The Monkey and the Fish- Back in America- Week 4

The message from chapel yesterday really stuck out to me.  Although I typically enjoy chapel, very few chapel messages I’ve ever heard will impact the rest of my life.  Without knowing, I went to a special chapel for students going on a service trip within the next semester.   I went to support my roommate who was playing guitar, but God knew I needed to hear the message that was being spoken at this chapel service.

As the speaker was presenting his message, he said an analogy that really stuck out to me.  He told the story of a monkey, a naive but helpful monkey, who was walking along the side of the riverbank.  He looked into the river to see a small fish, struggling to swim upstream.  His instincts immediately took over, and he tried to rescue the fish from the rushing water.  He tried to reach into the water, but his arms were too short.  He tried to lower a branch into the water, but the branch wasn’t long enough.  Finally, in his last attempt to save the fish, he swung off the tree branch, into the river, and pulled the fish into safety on the dry land.  Relieved, the monkey found refuge in the tree that he swung from and decided to take a nap.  He noticed the fish before he went to sleep, and the fish was flopping around on the dry land.  The monkey thought the fish was so excited to be free from the torrential current, but he knew the excitement would subside quickly.  After taking a brief nap, the monkey noticed the fish was not moving.  He went over to the fish, only to see that the fish was also “taking a nap.”  Once the fish did not awake from his nap for a couple hours, the monkey figured the fish was safe on dry land, and the monkey continued on his journey up the riverbank. 

Unfortunately, we all know what the monkey didn't: the fish's fate would have ended better without the monkey's "help."

The speaker continued his message to say that service must be of use to everyone involved: the server AND the people who are being served.  As I continued to reflect upon my trip to Indonesia, I felt so alive there because I was able to help in so many ways.  I felt that I was doing great good for the people, and in the process, they were able to help me as well.  This model of service is one that I will carry with me into whatever service adventures in which God calls me in the future. 

Please always remember the story of the monkey and the fish when you plan your next service adventure.  Service can be of great use to the world, but if t is not a part of God’s plan it can always do more harm than good. 

"Thirteen Years Ago Today"- Back in America- Week 3

 

I had the opportunity to talk about Indonesia three times in the past four days.  On Thursday, our whole group was able to present an alternate chapel to the student body and teachers who were able to attend.  It was great to see everyone again and share all about our trip, but I didn’t realize how much I missed people until we got to present about it.  There were pictures that made me tear up as I remembered the great times I had and great friends I made there.  On Saturday, my girlfriend and I had the opportunity to have lunch with my professors from the Indonesia trip, which was great!  We talked for a couple of hours about Indonesia, what I learned, and what my girlfriend and my future could be as a couple and in missions if God calls us to that life.  We shared many stories, and again, I really missed everyone from there.  Today in church, I also presented about my Indonesia trip.  Although it is always an incredible experience to talk about my adventures, it also brings back many memories.  Memories that I love so much more than words can ever explain.  And memories that I know will probably not happen again.  Although I can return to Bali, I’ll never have all of those friends in the same place again.  I’ll never have the chance to teach the same students that I fell in love with at the Muslim school.  I’ll never have the same workers to interact with at the Hotel Tidar.  Even though the places will be the same, the people make the memories. 

I often wonder if this is what it feels like to lose a loved one.  I’m very fortunate to have never experienced a loss of a deeply loved person before; although my grandfather passed away when I was six, I wasn’t old enough to truly understand what death meant.  But I now feel I can relate to people who have experienced loss before.  The thought, the memory of many situations from Indonesia will always live in my head, like the memory of a dearly loved person. It pains me deeply to know that I will never get the chance to go back there and experience Indonesia with the same people, just like it hurts some immensely to know that they will never experience life this side of heaven without this person.  I never imagined that I would be comparing my trip to the passing of a loved one; God has been using this trip to emotionally hit me in more ways than I ever imagined. 

Tonight, I had to pick up some keys that I left at my church.  As I went inside the church building, I ran into an older couple who was turning out the lights from a nightly prayer service.  The woman began to ask me questions about my trip, and we started to talk.  This talk turned into a half-an-hour conversation, where I shared about my family and they both shared about theirs.  I learned that both of them came from other marriages; one person’s spouse passed away while another marriage ended in divorce.  I never knew this about either of them, but it just made my thoughts about my trip hit home even more.  As I shared with them the thoughts that I wrote about above, the woman mentioned that her husband passed away thirteen years ago today, February 23.  She said she always remembers him, and he will always be a part of her.  I feel Indonesia will live in my heart, in the same manner, for a really long time.

Adjustment is hard.  Mourning is hard.  And loving someone or something that isn’t with you is extremely hard.  Although it is a different situation after returning to the United States compared to the loss of a loved one, I now understand so much more.  I understand the feelings that people feel after a grandfather passes away.  I understand the loss of being away from a family during a holiday.  I understand the pain of being involved in a broken family.  Although my family is still safe and sound in the United States, all of my family isn’t here.  Lots of my family lives around the world.  In a country where I have had some incredible experiences and formed memories I will never forget.  Although I am hurting tonight and missing my second home, I couldn’t be more blessed.    

Thirteen years from today, Indonesia will still be a part of me.  It’s a memory I will never forget.

"Lord, Help Me to Love"- Back in America- Week 2

I love Indonesian culture.  I love that people were more focused on having true conversations with people rather than rushing to something else.  I love that cell phones were not attached to everyone’s hip all of the time.  I loved feeling free to be myself without being judged by everyone I walk past.  I loved having everyone be so warm and welcoming to us the whole time.  So many of these feelings are not things that anyone really experiences in America.  Here, there’s always the next thing to do that prevents true conversation.  There’s always another thing to do to keep up with the fast paced life we are used to living.  We always try to get ahead, make ourselves better, and do whatever we need to in order to stay on top.  This creates so many feelings of bitterness, anger and envy towards the people we should be making friends with.  This all seems so backwards when we think about it.  Why do we try to be friends with everyone we meet, yet only to stab them in the back whenever it is more convenient for us?  Why do we not focus on getting to know someone else, instead we just focus on ourselves? 

This difference has made the transition awfully difficult to adjust to.  I loved Indonesian culture.  I fit there, I found myself truly being at peace in that culture.  I found other people who were like me, who cared, who loved, and who enjoyed knowing and wanting to know people.  I hate being competitive, and as much as I want to succeed, I want uplift others in the process as well.  

As I was talking to a friend about all of the differences in American vs. Indonesian culture, it made me realize how different life is here compared to there.  It’s polar opposites, and a part of me wishes I were still there.  It’s hard, because I love American luxuries.  I love running water, TV, people who speak my own language - but that isn’t what life is about.  Yeah, it’s nice to keep up with my football team, but that doesn’t mean anything.  It’s nice to be able to communicate with everyone that I run into, but I would learn the language if I was immersed with it.  Hey, I could even get used to rice and chicken, it wasn’t that bad to eat after a while.  The things that really matter, Indonesia has.  America is still behind. 

What would happen if Americans try to adopt the style of life that Indonesian people have?  It would completely change our lives.  It would give us a new reason for living.  It would help us to love the people around us, rather than competing with them.  Everything would change, and it would be a change that needs to happen.  We can’t continue competing with each other, we need to love.  I dream of seeing a day where I will still live in America, have my TV and food luxuries, while still keeping the attitude of love permeating through the culture.  I dream of feeling as welcomed in my home language as I am in a second language.  I will always remember how I felt waking up in Indonesia: excited about the new, overjoyed by the welcome, and hopeful of the day that lies ahead.  I would love to wake up with that feeling here today. 

Until this day happens, my heart still lies in Indonesia.  I hope it’s God’s will for me to go back and keep understanding how to bring this culture to America.  But while I’m here, love is the answer that we all need.  All Americans, not just some.  I think that is part of America’s problem as well.  All Indonesians knew how to love beyond what was required.  They welcomed and gave us hope that we never deserved or believed we could have.   

Give me that faith, to step out.  Lord, help me to love. 

"I Really Miss Indonesia"- Back in America- Week 1

This week was my first week back on campus after being in Indonesia for the whole month of January.  Everyone says that culture-shock hits harder upon return to the home country than the first experience of the new culture, and I found this to be true from day one. 

I came to love many parts of Indonesian culture, such as being welcomed by everyone, and I really miss these key cultural differences being back in the States.  I feel unimportant, because I am not greeted or appreciated the way I was in Indonesia.  I’ve found that not everyone wants to hear about my trip and the incredible experience I’ve had.  Some friends do, and I have had some wonderful discussions with friends about the experience, but unfortunately, many others do not seem as interested.  Most of the people who are really interested in my trip were people with some international experience previously, and I connected with some people I never would have if I didn’t have this experience.  I’ve also had a really difficult time with classes, having a schedule, and having to wake up on a specific time frame every day.  I have still not adjusted to the jet lag, and it has been a struggle to get out of bed every day.  I must set 3 alarms, and I often sleep through all three of those.  I have often been late to meetings because I am not used to being exactly on time. 

It is also hard to not be surrounded by my Indonesian friends constantly.  After serving and living with the same group people for 3 weeks, it creates a huge void when those people are not a large part of your life anymore. 

But the largest problem I’ve had adjusting back to American culture is the technological advancements of our country.  We are constantly busy doing something, anything to get ourselves ahead of the competition.  Unfortunately, life is not all about getting ahead, and this is something I learned while I was in Indonesia.  People were genuinely friendly there, and they wanted to take the time to invest in your life, while people here are too busy to develop real friendships.  People in Indonesia seem to notice the beauty in little things, such as flowers or sunsets, but here people spend their time buried in their cell phone rather than looking around at the beauty of the natural world.  I didn’t have my cell phone for the month I was abroad, and I didn’t miss it one bit.  I feel every time I’m ignoring a face-to-face conversation to send a text, or neglecting personal reflection time to talk to be on my computer, I feel that I am missing out on the true beauty of the moment.  In Indonesia, it was so much easier to notice the little things.

Although this week has been extremely hard, I’m gradually adjusting back into American culture.  There are parts of America that I don’t like, and parts that I know will take longer to adjust to than others, but I’m encouraged by the progress I’ve made.  It is definitely true that culture-shock hits more whenever the person gets back into the home country.

Anyone who studies abroad becomes a family.  I have so many new brothers and sisters, both Indonesian friends and Messiah friends, and I miss them all dearly.  The power of serving together in an unfamiliar country brings people together in a way only God can do.  I miss having such a vast opportunity to feel like I’m serving God.  I miss feeling like I’m making a difference by walking out my front door.  I miss seeing people who have the same goals and dreams as I do.  I miss all of my friends from half-way around the world. 

I never thought it would be so hard to come back.  I really miss Indonesia. 

January 26, 2014

Free day in Bali

Leaving Bali

Today was our last day in Bali, and my favorite part was the worship service on the beach.  We sang a couple classic songs that really stuck out to me, one of which being “Our God” and another being “Oceans.”  These two songs have been extremely powerful in my life, and they have brought me peace on this trip.  I do not know how this trip will impact my future, but I do know that God has controlled everything on this trip and will continue to control everything that lies in my future.  My favorite line in these songs says, “Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger, in the presence of my savior.”  This trip was much more than I knew I was able to handle by myself, but God gave me the strength to do what I knew I couldn’t.  This trip has changed my perspective on the rest of my life, and I am so excited to see what God is able do in my life as a result of this trip.  Thank you Lord for this incredible opportunity, and please continue to keep us safe as we leave Indonesia and head back to the United States.  

January 25, 2014

Free day in Bali

Today was a day devoted to adventures inside Bali.  We started by going snorkeling off the Bali coast, and I had a blast.  It was the first time I have ever been snorkeling, and it was great to see so many fish.  We went to Turtle Island next, and we had a great time seeing some of the largest turtles I have ever seen.  We got back around noon and spent the rest of the day at the beach.  Our university friends came to visit us at the hotel tonight, and it was great to interact with them and get to know them more.  It’s a hard feeling to make friends with someone that we probably won’t see again, but it was great to know more about their culture and religion.  We were able to sing some American songs with them, and they took us to see a memorial of a terrorist bombing in downtown Bali.  We said goodbye to them after they gave us many gifts to remember them.  Our night finished with a checkpoint meeting where we heard some more testimonies from our team.  I was able to have some great conversations with team members after the testimonies, and it was nice to continue to connect with the people on the team.  I am so blessed to have shared this experience with so many new friends, and I hope to continue our close relationship after we return.

January 24, 2014

Teaching with Marasaraswati students

Free day in Bali

Today we went to teach with our friends at Marasaraswati.   We found ourselves teaching in a 10^th grade classroom where the students had fairly good English.  The lesson was on introductions, and we talked about informal and formal introductions and what items belong in a proper introduction.  The students from the high school spoke very good English, and we were able to do a lot of conversation exercises and a lot of dialogue in front of the class.  I was most impressed by two students who knew the answer to almost every question.  At the end, we played Jeopardy, which taught the students basic American culture and also helped them review the topic.  Our lesson went much better than I expected after the planning session we had the day before.  The university students were very fun to teach with, and even though they were nervous, they did a great job delivering some of the content and facilitating the game.  After our lesson, it was hard to say goodbye to our university partners because we had developed such close friendships with them over the last two days.  To celebrate our final teaching experience in Indonesia, we came back and went to the Hard Rock Café to have an American meal for lunch.  We also enjoyed some time shopping, sitting on the beach, and hanging out with the rest of the team.  We ended our day by seeing one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.  The colors of the sky were absolutely overwhelming, and it reminded me of God’s faithfulness throughout this whole trip.  Although there have been some difficult moments, God has been here to support all of us through the whole trip, and I know He will continue to guide us as we go home and share about our experiences.  The rest of the day was the first truly relaxing time of our trip so far, and I was excited to get time to relax and get to know some of our team better. 

January 23, 2014

Workshop with Marasaraswati University Students

Free time in Bali

Today was a fun day of meeting and learning with the Indonesian students at Marasaraswati University.  We were able to learn a lot from Jan’s seminar this morning, and then we were able to connect with many of the students in smaller groups.  My favorite part of the activity was discussing the religions with the Hindu students there.  They had some wonderful questions that truly opened my eyes to what the world thinks and believes about Christianity.  We also had the chance to discuss and plan lessons with the students, which opened my eyes to Indonesian education and teaching strategies.  Some of the students in my group had some very detailed lesson plans, but they were not organized at all.  When I mentioned the idea of playing a game with the students, the Indonesians thought this was a brilliant idea.  This shows a lot about the difference in American education and Indonesian.  They called their professor “lecturer” instead of teacher because the university teachers only lecture to get their information across.  The teacher told many groups that they did not have good ideas, but did not help the students to point them in the right direction.  The teacher did not stress organization in lessons, and they must not talk about proper teaching strategies and methodologies to develop proper second language acquisition in their classes.  Some of the ideas they wanted to plan for our lesson were very good ideas, just implemented poorly.  By the end of our hour-long session, we had a very small amount of actual lesson ideas ready, so teaching tomorrow may be a struggle.  We have to teach for 90 minutes, and we maybe have about 30 minutes of information available to the students.  Everyone was extremely friendly, though, and I am looking forward to seeing and teaching with my new friends tomorrow.  I have been thinking of alternate ideas in case the lesson doesn’t go too well, but I will sit back and let them control the majority of the lesson.  It doesn’t sound like organization is a huge priority in Indonesian education, so I’m sure our lesson tomorrow will go fine.  After the workshop at the University, we had a relaxing night in Bali.  We went to watch the sunset on the beach, went shopping at some local stores, ate dinner at Pizza Hut, and swam in the hotel pool before the rain forced us to exit the water.  It was a great day; I’m excited for tomorrow.  

January 22, 2014

Travel day to Bali

Today we left for Bali at six in the morning.  It was a really long trip, but it was great to connect with some of the great friends I’ve made on this trip!  We got into Bali around 9:30, and we quickly went to sleep.  We hope to explore the hotel more tomorrow.

January 21, 2014

Muslim Pesantren

Wesley International School

Today we went to teach at a strict Muslim school, called a Pesantren.  Many people were skeptical about going to this school, especially since Jan had mentioned that schools like this breed terrorists, but I was so surprised by the greeting we received.  They had snacks there when we arrived, and we enjoyed a very nice welcome from all of the students upon arriving in the classroom.  The students listened so well and they really enjoyed the games and songs we showed them.  They all knew One Direction, so we ended up singing “What Makes You Beautiful” to get them engaged in what we were doing.  At the end, their teachers translated some questions for us, and they had very insightful questions about American culture.  We gave them all of our Facebook account information before we left their class.  Whenever I got back to my room, I received so many Facebook messages from the students, many of whom were girls who said “Thank you for visiting our school.”  I was so surprised to see them be so friendly and open to us coming.  As I continued to talk with one of the female students, she mentioned that she really hoped to come to American sometime soon, but she had no financial way to leave Indonesia.  It really broke my heart to see how much she wanted to get out of her home country, while some of us were dreading going back to ours.  This conversation was one of the most powerful moments of this trip.  It was such a joy to bring life and bring home into this girl’s dark situation, and I hope that I can continue to witness to her through Facebook interactions.  We went to Wesley today for our last day teaching, and we went as tour guides with the ESL students to a local Hindu temple.  It was great to meet some of them and help them with a history project, while also learning some about Hindu culture myself.  When I returned to music class, I was able to help the students learn to play the drums.  The first and second grade students were learning how to play the drum set, which was pedagogically incorrect on so many levels.  The students do not have the coordination to play one part of the drums with the correct technique, let alone a whole drum set.  The students were struggling and getting frustrated, which was a hard thing to see as a teacher.  Instead, Mr. Gallagher should have focused on basic rhythmic patterns and playing with good technique before he moved on to something this difficult.  I was very disappointed in this teaching practice, but I was able to help them as much as I could.  I was glad that I made gains in musician skills through my time at Wesley, because I would have been unable to play the drum set, even at the most basic level, without my time spent practicing during my free periods there.  After we were done teaching, I said a thankful good-bye to Mr. Gallagher, and I went back to the hotel.  I exchanged my contact information with Mr. G, so hopefully I will be able to stay in touch with him if I have any questions about praise band or worship leading.  As much as I did not agree with some of his pedagogical ideas, I respect him a lot as a musician and a worship leader, so I hope to keep him as a contact.  Mexi, a friend from the English teaching seminar, came to visit us at the hotel tonight, and it was great to see him again and play some music with him before we left.  We recorded “Be Thou My Vision” and he sang it in Indonesian; it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard, and I cannot wait to show this recording to my friends and family at home.  Tonight was the first night all trip that we did not have to write lesson plans and do assignments, so it was quite a joy to play games with some of the other members of the trip. 

January 20, 2014

Ma Chung University

Wesley International School

Ludiya’s School

Today we went to Ma Chung University in Malang, where we set up a cultural exchange program with the students there.  We presented a little about Messiah culture, and they presented about Ma Chung culture.  They also showed us a traditional Javanese dance and allowed us to try it with them, which was a fun cultural experience.  These students were extremely friendly, and I enjoyed getting to talk to them about their culture and our culture.  They gave us a tour around their campus, and it was beautiful.  After going to the University, we went back to Wesley where I was asked to teach choir warm-ups again.  The more time I spend there, the more I learned about classroom management, and these students had a lot of fun singing while still sticking with my lesson plan and behaving well.  As long as I start class by explaining the rules and give clear directions throughout the lesson, the students behave quite well.  I also need to hold them to high standards for posture, singing quality, and noise level through rehearsal, and I do not settle for anything less than their best.  The students behave quite well when we do this.  I also had the opportunity to practice the drum set for a while during a free period today.  After teaching at Wesley, we went to Ludiya’s house where we taught some of her students through English games.  Although they didn’t understand too much English, as long as we were clear in our directions, they were able to grasp our lesson and games.  We had dinner at Ludiya’s house, sang a couple songs, tried durian, and then said goodbye to her son, Teo, which was pretty bittersweet.  He has become a good friend, and I hope we can stay in touch.

January 19, 2014

Indonesian Church Service

Malang English Service

Today was a Sunday, so we had another opportunity to visit an Indonesian church.  This church was a much larger church than the first one, but the people were just as friendly and welcoming as before.  After the service we went to the house of one of the congregants for a men’s meeting.  The service was all in Javanese, and it was cool to hear a different dialect of the language here.  They also had traditional music, and I got to play the gamelon, which is an Asian instrument similar to a marimba but with metal keys.  It was so great to interact with some church members and learn a new instrument and cultural style.  I also got to share my testimony at the men’s meeting, which was a new experience as well.  It was much harder to share a testimony through a translator than I imagined, because I had to interrupt my thoughts and use simpler language.  Regardless, I could tell many of the men enjoyed my story, and I praise God for using my story to minister to the people there.  After we ate a traditional meal and were given many gifts, the pastor took us home.  Sunday afternoon was the Malang English Service, where all of the Messiah team was allowed to lead.  It was a powerful time of worship where God was truly there in our midst.  I really missed leading worship at my church throughout this trip, so it was a joy to be able to lead a new group of people towards God in a powerful worship experience.  As one of the girls said at our night meeting, “The Holy Spirit worked through Luke…that worship was a spiritual experience.”  Praise be to God for using me to lead people into His presence in a powerful way.  Although it was a busy day for everyone, we had a great time to connect with friends and get closer to God in a special way.  God is so good!   

January 18, 2014

TESOL Seminar at Worldbridge

Today was another Saturday, so we had seminar with the Indonesian teachers again.  It was great to see some old friends again and connect with some new ones.  The seminar today talked about grammar and how to promote effective feedback to the students.  Although it got long at times, I did learn a lot about how to teach grammar that I never realized before.  I found it interesting that the Indonesians in my group knew the grammar terminology much better than I did.  They said they primarily learned English through memorizing rules and filling out worksheets, while most native English speakers learn more from listening to the speakers around us.  At the end of the seminar, it was hard to say goodbye to so many close friends, both in the seminar and at Worldbridge.  I never imagined I was going to make so many close friends here; everyone has been much more friendly than I ever thought.  Tonight, we went to a Pizza Hut in Malang, and it was great to have a small taste of home again.  Pizza Hut was a high-class restaurant, which came as a large surprise for me.  Regardless, it was a very welcome treat to have some delicious pizza.  We came back and continued to plan the Malang English  Service for tomorrow afternoon. 

January 17, 2014

Surabaya

Cita Hati

Today we left early in the morning to visit Surabaya.  It took us a little longer than expected to get there, so our time at a large souvenir shop was more rushed than we would have liked.  Regardless, everyone was able to buy something that they liked, and it gave us some ideas of what to get everyone in Bali.  I go a djembe drum with an elephant painted on it, which I will be able to use in my classroom someday.  After we were done shopping, we went to Cita Hati, a very wealthy school in Surabaya.  This school greeted us very warmly, as almost every school has, and they gave us some of the most delicious lunch food we have eaten yet.  The head officials and some teachers came to give us a talk about Cita Hati and what the school is about, and it sounded like a fun place to work.  They have very good benefits, there is a nice pay rate, and they are very flexible with scheduling, all of which sound like great perks.  Our main job at this school was to interact with the students, so we went to different classrooms to present about Messiah College.  The students in my class seemed very timid, although they were respectful to   us during our talk.    We had fun splitting into groups and talk individually with the students about their major and their plan for college.  After we were done with our Messiah College promotion, Jonathan and I went to Band Club for one of the extracurricular activities.  We walked in thinking this club would be a concert band, but it ended up being a rock band club.  The teachers were extremely welcoming, and they wanted us to play a song before class started.  The rest of the hour was spent listening and helping the students with music, and it was one of the most fun times I’ve had on this trip.  By the end we were able to play Hillsong music with them, and this was another experience that showed me how global worship music has become.  At the end, we shared email addresses with the students and took a group picture;   Next came a seminar by Ibu Jan, who talked about how to foster character development through effective classroom management.  The group that Jonathan and I were with was great!  We sat with a couple elementary school teachers, and they shared a lot of good ideas with us.  They were also respectful while Jan was teaching.  It made me very sad to hear that many of the other groups and experiences were not as positive as ours was.  All of the people at Cita Hati were extremely welcoming and friendly to me, and even though it didn’t feel like a school I would enjoy teaching at, I enjoyed my experience there much more than the rest of the group.  We got back to Malang right at seven o’clock, so I ran over to Wesley to help lead the High School service.  I had a great time worshipping with the students there, and it was a great joy to see most of the Messiah team members come over as well.   

I had a great experience.

January 16, 2014

Grace’s School

Wesley International School

Worldbrige Language Center

Today we went to Grace’s school to teach.  Kendall and I taught a lesson together about American music genres.  The students at this school had a hard time responding to the lesson because their level of English was very low compared to the students we had worked with before.  We ended up singing to some American popular songs, which the students enjoyed more than the scheduled lesson.  We also taught them “Lean on Me,” and they were able to learn some English language through that experience.  The people at this school were so friendly; they gave us many gifts to show their appreciation.  Each student shook our hand as we walked out of the classroom, and it was one of the sweetest things I’ve experienced this trip.  At the end, they gave us many presents, and I walked out of the school with a handkerchief, a scarf, a headband, lots of water bottles, and a donut-like pastry.  Their kindness was very much appreciated; they went above and beyond to make sure we felt welcomed.  After that, we went back to Wesley and I taught a lesson again today.  This time, I was given an assignment to prepare a day in advance, so I felt more prepared and confident in my lesson this time.  I set very strict classroom rules for the students: I didn’t talk if they were talking, and I made sure that I kept control of the class the whole time.  My classroom management helped this lesson to go much better, and I was extremely excited.  By the end, we got to learn a fun song from the new movie “Frozen.”  I could tell the students were really enjoying music class, which is a very rewarding experience as a teacher.  At Worldbridge, I helped Rachel lead her lesson about

clothing and colors.  We only had four of our seven students show up for the lesson today, so I was able to go see other groups and take pictures for them.  It was very cool to see how everyone was enjoying their lessons- it made me realize how special of a team we have here on this trip.  I was also able to help some of the Worldbridge workers by taking pictures for publicity.  After Worldbridge, we came back to the hotel and relaxed before dinner.  After dinner, I was able to go play with the worship team at Wesley again, and we figured out the songs we wanted to play at the service tomorrow night.  It has been such a joy to meet new friends and learn some new songs during this experience.  It has continued to amaze me that even though I am in a new country, across the world, we can still worship God together. 

January 15, 2014

Charis National School

Wesley International School

Worldbrige Language Center

Today we had a busy day of teaching.  This morning, we left early to go to Charis National School.  I started out the day by leading chapel service, which was one of the most fun things I’ve done on the trip yet.  Every time I get the chance to lead worship or present a Bible story, I can tell that I am meant to do some kind of ministry work for the rest of my life.  I never feel more comfortable, free, or joyous than when I am leading people closer to Christ.  Although I have no idea what that will look like in the rest of my future, possibly in America, possibly internationally, I know that God has called me to serve Him and His people with the rest of my life.  After chapel, Jonathan and I taught a class for third grade about a market.  We compared and contrasted an Indonesian market to an American supermarket.  Then we allowed the students to make American dollars and buy candy at the candy store located at the back of the classroom.  I had a lot of fun, and I could tell the students did too.  It was a really encouraging experience to have a lesson in an unfamiliar subject and age group go so well!  I always love hearing students reactions after the lesson, and multiple students asked when we were coming back because the lesson was so much fun.  After teaching at Charis, we went to Wesley where I was asked to teach a lesson to third grade students.  I did not have much advanced warning to prepare a lesson; the teacher asked me to teach about 45 minutes before the lesson started, so I felt extremely unprepared.  The lesson didn’t go very well at all; I did not find a successful way to keep the students from talking over my instruction. It was stressful to have to yell over the students for the whole period, definitely not a successful teaching experience.  I debriefed with Mr. G after this teaching, and he gave me some good tips on how to keep better control of the classroom.  Hopefully, I can establish a more controlling attitude at the start of the lesson, so the students know they must listen to me for class to be fun.  After Wesley, we went to Worldbrige where I helped Becky teach her lesson about the family.  Tonight, I was able to go to worship practice with a group of students from Wesley, and I had such a great time.  It is such a joy to be able to form relationships with Indonesian students and teachers while worshipping God at the same time.  I’m really looking forward to our worship service on Friday night.  Tonight I also had the chance to have some quiet time with God, something that hasn’t happened as often as I would like.  As I was sitting on a bench outside of the chapel, I had a huge experience with God involving my future.  I have such a desire to teach, worship, and travel that I am on board for any journey God wants to take me on.  This trip has revolutionized my ideas on what it means to do international missions, and I have loved every second of this experience.