Our little Christmas Tree
We were able to find a little Christmas tree here in Salatiga, so we have the blessing of having one this year! YAY! It's about as tall as Catelyn, but the girls LOVE it! The only lights they had were ones that play Christmas music and the lights twinkle to each song (we have conveniently forgotten to mention that bit of info to our kids so that the volume remains on zero!). But here are a few pics of our cute little Christmas tree!
Fall Party Pics
We had a Fall party at our house for the MAF families here in Salatiga a month ago. I'm finally now getting around to posting pics of it! We all had a great time - the kids loved it.
Family Vacation
We finally took a vacation. It's been 7 years since we've taken a vacation (well, at least more than a long-weekend trip). So, we felt it was time. So, a few weeks ago we spent time relaxing in Bali. That's right, Bali is in Indonesia. Only a short 1-hr flight from our home in Salatiga. So...off to Bali we went.
We spent pretty much the entire time laying by the pool and/or the beach. But, Corey did do some para-sailing! Here are some pics from our trip.
We spent pretty much the entire time laying by the pool and/or the beach. But, Corey did do some para-sailing! Here are some pics from our trip.
Current Events
In case you haven't been watching the news, Mt. Merapi (15 miles from us) has been erupting for the past week. Over 120 people have died, and more than 70,000 people have been displaced due to the eruptions. This is all occurring in our backyard.
As I type, it is raining ash in our town, so we have a layer of ash on our house (and on us when we go outside). Though, the air is unhealthy right now, we are fortunate to still have our home, and life is still functioning the same as usual. The only difference is that most people are wearing masks when they go outside. But that is here...15 miles (as the crow flies) from the crater of Mt. Merapi.
If we drive along the perimeter of the "danger zone" of the volcano (currently set at a 12 mile radius from the crater), we will find broken, grieving, hurting people. People who have lost loved ones, homes, cattle, and their livelihood. We will find tens of thousands of people covered in gray who have fled from lava, ash, and gases to find shelter in overcrowded temporary camps. And this...only minutes from us.
Our team here in Salatiga is currently seeking ways in which we can help...offering hospitality, giving of food and supplies, encouraging the weak, hurting, and confused. We are looking to partner with nationals and the church here to offer relief and love to these people. Please pray that God would open up for us a door to be His comforting and compassionate hands (in any capacity) to these people in need.
"Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate." Psalm 116:5. May this verse be the voice that is heard through our actions.
As I type, it is raining ash in our town, so we have a layer of ash on our house (and on us when we go outside). Though, the air is unhealthy right now, we are fortunate to still have our home, and life is still functioning the same as usual. The only difference is that most people are wearing masks when they go outside. But that is here...15 miles (as the crow flies) from the crater of Mt. Merapi.
If we drive along the perimeter of the "danger zone" of the volcano (currently set at a 12 mile radius from the crater), we will find broken, grieving, hurting people. People who have lost loved ones, homes, cattle, and their livelihood. We will find tens of thousands of people covered in gray who have fled from lava, ash, and gases to find shelter in overcrowded temporary camps. And this...only minutes from us.
Our team here in Salatiga is currently seeking ways in which we can help...offering hospitality, giving of food and supplies, encouraging the weak, hurting, and confused. We are looking to partner with nationals and the church here to offer relief and love to these people. Please pray that God would open up for us a door to be His comforting and compassionate hands (in any capacity) to these people in need.
"Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate." Psalm 116:5. May this verse be the voice that is heard through our actions.
Cultural Adaptations - Neighbors
This is a picture of a woman who came and sat down at our gate calling out for us to help her.
We are without lack of opportunities to help people here. There is always someone in need; always someone at our door asking for money for food, for doctor bills, for help with school bills, etc..
In America, communities and neighborhoods are divided up into classes. The rich live next to the rich; the middle-class live next to the middle-class; and the poor live next to the poor. Very seldom do these classes intermix within communities or housing tracts. So, if one did not live in a poor neighborhood, they very easily could rarely (if ever) come in close contact with a poor person. Usually, we have to intentionally go to "that area."
But living in Indonesia (at least here in Salatiga), this is not the case. The rich live NEXT DOOR to the poor. A home with 7-bedrooms, two cars, two motorcycles, washer & dryer, refrigerator, stove & oven, etc. will be situated right next to a home made out of thin-bamboo, a dirt floor, a campfire to cook food, and no bathroom - let alone any sort of transportation. This scene: the rich with the poor; is typical here.
Living in America, I was not confronted (daily) with poverty and those truly in need. So, the part of the verse in Mark 14, "For you will always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them..." (vs. 7) never really made a lot of sense to me. I didn't have the poor with me, I couldn't do good to them whenever I wished because they were far from me. But now, I see this verse...this verse is being lived out before my very eyes. The poor are here, living next to me, hurting next to me, sobbing next to me. Living among the poor will either do two things (I've seen them both already)...harden your heart or break it over and over and over again until it beautifully reflects the compassionate and merciful heart of Christ. I pray that the latter would be true of us.
"The rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all." Proverbs 22:2
We are without lack of opportunities to help people here. There is always someone in need; always someone at our door asking for money for food, for doctor bills, for help with school bills, etc..
In America, communities and neighborhoods are divided up into classes. The rich live next to the rich; the middle-class live next to the middle-class; and the poor live next to the poor. Very seldom do these classes intermix within communities or housing tracts. So, if one did not live in a poor neighborhood, they very easily could rarely (if ever) come in close contact with a poor person. Usually, we have to intentionally go to "that area."
But living in Indonesia (at least here in Salatiga), this is not the case. The rich live NEXT DOOR to the poor. A home with 7-bedrooms, two cars, two motorcycles, washer & dryer, refrigerator, stove & oven, etc. will be situated right next to a home made out of thin-bamboo, a dirt floor, a campfire to cook food, and no bathroom - let alone any sort of transportation. This scene: the rich with the poor; is typical here.
Living in America, I was not confronted (daily) with poverty and those truly in need. So, the part of the verse in Mark 14, "For you will always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them..." (vs. 7) never really made a lot of sense to me. I didn't have the poor with me, I couldn't do good to them whenever I wished because they were far from me. But now, I see this verse...this verse is being lived out before my very eyes. The poor are here, living next to me, hurting next to me, sobbing next to me. Living among the poor will either do two things (I've seen them both already)...harden your heart or break it over and over and over again until it beautifully reflects the compassionate and merciful heart of Christ. I pray that the latter would be true of us.
"The rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all." Proverbs 22:2
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