Escalator Society

I want to start this post off with a confession, I am a fast walker. Okay so maybe those of you who have ever walked anywhere with me whether it be in a store, a cave (mainly my family), or on a road already know this. But that aside I like walking fast. It probably comes from this instilled never wanting to be late syndrome, who knows. But I also like to discover new things and places. I am always on the go. However here in Jakarta my stroll is not the same. How can this be when I still have the legs I had when I left the states and the Chacos on my feet? This became so because Jakarta is an Escalator Society.

What is an Escalator Society? Well for one, in an Escalator Society there are escalators in every single building. There are escalators that are the equivalent of 3 steps. You read that correctly THREE steps! An Escalator Society also means that people move at an escalator pace even when off the escalator. The people stretch out wide enough to block the path like 2 people standing next to each other on an escalator not allowing anybody past. 

When I first moved here it just drove this fast walking guy crazy. I was always looking for that small gap to squeeze through. Now though when I do get in the Escalator Society jam it has been great to also slow down to observe, to observe the little bits of creation. 

The other day I had the opportunity to just sit on one of the benches outside of the school and watch one of the many Jakarta thunderstorms. One of the high school students saw me and just couldn't believe that I was just sitting there.I told the student I was just relaxing in view of God's creation. They thought that I was crazy. It made me realize how little students are given examples of what true rest is. It has made thankful for the Escalator Society. Don't get me wrong I still like walking fast, but slowing down to an escalator pace can be just as good.
This video is an an example of one of my strolls sorry for the shakiness of it, and watch for the escalators :)

By the way this month marks the 10th month, crazy and in 26 days I should be somewhere closer to home.

Pray: that I finish the year strong loving the kids with Christ love

For teachers who will not be returning as they look for new jobs and transition into a different lifestyle

For new teachers preparing to come

Things I miss: Blackberries

Things I have made: Soft Pretzels

Thanks as always for your prayers

Sea World Indonesian Style and a Journey through the streets

Sea World Indonesian Style
Have you ever been to Sea World?
Have you ever been on a field trip with 70 students?
Have you ever gone 20 kilometers(AKA 13.6miles)?
Have you ever been on a bus for 2 hours?
I have done all of those just not at the same time.
Well today the Grade One had the opportunity to do all of those at the same time, Indonesian Style.
That's right we did all of those. This past month we have been learning to write simple research papers (English), take surveys (Math), and take care of our bodies(Science-stretched a little). These pieces combined led up to the culminating event of taking 70 Grade One students (give or take a few) on a field trip to Sea World. No we did not get the opportunity to head to sunny San Diego. We instead jumped on two luxury buses (minus the toilets) to smoggy Ancol, Indonesia. Home to probably the smallest, yet jam packed with cool Sea Creatures, Sea World. The distance according to Google Maps is about 20 Kilometers. A distance that at most would take 20 minutes in Lebanon. However because we wanted this to be an Indonesian style field trip, we took 2 hours to go that distance. Thankfully the drive home was only 1 hour :)
This may have put a damper on things for all of us, but the wait was worth it. Once we got inside we were welcomed to an Aquarium 3 times smaller than the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Though it was small in size there was still plenty to see. Probably the favorite portion of the trip was the tunnel that had stingrays, sea turtles, grouper fish, sand sharks, and many other fish swimming over head. Worth the wait, most definitely.

Journey through the streets
Having an apartment on the 11th floor allows me to see many different things from my windows. One of the many things that I can see is a giant dome. I have asked the many people who visited my apartment if they knew what it was. Nobody could give an answer. Finally a few weeks ago it was a sunny Sunday afternoon, so I set out in the direction of the dome. I didn't know how far it would be or any of the streets. I was just determined to find out what it was. So I slipped on my Chacos, grabbed my water and headed out. I had a general idea of where the thing was. I thought my building is about 15 stories higher than most around it, so I should be able to see it to get a reference point throughout the walk. Boy was I wrong! I zigzagged through the streets and alleys. I took a walking bridge across a main road (which was the only time I could actually see my building). I came to a few dead ends. Finally I spotted the dome, I was so close. However, the roads here are not that easy to navigate so what should have been a straight shot to it, ended having to be a reroute and go next to one of the main toll roads. The toll road led me then to the dome, it ended up being a convention center. Not as exciting as I had hoped. I was hoping that possibly it was some sports arena where they played world champion badminton. At this point I turned back around tried to find my building, tried retracing my steps, ended up on different roads and somehow made it back to the school.

Now for a shout out to three of my old students (and a sister)
Morgan, Reese, and Irelynn (emma)
I got a letter from them today. They know how much I love pictures so they sent it to me. Thanks for thinking and praying for me girls.

Things I miss: an update: I found pickles the day after my last update

Things I have made: Smoothies and blueberry muffins
Things to pray for: The final term of the year starts in 1 week (crazy 9 months has flown 2 months to go)
For relationships with those I come in contact with.

Sea World

View of the dome so far away you can't see it :)

The Bridge

The DOME

Convention

The letters

Just a Little Different

It is hard to believe that it was about this time last year that I was getting the news that I would headed to Indonesia. So let me just tell you some of the differences that I have seen in the teaching/coaching/cheering part of my life.

Teaching has been great. It is weird to think that last year I was teaching 1st and 2nd grade on my own. Now this year I have a partner teacher with whom I have the privilege of teaching along. At times I miss being able to conform my schedule to doing things on my own, which happens when she is sick. But then on those days she is sick I am reminded what it is like to be responsible for 22 students, especially when it comes to packing up. This year was also the first time that I have had a student move mid-year. I am used to students leaving during the summer, but of 5 years teaching this was a first. Finally getting to teach alongside 5 other first grade teachers gives me a great opportunity to become a better teacher learning from their ups and from their downs. Always being refined! On the note of teaching we are learning about all things Olympics, this is the most excited my kids have been in awhile. To bad no Indonesians are competing in the Winter Olympics ;)

Coaching has been great, but you may be asking how do you coach track and cross country in the middle of a city skyscraper with no field or track. Well you don't and so then you take up coaching soccer. Now this is not just any soccer. This is 5th and 6th grade girls soccer with only 2 practices a week. Is it a hard transition from Jamin and Mikey (ELCA) and their crazy antics, probably not. I love it and I am learning so much in skills and coaching in general. Our team name is the E-girls, but they decided I could shout He-girls. Even though the E stands for Eagle.

Cheering, well you all know me and my loud voice I like to use it for sports. It is Junior school soccer season and Senior school basketball season (which is year round). Anyway what a different culture, because everybody lives quite a ways away many people don't come to the sporting events. Mostly it's the teachers, a few parents, and a small band of students. Many of the schools don't even have grandstands. Crazy I know. But I still love it. Just this week I had the opportunity to go to another school in the league to watch the game, there were probably 10 fans not including the players waiting for their game. The echo of a ball bouncing, the squeak of the shoes, and the whistle of the ref no matter where I go these get my voice loud. Then it was time to board the bus to go home and this is where it the recollections stopped. What should have been a hour ride back ended up being 3 hours, TIJ (This is Jakarta). I thought the ride from Kennedy back to ELCA was long :).

So things are just a little different, but I am right where God has me and that is great. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Prayer: Halfway through the year means to comfortable of kids
It is rainy season be praying for the areas that flood

Things I miss:
Pickles

Things I have made:
Cheese cake

As always thanks for praying

Service Week and a Side of Turkey

Waiting for thanksgiving meal

It has been one of those weeks, a week full of exhaustion and excitement. As a school, kindy-twelve, we had the opportunity to do different acts of service. As a first grade team we looked at where are students were at and wanted to get across the point of serving others even when we get no benefit. The activities involved making peanut butter cookies, washing canteen tables, writing notes of thanks, and more. It was fun to be an example with the students of what it looks like to be serving others. We also had the opportunity to talk about the fact that Christ is the best example of a servant and how we should follow His example.

part of my 72 step walk to work

 The following is another example of God's timing. Within the last two weeks God has given me a passion for the security and cleaners that we have, and has given me more of a desire to build relationships with them and to acknowledge that they are more than just wall decorations (hopefully that imagery makes sense). Anyway it has become so easy to look past them, but then every interaction that I have with them sets an example for my students, and is this example of one that shows Christ love. Not really. But God's timing is so great, two incidences come to mind. One was from last week when I had problems with my Indo bank card so I stood for 15 minutes in our lobby waiting for a ride to the bank. While waiting I had the opportunity to talk with one of the security guards and found out he speaks good English. Then yesterday I had to go downstairs and check out because our machine on our floor was out. After checking out the same security guard was there so I got to talk to him and hear about his life. The second God timing was tonight. I had gotten back from eating dinner around midnight and he asked how I was, I saw an open chair and went and just had an hour long conversation with him. It is just exciting to feel God's love for these people.

Hand Turkeys were a hit

Not only I have I learned to love like Christ, but these two men were examples of being thankful and pointing to the areas I can be more grateful. The security jobs don’t pay much but everyday these guys are their serving with a smile. These guys live far from home and one travels 3 hours round trip to be able to provide for his family. I only have 72 steps to get to my job. The other man gets to see his family once a year and only gets to talk with them on the phone. I have Google hangouts to consistently be in touch with those I am not around. Thanks be to God!

Indo thanksgivng

On the note of Thanksgiving, I will just tell a little of my first one away from family. Thursday during service week some of the parents put together a lunch of turkey, ham, stuffing, sushi, orange chicken, noodles, rice, and vegetables. This was a fun time of sharing with my students some traditional foods and some not so traditional foods. Later that night, a few teachers went out to a dinner. Then Sunday a group from church got together and celebrated one last time.

School Thanksgivng

Last thing before I go, if you have not heard I am getting to travel for Christmas. No I am not going to be home, but I do get to go visit my sister, Jennessa, in Germany. I am pretty excited to get to see what it has been like for her the last 14 years celebrating there, while creating fun memories with her.

Prayer:
Building of relationships

Traveling
Focus
Things I miss from home:

Mailboxes

Things I have cooked:
Sugar cookies
Apple Crisp

As always thank you for praying and excusing the grammar.

Went to a German Christmas Market to prepare for cold German Christmas

October Holiday and Time

All the plans for world travels were discussed greatly prior to leaving America in July. I thought every time that there is a holiday or long break I would be gone. But my plans were not God's plans and I am so grateful for that. I could have gone back to Bali, or explore some new places for October holiday, but instead I stuck around the big JAK. It was a blast. There were days that I got to sleep in and relax and other days where I had the opportunity to wake up early. Many of the days I hung out with people from church and one of them I got to go to a waterfall. It was great to be able to just relax and not worry about what was on the agenda for the next day. So yeah I may not be tan because I went to the beaches, but the fact that I got to build relationships with people that I will be around for many years was fantastic.

Time seems to be a recurring narrative of my life in Jakarta. This week making 3 months. But time is a gift that God gives. This week God's timing was truly a blessing. These last few weeks at church we have been discussing what it looks like to be on mission for God in the places that we are at. I had been thinking about it a lot. I have my students that not all of them know Christ and others that I interact with, but don't yet speak fluent Bahasa to be able to carry a conversation. So I had been asking that God would bring somebody in my path that I could build a relationship with that does not know Him. So let me tell you how this all fits in with God's timing. Friday was one of my friends birthdays, a school basketball game, and worship night at church. Many options and only one of me. So I decided to go to the party. On the way to the party a few of the teachers needed to pick up snacks. We stopped and while there they eagerly wanted to find canned pumpkin (not easy to find by the way when it is pushed back behind the fruit cocktail) anyway while up there I saw somebody that I met when I first moved here. As we were leaving I realized that they had way to much to get back to their apartment so I carried it back with them. When we got to the apartments I realized that they lived right across the hall from my friend's apartment. They told me to come over afterward, which I did and was able to hang out and begin to build that relationship with them. All this because of God's timing in it. I am thankful for the fact we needed to look for pumpkin filling.

So I apologize no exciting stories of trips in the jungle, the smogcrete jungle will have to do for now.

As always thank you for praying, God is stretching me in ways that I never knew I needed to be stretched.

Things I miss from home:
Corn Mazes (especially Bose Family farm)

Waterfall near Sentul City

Bowling over Holiday

LG after pool party and Pineapple upside down cake

Bali Beliefs and Sports Spectating

BALI BELIEFS
 Growing up I with my sister in Germany I was always hearing about the weekend trips that she would take to countries like France, Austria, Switzerland, and many others. To me that was just a crazy concept to live so close to those places to go for such a short time. Well two weekends ago I had the opportunity to do the same kind of thing. I went to Bali with 4 other teachers from 3 different SPHI campuses. It was a great relief to get away and breathe the "fresh" air at Kuta Beach. (I put that in quotes because compared to Jakarta it is clean, but compared to the Willamette Valley, Yikes) While in Bali we got to go on a 25 km bicycle ride past some rice fields; drink Kawak coffee; eat breakfast above a volcano; swim at the beach; and learn about the culture.
Although the relaxing on the beach was great, my favorite portion of the trip was learning about the Balinese Hindu culture. It was such a contrast to go from Java where Islam is the most followed religion to Bali where Hinduism dominates all areas of life. For me it was like stepping back in time. I know that there are many cultures who sacrifice to false gods, but this was my first experience with it. Every day these people would put out a sacrifice of food to the various gods. And they were unsure what would happen if they did not do this daily. It reminded me of the sacrifice Christ made and the fact that it was once for all time, and never will I have to worry if I am doing enough. I can know that it is by God's grace that I am saved.

SPORTS SPECTATING
For those who know me well, besides the Timbers I really don't care about professional sports. I love watching sports of people that I know. So it should come as no surprise that I have already been watching different sporting events. It has been great to go with two of the other teachers to watch them play some softball. (One of the few places for green grass)  A great part about being here at SPH is that they are also eagles so when I cheer for the school teams it is not hard to do so. (Except when we play one of the other campuses and they too are eagles)

My favorite sport experience so far was just this last week when we had sports day. This was a 2 day activity. The Junior school did their activities Thursday, and Senior school on Friday. The days were filled with many activities and each student was placed into one of four house teams. The great part was not the sports but how the Senior school students interacted with the Junior school students. It was a good picture of how a body of believers should be. The mature helping the younger. The younger teaching the mature. I am so thankful to get to continue at a school with all grades.

PRAYER
This week is a 3 day week then we have professional development. Please pray that it would be a time to grow and get better at what I do.
Next week is Term break. Pray that I don't just loaf around but that I can use the time wisely.

THINGS I MISS
regular string (not yarn)

THINGS I HAVE  MADE
This new section may not last long but I just am excited that I have finally gathered enough cooking supplies to actually begin making food. Also one of my friends taught me how to work the difficult oven.
So here it is the things that I have experimented doing thus far:
Banana Bread
No Bakes
Rice
Brownies
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
I have made other things but I forget what they were

As always thank you for praying and please excuse my grammar

Chu-Seok WHATTTTT? and ELCA Hangout

Today in our class we got to celebrate" Chu-Seok" which is Korean Thanksgiving. It was very interesting to hear what they do to celebrate this Holiday. Traditionally this Holiday is a time to get together with family to be thankful for the harvest, very much like ours. However in their tradition they go and present offerings to the ancestors and bow down to them. It was cool to hear though that Christian Korean's see the wrong in this, so instead they gather together as a family and worship our Savior. This was also a great day because it marks the 2 months that I have been able to be in Jakarta. There are constantly things that God brings to mind to be thankful. God's blessings are there it is just sometimes hard for me to notice them. Today was a reminder that I have had parents heavily involved all five years of teaching. So thank you to all you parents over these past years that were willing to come and help in my sometimes crazy class. God has used you immensely to help this non artistic teacher in many ways.  

Song-pyun rice with something good wrapped around it

Jegi-chagi like hacky sack

A dad showing us how to do it. He did well, for wearing dress clothes.

The mom's presenting the power point.

 Another blessing that I go to be a part of this week was Google chatting with my past students from ELCA. It was so much fun to stay up late talking with them about all that God is doing in this country as well as sharing some of the silly things I have learned. I hope that I will be able to do another chapel soon.

Prayer:

Please continue to pray for the life group meeting in my apartment. That we would grow closer together and have a Gospel focused growth.

Pray for safe travels and good fellowship as I leave for Bali this Friday. (super excited this will be my first out of city/off Java trip)

This week I also get to lead chapel, so please pray that the message will focus on who Jesus is.

Things I miss:

outdoor playgrounds

As always thanks for praying and being a part of God's mission.