Greetings from Indonesia
We have officially been in Malang for two weeks now. The people here are very welcoming, kind, and gracious as we learn how to do life here. We stand out like sore thumbs (both of us being blonde and significantly taller than the average Indonesian), and we get called "bule" (foreigner) daily. Yet even though we don't look like we fit in, Malang is starting to feel like home. A huge help in this has been language study. We are spending about 20 hours per week in the classroom learning Bahasa Indonesia, and practicing using it in the community and at our homestay. Our language skills have been progressing surprisingly quickly, and we have already started to have short, simple conversations with locals. There is MUCH to learn and we usually feel exhausted by the end of every day, but God is faithfully helping us adjust as we depend on Him.
One thing that makes life here more tiring is that everything--even small errands--are done differently than in America. Things that used to be simple, quick errands in the United States are now added to our Weekly Goals. Some "small victories" we recently celebrated were:
Learning how to cross the street
How to take public transportation
Where and how to get a haircut
How to order food at restaurants
How to do laundry
We didn't realize what it would be like to give up our ability to depend on ourselves for "simple" tasks, but we are gaining humility as we celebrate our tiny victories--and that is something truly valuable.
Our Team
The REI team we are working with has been a huge blessing and encouragement as we adjust to our new home. Our team leaders have years of wisdom and experience to share--we are so thankful for them! Just this week Chuck and Jake got to walk around our neighborhood together to meet new people and practice language. The rest of our team provide spiritual and emotional support as well. We are excited to see what our Father will do as we partner together in prayer and in our work!
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