2 years in review

I want to thank everyone who has given into my life these past 2 years.

I want to show you the fruits of your investment.
Thank you for advancing His kingdom over the Earth

Outside work
Outside of my base in Bali

1.                                           Teaching in family groups: 10

teaching in a city farming family group

teaching in a mountain village family group

I'm official :)
I was also asked to preach 1 hour before the service began....
I''m getting really good at improv teaching!

Thought for many people
(healthy, sick, normal, demon possessed, etc)

teaching in a house group.....a LOT of young teens!

2.                                Teach a village on basic health care and 

                                   community development 

I got to teach basic health care AND
how to make a compost pile using things they would consider trash
.......their crops were struggling

3.                        Reaching out through English teaching

   7 groups

I got to talk about God's love for them before teaching English

teaching english through making pancakes
and stories about King David

Inside work
On my base in Bali

Training

1.     Organized a workshop on how to use orality to teach the Book: over 20 people

During this workshop, they were given a set of
20 Book stories in the local language.  
Most of the participants are now learning these stories
as part of their language learning

2.                                   Facilitated 2 CP training

One of the CP students teaching others about his UPG

Learning Islam from the Imam (Muslim teacher)

                    3.   Trained 11 people......4 Indonesian, 5 Dutch, and 2 Americans
4.   Those 11 students are now reaching 6 UPGs in this country

M people

1.                              I have taken 3 scouting trips

2.  The base I work on has allowed me to present my people group to our staff and students.

Because of this, the base has decided to adopt the M people. This means they commit to thinking and to send more people to this area for both short term and long term work. I am the official representative for the M peopel to my base.

3. I can't go into details but I have made some key contacts within the M community

4. 1 of the CP students went there for a month and feel a call to go back long term.  

    During that month, he led 2 men to Him and bapt them (and are currently discipling them)

my friend after he bapt an M person

Culture

Language

I'm at Immediate level ........whoohoo!

Hanging out with my Indonesian friends

Other fun things

• If you invite an Indonesian out to eat, it is expected that you pay 

• ALWAYS use your right hand 

• It's OK to eat with your hands at the dinner table

• They LOVE themed parties

• They do EVERYTHING as a community

As a community, they all dig for little clams for food

• The chilies here are hotter than Satan's living room 

• They think you're gross if you take LESS than 2 showers a day 

• Cold showers 

• Indonesians LOVE to laugh 

• Indonesian is pretty awesome !!!!

Weird foods I've eaten

fried cricket....actually pretty good

Bat and dog....also pretty good

a fried grub....not so good

one might consider this weird but I don't.....
I have a friend who loves mayonnaise
as much as my mom

it's all fried and yes.....you eat the head and it's good!

What I look like after cutting and eating a dragon fruit

I hope you've enjoyed this 2 years in review.


Again, I want to thank everyone who has invested in me these last 2 years. I am blessed with an amazing family, an amazing family group, and amazing friends!

Bye from Indo!!!

Since it's been a while since my last update, I have to start off with a bang.  

Introducing the ugliest cat in the world!  This cat lives in my complex.  That little left leg is actually a nub....no leg there.  He hops around the garden...pitiful :)  

Moving on!  Yes, I've been busy.  I thought I'd tell through pictures.  

Culture

I went to a Balinese wedding and got to experience all kinds of culture in 1 day.  These guys are wearing traditional Balinese dress and playing Balinese music

Balinese dancing is very interesting.  They move stiffly and bend their hands in ways that make them look broken.  

Here, some of us are trying to pose.....best let the professionals do it. 

I have to say it was my first wedding where the bride and groom asked everyone to wear white.  I thought it would look strange but actually, it was quite beautiful!

This picture is something that happens a lot.  This is a well-traveled road (I live on this road).  However, there are also a lot of Hindu temples.  Similar to our culture, they have a large processional for funerals.  Unlike our culture, they completely shut down the road until the parade has ended.  Those umbrella things are what they carry (I'm not sure why)

Here is a picture of some of the funeral processional

It's windy now which means kite season.  Oh yes!  and we're not talking those small dinky kites we use.  They are massive kites!  Of course, in order to get them to the right flying location, they have to load up on a truck, everyone holding it (cause it's just that big) and show off their accomplishment.  

Here, flying kites is not just a fun pass time.  They do it to please the gods.  

And JUST in case you missed the enormous kite on the back of that truck, they announce their kite by these large flags.  

By the way, they are driving on the Interstate.  

This is a traditional Indonesian cuisine.  I don't often see this.  I was invited to an Indonesian party and they had it.  Beautiful!

Guys, often wonder where to put your phone since you don't carry a purse?  Well, here are 2 solutions for you!  

For those who ride a bike.  Yes, they actually do this.  I'VE actually done this.  It's quite convenient to talk to your friends without having to use your hands :)

This one?  Well, I don't see often but I think it's genius!

Nope! It's not another wedding.  It's a funeral.  Apparently white is something used for both celebrations.  This crowd was mostly Chinese Indonesians and white is a symbol of death in China (just in case you need to know)

The School

These last 3 months, I've been co-leading a training program.  Those who are with my organization and who want to work as full-time frontier workers come to our training program to learn more about UPGs and how to work with them.   We don't believe in just classroom training.  We get them out there doing it. As I type this, the students have completed their training and are now in different locations applying what they've learned.  

World Religions

They went to a mosque.  Here they're learning from the main Imam (Muslim teacher) about Islam.  He was very nice and educated.  He asked more questions than the students.  We have a great relationship with this Imam and often send people to him to learn.  

Oral story-telling

They learned how to teach the book to people who can't read.  Using props and dramas, they teach oral learners the book.  

Intercession

They learn how to lead others in thinking for the upg.  Here, one of the students is educating our staff about a upg he researched (which happens to be the upg on my heart).  After he educated them, he lead them in a time of thinking for them. 

Cultural Observation.  

Here they learn how to enter a new culture and what to look for.  There are things you can look for in everyday activity that will help you immediately learn things about the culture.  This guy (who needs a walker to walk) is watching the activity in the picture below.  Later, he reported the things he saw

Intercession and Fasting

The power of thinking.  A few times, the class had all night fasting and thinking.  We're teaching them the battle is not only won out there doing stuff...it's won in thinking and warfare. 

Language Learning

No, they're not praying for that bowl.  They're applying a hands-on method of learning a language.  This method has NO memorizing vocabulary or learning grammar rules.  It's interactive and hands-on.  You have different objects in front of you and as the native speaker says one of the words, you have to reach out and touch the correct object.  Simple and extremely effective!

Fun Times

I'm not all work (though most of the time I am).  

I try to have some fun too to help balance my life.  

Below are some random pics for your enjoyment :)

"Nerd theme" birthday party.  

My main hobby is cooking for my local friends.  I like to cook healthy meals so they can realize healthy food is delicious too :) 

Baked chicken and roasted veggies.  

Sorry to the Canadians but I had to post this.  I want to buy it  :)

I'd like to take a moment and thank Alan for buying me a new bike.  Up until now, I've been renting but I now have a dependable bike to get me around...Indonesian style 

(thus the large trash can strapped on the back)

Happy 4th July!!! 

It's more fun here because we can get full-on fireworks and not have to worry about safety rules :) 

I HAD to take this picture because it's something my dad and brother would do.  

Oh yeah!!!!!

Luckily, I'm not the only Southerner here.  In case you missed it....the South WILL rise again!!

Personal

This year has brought with it a huge personal challenge for me.  I'm not sure why but my body has decided to develop some allergies.  I wish they were the running nose, itchy eyes kind of allergies.  But they are more serious.  I do like to laugh at it sometimes (especially when I wake up looking like the picture below) but unfortunately, it's become bad. 

Folks, I'm NOT pushing my lips out.  I woke up like this.  Luckily, I didn't have to go out of my house this day. 

Throughout this year, these reactions have become worse and worse.  As it started as a dairy allergy, it has now progressed into a peanut allergy and other things.  To be honest, I'm not sure exactly WHAT I'm allergic to.  I am now cooking all of my meals from scratch (so I know what I'm eating) and have to buy special foods to keep me going.

The good news is that next week, I will be going to Singapore for testing.  They have top-of-the-line medical facilities so hopefully, I can get answers.  It seems my body has decided to be allergic to everything.  All I know is that since my tongue swells sometimes, I need to get this thing sorted before it become life-threatening.

Thinking points

1) Obviously, these allergies.  That the doctors will figure out what's wrong with me so I can get the right medicine

2) The finances to cover it

3) My calling.  There's nothing worse than to feel like your calling is falling apart.  As many of you know, I feel called to work with the M people up north.  However, if I indeed have a severe nut allergy, me living there might not happen.  Food is community among the M people and it's rude to refuse food someone gives you.  I can't take the chance of eating just anything (peanuts is used in a lot of stuff here) and I can't take the chance to offend the people I'm trying to reach.  This is hard blow for me so please ask Daddy to give me clarity about my calling.  Many times, I'm very discouraged.

Thank you all!