Giving Thanks

Well, Thanksgiving Day has come and gone here, and the next day has too (though my friends in the US may be just starting Black Friday shopping).

This has been a full week for us. On Monday we flew to Sentani and drove to Jayapura for our annual trip to the Immigration office. At Immigration we each had our photo taken, and they also like to take our fingerprints (with a little electronic machine). We each got a different amount of fingerprinting done...they didn't even try to take Zach's fingerprints (thanks!), Ariella's were too small to work (though they tried for a while), Zoe's left thumb was used for every print, after one failed try they decided that my fingerprints from last time would work well for me, and they got all of Daniel's fingerprints without too many re-tries. We actually were in and out of the office in record time! We had a late lunch at KFC. The play area was nice, and about half of the things on the menu were available. In the afternoon the girls had a fun time playing with friends who they don't get to see very often.

Tuesday was another travel day, as we flew home. I really enjoy the scenery when we fly!

Wednesday we celebrated Ariella's 3rd birthday. I host preschool at my house most Wednesday mornings, so we had cake and ice cream at preschool and invited friends over to help us eat more cake and ice cream at dinner time.

Thursday we had a non-traditional Thanksgiving. Holidays away from family are hard for me. Some people work very hard to make the same foods and to make the holidays feel familiar. I didn't have energy for that this year. Daniel took time off and we invited friends who are visiting Wamena to go to White Sands (a place with lots of....you guessed it...white sand) where the kids had fun playing and exploring while we talked. Right as we were turning into the driveway to park at White Sands, a family on a motorcycle tried to pass us on the outside of the road. I am so thankful that no one was hurt in the accident that ensued, and that the vehicles were barely damaged. Zoe is still processing with me her thoughts about what happened, how to prevent it (there was nothing we could have done!), and about the people who fell off their motorcycle. Driving in a place where there are no enforced traffic laws can be a little bit scary.

We had pancakes for dinner.

Today--Friday--we decorated for Christmas. I love seeing the kids' wonder and delight at the lights and tree! Daniel found the nails already installed on the porch for hanging lights. Zach looked pretty interested when he woke up from his nap to see the Christmas tree. This will be his first Christmas! I cooked a little chicken with some onions and potatoes in the crock pot, hoping that would feel enough like a normal Thanksgiving meal to seem special.

Tomorrow I plan to bake a pie and take it to a Thanksgiving dessert get-together in the evening.

And that is my week! My emotions have been up and down. I miss family and friends. I miss being a kid and playing games at my grandparents' houses on holidays. Being an adult is tiring and sometimes I feel like a failure at it. I also miss seasons. Fall is gone and some places even have snow, but I'm still living in eternal summer.

The inside of my house looks like Christmas. Outside the rain is pounding on green grass and flower beds filled with blooming flowers including zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, forget-me-nots, impatiens, salvia,and amaryllis. This is a beautiful place to live. I like having a slower pace of life and having time and regular interactions with my neighbors and co-workers. I love that my husband is able to provide much-needed help to people who live in hard-to-reach places and might otherwise be overlooked.

I have been encouraged by these verses from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 in the Bible:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I like that it says to give thanks IN all circumstances, not FOR all circumstances. I don't need to be thankful that I most likely won't see my extended family for at least another year. But while I'm missing them, I can give thanks for the things that I am thankful for: 3 years already with my Ariella, Zoe's growth and thoughtfulness, Zach's new things: a 7th tooth and pulling up, Daniel's partnership in this sometimes-crazy life, my God who loves me, flowers, rain, friendship, hope, health, Christmas decorations, being alive...
When I feel homesick, sad, left out, incompetent, I try to remember to breathe. Breathe in and out...give grace to myself and others, give thanks to God in the midst of my swirling emotions and circumstances...

I know that my feelings of homesickness pale in comparison to the depths of grief that some of my friends are experiencing right now. My feelings of apprehension regarding driving here (actually, I have only ridden along, not driven a car since arriving here 8 months ago) also are not very bad compared to the fear and terror that others are going through. Some people may tell you that God has caused the circumstances that are filling you with grief or fear. I am not so sure about that. I don't believe that God causes evil. What I have written today is mostly about the small details of my life and feelings. I hope that if you are reading this and are in a time of deep pain or struggle, you will understand that you do not need to be thankful FOR the circumstances that are hard. Choose instead to be thankful for something while IN the midst of your circumstances.

Something that I think will help me to enjoy these holidays away from family is to invite someone or some family over to share them with. May I have the eyes to see who else is a little bit down or lonely.

Decorating the Christmas tree with 2 cute elves.

Story time tonight.

Some of my flowers in the rain.

Birthday girl. :)

How I get veggies and fruit

As a mom of little people, still getting adjusted back to life where fresh fruit and veggies are sold in open markets, I find getting out to shop to be difficult. Here in Wamena I am so very blessed to have two ladies come by on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and sell me fresh food right on my porch! I never know exactly what they will bring (though there are pretty much always pineapples). In that way this is a bit like a farm share... My sister learned lots of new way to cook greens and started drinking green smoothies when she had a farm share because she received all kinds of veggies that she had never bought at a store. Similarly, it is fun to buy whatever these ladies bring and then think about ways to use them.

Here is a photo of all the food that I purchased on Tuesday, after I washed it:

If you are interested, here is a list of the veggies and fruit and of what I paid for each item:
wortel (carrots) $4.50
ketimun (cucumber) $1.50
salada (lettuce) $0.75
nenas (pineapple) $0.75
tomat (tomatoes) $1.85
pisang (bananas) $8.15
kol bunga (cauliflower) $3.70
alpokat (avocado) $0.75
jeruk manis (oranges that are green on the outside) $1.50
mulberries (the lady picks them from bushes at her house and calls them blue berry, but I know that they're not blueberries. my girls gobble them up!) $1.50
markisa --free because Ariella is so cute and asked for some
green onions $0.75
papaya $2.25
total: less than $30.

We eat the fruit plain and in smoothies. Yum! Pineapples here are very ripe and sweet. The cherry tomatoes are not from the usual fruit ladies, but are from the garden of Hosanna, the woman who helps me to clean my house. Here is a photo of her with Zach (who adores her):

I am so very grateful for these strong and resourceful women and for their help in feeding my family!

Berpiknik

Hi there!

It's been a long time since I've written anything here, but what better day to start back up than my 35th birthday?

I have been back in Indonesia for almost a month now, after nearly 2 years in the US. My family is living in the new-to-us city of Wamena, in the highlands of central Papua. Today my husband and friends Karin and Doug planned a picnic to celebrate my birthday. I was excited to see more of the beautiful region where we are living!

First we planned to drive to the hydro plant...but the road was newly washed out.

Look, a pig!

Then we headed towards the yellow bridge near the big washout area. On the way we saw the place in the river where CMA missionaries first landed a float plane in this region in 1954. The people living nearby are proud to be close to the place where the Gospel first entered this region. Some churches hold Easter services here, and this area is open to people who want to picnic. But we thought it might be hard to keep the girls out of the river (and very dangerous if they went into it!!).

We were not able to get to the yellow bridge because that road was filled with mud. We tried walking there, but it got too squishy. The girls enjoyed walking in the mud and rocks.

Then we backtracked a bit to an area with a very fun (and well-maintained) foot bridge. We walked over the bridge and down a path.

Here are the 3 little pigs!

I like the steps to get over the pig-fences.

Here is a little garden.

We walked back over the bridge and had our picnic in a pondok--a wooden structure with a floor and a roof. Karin packed lots of yummy food for us!

Afterwards the girls played in the grass nearby.

Everything is new to me here, and there is so much beauty...I like the wooden fences and the traditional huts (honai), flowers, people walking everywhere, mountains in every direction. Flying around here is amazingly beautiful too! I will share photos of that another time!

This afternoon I also had a surprise birthday party at my neighbors' house. I am grateful for so many people who care about me! Transitions are hard, and my emotions are mixed. I am very grateful to be here in Wamena, though, I'm grateful for the friends to miss who live elsewhere and for the friends for me and for my family here. I am grateful for my God who is always with me, wherever I am. And look at this--I have lived another year! It will be interesting to see what this year will bring!

Beach Day at Pulau Ahe

Today our family, along with 24 friends, went to a little island near Nabire called Ahe. It took us 20 minutes in the car and then 40 minutes on a boat to get there. It was so beautiful! Daniel tried out the fishing spear that I got him for Christmas and speared and cooked 3 (small) fish. I spent most of my time keeping Zoe from drowning and nursing Ariella...but I also got to go snorkeling and saw a lion fish and the wing of an airplane from World War II. Zoe loves swimming and said she would float home in her little floatie (why is she so completely unafraid of the water?). Ariella went "swimming" for her first time.

Here are some photos so that you can enjoy the beauty of the beach with us:

Comings and Goings

"The LORD watches over you--

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm;;

he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121:6-8

Psalm 121 has been very encouraging to me lately, because I feel like my life is full of "comings and goings". I am choosing to trust God to watch over me through all of these transitions.

Zoe and I just spent almost a month in the US visiting family and so that I could be the matron of honor in my friend's wedding. We arrived back in Indonesia on Wednesday, and are happy to be reunited with Daniel. Tomorrow (Monday) morning we will move to Nabire, a town that is about a 2 hour flight on a small airplane from where we have been living for the past 13 months. Most of our belongings have already been shipped there, and it will be fun to unpack and set up our home. Then sometime in October (perhaps the 19th?) we will come back to Sentani where we have been living to wait for our baby to come. I anticipate that we will live here for a month or longer.

When I look behind me and in front of me I see lots of changes! How will all the details of setting up our home, learning where to shop, and making new friends in Nabire come together? How will birthing my baby go, and what will it be like to go from a family of 3 to a family of 4? How will I teach Zoe to be kind to her little sister?

There is so much that I do not know. I am so glad that I know that the Lord is watching over me and He will help me with whatever comes in the days ahead!

30 weeks pregnant and moving tomorrow!

Margaret and Andy's Visit

I feel very blessed that my youngest sister Margaret and her husband traveled all the way around the world to come and visit us! Here are a few photos and highlights from their visit:

enjoying mango juice

Zoe got to feed deer (in Bogor, near Jakarta)

We visited a beautiful botanical garden. Complete with huge trees and lovely tropical flowers.

Andy and Margaret with a view of the city of Sentani, Papua where we live.

The pasar (market).

Zoe loved the extra attention that she received from Margaret and Andy.

We visited a river, Kali Biru (Blue River).

Floating down the river in the jungle!

At the beach!

It was so nice to have family members here to show around, have everyday life with, and play board games with! Zoe loves her aunt and uncle (she calls Andy "Annie"). It was good to also see our life here through another set of eyes.

The beach is very nice here! Maybe we will get some more visitors sometime soon... ??? (It's expensive and takes forever to get here....but feel invited!)