Laughter and Reminisces from Indonesia

This past Saturday, after 26 hours of in-air flying time, our team returned from Indonesia. Besides the following funny experiences, our trip was a great time of encouragement, both for us and the locals.

1. In Medan

In Medan, we were able to offer several training classes to a local church.

First, our team gave a conflict resolution talk for those within the church.  It was well-timed, given that the church had just been through a major conflict, since resolved.

Second, our teammate, who is a licensed clinical psychologist, gave two other talks: one on good parenting and how to discipline your children, and the other on how to be a good counselor.

Third, my husband was able to preach at their local Sunday worship service.

While in Medan, we had several funny experiences.

1. Well, on the way there at least, we encountered the “bartering for airline tickets” method of doing business.
2. We got to eat at KFC.  Twice… Their chicken is much spicier, more like Popeye’s, and there’s no real ketchup, just some sweet tasting tomato sauce.  You can even get rice to go with your chicken, or fries, your choice.
3. At the worship service, they sang a song, in English, that is on my 2-year-old niece’s Psalty, the Psalter, praise CD.
4. David’s sermon was translated while delivered.  If you missed the video, check it out. Our sweet translator sounds like he swallowed helium in the opening lines: http://youtu.be/7akEEEXLzuY.
5. We also learned a new significance of the word “maybe.” As in, “Maybe you would like to pay me now.” Or, “Maybe you would like to leave now.” Or, “Maybe it would be okay if you did XYZ now.”  Maybe is a polite and indirect way of saying: “Do this.”  No wonder Americans come across as rude, we’re very direct.

2. In the other city we visited

We also traveled to another city while we were there.  This was a really neat city as well, but more restricted in the kind of work we could do there.

We were still able to do several trainings there though, just much more filtered.

First, our team member offered counseling training to guidance counselors in a local public school and a private religious school.

Second, she offered training on building strong therapeutic relationships, counseling yourself, and cross-cultural counseling to a local counseling center.

Third, my husband and I taught three classes at a local graduate-type school to train people as relates to our regular work.  I have much more I could say, but not publicly, so ask me if you ever see me about what we did.

While in “the other city” we also had some funny experiences.

1. We got to eat at several Western-style restaurants, like A&W, Pizza Hut, and a Country Steak House.  Strange but good.  Sometimes you just need familiar food.
2. We rediscovered that Indonesians eat the same thing for breakfast that they eat for other meals: rice, fried chicken, noodles, spicy vegetables, etc.  Thankfully they cater some to Westerners and had toast with jelly and eggs.
3. We got to go out several times for the local coffee.  I don’t drink coffee, but if the tea was any indication of how good the coffee was, yummy!
4. While out one night, we discovered that the women do not go out in the evenings/night.  Our group had literally the only women in the packed coffee shops. It was a little frightening, I must say.
5. One sweet man wanted just to touch us. We let him shake our hands.
6. Many other people wanted their pictures taken with us, when we visited a local museum.
7. There was also a large tour group of 30 or so Polish teenagers who were staying in our hotel and were there to participate in a local festival and to dance their traditional country dances. It was definitely out of the ordinary for this city.

Our trip was really a great experience.  While there, through our teaching, several people indicated how encouraged they felt and that God had sent us all that way just to encourage them to stay strong in their faith.  What an amazing privilege.

Have you taken any memorable and encouraging trips this summer, even just to refresh yourself?  Maybe you would like to share about it now?!?

Other posts in the Indonesia series: Returning to Indonesia, A Cloud of Prayer to Cover Us, and Bartering in Jakarta.