Goodbye Salatiga hello Papua!

It has been a long road.  Although we were really glad to be done with language school we were also sad to leave our friends there.  We are thankful for the relationships we started and continue to have there.

Our dear friends Pak Bambang and Ibu Santi...yes and Pak Bambang does have a Blazers shirt on...awesome  Great times at our last meal together in Salatiga.

Here are a couple family self portraits in front of our Salatiga house, which surprisingly only took about 10 minutes

We initially arrived here in Papua about the second week of March, Will worked for three weeks and then we all hopped on another plane back to Jakarta, which if you are not familiar with Indonesian geography its like taking a plane ride across the U.S.  It has been a couple weeks now after getting back from there and we are also sorting out our belongings that have come from both language school and America.  Mom is happy because she has her kitchen tools and dad is happy because he has his tools for work.

Although, we are still living in the same country as when we were in language school it is like a different country.  We are thankful for the MAF community here to help us adjust.  Many people here we already knew before arriving which was great, especially for Gracie.

A week or so ago we had the pleasure to go up the mountain to General MacArthurs lookout spot when WWII was going on. Tons of history there.  There are several WWII planes in Lake Sentani that guys see when they go scuba diving.  Its crazy all the untouched planes that are down there.  Makes me want to get my dive on (Will). Anyways,  no words for how beautiful it was.  Great to overlook the Sentani airport!

Up the mountain in Sentani Papua

We have been away from internet for a while except for our phones so we are going to start being a little better about keeping everyone up to date with pictures etc.  We are still trying to get in a rhythm as we await our final assignment.

Will just finished helping to get a pod on a Kodiak.  Good news it stayed on for the test flight ;)  We will get some of those pictures soon for everyone to see what it is I (Will) do here on the other side of the world.

Thank you so much to everyone for all your support through this process.  Transition is tough, and with a 1.5 year old it is even harder so thank you everyone for your prayers!

America For Christmas!

A week ago we returned to Indonesia after a three week vacation in the U.S. for Christmas.  With less than 7 weeks until we move to Papua, we are in pack it up and move mode.  There are tons of logistics to work out before we go including packing up our household goods to be shipped in only 3 weeks.  However, we had such an awesome time in the America that we wanted to share some pictures from our trip.  We are so thankful to family and friends who made it possible for us to come home for a bit!  We also very thankful to everyone who made our stay one to remember.

This was a new thing for Gracie.  Although Gracie was in a car seat for almost 6 months before coming to Indonesia it was still very foreign to her being so restrained.  The car seat turned into a sleep machine for Gracie and entertainment for mom and dad.  A moment we will not forget...when we asked Gracie if she was ready to "go" she went and got the Ergo so she could strap in for the motorcycle.  Then dad educated Gracie on how cold she would be if we all went for a ride.  

This was the scene New Year's Eve.  Being old 31 year olds we thought we could pull up an East Coast New Years so we could go to bed early.  Well, when we finally got it going this popped up.  WHAT?!?!  This moment was quite ironic considering how we lose internet from wind and rain in Indonesia frequently.  I guess now when we lose it we can think about it happening in the U.S. too.

Gracie loves all animals, but dogs are extremely interesting to her.  She had a lot of good times with "Lulu."

Dad took a picture of Gracie and this caution sign as we were heading back to Indonesia. The question we had was "Can any parent really get far enough away in the bathroom from the child that they could fall?"

Great times!  Gracie not quite sure where mom got the baby from.

This really says it all.  Gracie is constantly on the go...

...except when she is sleeping.  Hey mom and dad your 2 seats are so spacious!

Gracie sleeping in the Tokyo airport on an 11 hour layover and the worst 8 hour flight of mom and dad's life.

We got to let Gracie be with family a lot so we got some good date time in.  It was a beautiful thing.

First plane to board on our journey to America.  Smoke in the cabin!!!  Ha!  Actually it was just a broken A/C.  When we first boarded it was so thick we lost each other.  I loved the reaction of the locals though not batting an eye.  Just a bit different than the U.S.

Gracie was so happy on our trip...actually we all were.

Yep, this was in the Jakarta airport, although Indonesia is over 90% muslim.  We looked really hard for something this big with the word Christmas on it in the US...nothing.

Not much to say except we agree and PF Chang's was really good.

Not in the US but thought we would share this moment.  Gracie's first flower from a boy.

We got a little snow while in the Pac NW.  If you look hard you can see it in this picture.

Here is a picture of Nan's side of the family.  We are so thankful that they could fly out from the other side of the U.S. to see us.  We had a blast.

Sibuk Sekali (Very Busy) & our Gracie Jane...

Our lives have been busy to say the least! We are about to "naik" or move up to Unit 6 of 9 in language school. We currently have a 1 year old (Sweet Gracie Jane) who desires to go EVERYWHERE by herself! And she is busy opening doors for conversations with the Indonesians who surround us on a daily basis. Her contagious laughter, funny faces and cheesy smile she wears (each time she sees a camera) makes us smile no matter how hard the day has been! Here are a few pictures of our baby girl who is loved by and loves everyone she meets...

Hanging with Mommy!

Dancing with Mommy! 

Gracie with her Pembantu, Ibu Agnes (Her babysitter while we are in school) 

Gracie and Ibu Santi

Our silly girl & her Mango mustache 

Gracie Jane making a new friend

"I don't want the cupcake! It is scary!!!" - Gracie Jane

Helping Daddy fix the chair

Thank you everyone for the love, prayers and continued support! We could not be here without each of you. 

Blessings,
Will, Nan and Gracie Jane

Fuel leak!

Recently the fuel valve on our motorcycle sprang a leak which gave me (Will) the opportunity to take it in to the local repair shop (or bengkel). Now you are probably wondering why I don't just fix it myself. Well, the main reason is because all my tools are in the US waiting to be shipped to Papua, also by going to the bengkel I get to practice my bahasa and learn new techniques for maintenance. When I go it is more about the cultural experience than the end result.




The morning after the bike started leaking badly I went to the bengkel. Upon arriving the mechanic (montir) told me that it would be no problem to fix and it would take about 45 minutes. Although skeptical I proceeded to watch him defuel the bike and take off the broken fuel valve. He left with the part to go buy a new one. After a few minutes he returned telling me he could not find the part. I said ok no problem. I go to Semarang (big city) on Friday so I will just pick one up then.




This is when the fun began. Knowing how maintenance here in Indonesia is different from the US I waited with great anticipation for how he was going to put the fuel valve back on as a temporary fix.




He began to superglue the part back on and to make sure it was sealed he took his lit cigarette which made an ash/glue compound. Perfect. Lets put fuel back in and check for leaks. Yep leaks all over. If only you could have seen my surprised face. I had a sealant back home which I used to get my bike there for repair so I went and got that. When I returned, part of his cigarette filter had made its way into the ash/glue "seal."




When it was all said and done we de/refueled two times and didn't fix anything. But like I said before going to the bengkel was not about the end result of the bike. I got some good language practice and was able to continue building relationship with my Indonesian friends.




Just this last week Nan and I were reflecting on how thankful we are for our motorcycle and just how far we have come since coming here. It really is a luxury to get on a motorcycle and go wherever we need and not have to wait for anyone. Going to the city takes us about 20 minutes with Gracie, but before with public transportation (angkot) it took close to 3 hours. At the same time we are thankful for the times riding the angkot because we appreciate what we have so much more as well as get the opportunity to learn this culture a little better. That being said, we have learned a ton about Indonesian culture because we ride a motorcycle. To grasp this concept you really need to come and experience Indonesia for yourself.

Hati hati! (Be careful in Bahasa)

This picture was taken during the first leak check. Notice anything out of place? Take note of the puddle of fuel on the ground as well as my buddy's cigarette in his left hand. No big deal except it was lit with about a half inch of ash waiting to drop. His daughter is looking on "helping" dad.

Time for Lebaran!

Right now we are at the beginning of "Lebaran."  It is the season to celebrate the end of Ramadan and all the fasting which has been going on for about a month now.  Because of Lebaran we get a few days off school.  It is quite a relief from the week and a half we have had in Unit 4.  The first three units of language school focused on talking and listening whereas now we are focusing more on reading and writing.  Our day now consists of only two hours of class, but for homework we ask questions to Indonesian friends and then write a one page essay in bahasa about what we learned.  When class time comes, we do a presentation telling the class about the paper.

Gracie helping celebrate the completion of Unit 3

To balance school, time with Gracie, and everything else is sometimes a huge task, but we seem to have gotten into a rhythm with going to class together again and leaving Gracie home with our new babysitter.  We are very thankful for all of your prayers as we have adjusted to this season of life.

Yummy!

We have had some hard nights recently with sleep due to Gracie teething.  She currently has six teeth and more on the way.  This picture is a perfect example of how Gracie spends her time when she is not crawling all over our house.  Although we have many chew toys for her, Gracie obviously thinks this wood table works much better.

If you follow us on Facebook we put up a picture last week about the dozen eggs we found in our back yard.  Apparently, these chicken eggs are relatively expensive here so we were thankful to have them.  After deciding our stomachs are not quite strong enough for them yet we gave them away, but maybe next time we will eat them ;)

It is pretty common for locals to climb 50 foot coconut trees here to get the coconuts that are ready to eat.  I never would have thought but when the coconuts hit the ground they shake our whole house so now when the shaking begins we take Gracie outside or to the window for a little entertainment.  She loves watching...and so do mom and dad.  No ropes or shoes.  It is really a non event and normal here but interesting for those curious about how life is here.

While talking about coconuts it is important if you come here to remember that the word for them is kelapa...not kepala.  Kepala is head.  Sometimes I get these mixed up.  Still even now I have to think before I speak.  I would not want to ask someone here if it is normal to cut heads out of the trees without ropes.  Or what isle the shredded head is on.  Yeah, its all part of learning the language.  Good times.

All clear buddy!  Come on down!

We took this picture only because we had the camera out and the opportunity presented itself when these kids were jumping the fence.  What this picture does not capture is the kid on the bottom "helping" was trying to pull the kid's pants down as he was coming down.  Yet another activity less than 40 yards away from our back door.

Beauty, 2:45 a.m Drums & Motorcycles...

Daily we are learning more of the beauty of people here in Indonesia. It becomes more apparent as we are able to discover the words behinds the smiles. Each day we are gaining more of the language by God's grace. The first day we arrived in Indonesia we couldn't even remember how to say, "Thank you." Today we are able to carry on a basic conversation as well as begin the building of relationships with our neighbors. 

Gracie is quite taken with the people of Indonesia as well. They pinch her nose and squeeze her "gemuk" (fat) thighs (which is desirable here because it means she is very well fed)! She squeals with joy. Our friend and helper, Ibu Santi and her family come by often and play with Gracie. Gracie is in love with their five year old son Alta. It is such a joy to watch her fall in love with the people we have been called to serve. 

This month is the month of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting begins July 19th-August 18th. The celebration days of Idul Fitri (the breaking of the fast) are August 19-20.

This adds an interesting twist to life as the prices of everything "naik" or increase dramatically! Business is done much more slowly as people are exhausted because of the lack of food during the fast. And it is much quieter  throughout the daylight hours (minus the mosques sounding the calls to prayer). However, come dusk, the city becomes alive as people are able to eat and celebrate. Pots and pans begin banging together (to announce it is time to eat) synonymous with the nightly call to prayer. Then comes "morning", well 2:45 a.m. the pots and pans commence again, accompanied by drums announcing the last meal prior to daybreak. The procession literally passes outside our window and continues for at least 30 minutes. It has given us a new appreciation for the quiet hours when we can sleep. We are also thankful for a sweet baby who sleeps through it all! Puji Tuhan (Praise God)!  The pots and pans banging, the drums sounding and the calls to prayer which wake us from a peaceful sleep, remind us to pray. To pray for a people who are fasting without the peace we know. A people with a belief in mind that does not include the ONE TRUE GOD. This is why we are here - to share the hope and peace found in God alone. 

On a fun note, Will is teaching me how to drive the manual motorcycle he just bought me. It is quite the thrill and a bit unnerving at moments as I have never driven a motorcycle before. Especially when I am having to drive on the left side of the road! However, being able to get around town is a necessary part of life here in Indonesia. I must admit, it will be a while until I carry Gracie in the Ergo while driving. However, she loves riding when daddy is driving though!

We have finally discovered our rhythm of life here. It isn't without bumps, but those bumps are teaching us about developing a greater dependence for God. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support in this process. If you are further interested in joining our team click here.  We are so thankful to be here and serving the people of Indonesia! 

Blessings, 
Will, Nan and Gracie Jane 

Volcano Climb

Mt Merapi erupting in 2010

As I was sitting down to write a blog update I thought, do people want to see pictures of me sitting in class learning OR...do they want to see pictures of me climbing an active volcano?  Although, I would like to eventually post some pictures of class, teachers, and daily life from school I will save that for a later date.  Last weekend I (Will) had the opportunity to climb (not hike) Mt. Merapi which is Indonesia's most active volcano.  

My personal Canadian photographer Ben came along for the trip, so I just want to thank him for all the great pictures.  He also did a little write up on the mountain HERE which has a few more details.  

Reflecting

We started our journey up the mountain at about 4:30 am so the first part of the climb was done in the dark, however when the sun did come up we were in the clouds.  It was not until we were almost at the top that the clouds started to burn off, we could then see the top which was not far away.  After having lunch at the top (Four "PB and J" sandwiches packed by my amazing wife) we made our decent to the first bit of relatively flat ground.  As we came down and turned around the view above is what we saw.  In this picture we were discussing how great it was to have the clouds hiding our goal.
This last bit of the climb was a little tricky considering everything we grabbed or stood on had the potential of giving out on us.  But that is all part of the fun of getting to the top.

Almost at the top

When I first saw this picture of me looking back down the mountain I could not help but think of the two Indonesian guys who were close behind me.  About 100 yards from the top and I start to hear Adele rock'n on the boom box they had brought with them.  "Are you kidding me right now!" I thought in my head.  Never in a million years did I expect to be where I was and hear that.  It put a smile on my face for the last bit to the top.  So good.

At the top

Although we had GPS to guide us up to the top another way we knew we were "on course" was the trail of cigarette butts.  A couple guys smoking wearing flip flops and socks passed me at one point which really confirmed how out of shape I am.  I guess that should not surprise me considering all the registered runners I have seen smoking it up before the L.A. Marathon.  It's just crazy.  Climbing up to 11,000 feet or so while smoking is truly complete fitness.

Running down in the sand and ash

Coming down was were things got a little hairy.  Near the bottom I had almost no control of my legs, but what I did have was encouragement from the locals "You can do it Mr!"  I made it back home safely, but not before pulling over in the car to throw up a bit about a mile from our house.

Thanks for everyone's prayers.  On a family note we are currently very thankful for good overall health between the three of us.  Gracie is slowly getting on a schedule which is awesome for mom and dad!

Blessings!