So today the 10 boxes that carried our 4 months of survival gear were reassembled and the repacking has begun.  The boxes have holes in them and are feeling a bit soggy from all the moisture in the air.  This packing business all seems so familiar as it consumed my summer.  We are calling this the “year of transitions”.   The transitions have been mostly positive.   I’ll try to share just a few…

    

    

The boys are much closer to each other and to us through these transitions.  Jacob and Nathaniel forever looking up to their big brothers and keeping up with them in humor.  Aubrey and Andrew have found great satisfaction in their exercise class.  Gaining great strength and skill.  Also, I have been so proud of them as they have had to adapt to so many uncomfortable situations.  Again and again they have all faced life in Indonesia with courage.  Sorry to be bragging, but these boys are some of my favorite people!   I find that it is much easier to find real live applications to zing home values that I want the boys to know.  For example, Chi Chi (the little girl I posted pictures of several weeks ago) comes to our home frequently.  Sometimes her presence makes the boys uncomfortable because she has lice and she is a GIRL! : )  One of the boys were bemoaning about her presence and I was able to say, “you know really Chi Chi is Jesus, because He said that whoever we feed, clothe, etc in His name it is really like doing it to Him”.  Ohhh!  The Word became REALITY!

 

We have read since arriving, the book “Do Hard Things” for teenagers.  So part of doing hard things is having a good attitude even in the mundane boring chores.  I have appreciated all the boys helping in the household duties.  Even if time is spent seeing how big of a bubble one can blow while doing the breakfast dishes.  Thanks Aubrey!

Our laundry continues to be done by this sweet family.  The wife is 5 months pregnant with their second child.  The husband is in his next to last semester of nursing school.  They do have a washing machine, but all the laundry is dried outside.  Their are over a 100 washing machines sold here to 1 drier….pure luxury!  Their work has been an incredible blessing to us.  Half of the money they make from doing laundry is mailed to his parents.  Michael is looking for a sponsor to continue his education.   He would really like to become a doctor.  If you are more interested in his story, feel free to email me.

Andrew and Aubrey have learned how to set traps for birds from bamboo and twine.  Last week they hiked all day in the mountains with Don learning these skills.  They came back filthy and exuberant.  Even though Andrews toe is still painful if bumped he has come miles this week in the healing of it.  I knew after the mountain hike that there was no longer anything to stop him….so he is back to normal activity.  Active boy, relieved mother.

 

Don caught this little baby bird on his way to our house one day.  Andrew held it for several hours and they crushed up seed to feed it.  Once the evening came, Don released it back to nature.  They felt quite confident that the little guy could make it, after watching his activity level.  Don’s story has really touched us.  He survives on literally pennies, trying so hard to pay his school bill.  His parents disowned him when he became a Christian 8 years ago.  He is fluent in English.  Don is majoring in English.  His dream is to become an architect and to also go back to his village and teach whatever is needed there.  Don is in desperate need of sponsorship.  Even $10 or $20 a month would bless him beyond what you can imagine.  Don has been more than a hired helper to us.  He has indeed been a loyal friend and we will miss him deeply.  He has been a huge blessing to us in our “transition phase”. Again, if you are interested in sponsoring Don…please contact me.

 

 

A transition that I am so grateful for is that I have JOY again.  I was never completely sad or utterly downcast, but my days lacked joy.  Now almost all of my days are sprinkled with joy and it is such a wonderful feeling!  We were blessed on Friday night to attend a “Family Christmas” concert at Unai University.  Over 7 choirs sang and at the end they all surrounded the church singing a fantastic familiar piece.  The music has been outstanding.  The Indonesians have beautiful voices. 

 

Through all our transitions we know that God has had his eye on us.  Even if His eye is on the little bird….how much more so, do we know….His eye is on us!  Thanks for your prayers.  Please pray that we will be able to wrap up all the loose ends without too much stress and that we can still continue to do well in Language school as we try to accomplish many other tasks.  Blessings to each of you.  Thanks for reading.