It's Storytime!

I've been working all week on the book of stories by the 2009 Sea Tribe Team, and it has been so cool to read about what He did in their lives and through their lives to impact the islands we visited. What an amazing time! One of my highlights included getting to know the INCREDIBLE high schools students that were on our team...seriously, I am so lucky:) Another highlight is told in the following story.

JC Loves the Little Sponges
While strolling through one of the islands, I came across a group of three or four year old boys who were shooting rubber bands up into the branches of a tree. Curious as to what they were shooting at, I ventured over to check it out, and to take some pictures. They all saw the camera and began posing for a photo, a.k.a. fighting to get the best headshot. We took some photos together, then decided it was time to play. The group started small as we began the counting game of Do-Mi-Ka-Do, but as word got out, kids were coming from every corner. The group grew to about 15 kids ranging from three years old to twelve, and all their eyes were on me. We all laughed hysterically as we sang “The Hokey Pokey,” sticking our elbows, noses and heads in and out and dancing around. We sang “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”as fast as we could and as slow as we could. Sweaty, tired and out of games to play, I decided it was their turn to teach me something...then came the issue of the language barrier. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying, and at one point they were all pointing at me and screaming something in Bahasa. After each of them took a turn trying to explain the game to me, I finally realized that they were trying to teach me Duck Duck Goose J By the end of our 20 minutes of play time, these sweet ones had a piece of my heart. I had hardly any language ability, and yet these kids listened to every word I said. At one point, I noticed a little girl holding my hand; no matter what game we were playing, she wanted to be right by my side. Interacting with kids has always come naturally to me, but in taking a step back to analyze the scene I was getting to play a role in, it occurred to me that these kids weren’t attracted to anything that I had to offer, but instead, were attracted to the source of joy inside me.
So often in our training for this trip we refer to the kids on the islands as possible distractions. We stress the importance of being ready with toys or games to take the kids out of the room during a deep conversation. This scenario is very common on the islands; Satan likes to use anything he can to distract or prevent deep connections with the islanders. Though, I learned during this trip to the islands, how important those kids are to the work that is being done. They are like little sponges, soaking up every word, and mimicking every action. For the remainder of the time on both islands I heard several kids humming, singing and teaching the songs that we had taught them. What a reason to be intentional about your actions and your words! Jesus knew how important the children were. When the disciples started to lead them away, thinking they were a distraction, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) I got to teach the song “I’ve Got Joy” to a group of kids on each island.

I’ve got joy down in my heart

deep deep down in my heart.

J-O-Y down in my heart,

Deep deep down in my heart.

He gave it to me

and no one can destroy it.

I’ve got joy down in my heart

deep deep down in my heart

As we sang the words to that song, I couldn’t help imagine what an island would look like if these little sponges were overflowing with the joy of Christ.

These are the little rubber band shooters. Turns out they were shooting at cicaks (geckos) up in the tree. I fell in love with the one making the fish face...he would come to my house every morning ready to play or put on a WWF show in the front yard. On the last morning, I gave whole bag of rubber bands that we had brought with us.

After the games, the girls came over to our house where we decided we would play with the fingernail decals. The boys soon found out, got jealous and wanted shiny heart stickers on their nails too. By the end of our time together all the kids were calling me Kak, which means older sister.

This is just one of the many stories. Can't wait to tell you more.

Thank you to all who were lifting up our team while we were away!

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.