A Few of My Favorite Things...

I never really understood why that song was included on various Christmas compilations, but the other day as I was thinking about how I haven't updated my blog in over three months, that song got stuck in my head. So, now that I've got it stuck in your head, I will now give you a snapshot update on a few of my favorite things that have happened throughout this first semester that I have survived.

These are a few of my favorite things...

1. Wearing a scarf in the tropics- In October we went on a trip to Bromo, the coldest place in Indonesia. We took the train for 12 hours to the other end of the island, went on a quick river rafting trip under bat infested waterfalls, then traveled up the mountains. The next morning, we woke up at 3:00am to go see the sunrise over the volcanoes. We took a jeep up the switchbacks and parked behind the hundreds of jeeps that had beat us to the mountain top. Our driver took us to a special spot with a perfect view. It was freezing at 4:00 in the morning, but the view was absolutely worth it. The rest of the morning we did a little hiking, enjoying the fact that we got to wear an extra layer in the tropics. 2. Crossing things off my "bucket list"- On that same trip to Surabaya, our driver Jojo had much knowledge on the city and all its features. Somehow on our drive down the mountain the topic of coffee came up, and then of course came the topic of Kopi Luwak, the coffee beans that come from the poop of a cat-like animal. Usually this coffee is extremely expensive, running from $100 to $600 dollars per pound. Jojo had the hook up with a place that had it for only $10 for a small pot. So, I made the rest of my non-coffee-drinking friends come along on this special occassion to witness me cross something off the things off my "bucket list." The coffee was pretty good, nothing too spectacular. The process was pretty cool and the experience was unforgettable. 2. A taste of home- Pastor Mark and Laurie (from my home church in Flagstaff) came to visit in November. They came to lead a staff retreat for the BAIS teachers, and to see exactly what it is that Charity and I do here in the tropics. It was such a sweet time of fellowship, encouraging conversation, laughter and good, solid teaching. They were such a blessing to our staff, and fit it perfectly here in our community. Both Mark and Laurie spoke in chapel and devotions and got to spend time with various families around the city. It was so cool to have them here. It felt like all of Grace was getting to see me in my new home doing what I love. I am so thankful for Grace, for Mark and Laurie and for all of you back home who encourage and pray for me while I am here.3. Coffee- There is a coffee place here in Bandung that has been around for almost 80 years. They are said to have a special way of roasting their beans. I know that Pastor Mark shares my appreciation and addiction to the legal addictive stimulant, so I thought it would be a perfect place to visit while they were here. Turns out the process includes hundreds of bags of coffee sitting in a storage room for 5-8 years. I didn't quite understand all the details, but being around all that coffee was totally worth it:) 4. Ideas that work- Social Studies and Science are both my worst subjects. I have very little knowledge and am totally intimidated by all the information I am supposed pass on to my students in a manner that helps it stick in their heads. So you can imagine how excited a successful moment in a Social Studies unit would make me. For the end of our Middle Ages Unit, I had each student choose one of the important people we talked about in our readings. They then had to research and prepare answers to various interview questions about their character's background and role throughout the Middle Ages. On the last day of the unit, the students dressed up as the character they chose and were the special guests on "Middle Ages Morning with ME and JY," a 4th grade talkshow:) They did such a great job. Their costumes were awesome and they really got into their characters. I had a blast playing the talkshow host along with my ESL student Joo Young. That afternoon we celebrated the end of the unit, and their acheivement of their I Love to Read Month class goal of 15,000 pages, by eating pizza and watching Princess Bride at my house. It was a great day in the 4th grade:)5. Indonesian Thanksgiving- On Thanksgiving Day the BAIS staff did a progressive dinner in Kota Baru. Our house was in charge of appetizers. It was a fun day of cooking and our Stuffed Mushrooms, tomato, basil and mozzarella, 7 Layer Dip, and eggrolls were a total success. It was a wonderful day full of fellowship, laughing and telling stories. The next day a group of us along with some BAIS parents went up to Garut to a Sunda Resort where we did some interesting teambuilding, ate some spicy Sunda food, played with water buffaloes and went on a scavenger hunt in the local kampung. It was so good to take a break from the bubble, spend some time in worship and fellowship, and be reminded of why I love the people in this country. The scavenger hunt was the best part, forcing us to get out there and practice our Indonesian, pour into the lives of strangers by asking them for their signature, if we can hold their baby or fry some kerupuk in their kitchen:) Not quite like the cobra, but an unforgettable Thanksgiving for sure.
6. A Water Buffalo named Mona- During our trip to Garut, I met Mona, a baby water buffalo who lived at Mulih ke Desa. She was so cute and we bonded while I gave her a bath after teambuilding/playing in the mud. It was definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done. I asked my roommates if we could get one...a water buffalo...but we don't have a yard, or a rice paddy for it to help plow. Maybe next year:)7. Cats (yeah, I know...)- So, one morning as we were getting ready to leave for school there was a visitor waiting outside our garage door. It was a tiny kitten with the cutest little face you've ever seen. Jennie and I (surprisingly) were ready to take the poor little orphan in as our own, but Emily and Emma were very much against it...only because they were strong enough to resist being swayed by the adorable blue eyes and that tiny little meow. We agreed that if the cat was still there when we got home from school, we would talk again about keeping it. I was the first one home that afternoon and there it was just waiting for me. The Crowthers came by (a family who lives around the corner during the week) and I told them our story and they agreed to take the kitten and care for it and said I could be an "auntie." I fed the little guy and took care of him on the weekends while they were away. Unfortunately for Tom (that's the cat's name), he had ringworm, so they had to give it away. Kind of a sad story I guess, but little Tom helped me gain a greater appreciation for felines.8. Christmas Cheer- The thought of staying here for Christmas was a lot easier to think about in September when it was so far away, but as the season got closer and I was reminded of all the traditions I was missing out on, all the things that have in the past made Christmas such a memorable time, the homesickness set in quickly. Fortunately, there were a lot of things to look forward to this holiday season. Our cookie baking marathon/house decorating night was a success, I even made Peanut Butter Fudge. We then had several families and friends over to help us eat all the cookies. We had the first Christmas Program at our new campus. The kids were so cute and I got to sing in the Hallelujah Chorus. Our Staff Christmas Party was a sweet time of fellowship, carol singing and eating Mexican food! I got some great packages from family and friends that included some of the things that put me in the Christmas spirit including marshmallows, potpouri, fake snow and the movie Elf:) One of the traditions I missed out on this year was the annual picture of my sisters and I with Santa. Fortunately, plastic, dancing, and Indonesian Santas were plentiful. So family, you may take your pick of pictures to stick in the album.

9. Reminders- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were very special. Emily (my roommate) and I got to have Finnish Porridge on Christmas Eve morning with our music teacher and her family. That night we went to the Christmas Eve service at our church. It was such a cool reminder of the reason for this holiday season--the arrival of a Savior, born to save the world. Emily and I woke up Christmas morning, called our families and enjoyed a cup of coffee in front of our Christmas Tree listening to good old Bing Crosby. We went to breakfast at Matt and Rachel's house (other teachers at BAIS) where we had real bacon!! It was also a sweet time talking about our traditions and telling funny Christmas stories. From there we went up the mountain a bit to the Crowther's house. They are a British family with three kids at BAIS, including one in my class. It was so much fun to be with a family where we could participate in the excitement of new toys to play with. The little one Sienna is so cute, we had a great time reading books together on the couch while the boys played war with their new army men. We ate a ton of great food including roast beef, potatoes, and pumpkin soup and trecle tart and chocolate mousse for dessert. They are such a blessing. As an end to a busy Christmas Day, Adam was able to get A Christmas Story for us to watch (an Evans' Family favorite). It was such a great holiday, reminding me of the "family" I have away from home. It was hard to not be home with family, but I am immensly blessed here and was reminded of that through these celebrations.

10. Gaining Perspective- I got my license to drive my motorbike about a month ago and no longer had an excuse not to venture out into the scary crowded streets of Cimahi. The first weekend, I went for the first time through Cimahi to Bandung to church. It was a successful drive. I made it through the pollution, the horse carts, the angkots and potholes alive and unharmed. After such a successful trip in, I chose to ride once again with the whole motorbike gang into town for a Seatribe meeting. It was a nice, smooth trip until we got to a place where you merge onto another road. I had my ipod in my ears and a little too much courage when I decided to squeeze between a car and the curb. When the car decided to move over, I slammed on my brakes, hit a rough patch in the road and crashed into the curb. Fortunately, Adam and Aaron were behind me and there were several Indonesian guys who ran to my rescue after the crash. I popped up off my bike, tangled in my bag, with only a few scrapes and a pretty massive bruise on my hip. Our Father was definitely protecting me in that moment, there could have been a lot more damage. I learned something that day though. The week before had been pretty rough, still trying to learn how to live in this community and be a better teacher. I've been working on relying on Him for my strength and not myself which requires a lot of trust on my part in His plan, His sovereignty, and His ability to handle things. On the bike, driving through traffic, things can get really hard, really crowded, kind of treacherous to the point where I am not so sure that I can handle driving through it. Trying to speed through a tight opening in traffic or make it through a crowded intersection with my lack of experience can be dangerous. In comparison, the straight and narrow path is not an easy one either. There are a lot of obstacles, a lot of potholes and other distractions. Attempting to face them alone, with my lack of wisdom and courage is dangerous. All those things are easily confronted and conquered with the guidance of the Father. Getting in that car accident reminded me that the road is not going to be easy, it’s going to be hard, and there are going to be times when I crash and burn. It isn’t my job to be the perfect driver and successfully make it through all the obstacles successfully and efficiently. My job is to let Him guide me through the crowded streets and help me over the deep potholes, and protect me in the moments where I crash and burn. I came out of that accident with some scrapes and bruises, but mostly with some perspective on the journey I am on here outside my comfort zone.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.

My favorite things: the beauty of His creation, the fellowship with good friends, the little things that bring joy, successful times with the nine little minds I am steward over, good meals with amazing people, celebrating the coming of a Savior and learning lessons in the hard stuff are all things that help me get through the difficult days. They remind me of His love, His provision, His blessings. I can't survive here with my own strength, I can't be an effective teacher, a good friend, or a witness using my own abilities. I need Him. So, as I continue in a season of refinement, looking forward to this second semester, I remember the ways He has healed, protected, provided and blessed me in the past and my fears, worries, anxieties and doubts fade away. The dogs will definitely bite and the bees with probably sting, but we serve a Father who already knows the things that are going to hurt us and make us sad. He's the blessed controller and He is the ultimate healer of those hurts, and that's a reason to trust Him and rely on Him and worship Him.

As you look forward to 2009, remember those "favorite things" of 2008, the things that remind you of His love, His provision, His blessings and be encouraged and strengthened.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you."

Psalm 16:1-2

It's all about grace...

It's 5:30pm on Wednesday evening and I am cleaning up my desk, getting ready to head home and find myself reflecting on what He's been teaching me these past six weeks since I last posted. The phrase that comes to mind is what I have heard ever since I started going to Grace Community Church..."It's all about grace." The past several weeks have been just a taste of what I am certain is going to be a year where I lean on that grace more than ever. This requires some explanation...but first...

I have a confession to make...My name is Molly and I am a perfectionist. As a perfectionistic first year teacher, I put myself in danger of heading down a path of destruction. In holding unrealistic expectations of myself, I set myself up for failure. Not only that, but I also get in the way of Him touching those nine precious hearts He's placed me in charge of. When I worry and stress about having perfect lesson plans, a flawless literacy program, no behavior problems and a classroom that looks like it was pulled off the Mary Engelbreit website my eyes are clouded and I miss my purpose, but worse than that, I miss out on His grace.

Every morning I have the blessing of coming into work when the sun is just peeking out from over the mountains that surround our campus, reminding me that His mercies are new every morning. No matter how painful, stressful, tiring the day before was, He still grants me just enough strength to get through the next one. The minute I step foot into my classroom I've got to be intentional about laying down those unreachable expectations and remind myself of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

Your grace is sufficient for me
Your strength is made perfect
When I am weak
All that I cling to
I lay at your feet
Your grace is sufficient for me

I am starting to find out what people meant when they said that nothing in my teaching career would be as difficult as my first year of teaching. Although I continue to experience days where I feel like I have no idea what I am doing, I have a to-do list that never seems to end, and stress seems to be a constant companion of mine, I can't imagine being anywhere else. I was asked last week "So, are you just loving teaching?!" A twinge of guilt came with my honest answer of "Loving? I am not sure if that is the word I would use." It is kind of like asking a kid who's bruised and skinned up, "Do you just love riding that bike?!" when they haven't been able to ride more than a couple feet without falling. I am still working on getting the hang of the teaching thing, I am not a huge fan of the falling part. I do love getting to know my kids, I love working in the school community and I love the journey that our Heavenly Father has me on right now. As I get used to the days where I have no idea what I am doing, the long to-do lists and the stress, I am also starting to get used to tapping into His grace, laying those perfectionistic tendencies at His feet every morning and glorifying Him as I live out my purpose here on the other side of the globe.

Psalm 127:1-2 (Msg)
If God doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn't guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
It's useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don't you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?

Allow Him to give you times of rest today as you live for Him. Tap into that grace:)

Some Pictures...

This is just a sampling of pictures from the new place we are living. You can find more by clicking on the "My Pictures" link on the right

This is our house in Kota Baru where me, Jennie, Emma and Emily live.

This is the bike I just purchased and am learning to ride.

This is my bedroom.

This is our school!

This is my classroom!

A Reason to Persevere

My journey back to the other side of the globe started off exceptionally well. I didn't have to pay overweight charges for my bags from Phoenix to Los Angeles. I ran into a former student of BAIS who ended up being on all my flights back to Jakarta. My carry-on was incredibly heavy because it had all my books in it. When the little man helping me picked it up and nearly fell over, I knew they were going to make me check it. Fortunately, they checked it free of charge. In an attempt to survive my journey on the airline made especially for the height of the Asian population, I requested a seat with more leg room. When the man across the counter asked "How about an emergency exit row?" it took everything for me to not leap across and give the little flight attendant a huge hug! I ended up getting an emergency exit row all to myself. That in combination with a Tylenol PM resulted in one of the best flights I have ever been on! When I got into Jakarta, I had to get a temporary visa because my paperwork was late getting to the states. The line was relatively short, and I was able to get a visa without question. All my bags arrived, and customs was a breeze. Jennie and I arrived at the same time and had planned to order a taxi to take us back to Bandung. Due to some computer problems, there was never a taxi ordered for us. Fortunately, the former student who was on my flight was meeting her family in Jakarta on their way to Bali, and they were sending their empty car and driver back to Bandung. We were able to hitch a ride free of charge. Like I said, my journey back to Indonesia started off exceptionally well...and the honeymoon period ended the minute we left Jakarta city limits.
When Jennie and I got home, we were surprised to find our house rather filthy and not exactly what we had expected, which didn't make sense. Over the summer, we hired our former Jaga (night watchman) and his family to stay in our house, keep it clean and work on some projects so the house would be ready when we returned. We hoped he would show up in the next day or so, but when we couldn't contact him by phone and hadn't heard anything for three days we knew there was a problem. We also realized that he had a copy of our house keys as well as the spare keys and registration to my roommates bikes. We talked to various families in the area to figure out what we should do next and talked to a few Indonesian workers at school who thought they might know where to find him. After about a week, we got a hold of him, he came to the house and we ended up giving him his things and sending him on his way. It was a really tough way to end things, especially because he had been working for Jennie for years.
In the meantime, our school was a bit in shambles because the moving process didn't exactly go the way we had hoped either. We had been careful to label all boxes and furniture with the correct room numbers so that the moving men could take them to their designated classrooms. Instead, they just dumped everything in the hallway of the first floor. Volunteers from church and families near the school came to help everyday to move boxes and furniture so that teachers could eventually set up their classrooms. Although this was an inconvenience, it gave us a few days to focus on getting at least one aspect of our lives set up--our house. Our helper had come out to clean the house and do laundry, and her husband came out to do some painting and work on some other projects that didn't get done over the summer. While in the process of making our house look more like a home, we were finding out more surprises like a waterfall in our backyard caused by a malfunctioning water pump, a beehive in our mailbox, simple appliances blowing the electricity, none of the water heaters working, and not being able to set up any form of internet. All resolutions to those issues are still pending:)
All this chaos and lack of control was really taking its toll on me. At the Pre Field Orientation training I went to this summer they showed us a culture stress model that showed that normally you experience a honeymoon period in a new country before the stress part kicks in. I had jumped straight into full blown culture stress the minute we drove into Kota Baru and I was starting to question whether I was going to be able to handle it, fearing all the other things that could possibly go wrong. Then I was reminded of the reason I am here. I am not here in Indonesia to have a house that is perfectly set up, I am not in Indonesia to have a perfect classroom with decorations and nice furniture. I am not in Indonesia to have a comfortable trouble free life. I am here to be used by my Heavenly Father to pour into the lives of children.
I am still learning how to handle the chaos and unfamiliarity of living out here. Everyday I am asking for eyes to see the little blessings in each day, and He has been faithful. My bedroom is all finished, my classroom has come together nicely, we've had some really sweet times of fellowship with the staff, and we are all looking forward to the students coming next week. I think episodes like what we've experienced already are only going to continue, which it is why it is so crucial for the staff at BAIS to come together and seek His face in the good and the bad. Please be lifting up our staff as we continue to learn how to adjust out here. He is still working and things are coming together. Our school looks like a school, our classrooms look like real classrooms:) The only thing missing are those kids who make BAIS what it is. Tuesday is the first day of school. At 7:35am, nine fourth graders will be walking through the door of my classroom. Nine fourth graders that I will get to spend 36 weeks with growing a learning together. That right there is a reason to persevere.

A Plethora of Pictures!

I have finally uploaded all my photos from the last year onto my online Picassa Website. Please check them out when you get a chance. There are a lot so you may need to do it in phases:)

http://picasaweb.google.com/mvioletpics

Bracing for the Waves

There’s a scene in Castaway after Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) has lived on the island for four years, when he finally figures out a plan to get himself home. He has built this raft, he’s checked the direction of the wind, and he’s got a plan to tackle that huge wave that was an obstacle on one of his first attempts off the island. He and Wilson are all packed and ready to go. They venture out, rowing furiously as the waves fight hard to keep them from being successful. When he cuts the rope letting his sail come up he is able to get past that last hard wave. He is now in the clear, past the obstacle that kept him from leaving before and free to venture home away from this island he’s been stuck on for four years. He is full of excitement as he rejoices in his success, but excitement suddenly turns bittersweet as he stares back sentimentally. The music strategically slows as he realizes that the place where he felt trapped had really become his home, a place that molded and shaped him into the person he had become. As we watched this clip at PFO this week, I could feel his exact pain as he stared back at that place with a twinge of anguish and heartbreak. I am currently in that place where I can’t wait to leave, but I know I am having to say goodbye to a piece of my heart. That clip was the start of reflection on where I have been this last year, where I am right now, and where I am going this year.

It was about this time last year that I was getting ready to go student teach at Bandung Alliance International School. A year before that, I couldn’t even locate Indonesia on a map, let alone dream that I would ever live there. Shortly before leaving I met with my cooperating teacher who had just been to PFO. In our hour long coffee date she gave me a crash course in transition that basically told me I was going to experience some form of psychosis around October or November; so you can imagine that there was a little bit of anxiety packed in that suitcase along with my lack of expectations. I initially left for Indonesia planning to be there for just the semester. It was very outside my comfort zone, and most days I wondered what in the world I was doing on the other side of the globe. I was in the honeymoon stage of culture stress pretty much the entire semester, posting everything we did on my blog and seeking other new awesome experiences to share with people back home. In October, when that psychosis was supposed to kick in, something else happened. God and I had been talking a lot about working overseas, and my future in it. Throughout that honeymoon stage, He was revealing to me a version of myself that had been hidden deep inside while I was in my comfort zone back in the states. I was starting to come out of my shell with strengths and gifts I never knew I had. He made it clear that he wasn’t finished with me in Bandung. At that point I began talking to the school to see where they could use me that next semester, which throughout the spring semester became teaching high school and middle school ESL, helping with the spring drama, subbing when needed, and teaching PE during the last quarter. Needless to say, it was a very stretching semester for a rather extreme “J.” In fact, I think if I were to take the Myers-Briggs again, my score would be a lot different based on my experience in learning to “write with my left hand” this semester. On top of that I was finally experiencing transition and culture stress as I was trying to get used to this place that I could officially call my home. Where I was this last semester was a place similar to the scene where Chuck Noland battles the waves in the small yellow raft. A lack of knowledge about culture stress, third culture kids and being a single overseas made some of those waves a little difficult to overcome, but I am very thankful for the way He worked things out in His timing. If it weren’t for that, I would not be where I am right now.

It has been incredible to be at PFO after spending a year in Indonesia already. During the TCK talk, I had pictures of my students and various experiences I had last year running through my head. I have also been able to share some of my experiences this year and offer advice to my small group members. The part that hit me the hardest was the Transition talk about RAFT and saying goodbye well to those back home. When I left for Indonesia the first time, I was more than ready to leave the familiar, leave the drama, and step outside my comfort zone. With an anxiousness to leave, I fear I may have neglected some pretty important conversations of closure. I am so thankful that I kind of get a second chance at saying goodbye and really affirming the people back in Flagstaff that have become an even stronger support system for me in my absence. It was during that clip from Castaway that I described earlier, that I first realized how difficult it is going to be to leave Flagstaff this time. It took me leaving to fully recognize the impact it has had on my life. This time, I will look back with full appreciation of the way it has molded and shaped me into the person I am and since my return to the states, has encouraged and supported the person Indonesia has helped me become.

I am returning to Bandung Alliance International School this fall as a fourth grade teacher and I can’t wait to see what God’s got in store. This year will be full of firsts for all of us at BAIS with the new campus location, new housing for the teachers, and learning how to function in the unfamiliar. I will also be living with three other single girls, which will be fun, but is sure to have its share of challenges. In my relationships with those I work with, I hope to be more concious of personality differences, and more aware of how I work best with others. Although I had a great time last semester wearing many hats and learning how to be more flexible and spontaneous, I am looking forward to something with a little more familiarity. This year holds struggles of its own, but I am confident that BAIS is where I am supposed to be. Everyday I am humbled and stand in awe at the fact that the Creator of the universe has chosen to make me a part of the NICS story that is having such a great impact on young lives all over the world. I know that being a first year teacher will be difficult, but I feel well equipped and know that it is through my weaknesses that He is made stronger.

In his first attempt off the island, Chuck Noland was equipped with hardly anything but a small pathetic raft, a little bit of hope the goal to just survive. When those waves came, not only could his raft not hold up, but his hope was dashed. I survived my first year in Indonesia, but there were times when I definitely felt like Chuck, trying to battle the waves of culture stress and obstacles at school with hardly anything. Fortunately for me, I had my Heavenly Father, and I was able to get through this year of refining and came out stronger. My time at PFO has helped with those final preparations to get me off the island successfully. By the time I head back to Indonesia, I will have built my strong “RAFT,” and packed my bags with a little extra confidence and hope. I don’t want to merely survive the next two years, I want to thrive. I want to connect with my Third Culture Kids. I want to be a teacher of excellence, and I want to learn how to love the culture of Indonesia even more. The waves will still be tough, but I will get through them by leaning on the support of the “Wilsons” in my life, as well as my ultimate source of hope and confidence, my Heavenly Father.

So many firsts...

If I were to name a theme of this semester, I would have to call it "Season of Unexpected Firsts." Here are some from the past quarter, a collection of blog posts that I meant to make if you will:

• PE Teacher- Since I got back from the spring break, I have been teaching upper elementary and high school PE . I know, right? Molly Evans teaching PE?! I laughed when I found out too, so feel free to chuckle at the irony. It has definitely been a stretching (pardon the pun) experience, but I have really enjoyed getting to work with so many different classes.

• Drama Assistant- I was in charge of the stage crew people. For the first time ever I painted backdrops and helped design tickets and programs. I worked with a great group of students who worked really hard. The drama was a couple weeks ago, and it was so cool to have had the opportunity to be a part of something like that.
  

• Volleyball Coach- I had the most awesome experience coaching the girls volleyball team throughout the months of April and May. Ever since middle school, there has been a special place in my heart for the sport of volleyball, so it was such a blessing to get to coach for the first time. I co-coached with the fourth grade teacher. We had nine girls on the team, and although it was more of a learning season, I was so proud of their improvement from the beginning to the end. It was so much fun to get to share my knowledge of the game with them. It was also interesting to realize that I have been blessed with some of my father's competitive tendencies, thanks dad:) Our last game of the season was against some of the female teachers. The other coach and I played with our girls and put up a good fight, but lost three games to zero in the end. I had so much fun, and I hope to coach again next year.

• Housing Contract- Jennie, Emily, Emma and I finally got a house about a month ago, and because I will be here for the next two years, I got to sign the contract. It is a nice house in a nice development about a three minute drive from the school. We have a nice big living/dining room, five bedrooms and three bathrooms. It has been quite a challenge trying to negotiate all the little details that our Indonesian landlord doesn't always understand, but it has been really neat to see the Lord provide housing, not just for us, but for all the teachers one by one. It will be a challenge next year, learning how to live without the luxuries of Starbucks and the grocery store being right down the street, but it will be nice to have a good support system at home.

• Neighborhood Goodbye Party- Our school is moving at the end of July out of a community where we've been for over fifty years. We invited the Indonesian people that have worked at our school, as well as the helpers of the teachers at BAIS. It was a traditional goodbye party with music, stories, and Indonesian food. I haven't been here very long, but it was still cool to hear the stories of the legacy this place will have left.
  

• Pampered Weekend- We took a weekend trip to Jakarta at the beginning of the month. We took the train and stayed at a nice hotel near the good shopping and dining. One of the days we spent at the amusement park, that turned out to be everything an Indonesian amusement park should be:) One of the highlights was a new ride called Extreme Log. It was one of those simulation rides kind of like Soarin' Over California at California Adventure. Rather than para-gliding through the Sunshine State, you are a tree on the painful adventure of becoming a log. Nope, I'm not kidding. It definitely places as one of theweirdest things I have experienced here in Indonesia. We all came out a little confused, but got a good laugh out of it:) That night we went to see Iron Man at a luxury movie theater. This place was amazing! We each got our own personal leather recliner with a blanket and had dinner brought to us. That is definitely the way to see a movie, totally worth the $12!

• My own classroom- On each of our trips out to our new house, we always make sure we stop by the new campus to see the progress made. They are currently working on the main building where everything will be until we get enough money to build a separate auditorium, gymnasium and office building. It is going to be really nice when they finish it. Every time we go, I have to take a couple minutes to stand in my classroom and try to picture what next year is going to look like. I don't think it has quite sunk in that I will have my own classroom next year, but I look forward to the memories that will be made in there.
  

• Learning to say goodbye- When you live in a transient community such as this one, you have to not only learn how to say goodbye, but you've got to learn how to do it unexpectedly. There is no room to procrastinate when it comes to spending time with people, because you never know when they might be called somewhere else outside of Indonesia. As the year comes to a close, I am faced with the question of how to say goodbye to some co-workers who have become my family , and some students that have captured my heart over the past year. I'm not sure if there is a perfect answer to that question, but I do know that I can trust my Heavenly Father to help maintain those deep relationships despite the distance. While a little heartbroken, I am excited to see how He continues to work in and through them.

As you can see, this semester has been full of life changing experiences with a lot of learning, laughter, some stress, some tears, but above everything, full of His grace and provision. Along with these "firsts," I have learned what it means to be refined through the fire. Each of these experiences has held a special role in chipping away at a version of myself that was more prone to wander, wallow and worry. I am able to look at next year with new eyes that can face the fears of the unknown knowing I don't have the strength, but with utter certainty that He does.
I leave a week from tomorrow to head back to Flagstaff for the summer. I am excited to come home for a little break from the world of teaching and to get charged up for next year. My plans include lots of time to spend with you, catching up and sharing stories and pictures from this semester.

Here's a more detailed itinerary:
June 3rd- Arrive in Flagstaff
June 6th- Abby graduates
June 7th- 9th- Road trip with Abby to her camp in New Mexico
June 10-22- Hanging out in Flagstaff
June 23-July4th- Pre-Field Orientation in South Haven, Mississippi
July 4th-July10th- Visiting friend in North Carolina
July 10th-July 28th- Hanging out in Flagstaff
July 29th- Head back to Indonesia

You know you're a terrible blogger when...

Your co-workers start asking if you have retired your blog.

A post is in the works I promise:)

Power Outside the Comfort Zone

With pockets full of stories, ready and anxious to share some truth with the people on the islands, 18 students and six adults got on a boat headed to that powerful place outside the comfort zone. During the preliminary meetings at Base Camp the first day, I realized I had stuck some insecurity and fear in my pockets along with my stories of hope. I didn’t have any confidence in the stories I had to tell, I feared that my lack of language would hinder me from making connections, and I was sure that I was going to fall short as a leader. Fortunately, our Father has His ways of drawing us back to Him. The morning we would depart for the first island, I sat on the edge of paradise with my cup of coffee and the Word. Amidst the voices in my head telling me I wouldn’t make it, I could hear His voice of truth telling me that He is bigger than my fear, bigger than my insecurities and ultimately the blessed controller of all things. Later that afternoon, as we got on the boat, I had a choice to make: I could let those fears be the largest and heaviest items in my backpack, or I could hand it off to our most reliable travel companion and trade it for some courage…
The courage and strength He gives is the kind that kicks in when you least expect it. I had not only survived that first island, but I came away with tremendous confidence. Not confidence in myself, but confidence in His power, and His ability to make His strength perfect in my weakness. This was made obvious once again in a touching moment the last evening at our host family’s house on the second island. Ibu Ilis had a seven year old daughter with a walking disability. From the moment I met Anna, there was a sparkle in her eye that I recognized, tremendous strength she had despite her handicap. The girls in our house had asked our Ibu to tell us the story of her daughter, how this disability came about. After the big farewell party, and after I had had about as much people time as physically possible for an extreme introvert like myself, we realized that we still hadn’t heard the story of her daughter. We decided we had better stay up and talk one last time. Through the story we learned that Anna had had Polio when she was a baby and the handicap was a result of the extreme fever. Despite going to many doctors and former Sea Tribe teams praying for Anna, there was no way to repair the damage done by the illness. I could see the despair in the family’s face, thinking there was no hope, and she would have to live with this permanent imperfection. It was in that moment I remembered why I recognized that sparkle in Anna’s eye. Her strength reminded me of my sister Emily. “Hey, I got a story.” I told them about how when this 6’2” soccer player was a senior in high school, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that attacks your nervous system. I told them how it was really hard for my family, but that we prayed for strength to cope. Through the tears, I explained that there is no cure for MS, and someday Emily may not be able to walk at all, but despite the difficulty she chooses to glorify God in her illness. She is always looking for opportunities to share God’s love and her testimony of how he is still using her. Finally, I said, “I told you this story because your daughter Anna reminds me of Emily. I am so impressed by her strength.” In that moment when I thought I had nothing left, God was able to use the story of my sister to connect the hearts of strangers-- a true testament to the power that lies outside the comfort zone.

I've got more where this one came from. As time permits, I will try to post more stories. Thank you all for your prayers for me during this life changing adventure. I can't wait to share pictures and video footage with you when I get home.

To the Islands...

Spring break is coming up, which means the Sea Tribe trip is nearly here. This week a group of 24 people (six leaders and 18 students) will be leaving for Batam, an island Northwest of Bandung close to Singapore, to work with the Sea Tribe Islands for ten days. We are going to go to two different islands to interact with people who may have never met Westerners before and probably have never heard the gospel. We will be doing a work project at each island, teaching the kids English, and sharing Christ's love through conversation and stories. To say this trip will be life changing is a bit of an understatement. This experience is going to stretch me in all areas. With the anxiety about the challenges we will be facing, I am excited to see God work through our weaknesses and surprise us with what we are capable of.

Here is the itinerary and some prayer needs we have as a group:

19th – Leave Bandung at 5.20 pm and arrive in Batam
20th – Leave by boat for base camp (appx. 2 hour ride); briefing and prep for island stays
21st - 24th – Island stay #1
24th – Morning return to Base Camp; refresh, debrief, rest
25th - 28th - Island stay #2
28th – Morning return to base camp for debrief, resting, playing
29th – Leave Base camp for Batam… leave Batam at 7.25 pm to return to Bandung

Prayer Needs...
- Strength and energy as we enter into this trip, it has been pretty busy and stressful the past couple weeks, and we would hate to be exhausted when we get there.

- Physical safety (travel, food poisoning, injuries)

- For courage and boldness in our interactions with the people

- Open hearts for us and for the people we will meet

- That the language barrier would not be an obstacle, that those of us who do not speak Indonesian would have extra patience in dealing with translators

- Team unity- we are a very large group which can make this difficult

- For spirits of humility and service--that we would focus on putting on the attitude of Christ

- That we would have a clear picture of what our role is on the team and be content to serve joyfully in that

This is going to be amazing, I am fortunate to get to join in this experience. Thank you for your prayers through this. I look forward to updating you when we get home.

Wearing Many Hats

In high school I had quite the array of after school and summer jobs to help keep my bank account out of the red. For four years, I worked as a "Tax Preparation Assistant" at spending my after school hours in front of a copy machine hoping and praying that the Lord wouldn't call me to be an accountant (no offense mom:) One summer I was a server in the dining room of an assisted living home. Again, I enjoyed getting to know the residents and hearing their stories, but was pretty certain that God hadn't blessed me with the patience to serve the elderly. Another summer, I was a landscaping assistant at a hotel got in touch with my inner handyman. I remember reminding myself when the copy machine had jammed for the four hundredth time, or when I had to hold my tongue after a resident complained about their food again, that these jobs were only temporary and that one day I would be doing something that I love.

Now that I am on the other side of college just starting out my first real job, I find myself reflecting on where I thought I would be back when I was grumbling in minimum wage jobs. I never expected God to bring me here to do some of the things I am doing now, in fact I always thought I was never cut out to work overseas. Nothing compares to looking back on years past and seeing the hand of God guiding every step and being reminded that it isn’t about me, but that it is all about Him.

The past month or so has been very busy. The majority of my time has been spent at school either planning for my ESL classes, planning for projects like tree planting for Week Without Walls or the all-school work day, subbing in all kinds of classes from PE to computers, or working in the bookroom with Jennie. I have been so blessed to have worn quite the number of hats here at BAIS lately. I have been learning a lot about myself from hidden gifts to limits that seem to pop up in stressful times. I am being stretched and molded in ways I never have before. Through the challenge of these experiences God is drawing me closer to Himself reminding me that “I Need Thee Every Hour.”

After years of knowing I would never be working in an accounting office or an assisted living home or landscaping at a hotel, today I can say that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Not anywhere close to where I thought I would be, but smack dab in the middle of my Father’s will.

A Snapshot Update...

Amazing places I have gotten to see:

• Borobudur: A few weeks ago we went to Jogjakarta and got to see the sunrise at a large Buddhist temple and one of the seven wonders of the world. Although it was painfully early, nothing beats watching God's creation wake up with the sun:)
• We took an eight hour train ride to Jogja and got to see some pretty amazing scenery that reminded me that I am kind of afraid of heights:)

Cool things I have gotten to do:

• Plant trees!: A group of fifteen students and four leaders planted about 150 trees. We planted 50 right off the toll road with a group from a local Muslim school. The next day we went a planted 85 trees out at the new campus. It was really cool to see the students step out of their comfort zones and sweat for Jesus:)
  
• This past weekend was an all school work day. The goal was to purge all classrooms and offices of things that we don't need anymore. It was challenging, but really cool to see everyone work hard with a common goal.
  

Crazy things I have eaten:

• Horse Sate: It is a specialty in Jogja, but not much of a specialty in my mouth:) I think I prefer spicy woof woof:)
• Pigeon: I know, this one was pretty interesting. We also ate this in Jogja at a Japanese restaurant. It tasted like chicken, not a whole lot of meat.
  
• Indo-mex: We went out to Mexican food this weekend, and it was surprisingly good. Growing up in Arizona, I have become a Mexican food snob, but I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Lada's.

Things to look forward to and be praying for:

• SeaTribe: We are headed to the remote islands of Indonesia in about three and a half weeks to spend time with the people there. Pray that some of His love would rub off on them through our conversations with them. We will be working hard, teaching some English, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, and eating all kinds of fun foods.
  
• Please continue to pray for the New Campus Project: the details of the building, the transition for the teachers, the housing for next year, the moving process and the hiring of new teachers for the five positions that are currently open.

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. I hope you are all doing well. Please keep me updated on your lives, so I can be lifting you up in prayer as well:)

With Your Likeness Let Me Wake

Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go -
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

We sang this song in church last week, and I was reminded not only of His sovereignty and provision, but also that it is through the storms or that refining fire that something beautiful is produced. Last year, as I was anticipating my semester on the other side of the globe, fear and anxiety were constant companions. Although I knew where I was going and what I was going to do, January sat there looking like big question mark. I had no idea what I was going to do, and being the controlling type that I am, I hated having that huge unknown at the end of my calendar. Through the struggles, challenges and downright painful times, God was shaping my character and equipping me with the strength to face what this semester would hold.

This year the theme is all about trust. Everyday I have to surrender my worries about finances, my worries about my ESL lessons, my worries about projects being completed. Last Sunday I was feeling the weight of these worries and as tears streamed down my face, I soaked in the lyrics of this song, and was able to hand over all those worries in the hands of my Heavenly Father. I hope that this song brings a little hope into your day, because it certainly was a pleasant reminder for me this week.

And the to-do list gets longer...

I cannot believe it has only been three weeks since I arrived back here in Bandung. Life has been pretty busy here in the tropics, but I love having a full to-do list. Last week I told you about the Open Houses that Jennie and I were in charge of planning. Just for a recap: Bandung Alliance International School is in the process of building a new campus about 45 minutes from its current location. It is a slow process so far, but it is coming along. We have outgrown our current campus, and this new one is going to be wonderful!
The New Campus team has had a couple booths at local malls in Bandung to promote the new campus and recruit new students. They have also scheduled three open houses, two here at the school and one in Jakarta. Last week they gave those three open houses to Jennie and me to plan. We worked hard to get the staff excited to help, and to make the event look nice and professional. Wednesday was the first open house. Jennie and I joked that it was kind of like planning a wedding…you spend all this time planning it, and then it is one three hour period of time. It turned out great! The booths were awesome, the set up was really nice, and we had about 15 families show up, three of which started the registration process. Saturday’s also went well, we had about 40 families come. I have really loved planning and organizing these events.
Next thing on the list is Week Without Walls. This outreach event is school wide and will happen next week. The students will participate in various projects all over Bandung. Our project is planting 50 trees on the toll road on the way out to the new school. Jennie, Aaron and I are the leaders of this team in charge of planning. We have been working through details since December, and are pretty excited. Especially now that we have trees to plant! The government donated 200 trees (25 of which are durian trees). The president’s wife wants to plant one million trees in Indonesia to help fix the deforestation problem. There is a group of 15 students that we’ll be working with along with a group of about 15 students from a local Muslim school. The three day project will be full of building relationships and working hard for the Lord. It’s gonna be a little outside the comfort zone for a lot of us, seeing as how there isn’t going to be a bathroom or water, or really anything out there. I’ve never had to use a hole in the ground before…can’t wait for that one:)
As you keep me in your prayers please remember to pray for Week Without Walls next week, for safety, for successful planting, and that lives would be impacted through all the projects.

Congratulations, Molly, you're now an adult...

My lack of posting should give you a hint of how crazy my life has been since arriving back in Indonesia. I was able to enjoy a couple days of playing and relaxing before school started. The morning after I arrived Jennie, Aaron and I visited the orphanage we had taken presents to in December, and the culinary adventures once again commenced. The head guy was raving about this fruit that he claimed was worse that Durian. As he was telling us about it he asked one of the kids to run up the street and buy some for us to try. It wasn't nearly as bad as durian. It is called Jenkol and tastes kind of like a turnip. It leaves a terrible taste in your mouth for hours after eating it. We were warned never to eat too much because it would cause kidney stones...yikes!
Emily's birthday was on the 10th, so last weekend we celebrated by racing go carts at the Bandung Super Mall. It was so fun, and I actually didn't do so bad...turns out the Grandma Boat (my Buick LaSabre back home) was good practice for speed racing. I got third place. This mall was pretty amazing, there is a whole carnival type thing on the top floor with a roller coaster that only costs a dollar to ride. It was really fun. We then went to a Sundanese restaurant, that also turned out to be a culinary adventure. It was set up buffet style where you pointed to the foods you wanted to try. The fun part was that none of us really had any idea what we were choosing to eat. Special items included cow skin, salty fried squid and snails. The cow skin was jiggly and salty, and not very good. I didn't try the salty fried squid, but I heard it was hard and very fishy tasting. I was excited to try the snails, because I had passed up the opportunity when I went to France about 12 years ago. They weren't bad at all, in fact, they tasted fine. Not sure I would choose to eat them again, but they weren't nearly as bad as I would have thought. No worries though, we were able to cleanse the palate with some yummy cappuccino cheesecake afterwards.
This week I started my first real job. I teach two classes a day: high school ESL first period and middle school ESL seventh period. I have ten students total, nearly all of which are Korean. They are a lot of fun, and I am learning a lot...the English language has quite a bit of rules:) On Monday I was worried about having enough to do during the time that I am not teaching, but that problem was quickly solved. BAIS is moving to a new campus that is currently under construction. Right now, we are in the process of recruiting new students as well as developing a plan of attack for the big move out there. On Tuesday, Jennie (my roommate and one of the high school science teachers) and I were given the task of organizing the three open houses that will occur this week as well as that plan of attack. Our evenings and free periods have been full of developing a plan for these open houses and getting enough people to help and making sure that it all comes together on Wednesday and Saturday. This has been quite the challenge, but also really fun to be a part of something so important for the school. I have learned a lot about how to best utilize the organized/perfectionist/linear/practical side(s) of my personality. Luckily, Jennie and I work really well together. The big productions will be Wednesday evening, Saturday morning and next Wednesday afternoon. Please be praying for these open houses: that they would come together, that people would be come to them and that ultimately God would be glorified through them.
I feel like I arrived in Bandung and hit the ground running here this second semester, and God is constantly teaching me to trust him in all things. Thank you for your prayers as I continue on my teaching adventure here in the tropics!

Lessons in Trust

I am back safely in Bandung after 48 hours of travel! We left from Flagstaff at 5 in the morning in a blizzard snow storm that lasted for about thirty miles down the hill. The weather was pretty much horrendous all the way to Phoenix consisting of snow, rain and fog. God was good though and got us to the airport in plenty of time. My flight out of Phoenix was on time, and I got to sit in the emergency exit row to soak up all the leg room I could get in preparation for the lack of it I would experience on the very long flights.
When I got to L.A. I had to get my bags and book it from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4, thank goodness for those carts, otherwise it would have been impossible with the two very large suitcases I brought back. I successfully checked in with China Airlines. I took my bags to the xray machine where I was hassled by one of the security guys who was maybe attempting to flirt or give me a hard time, but was mostly a jerk and kind of put me in a bad mood which only worsened as I approached the very long line to security. It was going slow and the security people were getting frustrated with the non-English speaking passengers who couldn't figure out how to take their laptops out of their bags or make sure they shoes off. After about a 25 minute wait I was finally at my gate waiting for my flight to Taipei. I hadn't even started the longest leg of my journey and I was done with traveling. The 14 hour flight to Taipei went well, the movies were working and the seat in the middle was empty so I had a little extra room. I have to say though that Cathay Pacific has better food that China Airlines. China Airlines had the typical airplane food--plastic in taste and unidentifiable in appearance. They do know how to do coffee though--nice and strong! It wasn't until we were about to land that I checked my ticket to see how much time I would have before my flight to Jakarta. I thought that I was landing at 8:30 pm and leaving at 9:30 pm, but I had read it wrong. I would not be leaving for Jakarta until 9:30 am, which meant that I would have to stay in the airport. I did have the option of staying in a hotel, which I kind of regret not doing. Instead I headed to the departure hall in search of a nice bench to rest. The entire night the airport got more and more empty, quiet and creepy. I could hardly sleep because I was paranoid about keeping an eye on my stuff or getting in trouble for staying in the airport. It was really awful. I have never been more lonely in my life. I think I got a "solid 40 minutes" of sleep. In the morning I went searching for a ticket counter to check the time of my flight because it wasn't showing up with the other departures. On my search I ran into Alyssa, the second grade teacher at BAIS, who had also had to stay the night in the airport. We were both so relieved to see a familiar face. She was on my flight to Jakarta, which was fortunate because she had the gate on her boarding pass and I didn't. Not sure what I would have done if I hadn't run into her. The flight to Jakarta was great, although they made me check my carry-on because it was too heavy. I got to sit in the front row with extra leg room and an empty seat next to me. I had a terrible fear about all my luggage arriving in Jakarta, but after making it successfully through customs, we only waited about 15 minutes and all my luggage had come through.
Jennie had ordered a taxi to take me home to Bandung that was supposed to meet me. What I didn't know was that Donna, the preschool teacher, was arriving a little earlier than me and had taken my taxi, after calling Jennie and Donna, we had the guy turn around and come and get us. It took about three hours for us to get home, the traffic was awful.
Emily comes home tonight and Emma comes home tomorrow. I am so happy to be home, and I am doing okay with the jet lag so far. It is good to be back with my roommates, catching up on the exciting things that happened over break. Through the 48 hours of craziness I endured I was forced to trust that God was going to get me home. He provided everything I needed from extra leg room to a travel companion. At the end of the day I had to praise Him for getting me through this trip. God is good!
School starts on Monday, so I will be spending some time this weekend getting ready for my first week of being a real teacher...ahhhh!
It was so good to see you all while I was at home. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement while I am over here.