Fresh Perspective

Test 2 is finished.  One more book to go before we move to Papua.  All the students at our school who are working on their 5th or 6th book say, "Watch out, book #3 is the hardest!!!!"  GULP!  "How can it get any harder?" we ask ourselves.  On this test we wrote over 60 sentences.  40 of those from different vocabulary words.  20 in a story format about any random topic that they chose.  Then we had to talk on 1 of 20 topics (again random) for 10 minutes.  I shared about when a person asks for help suddenly.  My story went all the way back to college when I was a student nurse and a student came to me having just fallen off his motor cycle.  For 2-3 hours I picked glass out of his leg and cleaned it. "Saya berkota, 'Jangan niak speda motor lagi.  Dia berkota, 'Saya akan niak speda motor lagi!'" (I said, Don't ride your motor cycle again.  He said, I will ride my motor cycle again!).   Many years later, he came to our c...

After school today, the children were itching to go to McDonald's for a treat.  We pass by two daily, and only your imagination could possibly dream how delightful this American symbol could look to some culture shocking boys.  So on a whim, we decided to go.  As we hopped out, I asked our faithful taxi driver if he would like an ice cream cone.  He replied, "Boleh!"  Meaning "I may". So as we ate our treats, Jacob ran the ice cream cone out to our waiting taxi driver.  Minutes later we were ready to go.  Surprised were we to see the taxi man's ice cream not eaten, but sitting on the air conditioning vent trying to keep cool.  He told us that he would take it to his child. So off we went through great swarms of cars and motor cycles all pushing and inching forward.  Meanwhile we watched the ice cream cone.....it was beginning to lean.  After 10 minutes the cone began to drip down the dash.  Quickly our taxi man pulled over to a ...

We managed to plug through another week of language school.  By Friday we are limping into school, with only the hope of the weekend encouraging us to hang in there.  We are learning over 400 words a book.  So we are about to test over 800 words, this coming Friday.  By no means are we fluent yet in all these words.  However, could probably recognize over 75% of them.  Perhaps fluent in 50% of them.  The boys are not spinning circles around us yet, but their ability to remember the words is a refreshing reminder of their youth as Darron and I drill over and over again. This Friday we had just made it through our first class period (8 a.m. - 10 a.m.) when the school secretary gave us the most welcome news....packages had arrived!  I still remember clearly and so distinctly 17 years ago when my friend Michelle and I received a package in the jungle of the Philippines it seemed so precious....even the M & M's that tasted like soap, we relished!...

.......you overhear your 8 and 6 year old while playing with Play Mobile sound out the Muslim call to prayer as part of the story and playing out with the little people. ......you think a normal paved sidewalk is an amazing thing. ......you think plain yogurt is as tasty as sour cream. ......the backseat of a small taxi with 5 people in it, is more desirable than your other transportation options. ...... you can order carry out from McDonald's and it be delivered to you by motor cycle (not that we have done this yet, but we could : ). .......you answer each other some of the time in another language, because their words are fun to say. .......everybody laughs or at least talks about you.  The funny thing is, now we are starting to understand what they are saying!!!! ; ) .......you take pictures with complete strangers.  It is as common as brushing your teeth. >>>>>>>I will add to this post as time goes on and we think of more things! : )

Little did we know that the children would go fishing in Bandung.   However, one must cease the opportunities when they come.  So on Saturday morning when I could hear the younger boys up on the upper deck and saw a line bobbing up and down by our window.....I told Darron, "Let's give them some fish".  Out came the trick bag (Thanks Mom and Dad Ashworth) and the fishing began.  They caught American candies, small balloons and silly bands.  Nathaniel and Jacob were so excited.  They kept running downstairs to tell us what they had caught.  Every day, they ask if they can fish again.......  : )  The fish are limited.  So only a certain catch is allowed! Daddy securing the fish. All the boys have traditional Indonesian Batik's  (shirts) now.  All, except Nathaniel....who is very opinionated  about clothes and is still holding onto his American shirt. The little girl that I wrote about last time, showed up the...

Sometimes it is difficult to blog.  Today everything here seems to pale in the light that a friend and fellow home school Mom in Chattanooga, only 35 and Mom of 5 girls, died.  The frailty of life leaves one realizing that each day is a miracle.  If only I lived each day that way. Today, as 8 year old Jacob slipped some coins into a blind mans hand on a busy road I wondered who would be effected the most.  The man who had received the blessing?  Or my son, who touched humanity?  We receive  much praise for being missionaries, but the truth is that the people here and the experience gives us way more than we can give. Today, in class, we learned about a people group here in Indonesia that will not allow anyone into their area.  Not even the native locals.  Darron wrote down the name of that people group.  I told him not to get any idea's!!!!  The kids and I often listen to a song, by Casting Crown, "Until the Whole World Hears......

Every weekend I have an incredible urge to head into the mountains.  Yesterday, Saturday, the guys headed off for a six mile hike without me because my stomach was not cooperating.  Even 6 year old Nathaniel goes and keeps up for the most part.  So today with my tummy back in order.....I was itching. The tea bushes roll for thousands of acre's. Elijah found this beautiful moth. Picnic time! The Gallant family joined us and off we headed with a light lunch.  The sky's were sunny, blue and temps in upper 70's.  Once again the scenery proved to be indescribable.  The camera's were with us....  Literally the mountains are within a 15 minute walk out of our neighborhood.  Today we hiked for about 3 hours.  Come and join us for a hike into the tea plantations!