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Bathing with hot water is for babies!

Hot or ColdWhile bathing with hot water is a common and preferred way of bathing in America it is viewed here in Indonesia as the way the sick, babies or elderly bathe. So, if you come to visit us you most likely will experience the traditional Indonesian way of bathing. We use a large tub of water called a “bak”, with a dipper called a “gayung”.

After sharing with one of my language teachers how the cold water takes Seth’s breath away every time he pours the water over his head, she gave me some tips on how to properly bathe without shocking your system!

Step 1: Splash your face.

Step 2: Splash your legs.

Step 3: Splash your back.

Step 4: Now you are ready for a full bath!

Apparently going through this process helps your body get used to the water before covering your whole body in it. Of course, if you’re already hot from Indonesias humidity and heat, having a cold shock to your body feels great!

Question: Which way would you choose to bathe? Take the time to complete all 4 steps or skip the steps and pour it over your head right away? Please leave your comment by clicking here. 

 

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Two Motorcycles

No MotorcyclesMarty and I rented two motorcycles for 6 days in order to get around Yogyakarta quickly and efficiently while we finished setting up our house. I am so thankful that Indonesians are forgiving people because we have made several traffic mistakes.

Mistake #1 No motorcycles allowed. Here in Yogyakarta there is large six lane road circling the city. It is called the “Ring Road.” Most of the time on the Ring Road there is a special lane for motorcycles and they are not allowed in the car lanes. We figured this out quickly after seeing all the motorcycles merge together and leave us to drive alongside the cars. Ooops!

Mistake #2 Red means stop. That should be obvious since “red” universally means STOP. Sometimes here in Yogyakarta the traffic lights are positioned in different spots than they would be in America so we have ran several red lights not realizing it till it was too late to stop. Ooops!

Mistake #3 One-way streets.  We have also entered one-way streets only to find we were driving the wrong direction. Ooops!

These are just a few of the mistakes we know we have made. I hope that there are not too many more that we are unaware of. I am thankful that no one has yelled at us or shook their fist in our direction. It helps that traffic laws are not really set in stone here, so our mistakes don’t look too awful.

Question: What traffic mistakes have you made and were others as forgiving to you as the Indonesians have been to us? You can leave a comment by clicking here. 

 

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TransJakarta Busway

TransJakarta BuswayI have had the opportunity to ride the TransJakarta Busway several times since moving here. I think riding on it is a lot of fun! It has it’s own lane separate from traffic, although motorcycles and cars use it illegally at times. Sometimes, on the bus I have a lot of room to move around, but other times it gets really crowded! According to Wikipedia, the Busway was open to everyone in 2004 and carries around 250,000 passengers per day.

One time when we rode on the Busway, I got to buy the tickets! Since I do not know the language very well Mom told me what to say and gave me money to pay for them. Unlike in America, the men and women are separated on the bus. So, mom and I sat in the front of the bus and Dad and Seth in the back. We had a long ride and Dad was not there to tell us where to get off. Mom misunderstood what Dad had said before we boarded and we got off too early!

When we looked back at the bus we saw Dad and Seth waving to us from inside as we stood on the platform watching them drive away! We hurried to get back on the next bus to catch up to the boys. As we pulled up to our destination, Dad and Seth were there, waiting for us!

A few hours later, we got on again to go home and the same thing happened except we stayed on the bus and Dad and Seth got off at the right stop. We didn’t panic, just laughed at our silly mistake again. We quickly turned around and caught up to them. All of us were laughing!

I learned that on the Busway, you have to pay attention to everything around you; especially what stop is coming next!

Question: What type of interesting transportation have you taken? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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Homeschooling in Jakarta

I have been pleasantly surprised to find several groups of Homeschooling families here in Jakarta, Indonesia. They seem to all function differently, focusing on a variety of activities. Some are more structured with educational lessons prepared for the kids to participate in. Some are more casual, allowing for the kids to run and play freely. Some are open to everyone, regardless of religious background while others are reserved for those with a “Christian” background. Still other Homeschool groups are designed for foreigners and those that can speak English well enough to participate.

Eagles Nest

One of the Homeschool groups that I met is called “Eagle’s Nest.” They asked me to be their guest speaker and share my experiences as a homeschool mom and wife trying to live God’s way. We discussed God’s plan for the family and how as parents our ultimate responsibility to train our children to love Him and follow Him all their lives. The moms had some excellent questions after my talk. They asked about practical examples of how to train our children not to complain. They asked about training them to sit still and quiet during worship. They asked about sibling rivalry and how to overcome that. They also asked about discipline and how to control our emotions in stressful situations. There were questions about the husband-wife relationship and what to do when we don’t agree with each other.

I explained, and I hope they all understood, that I am not perfect and neither is my small family. We make mistakes. We fail at times. But, we apologize to each other and to God and move on trying not to make the same mistake again.

I thank God for this opportunity to speak to these ladies! It was a growing opportunity for me as I put into words the principles that my family lives by. I learned more about Indonesian culture as well as a few more vocabulary words! I pray that each mom was able to take away something from our meeting. I pray that each of these women look to His Word to find Truth and that they, along with their husbands, train their children to serve Him all their days.

Question: What activities does your homeschool group do when they get together? You can leave a comment by clicking here. 

Please enjoy this brief video I made from our very first Homeschool activity here in Jakarta. Thank you and remember to subscribe so you can watch more interesting videos about Indonesia!

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Everybody Is A Teacher

Now that we live in Indonesia, I really want to learn the language so I can communicate with everyone and make lots of new friends. I have learned that everybody is a teacher! Even though I do not know the language I have been able to make a few friends already. Two of my new friends come from a family in the church of Christ at Darmawangsa. Yosua is a boy and he is almost 6 years old. His 2 year old sister is named Ester. We have spent a lot of time with this family and I have become friends with the kids.

I have gotten to play with Ester and when she talks and I ask my Mom what she is saying she is “teaching” me Indonesian. Another way I am learning is through pictures. When I play with Ester sometimes she points to a picture of something and says the Indonesian word for it. I have a game on my iPod that has a picture of a cat on it so Ester touched it and said “kucing”, which is the word for cat. Another time, she pointed to a rabbit on her shorts and said, “kelinci”, the word for rabbit.

Sarah and Ester

I have learned a lot of words from Ester and I have enjoyed playing with her. It is funny how even a two-year-old little girl can become a great language teacher! I am learning Indonesian little by little. Someday I will know the language really well and I will remember Ester as one of my first language “teachers.” I have learned that when you are learning a new language, everyone is a teacher, whether they are 2 years old or 50!

Question: Who has been an unexpected teacher in your life? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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Overcoming the Language Barrier – Speechless in Jakarta

Have you ever wanted to say something so bad, but the words just wouldn’t come? This is how it feels when you’re trying to learn a foreign language can’t communicate your thoughts. The language barrier brings frustration, desperation, an overwhelming feeling to grab onto something tangible. Often times you resort to hand motions!

Darmawangsa Ladies Class

The other day, I was asked to teach a ladies Bible class for the women of the Darmawangsa church of Christ in Jakarta, Indonesia. We had been back in Indonesia for 6 days after having been away from the county for 4 years. Needless to say, my grasp of the Indonesian language was a bit rusty. I felt like I had sufficiently prepared my lesson and was confident of what I wanted to say. But, after beginning my lesson I found myself clawing for words that just wouldn’t form right.

My sentence structure seemed off. My vocabulary was weak. I desperately wanted to communicate what I had studied, but found myself faltering. Did I sound like a two-year old toddler to them? All of these great thoughts and insights flooded through my head, but to communicate them was difficult.

The joys of language learning! You need to keep trying and learn from your mistakes. Stick yourself in sometimes embarrassing situations and let the people around you help you. It’s OK to sound like a two-year old in the beginning, but only for a little while. I am sure they will expect more from me in the weeks to come. Despite my feelings of speechlessness, the ladies asked me to speak again the next Sunday. I am very grateful that they are  patient with me as I struggle to use their language.

 

Question: What do you do when you don’t have the words to communicate your thoughts and feelings? You can leave a comment by clicking here. 

 

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5 Tips for Preparing to Live Overseas

Getting prepared to move to a foreign country can be fun and exciting for the whole family! Preparing ahead of time can save you lots of frustration when you finally reach your destination.

Travel

Here are 5 Tips to help you be physically prepared to step foot in your new home.

  1. Sell Your Stuff. We all have extra things laying around our houses. Get rid of it. Sell it or give it away. Especially if you will be away from America for any length of time. Things will age, go out of style, or just collect dust. Better to go light and not worry about what is sitting in storage back home.
  2. Get in Shape. Having your body in good physical condition will help you cope with the culture shock you will face. You body will adjust more quickly to the physical stresses if you don’t have a lot of extra weight to carry around. In most other countries people do a lot more walking than we do here in the US. Being in shape will help you not be as fatigued as you begin adjusting to your new life.
  3. Try New Foods. Be brave and give your taste buds an adventure. In your new home overseas you will be presented with food you have never seen before. It is extremely polite and gracious of you to eat the food and not turn your nose up at it. Before you leave for your new home get out of your comfort zone and visit a Thai restaurant. Indian cuisine? How about sushi? It doesn’t have to be food that you think you will encounter on your mission field. Just prepare yourself to eat whatever is set before you.
  4. Turn off the A/C. Get your body used to being uncomfortable for a time. If you are going someplace hot and humid, it is wise to enjoy the heat! Many places around the world don’t use air conditioning as much as we do.
  5. Toss the Appliances. Get rid of your microwave. Hang your clothes on a clothesline. Being able to do things the long way may be an advantage to you in your foreign field. You might have to do without many modern conveniences in your new life. Learn to like cold showers. In many countries they don’t use warm water to bathe with.

Moving to a foreign country can be fun for the whole family. Hopefully by following these 5 simple tips you will feel more prepared as you begin your new adventure overseas.

Question: What things have you done to prepare yourself physically when going overseas? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Photo Credit: http://cdn5.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2012/shutterstock_97739021.jpg