Selamat Siang!
Sorry for the delay on this post. I spent the weekend in Ft. Wayne with Lauren and her family to celebrate her brother's graduation. And then a friend of mine and I celebrated his birthday by camping. But it's not been all fun and games :) I have found some great stuff since then. First is this traditional Indonesian dance:
What I find most interesting about this is the cool running-together of so many different cultures. The music has a hint of Middle Eastern dialect, probably due to the Muslim culture. But the dance and location seem very Polynesian. Anyways, I thought this might provide the opportunity for you to experience some of the culture.
I have also spent some time reading the blog of last year's intern in Calang. He kept a pretty regular account of his time there. I thought reminding you of it might encourage you to check it out :) I can't wait to get to Phoenix for my briefing!
I am set to leave from Indy to Phoenix on the 4th of June (next Wednesday!!!) There I'll spend the week with Ashley and Santi, helping them move into their new house and checking out more of the city. I'm also planning on getting together with the other two guys who are going to Indonesia with FH. That should be a good opportunity to get to know some great men.
Needless to say I'm getting antsy!
Prayers right now are mostly prayers of praise for this opportunity and prayers of preparation. Pray that I would get to Phoenix in one piece. Pray that I would have a great time with the folks at FH headquarters. And pray that God would continue to reveal to me His will through this trip.
Also pray for Ashley and Santi. They're going to have to put up with me for a few days. I think I'll be helping them move, digging some hole for their landscaping...and some other odd jobs they need done around the house. I suppose you could pray that none of us would die from heat exhaustion!
Your partnership is deeply appreciated. And keep the comments coming! I love to read them! If it's easier you can email me at andrewinindo@gmail.com
Peace!
May 30, 2008
May 22, 2008
Rambutan dan Rupiah
Hello again friends!
These past few weeks have been surprisingly enlightening. When I finished up school for the summer I knew I would have a few weeks to prepare myself for this trip. But never did I imagine that my passion for South East Asia could become so deeply rooted so quickly!
My reading list became about 300 pages longer yesterday when I made a trip to the library. I'm reading up about some of the corruption in Indonesia, specifically in the province I will be living in. It's really fascinating. For a 15 min synopsis of some of the political turmoil faced by the Acehnese people you can watch this Journeyman video from YouTube. Filmed in April of 2000, it is an infomative view at the situation and also allows a neat glimpse of the people, language, land and culture of Aceh. There are a few clips that may be disturbing to some.
In 2005 rebel members of the Free Aceh Movement signed a peace agreement with the Indonesian government and disarmed much of its forces. Recently however, emotions are again running high.
While I have been delving further into the contextually thicker experiences that lay ahead of me I wanted to share a bit about the simple things I will encounter during my stint in the archipelago.
The first of which is this crazy lookin' fruit. It's called rambutan (RAHM-BOO-TAWN). In Malay the name 'rambutan' literally means 'hairy' for its wild looking outer covering. Other than their other-worldly curb appeal, the edible innards of a rambutan are typically consumed raw, like you might an orange. I've heard only good things about this wacky little fruit and can't wait to try one!
Another part of Indonesia that I had hoped to introduce you to is the rupiah, Indonesia's currency of choice. As of May 2008 one US dollar is worth about 9,200 rupiah. Bank notes are printed in values of 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000. Can you imagine a $100,000.00 bill??? I suppose that's what a financial crisis as catastrophic as the one that hit Indonesia in the late 90's can do to a national currency!
To provide some perspective, a hamburger from McDonald's would run you about 27,600 rupiah (about $3 in US terms).
And while we're on the topic...I wanted to thank you all in advance for your abundant financial support. I am happy to say that FH will be purchasing my plane tickets sometime today or tomorrow and it looks like I should be able to pull together the last $1,400 in time.
Offer up a prayer of praise for the provision, but don't stop there! Pray for my final 2 weeks of preparation. As my time here at home comes to a close I hope to solidify my basic grasp on the language as well as soak up as much family time as I can. Also pray for the two other guys heading to Indonesia with me, David Strivings and Craig VanKorlaar. David and I will be living together in Calang while Craig is headed to the small island of Nias. I have gotten to exchange a few emails with these guys and they certainly sound like studs!
Pray for David Curtis (he went to Indo last summer with FH) as he is on the front lines in the Phoenix office processing all of our intern stuff. He's been a huge help and encouragement and I pray that he would be similarly blessed by me.
Pray for the team that eagerly awaits its intern support in Calang. I am excited to be working with some truly awesome people over there.
These past few weeks have been surprisingly enlightening. When I finished up school for the summer I knew I would have a few weeks to prepare myself for this trip. But never did I imagine that my passion for South East Asia could become so deeply rooted so quickly!
My reading list became about 300 pages longer yesterday when I made a trip to the library. I'm reading up about some of the corruption in Indonesia, specifically in the province I will be living in. It's really fascinating. For a 15 min synopsis of some of the political turmoil faced by the Acehnese people you can watch this Journeyman video from YouTube. Filmed in April of 2000, it is an infomative view at the situation and also allows a neat glimpse of the people, language, land and culture of Aceh. There are a few clips that may be disturbing to some.
In 2005 rebel members of the Free Aceh Movement signed a peace agreement with the Indonesian government and disarmed much of its forces. Recently however, emotions are again running high.
While I have been delving further into the contextually thicker experiences that lay ahead of me I wanted to share a bit about the simple things I will encounter during my stint in the archipelago.
The first of which is this crazy lookin' fruit. It's called rambutan (RAHM-BOO-TAWN). In Malay the name 'rambutan' literally means 'hairy' for its wild looking outer covering. Other than their other-worldly curb appeal, the edible innards of a rambutan are typically consumed raw, like you might an orange. I've heard only good things about this wacky little fruit and can't wait to try one!Another part of Indonesia that I had hoped to introduce you to is the rupiah, Indonesia's currency of choice. As of May 2008 one US dollar is worth about 9,200 rupiah. Bank notes are printed in values of 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000. Can you imagine a $100,000.00 bill??? I suppose that's what a financial crisis as catastrophic as the one that hit Indonesia in the late 90's can do to a national currency!
To provide some perspective, a hamburger from McDonald's would run you about 27,600 rupiah (about $3 in US terms).
And while we're on the topic...I wanted to thank you all in advance for your abundant financial support. I am happy to say that FH will be purchasing my plane tickets sometime today or tomorrow and it looks like I should be able to pull together the last $1,400 in time.
Offer up a prayer of praise for the provision, but don't stop there! Pray for my final 2 weeks of preparation. As my time here at home comes to a close I hope to solidify my basic grasp on the language as well as soak up as much family time as I can. Also pray for the two other guys heading to Indonesia with me, David Strivings and Craig VanKorlaar. David and I will be living together in Calang while Craig is headed to the small island of Nias. I have gotten to exchange a few emails with these guys and they certainly sound like studs!
Pray for David Curtis (he went to Indo last summer with FH) as he is on the front lines in the Phoenix office processing all of our intern stuff. He's been a huge help and encouragement and I pray that he would be similarly blessed by me.
Pray for the team that eagerly awaits its intern support in Calang. I am excited to be working with some truly awesome people over there.
May 18, 2008
Light Hearted but Heavy on the Ears
This afternoon when we got back from church I sat down at the computer to go through what Lauren and I call "the routine". I check my email...peruse Facebook a bit...and then usually check out the FH website for any disaster updates, especially with the recent cyclone in Myanmar and Earthquake in China.
Once I'm through meandering...I like to look up resources for Indonesia. Today I found something particularly entertaining and surprisingly practical. As I am expanding my Indonesian vocabulary (slowly but surely) I have begun training my ear to hear the subtleties in the language that can be readily used to pick out common words.
A Google search of "bahasa Indonesia" which literally means Indonesian language returned the following reel of cartoon clips which are, I believe dubbed over in Indonesian.
Enjoy!
Once I'm through meandering...I like to look up resources for Indonesia. Today I found something particularly entertaining and surprisingly practical. As I am expanding my Indonesian vocabulary (slowly but surely) I have begun training my ear to hear the subtleties in the language that can be readily used to pick out common words.
A Google search of "bahasa Indonesia" which literally means Indonesian language returned the following reel of cartoon clips which are, I believe dubbed over in Indonesian.
Enjoy!
May 12, 2008
Down Time and Updates
I emailed my contact at Food for the Hungry yesterday. I explained that I am settled in now until I head out for Phoenix on the 4th of June and was wondering if he could recommend reading material for me to better prepare myself. *Sigh* It seems like every time I post one of these I am gushing with excitement. Well, this time is no different :) Admittedly I had a hard time as school came to a close as I just wanted everything else to fall away so I could focus 100% on Indonesia. Well that time is here.
Pray that I would be diligent with the few weeks of preparation that I have. I have committed to spending an hour every day practicing the language. As previously mentioned I hope to make a large part of my trip about learning the language. So far so good! The world wide web has proven to be an invaluable resource. Last night I made flashcards of some basic words and phrases :)
Also, I receive an update every Monday from FH on my support raising situation. So far I am at about $1,300 which is a steady third of my budget. I am still waiting on a response from my church in Bloomington and another church in North Vernon. I am confident that the Lord will provide. Pray that this peace would stay. As time runs out it will become easier to fret...and worry...and to control. Also pray that the support would come in quickly! The sooner the better for the sake of those at FH. They have the responsibility of processing all the funds, buying plane tickets, connecting with the team on the ground in Calang etc.
As I prepare mentally (language practice and area research) and spiritually (prayer, prayer, prayer) a constant source of encouragement has been the music of an amazing man of God, Josh Garrels. Since you can't be here with me jammin' to Josh and flipping through flashcards I thought it might be cool for you to at least join me in spirit. Josh's song Restless Ones captures my heart for this trip, ministry in general, and ultimately my soul-deep thirsting for His Coming Kingdom.
In closing I would like to ask that you continue in prayer for the people of Asia. The recent earthquake in China that has thus far claimed 12,000 lives has only added to the suffering in the area. And the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate. Pray that brothers and sisters in this part of the world would rise up and love in this time of desperation. That as the world around them is falling apart (quite literally) they would hold fast to the peace of God...and those who don't yet know that peace would see it and long for it.
Check out the FH website for updates on their presence in the area.
Grace and peace!!!
Pray that I would be diligent with the few weeks of preparation that I have. I have committed to spending an hour every day practicing the language. As previously mentioned I hope to make a large part of my trip about learning the language. So far so good! The world wide web has proven to be an invaluable resource. Last night I made flashcards of some basic words and phrases :)
Also, I receive an update every Monday from FH on my support raising situation. So far I am at about $1,300 which is a steady third of my budget. I am still waiting on a response from my church in Bloomington and another church in North Vernon. I am confident that the Lord will provide. Pray that this peace would stay. As time runs out it will become easier to fret...and worry...and to control. Also pray that the support would come in quickly! The sooner the better for the sake of those at FH. They have the responsibility of processing all the funds, buying plane tickets, connecting with the team on the ground in Calang etc.
As I prepare mentally (language practice and area research) and spiritually (prayer, prayer, prayer) a constant source of encouragement has been the music of an amazing man of God, Josh Garrels. Since you can't be here with me jammin' to Josh and flipping through flashcards I thought it might be cool for you to at least join me in spirit. Josh's song Restless Ones captures my heart for this trip, ministry in general, and ultimately my soul-deep thirsting for His Coming Kingdom.
In closing I would like to ask that you continue in prayer for the people of Asia. The recent earthquake in China that has thus far claimed 12,000 lives has only added to the suffering in the area. And the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate. Pray that brothers and sisters in this part of the world would rise up and love in this time of desperation. That as the world around them is falling apart (quite literally) they would hold fast to the peace of God...and those who don't yet know that peace would see it and long for it.
Check out the FH website for updates on their presence in the area.
Grace and peace!!!
May 6, 2008
Myanmar in May
On May 3, 2008 Myanmar was rocked by what is reported to be one of the world's deadliest storms. 22,000 dead and over 40,000 still missing...and that's just the beginning. I have provided links to two different news sources, a video, and a link to the Food for the Hungry homepage where they have posted their reaction to the disaster. Read up! :)
International Herald Tribune
The Guardian
CNN Broadcast
Food for the Hungry's Response
The map at the top of this post shows where Myanmar is in relation to Calang. One reason I felt this post was relevant was because of the geographic and cultural proximity to where I will be serving. More importantly, however, I think that this catastrophe will help shape our idea of both the need and the opportunity brought on by natural disasters like Cyclone Nargis.
As I mentioned earlier, this storm is being called one of the deadliest in history. Compare the death toll in Myanmar to the counts from the 2004 tsunami and you will start to gain some perspective on the work that Food for the Hungry is undertaking in Indonesia. In this piece about Tsunamis posted by National Geographic the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) projected that the "earthquake that generated the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs." Apply this force to an already deteriorating infrastructure and you've got quite the cleanup ahead of you.
While most of the work I will be doing in Calang is beyond cleanup efforts and into rebuilding lives...this little history on the nature of the disaster to which FH responded should help paint a broader picture of my Indonesia.
Pray for Myanmar. This horrible tragedy has taken tens of thousands of lives already and threatens to take thousands more. Pray for the hearts of the military junta leaders, that they would welcome foreign aid. And pray that Christian relief organizations like FH would take full advantage of the opportunity to love an area which is otherwise closed off to Christian efforts.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would be with the people of Myanmar in this time of desperation. I ask Father that you would make yourself known to the superstitious and the cynical. I pray that they would see the sovereignty of an almighty God in the midst of this terrible calamity and that they would turn and put their hope in you. Send your people to the fields in Myanmar to share your Gospel in word and in deed. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
May 2, 2008
Fin
As of 6:45pm Thursday, May 1 I am done with finals! Since school is over with for now I can really focus in on my pre-trip preparations. I just tried adding a fun little slideshow to the blog comprised of pictures of various ministry work I have done...but I haven't quite worked all the bugs out yet.
With most of May to prepare myself for this adventure you can expect more frequent postings and that the content of each post will be a little richer.
Beyond the blog I will be presenting my internship to a few churches for support, packing and repacking, finishing up on my immunizations, researching more, spending some time with the Food for the Hungry folks in Phoenix...and hopefully squeezing in a little family time! But things are really looking up. I can't WAIT to get started!!!
Thanks so much for your support! And stay tuned :)
And if you have some free time on your hands, pick up a good Dr. Suess book.
With most of May to prepare myself for this adventure you can expect more frequent postings and that the content of each post will be a little richer.
Beyond the blog I will be presenting my internship to a few churches for support, packing and repacking, finishing up on my immunizations, researching more, spending some time with the Food for the Hungry folks in Phoenix...and hopefully squeezing in a little family time! But things are really looking up. I can't WAIT to get started!!!
Thanks so much for your support! And stay tuned :)
And if you have some free time on your hands, pick up a good Dr. Suess book.
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