tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34978328593513824892024-03-13T21:46:45.273+07:00Surabaya and Surrounding~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-9161847799693892202011-08-24T20:07:00.006+07:002011-08-24T20:24:43.771+07:00Sightings at Supermal Today is Wednesday, Aug. 24, meaning there are only 2 more days left until our 2 week break! (It's kind of funny that this holiday at the end of Idl Fitri is longer than the teacher's summer "break".)
<br /> Because we know this is the last week until break, the days have seemed longer for Janice, Kiersten, and I at our apartment. Today when Janice and Kiersten arrived home from school, they suggested we go to JCo. In case I haven't explained it before, JCo is a coffee and donuts place original to Indonesia that tastes better and is cheaper than Starbucks. So we decided to go to Supermal, the nearest big mall to us in West. (It's the same mall where my church is located.)
<br /> Once at the mall, we first went to the grocery store to pick up some things. (Most malls here have a grocery store and movie theater in addition to the stores and restaurants!) Then we decided to have a "dinner" before eating JCo for dessert. :) While at A&W and JCo, I saw five of my students. Many families like to go to the mall for their entertainment in the evenings, so I was not surprised to see them there.
<br /> Just in closure to this post, I don't always eat so American. haha There are just some days when it is a nice treat to eat chicken nuggets and a donut for dinner. :)~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-77476605140292018812011-08-13T10:22:00.003+07:002011-08-13T11:05:48.363+07:00New school yearI can't believe I've been back in Surabaya for almost a month already. Since the school year began, time has been going quickly. This year I have kindergarten classes like last year in addition to playgroup (2 and 3 years old). I have been enjoying the playgroup classes because it is more laid back than kindergarten. I can just sing songs and play games with them.
<br /> I have enjoyed getting to know the same students I had last year and some new ones from KG A. I enjoy their comments and stories that they tell me. One of my students that I had last year, always compliments me when I come in. She says, "Miss Janita, your hair is beautiful today." or "Miss Janita, your shirt is pretty." It's so cute. :) This week, I was teaching in one of the KG A classes and I asked for a volunteer to come up front. I called on one of the girls, and she excitedly leaped out of her chair. Unfortunately for her, the string from her shorts was caught in her chair and she ended up dragging her chair with her up front! The teachers and I couldn't help laughing. :)
<br /> God has really blessed me since I've been back. I had asked him for more ministry opportunities here in west surabaya and he has really provided those. I have been able to help with an English tutoring class for 5-8 year olds. That will start up next month after the holiday. I also have a chance to help out at an orphanage every week. I am excited about the new opportunities. Please continue to pray that God would lead me and that I can bring glory to Him in everything I do.~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-29982497824139016362011-07-20T16:59:00.005+07:002011-07-20T17:17:06.939+07:00Back in Surabaya!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSRVzTm8bhs/Tiapq_cHMxI/AAAAAAAAAF4/9DTSxnDbBYg/s1600/DSCN2301.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSRVzTm8bhs/Tiapq_cHMxI/AAAAAAAAAF4/9DTSxnDbBYg/s320/DSCN2301.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631374940122329874" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9u8V3-vePUo/TiaowDEnfyI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Wep20F0KqDg/s1600/GEDC1826.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9u8V3-vePUo/TiaowDEnfyI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Wep20F0KqDg/s320/GEDC1826.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631373927485243170" /></a><br />Well, the last time I wrote I was getting ready to go home and now I'm back already. It was with mixed emotions that I returned to Indonesia. I had such a wonderful time at home that it was hard to come back. Some of the highlights of my trip were visiting New York City, the Baltimore aquarium, going to a baseball game, bowling, and being outside! Of course, the best part was seeing my family and friends. :) The pictures above are from my time in the States. It was weird to be home and see so many Caucasian people and hear English all around me. <br />The journey back to Surabaya went pretty well. During my layover in Tokyo, I saw a friend from church. It turned out that we were on the same flights from Tokyo until Surabaya! It was nice to travel with someone. We also met a girl who is teaching in Jakarta. We were able to share stories of living and teaching in Indonesia.<br />God has been good this past week. Even though I have been missing my family, I have been able to spend time with others at school and church. I have enjoyed seeing the other teachers at school again. They enjoyed the Hershey's candy I brought back as "oleh-oleh" from America.<br />Classes start again tomorrow, so I'm sure things will stay busy at school. Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement! God bless!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-41903295219163669862011-06-05T17:51:00.003+07:002011-06-05T18:08:04.536+07:00one year reflections<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9vn1yPaIhw/TetjYF3fv0I/AAAAAAAAAFo/DYULWvJ-FZg/s1600/DSCN2182.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9vn1yPaIhw/TetjYF3fv0I/AAAAAAAAAFo/DYULWvJ-FZg/s320/DSCN2182.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614690625990410050" /></a><br />Well, it's been a year ago today that I arrived in Indonesia!! Can you believe it? I can't! This past weekend I have been looking at my pictures from the past year and trying to pick out a summary of my year to show all of you when I am at home. It has reminded me of what I have experienced this year and what God has done for me. When I first arrived, I felt like God had abadoned me, but He has reminded me that He was with me all along. He is always enough!<br /> Even today, He showed me answers to prayer. I have just moved to West Surabaya into a new apartment (the school wants us to be near the campus where we teach). My roommate, Janice, is staying in East for the weekend with our old housemates. So I had to go to church by myself this morning. Although it is the same church, it is a different branch here in the west, and I was feeling nervous last night to go by myself. So I asked God to give me someone to sit with, someone to eat lunch with, and a ride home. And God answered all 3 requests! He really is a good Father who loves to give good gifts to His children.<br /> At first when I found out we were going to move to west (and be separated from some of our roommates), I was very upset. But I know that God provided this place for me here. Even though it is small, everything is new and clean! (unlike Country heritage...) I have been enjoying being closer to school and being able to see other teachers and friends outside of school because they also live in West. On Tuesday night (the day I moved), I was able to attend my students' birthday party. (The picture above is of that.) Yesterday, I met some teachers at school and went shopping for things that I want to bring home (they call it oleh-oleh here; souvenirs). :) <br /> Well, that's all for now. I can't wait to come home in 10 days and fill in the rest of the details in person!! God bless you all!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-86724715731744886502011-05-22T16:14:00.002+07:002011-05-22T16:22:52.690+07:00I'm going home... :)Hello everyone! I just realized that this is the first time to write in May... Sorry about that.<br /> I am currently organizing/packing preparing to move to a new apartment near school and then go home next month. I was reading through the letters that you sent with me and in the mail since I've been here. I just wanted to thank all of you for keeping in touch and sending me those letters! I am sorry that I have not been able to write back because the mail system is unreliable here going the other way. But please know that I appreciate each letter. I also can tell that you have been praying for me this past year. So many times I have been feeling sad or anxious, and God's peace comes on me that passes all understanding. I especially feel your prayers on Saturdays when I go to English club. Almost every time I feel a discouragement or distraction from going, but as soon as I get there, I feel God's peace and joy. He keeps giving me more ideas and wisdom for teaching middle school, which is something I never thought I would be doing. So, thank you so much! God bless you!<br /> This past month has been busy with preparing for graduation at school. I am on the program commitee, so we are helping prepare the kids for the drama they will perform on the graduation day. I also have been helping with/teaching Sunday school this month, along with Sara.<br /> This past Tuesday, we had a day off, which was nice. The pastor's wife invited Sara and I over for dinner along with some other american teachers at another school. It was a great time of talking in English (it's hard sometimes being around so many non-native speakers) and eating American food. She even taught us how to make apple pie! :) Oh, and speaking of baking, recently I also have been baking more. Last week I decided to try making snickerdoodles. I wasn't sure how they would turn out without cream of tartar and no mixer, but they were good. It feels nice to make something American even in a different place.<br /> Well, please continue to pray for my exit visa so I can come home next month with no problem. Please also pray for me to keep my focus on God and His word instead of putting other things before Him. Thank you so much! I can't wait to see all of you very soon!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-82047208009510795452011-04-29T16:53:00.005+07:002011-04-29T17:10:18.006+07:00April events<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVjsaRG4sXQ/TbqL6u-6bdI/AAAAAAAAAFU/VHWV7eYj7YE/s1600/DSCN1914.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVjsaRG4sXQ/TbqL6u-6bdI/AAAAAAAAAFU/VHWV7eYj7YE/s320/DSCN1914.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600942927749213650" /></a><br />Hello again! I'll try to summarize the rest of April... It's almost May!<br /> Last time I wrote was right before my birthday. I was so blessed by the people here who remembered my birthday. Sara and I went to the mall on Friday the 15th for ice cream to celebrate. On Saturday I went to English club as usual. Angie surprised me during our class by bringing a snack (crispy tahu) and singing to me. The kids were surprised to find out it was my birthday. I asked them all to take a picture with me. Then when I got to the main room, everyone surprised me with a cake and ice cream with a candle to blow out. It was a great birthday! :)<br /> Last week we had our Kartini's day celebration for school at a nearby mall. Kartini was the one I guess who pushed for girls to be able to attend school. Since it was a national holiday, all the kids wore batik, the national fabric. <br /> Last Friday i went to my friends house to dye Easter eggs. (Thanks mom for thinking to send the dye!) It was such a nice treat to still be able to keep that Easter tradition. Even if the brown eggs here don't color the same way as white ones. Haha!<br /> Today we had our Easter celebration at school. The theme was "Jesus is my Superhero!" It was a good time to remember again what Jesus did for us, for me. As the words to one of our songs that we sang said, "The nail marks on your hands and feet are marks of love, the love of God." I pray that you also will remember His love for you!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-3586241435859089852011-04-10T14:50:00.004+07:002011-04-10T15:10:05.448+07:00Bugs and Floods<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1uNuUpNxbs/TaFkIgSLPwI/AAAAAAAAAFM/rPAPwyh1gGA/s1600/DSCN1705.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1uNuUpNxbs/TaFkIgSLPwI/AAAAAAAAAFM/rPAPwyh1gGA/s320/DSCN1705.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593862309438766850" /></a><br />Happy april everyone! Is there any spring weather where you are? If so, please enjoy it for me. :( It is still as hot as ever here. It has also been raining almost every day. In fact, the week before last we had our house flood two times. There is a balcony right outside my room and apparently the drain to let the water out when it rains is very small. Well, it got clogged with debrief from the house and so the water overflowed into our house. Thankfully we know about the problem now so we can clean the balcony so it doesn't happen again. <br /> That same week, I was sitting in my room and heard a rustling sound. At first I just thought it was a lizard in the garbage can again. Then it started buzzing. I looked behind me and there was a huge wasp at the window. I screamed and ran downstairs. Thankfully Janice is braver than I am so she opened the window and let him out. Before you laugh at me, let me just say that this wasp was huge. It was like the size of a small bird!!<br /> Anyways, things have been going o.k. I am getting more and more excited to go home in June! But GOd has been good here, teaching me to trust Him and that He is loving me through everything. I was blessed yesterday to get a birthday package from my family. Thank you guys! :) One of the things I am excited about getting in it is easter egg dye. I invited some of my American friends over next sunday to dye easter eggs together!<br /> If God brings it to mind, please pray for me that I would have perseverance in teaching and living here and always choose joy! :) Thank you! God bless you!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-78862825660518347022011-03-20T17:32:00.003+07:002011-03-20T17:47:00.503+07:00Plane tickets!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CyTAebA4RN0/TYXaNM3fLcI/AAAAAAAAAFE/c9lEtT53mLA/s1600/DSCN1553.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CyTAebA4RN0/TYXaNM3fLcI/AAAAAAAAAFE/c9lEtT53mLA/s320/DSCN1553.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586110833150078402" /></a><br />Hello again! As many of you already know, I now have my plane tickets to come home for a visit this summer! I will be home from June 16th until July 14th. God has been so good in working out all the details for me. I have a friend from church here who contacted her travel agent to help me book the flights. And on the day that it came to transfer the money, God provided a teacher friend to take me to the bank. He also provided the approval of all my supervisors to take the extended time off. So I am looking forward to experiencing a little bit of home this summer: visiting NYC, eating soft pretzels and bagels with cream cheese, and most importantly, spending time with my family! Praise God that I have this chance to go home and get refreshed and renewed for my second year. :) <br /> This past week I enjoyed having a week off of teaching because our school had a spiritual growth seminar with a team from Hong Kong. It was very intense, but God used it to bring healing and change in my life. He has been showing me recently His love and acceptance of me. I encourage all of you to read Psalms 34, especially verses 4 and 5. God wants to deliver us from shame and fear, and make us radiant because of His love for us!<br /> Then on Friday the students came back to school and we went on a field trip to a city park. The above picture is of me, the Mandarin teacher, and a staff member at the park. It was nice to spend some time outside! :)<br /> Well, here comes another week! God bless all of you!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-78346555010945247862011-03-08T14:44:00.002+07:002011-03-08T14:59:10.289+07:00Marching forwardHaha, the title is so cheesy. But I really can't believe it's March already and I've been here 9 months. That's the longest I've ever been overseas :) and away from my family. :(<br /> The past week went quickly and uneventfully. This past weekend was fun. Sara and I met my friend Angie and some other girls at the mall for lunch and gelatto! It was a lot of fun. I was encouraged by listening to the others share what God has been teaching them. <br /> On Sunday I helped Sara with Sunday school and then we went to see a movie.<br /> That pretty much sums up what's been going on here. Looking forward to June when I will visit home for a month! I will let all of you know when I get the exact dates!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-62887196593957076142011-02-27T18:42:00.003+07:002011-02-27T18:57:13.183+07:00End of February<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxWWceZtvPA/TWo7OuDCL1I/AAAAAAAAAE8/_26auMmu5RA/s1600/DSCN1443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxWWceZtvPA/TWo7OuDCL1I/AAAAAAAAAE8/_26auMmu5RA/s320/DSCN1443.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578336212516745042" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-szq3nqJNduU/TWo5SsRqH2I/AAAAAAAAAE0/5x-kSLcqoCY/s1600/182276_1670714725841_1176554584_31416443_4472969_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-szq3nqJNduU/TWo5SsRqH2I/AAAAAAAAAE0/5x-kSLcqoCY/s320/182276_1670714725841_1176554584_31416443_4472969_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578334081737432930" /></a><br />Hello again! Somebody informed me that I should update my blog more often, so here I am, giving you another update. :) (This is for you, becky.) Actually, I would like to update more, it's just been so busy.<br /> I just uploaded some pictures on facebook, so you can check them out, but I included two here so you can have a little taste if you don't have a chance to look there. :) I included two pictures. One is of a trip to Madura (another island close by) with a church group. We ate bebek goreng (fried duck) at a famous restaurant here. The other picture is of English club, singing a song with the students. <br /> I just returned from a retreat with my church for Sunday school teachers. It was just overnight, but it was really refreshing. We were able to worship God together and learn about creativity in teaching and letting God use us in loving our students. It was a good reminder not just for S.S., but also for teaching during the week. Please pray for me that God's love would lead me and fill me so that anything I say and do would be an overflow of what He has already given me. Thanks so much for your prayers and support!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-7987879710850017702011-02-19T11:47:00.002+07:002011-02-19T12:09:05.378+07:00Answer to prayerAs I said last time, I have started teaching the middle school class at the English club. I taught it first on February 5 and was a little discouraged because the students had trouble paying attention. On February 12 I had my second time to teach. The day before I came home from school with a fever. When I woke up on Saturday, I didn't have a fever, but I still felt weak and tired. I almost didn't go to Oasis because of the way I was feeling. But I prayed and asked God to give me the strength to go. I also know a lot of you were praying for me in planning and teaching the class. God answered these prayers more than I even imagined. I felt so much better as soon as I got there. And when the classes were finished, I felt energized instead of tired like usual. The class itself went well too. The kids seemed to have fun and listen beter. So, thank you for all your prayers.<br /> I just wanted to share these verses in closing. Recently, God has been encouraging me about His love and grace that are undeserved. Romans 5:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing in God's glory."<br /> I pray that each of you will be encouraged by God's love for you and look forward to sharing in His glory someday with confidence and joy!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-79128359770804848312011-02-03T11:16:00.007+07:002011-02-03T11:37:56.952+07:00New year...again<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TUowhqYV2pI/AAAAAAAAAEg/UwzCVVJ-1u4/s1600/DSCN1358.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TUowhqYV2pI/AAAAAAAAAEg/UwzCVVJ-1u4/s320/DSCN1358.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569317244067240594" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TUouwhSgWxI/AAAAAAAAAEY/mGwMMooxyBc/s1600/DSCN1422.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TUouwhSgWxI/AAAAAAAAAEY/mGwMMooxyBc/s320/DSCN1422.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569315300301626130" /></a><br />Wow! Last time I wrote it was new year's eve and today it is Chinese New Year so we have a day off. I didn't realize it had been so long since I last wrote! January went very quickly, especially the past week. Here's a brief recap:<br /> School started again on the 4th. I'm trying to remember what else happened... :)<br /> The English club started again on the 15th. I will be helping with the oldest class now as well as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade class. This coming Saturday I will be teaching the older class by myself because the other teachers will be gone. <br /> On the 22nd, I went out of town with some other teachers to attend a wedding of one of our co-workers. It was definitely different from the weddings that I've been to before. We had to go to an early church service for the ceremony itself (7 a.m.) Actually, it was just a church service, with the couple signing their vows in the middle of it. A few hours later the reception started, but it was very fast. We just went to the place, where the bride and groom were seated on a stage, dressed in traditional Javanese clothes. We greeted their family members and then them. After that, we helped ourselves to the buffet style food, and then we could leave. The first picture above is of us with the bride. <br /> On the 27th and 28th, our school had it's open house for this semester. I had my first experience of being one of the "PICs" (person in charge). So it was a little tiring, but it went well. Our theme was "Save the earth - Reduce, reuse, and recycle". The second picture is of one of my students with a craft made out of recycled materials. <br /> Last weekend was busy with a birthday party for a friend, English club all day on Saturday, and then church followed by a Sunday school meeting on Sunday. <br /> This week has gone quickly so far at school. Now our division is preparing for our Valentine's day program on the 14th. The children will perform Cinderella for the parents, so I am on the decorations committee to make the scenery for the play.<br /> Last night, a family from school invited some of us over for dinner in honor of Chinese New Year. We had a great time eating and then singing together. (They have a whole room dedicated to music with a piano, drums, and microphones for singing.)<br /> Well, hopefully it won't be so long until I write again! :) God bless you!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-92106477903196908722010-12-31T12:28:00.003+07:002010-12-31T12:44:40.615+07:00Selamat Tahun Baru!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TR1sdJbGdYI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/XhJ9O5JSVBY/s1600/DSCN1313.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TR1sdJbGdYI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/XhJ9O5JSVBY/s320/DSCN1313.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556716763246654850" /></a><br />As I write this post, I am sittiing in my room with the air conditioner on and trying to imagine feeling cold like all of you in the U.S. must be feeling right now. I've heard there has been a lot of snow recently! It's hard for me to imagine. Part of me misses snow, but part of me is happy not to be freezing every time I walk outside. The above picture is of me and Ayu when we stopped at the beach on the way home from our Christmas trip to Bandung.<br /> The title of this post is "Happy New Year!" I can't believe that 2010 is already at its end! Tonight I am planning on just celebrating here with my housemates. We bought ingredients to make tacos and s'mores!<br /> I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas! I spent mine taking a trip to bandung (another city on Java) with some of the Indonesian teachers from West. It was a lot of fun, although we spent 18+ hours in the car each way! Traffic here is crazy! Along the way, I learned that almost every city in Indonesia is famous for a certain type of food. One city is even famous for growing red onions! In Bandung we tried Batagor (bakso tahu goreng). It is made of meat and tofu fried together. Actually, it was pretty good, at least using the spicy sauce that came along with it.<br />(Yes, I am learning to eat more spicy foods here!)<br /> Some of the other trip highlights were visiting a volcano, eating a Christmas dinner made by an American chef (including stuffing and mashed potatos!), shopping at the outlets, and singing happy birthday to my mom on skype with my friends in Bahasa Indonesia. When we visited the volcano/forrest, we had to pay an entry fee. The lady selling the tickets looked at me and said in Bahasa "Dari mana ini?" - basically, where is this from? So since I am from America I had to pay 5 dollars instead of 1.70 like everyone else. Oh well!<br /> Oh, one more thing. Because I spent so much time with other Indonesians, I was able to learn more about their language. I asked them about the words to one of my favorite songs. I was trying to literally translate it and it meant "You throw water into my eyes." I was so confused until they told me that that phrase is an expression that means, "You made me cry." haha Who would have guessed?!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-17135427854032091362010-12-22T14:38:00.002+07:002010-12-22T14:50:02.522+07:00Immanuel - God with usI just finished watching "The 12 Words of Christmas" talk by Louie Giglio (an early Christmas present from my sister) and thinking about God's great gift in coming to us. God is reminding me of the wonder of Jesus coming to earth. This Christmas, as I am without my family and most of the traditions that I usually associate with the holiday, I know that God is showing Himself to be Immanuel - God with us; God with me!<br />"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14<br />Jesus came to this empty world ready to fill us with His grace and truth. And that truth is for everyone in every situation. (paraphrased from Louie Giglio)<br />I pray that God will make this good news real to every one of you this Christmas!<br />"God is in us, God is for us, God is with us - Immanuel." ("God is with us" sung by Casting Crowns.)~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-39866691351746451952010-12-20T16:03:00.004+07:002010-12-20T16:13:35.374+07:00Christmas celebrations<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQ8eB9cYIvI/AAAAAAAAAD8/3P4xWgwfvCY/s1600/DSCN1205.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQ8eB9cYIvI/AAAAAAAAAD8/3P4xWgwfvCY/s320/DSCN1205.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552689884593398514" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQ8c8MU274I/AAAAAAAAAD0/y2yE36Pd9-w/s1600/DSCN1177.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQ8c8MU274I/AAAAAAAAAD0/y2yE36Pd9-w/s320/DSCN1177.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552688685997551490" /></a><br />Hello again! I hope that you all are enjoying your time with family and Christmas celebrations. I have been enjoying this Christmas season more than I expected. When I arrived, everyone said how Christmas is so different here in Indonesia because so many people don't celebrate it. But I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of Christmas decorations in the mall and Christmas music playing.<br /> We had our Christmas celebrations last week at school. On Monday, we had a party for the kids where the teachers put on a little skit of the Christmas story. For some reason I was cast as Joseph and had to wear a make-up beard. No, I don't have pictures of that! I don't want to know how strange I looked! :)<br /> On Wednesday the different classes each went to a school or an orphanage to pass out gifts. I went with the oldest class to an orphanage. The kids there were so great! They sang a song for us and were so joyful. The picture above is of me holding one of the babies there.<br /> On Saturday the English club had its end of the semester party - a games day. I helped the two "modern" games. Frisbee golf, duck-duck-goose for the young kids, and island tag for the older ones. It was a lot of fun, but tiring. The other picture above is of me, Sara, and one of the university students who always helps.<br /> on Sunday I taught S.S. for the third week in a row. The pastor's wife brought Christmas cookies to decorate, which was fun. I didn't think I would be able to decorate any this year, but God allowed me to. :)<br /> Well, tomorrow is our teacher's Christmas party. On Thursday I will leave for a 5-day trip to Bandung (another city in Java). It's pretty far away, and we are driving, so it should be interesting. <br /> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-48085634014432683002010-12-09T16:43:00.004+07:002010-12-11T11:43:18.404+07:00Getting Ready for Christmas<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQCnFMaPYxI/AAAAAAAAADs/Sl2xOb2nctg/s1600/DSCN1028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQCnFMaPYxI/AAAAAAAAADs/Sl2xOb2nctg/s320/DSCN1028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548618448592921362" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQClx8rhcHI/AAAAAAAAADk/a75nhjO_rE4/s1600/DSCN1040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TQClx8rhcHI/AAAAAAAAADk/a75nhjO_rE4/s320/DSCN1040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548617018441298034" /></a><br /><br />I can't believe it's already December! Can you? Last Sunday marked my SIXTH month here! Wow! God has blessed me so much since my arrival. You may remember if you have been reading my beginning posts, how hard it was when I first arrived. But now God has really fulfilled His promise that He will give me good things here.<br /> Let me share what God has been doing recently...<br /> Last week a new teacher arrived to the school and our apartment from America! It has been so nice to have a native English speaker to talk to (not that I haven't been enjoying the other friends I have met here). :)<br /> On Sunday, Sara (the new teacher) helped me in Sunday School and then we went to the second service together. It was the first time I had taught in a while and it was so much fun to see the kids again. I think Sara had fun too. :) The first picture above is of Sara and some of the Sunday School kids.<br /> On Tuesday I had a chance to help decorate our church for Christmas. I was so glad to have the opportunity to decorate a Christmas tree after all. The second picture above is of me and one of the girls who is a reindeer in the Christmas play.<br /> Last night we got to watch the church's Christmas play. It was nice to have another Christmas activity.<br /> Well, I will go for now and get ready for English club! Have a great weekend!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-87885048420187728852010-11-21T11:25:00.004+07:002010-11-28T17:25:41.644+07:00Thanksgiving week...Well, it's been a while again since I updated all of you...<br /> Last week was hard emotionally because of Thanksgiving and all. Actually, the small group that I started going to had a thanksgiving dinner on Tuesday night but I didn't go because of having to work the next day. <br /> This weekend has been good though. On Friday night I hung out with my friend Dyah at the mall. I was so excited to see Christmas decorations up! Even if not that many people celebrate christmas, I can still enjoy it here. I also got to buy a new motorcycle helmet! Now before you ask, no, I cannot drive a motorcycle...yet... But I often go along with others who drive and I always have to borrow their helmet. (The police pull over anyone not wearing a helmet.) Now I have my own!<br /> On Saturday I went to the traditional market for fresh food and then to Carrefour for cooking ingredients. Santa went with me to a bigger Carrefour that has more items. I actually found taco seasoning and cranberry sauce! Now I can at least make up for missing it at thanksgiving. <br /> After the English club, I was talking with some of the students (with Desy translating). One of the girls kept calling me "orang ingris" (English person) instead of my name! haha The other one asked me to invite her to America. I told her, "How can I when I am here? I'm not in America right now!" haha I didn't want her to wish to be in my country but to enjoy living here.<br /> Today I had breakfast with Santa and her family. She showed me how to make biscotti (actually more like biscuits) so I can make it on my own now. <br /> Well, I will go for now! Hope you had a great thanksgiving! Save me some turkey when I come home in June! :)~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-5050093291973570332010-11-12T17:33:00.002+07:002010-11-12T17:37:17.772+07:00Fun Friday storiesI just wanted to share these two things with you before I forget. <br /> O.k. The first thing actually happened yesterday. I asked my 5 year old students to write a sentence about an action word that I gave to them. One of the girls had the word sing so she wrote: "I like to sing Michael Jackson songs"! It was so funny to me that she even knows Michael Jackson. This is the same student who wrote about Justin Bieber. :)<br /> The other story amused me because it reminded me that I live in Asia now. I brought an umbrella for the letter "u" and was asking my students when we use an umbrella. I said first, "Do we use it inside?" No... "Do we use it when it's sunny?" I was expecting no again. Then everyone said, "yes...". Then I remembered how they love to use the umbrella when it's sunny to avoid getting any color in their skin. Anyways, I thought it was funny. :)<br /> have a great Friday!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-40742746054998554242010-11-04T17:53:00.002+07:002010-11-04T18:03:24.938+07:00Days of graceHappy November everyone! I can't believe it's already November! Tomorrow will be my fifth month anniversary here. This is the longest I've ever had without seeing my family. It's been both really long and short at the same time.<br /> The weather is still pretty much the same here. Still hot! haha Yesterday I put on shorts to wear around the house when I got back from school and then I realized that it is probably the first time I have ever worn shorts in November!<br /> I title this post "days of grace" because of a sermon I heard last night by Grahm Cooke (he is a British pastor). I borrowed the cd from my friend Angie here. Anyways, one of the things he shared was that we should not consider any day good or bad. Each day is a day of grace. Sometimes God's grace allows us to enjoy what's happening. Other days God's grace allows us to endure. That is a good reminder for me to consider each day a gift from God in which He gives me His grace!<br /> Yesterday I got to play badmitten after school with some of the other teachers. It was so fun, although very humid in the unairconditioned gym! I feel like it was a gift from God. Just recently I was watching some kids play badmitten on the street outside my house and I thought, "I wish I could play, but I have no supplies and no one to play with." But then the other teachers invited me to play badmitten with them every Wednesday!<br /> Well, that's all for now! Enjoy your days of grace! :)~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-357965510641568532010-10-23T15:39:00.006+07:002010-10-23T16:11:38.736+07:00Outbond Trip<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKkgz5FsrI/AAAAAAAAACw/2sCE5lpnDVk/s1600/DSCN0955.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531164175956816562" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKkgz5FsrI/AAAAAAAAACw/2sCE5lpnDVk/s320/DSCN0955.JPG" /></a> More of my students! <br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKjdML5SvI/AAAAAAAAACo/b7_lBby_aLs/s1600/DSCN0958.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531163014247041778" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKjdML5SvI/AAAAAAAAACo/b7_lBby_aLs/s320/DSCN0958.JPG" /></a> Me and Miss Maria waiting to go on the zip line! :)<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKiZ-1DFrI/AAAAAAAAACg/3HGOekxC8Lo/s1600/DSCN0969.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531161859610318514" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKiZ-1DFrI/AAAAAAAAACg/3HGOekxC8Lo/s320/DSCN0969.JPG" /></a> Trying out the zip line they called the "Flying fox". The kids loved this one, even some of the 2 year olds!<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKgdGm27vI/AAAAAAAAACY/H9m4rjTaLvU/s1600/DSCN0877.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531159714214637298" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TMKgdGm27vI/AAAAAAAAACY/H9m4rjTaLvU/s320/DSCN0877.JPG" /></a> Me with one of my students - I love his hat! :)</div><div> </div><div>Hello again everyone! Hope you enjoy these pictures! Yesterday we had a trip with the playgroup and kindergarten called "Outbond". It means a trip to a place where the kids can play outdoor games. I had such a fun time (although it was very tiring). I loved watching the kids play the games and enjoy the zip line. Afterwards, all the teachers went to McDonald's. haha. But Hannah and I were the only ones who didn't order rice! :)</div><div> Last night Hannah and Maria came over to hang out and spend the night. We had a fun time together, cooking and watching "The Gods Must Be Crazy". :) This morning Maria showed us how to make fried tempe (made out of soy beans). It's pretty good, although very salty!</div><div> Well, that's all for now! By the way, thank you to all of you who have sent me letters here. I have not been able to send letters back yet, because the mail system is unreliable here. But please know that I appreciate all of your prayers and support. God bless you!</div></div></div>~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-51988680463471751452010-10-18T18:21:00.003+07:002010-10-18T18:47:36.542+07:00Praise God for a new sink!This may seem like a funny title, but it's true. Our apartment is one that used to be nice, but is falling apart due to age and poor construction. One of the issues we had was the wood around our kitchen sink was rotting and sinking. At one point, the whole sink fell down, but we told the hotel staff and they temporarily fixed it.<br /> Today we came home from school and they put a whole new section and cabinet around the sink. It may sound silly to you, but it made me so happy because the whole kitchen looks better now. :)<br /> Anyways... on Thursday and Friday we had our open house at school. Thursday was a pet show and activities indoors for the students. (I was at the English/Phonics) table. Friday we had an assembly and then a talent show.<br /> On Saturday at church we had a Sunday school meeting. We were able to decide on some rules for our class and then we had a good time of prayer together.<br /> On Sunday I taught Sunday school by myself for the first time. The kids are really good and for the most part interested in the lesson, so that's good. I enjoy being involved in that way. After church I walked around the mall for a while and bought a Christmas cd, which I have already listened to! (I know, it's only October, but since the weather never gets colder, I figure my Christmas spirit needs some extra help.)<br /> Well, that's about all for know! Enjoy the pictures below! :)<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529347045224973074" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLwv14Z9gxI/AAAAAAAAACQ/CztdSFagHfo/s320/DSCN0830.JPG" /><br />Me and one of my students at the open house<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLwu34CCxuI/AAAAAAAAACI/ToIvZGxFEFw/s1600/DSCN0870.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529345979972765410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLwu34CCxuI/AAAAAAAAACI/ToIvZGxFEFw/s320/DSCN0870.JPG" /></a> After the open house, some of the teachers "painted" our arms for us. :)</div>~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-7829502635831263422010-10-13T17:28:00.004+07:002010-10-13T17:49:18.267+07:00October...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLWNUb49P0I/AAAAAAAAACA/PdVvKZPIGCc/s1600/DSCN0813.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527479499890704194" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLWNUb49P0I/AAAAAAAAACA/PdVvKZPIGCc/s320/DSCN0813.JPG" /></a> This looks like a cake, but actually it is foam covered with frosting. The parents of the students rent one for many of the birthdays just for picture taking! So Hannah and I decided to take our picture with it too. :)<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLWLZwgZX1I/AAAAAAAAAB4/oyMPiWP_7W8/s1600/DSCN0811.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527477392300924754" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TLWLZwgZX1I/AAAAAAAAAB4/oyMPiWP_7W8/s320/DSCN0811.JPG" /></a> Above picture: some of my five year old students. They are so cute! I love how the girl in front is giving the peace sign already. :)</div><div><br /><div>Oops! It's been a while since I wrote! Sorry about that... I kept telling myself, I'll do it on the weekend, and then the weekends came and were busy so I didn't update it then either. Anyways, today I am at home sick, so I have time now to update. (I rested all day, so i am feeling a little better now.)</div><br /><div>Let's see... What has been happening? School has been busy. After the holiday, we had to finish assessing for progress reports. It was kind of tough with 100 students, but praise the Lord it's over! I feel bad for the other teachers who have even more students. </div><br /><div>On the weekends, I've been pretty busy... On Saturday mornings I have Bible study. The leader of the study lives near me, so she picks me up and takes me back every week, which is so nice! Otherwise, I probably wouldn't go every week (It's expensive to take a taxi by yourself). </div><br /><div>On Saturday afternoons, I've been going to an English center in another town to help teach English to kids. It's a lot of fun, and it helps me practice bahasa indonesia too (the kids in my group don't know very much English to communicate yet). </div><div> My friend Angie has been encouraging me to be intentional about language learning. She suggested that I carry around a notebook and write down new words whenever I hear/see them. It's really helped a lot! In the afternoons while I check my students' work, I have been able to practice and ask questions of the other Indonesian teachers. They love to help!</div><div> This past weekend my friend Dyah (one of the teachers) came over to spend the night. She wants to practice English, and I want to practice Indonesian, so we can both help each other. </div><div> Well, that's all for now. Hopefully it won't be such a long time until the next update! :)</div></div>~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-4881062343143956582010-09-20T16:32:00.002+07:002010-09-20T16:51:28.316+07:00Bali!After 9 days of vacation in Bali, I arrived back safely to Surabaya. I have mixed feelings about being back. Of course, vacationing in Bali was great and relaxing, so it is sad to go back to work tomorrow. On the other hand, it is good to be busy and I am looking forward to seeing my students again.<br /> I will try to give a brief recap of the trip...<br /> We (my housemate Fei and I) flew to Bali on Friday (the 10th). As soon as we checked into our hotel, we walked down to the beach. If anyone is familiar with Bali, we stayed near Kuta beach, the most popular place for tourists to stay. Walking through Kuta square and seeing all the shops, I felt like the place could have passed for a beach town in the U.S. There were so many foreigners, mostly from Australia.<br /> Most of our days consisted of sleeping in, going to the beach, and walking around Kuta. We enjoyed walking around because in Surabaya it is very difficult to walk outside as there are no sidewalks and motorcycle drivers wouldn't care if they ran into you. (haha, maybe they would care, but they do drive like maniacs sometimes.)<br /> Fei Fei didn't come with me to the beach during the day because she didn't want to get any color from the sun (so different from Americans!). I, on the other hand, tried to get as much sun as I could without getting burned.<br /> While there, we often ate just 2 meals - a late breakfast provided by the hotel, and lunch/dinner at a restaurant. We liked going to Pizza Hut because we could split the 2 person pacakge and each pay less than two dollars! I also liked going to this one outdoor restaurant where I could get Middle Eastern food. After eating at the Lebanese restaurant in Thailand, I have decided that Middle Eastern food is my favorite.<br /> Bali has a lot of funny/interesting people! The local shopowners and workers like to yell things to tourists as they walk by. Many times we heard, "Darling, darling, I love you!" Another man was squatting and eating ice cream. When he saw us passing by, he said, "You want ice cream? With me, no problem!" I was talking with another shopowner who was trying to convince me to buy something, but I didn't want to. I told him I would think about it and maybe be back later. He said, "Please, won't you buy it?" And I said, "Not today." Right away, he said, "O.k. See you tomorrow!"<br /> I had fun getting to know Fei Fei better too. She would often ask me questions about English, since she is still learning it. (She teaches Mandarin at school.) It was funny hearing her try to pronounce some words. I was trying to teach her how to roll her <em>r</em>s. (Bahasa has the rolled "r" sound.) If anyone is interested, ask me to show you the video I took of her when I get home. It was really funny.<br /> A neat God-thing happened on the trip. Fei Fei met this one girl, Jenna, from Korea. Jenna called Fei Fei because she had no place to stay for 2 nights (her hotel was full). So we let her share a room with us. She had already been planning to hire a driver to take her to Ubud on Wednesday, so we decided to go with her. It was a lot of fun. We ended up going to Dreamland too, famous for its beautiful beach. We finished the day by Jenna treating us to a seafood dinner in Jimbaran. It was so nice to eat right on the beach.<br /> It was neat to be able to meet Jenna and be able to help her a little bit, since she doesn't know Indonesian culture. And it was so nice to eat at the restaurant together.<br /> We took a van back to Surabaya on Saturday night because it was a lot cheaper than flying. However, the trip was 12 hours! We sat underneath the car's air conditioner and it kept dripping on us while we were trying to sleep.<br /> There was one fun part about the car ride though. We had to take a boat ride crossing the ocean from Bali to Java. Fei Fei and I got out of the car and stood on the deck the whole time. It was nice to feel the ocean breeze!<br /> <br /> I want to close with this verse: "I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone." (Psalms 71:16)<br /> This verse is a good reminder for me to tell what God has done for me. The verse before says that we should do that "all day long". So right now, I want to give testimony for all the good gifts that God has given me here, like the trip to Bali, and how He reminds me of His presence every day. I could not make it without Him. I praise you God!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-36929693215956930492010-09-17T14:01:00.007+07:002010-09-17T14:16:25.388+07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMU_eK5uvI/AAAAAAAAABw/OZuHMlZtN84/s1600/DSC08717.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517777049122093810" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMU_eK5uvI/AAAAAAAAABw/OZuHMlZtN84/s320/DSC08717.JPG" /></a> I will write more later, but I wanted to share a few pictures from Bali. The one above was from a really cool seafood restaurant on the beach. They had Balinese dancers perform while we were eating.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMUuoQ0ptI/AAAAAAAAABo/I5GM4m-HI40/s1600/DSC08617.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517776759773505234" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMUuoQ0ptI/AAAAAAAAABo/I5GM4m-HI40/s320/DSC08617.JPG" /></a> This is a rice field we saw while driving.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMUHD5iFaI/AAAAAAAAABg/DpyqKFhj-XI/s1600/DSC08697.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517776079997244834" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMUHD5iFaI/AAAAAAAAABg/DpyqKFhj-XI/s320/DSC08697.JPG" /></a> Eating dinner at the seafood restuarant - me, Fei Fei (my housemate) and Jenna (a girl from Korea that we met here; she treated us to dinner).<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMTuu3uecI/AAAAAAAAABY/q0twrZL1duI/s1600/DSC08706.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517775662035663298" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMTuu3uecI/AAAAAAAAABY/q0twrZL1duI/s320/DSC08706.JPG" /></a><br />The funny band they had in the restaurant.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMTVoVnACI/AAAAAAAAABQ/0Tew1bRc6oc/s1600/DSC08702.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517775230785224738" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMTVoVnACI/AAAAAAAAABQ/0Tew1bRc6oc/s320/DSC08702.JPG" /></a><br />Eating lobster! haha :)<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMSwNQabmI/AAAAAAAAABI/cL22YiHscu0/s1600/SDC12198.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517774587860512354" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4mNt7AEfPig/TJMSwNQabmI/AAAAAAAAABI/cL22YiHscu0/s320/SDC12198.JPG" /></a>Dreamland - a famous beach here. Actually, it was much prettier than this picture shows. The water was a clear blue!<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497832859351382489.post-90269038945659718772010-09-06T15:11:00.002+07:002010-09-06T15:22:50.297+07:00Sparkling SurabayaLet me explain the title of my post. There is a taxi company here called Bluebird, and on the back of all the taxis, the "Sparkling surabaya" logo is printed. I think that is the phrase coined by the city about itself.<br /> Anyways, what have I been up to... Last Sunday (aug. 29) I went to this really neat boating place with Glyne and her friend Lidia. We rode a boat out to this one stop, and on the way we could see glimpses of the ocean farther out. We stopped at this one place and walked along a rickety bamboo walkway. We sat on this platform overlooking the water where we could feel the ocean breeze. It was so relaxing and refreshing!<br /> This past week I have not been up to much besides teaching. On Friday afternoon we stayed late at school to prepare a snack for the people breaking their fast out on the street. I guess it is customary to do that during this time of year. It was funny; the snacks toke us an hour to prepare and about 5 minutes to pass out.<br /> On Saturday I went to my bible study again and then from there went to meet some friends to help at an English group for children. On the way, I stopped with a lady from the bible study to have lunch. I tried soto bebek (duck soup) and it was very good!<br /> The English club was a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing the children and talking with them a little bit. Actually, it was a good review for my bahasa knowledge, because the group leader spoke in bahasa most of the time. Because she spoke slowly, I was able to understand most of it.<br /> This week is a short one for teaching (just monday, tuesday, and wednesday). After that we have a break until Sept. 20! Yay! I am planning on going to Bali with one of my housemates. So we are leaving on Friday. Please pray that we can figure everything out with housing there and coming back (we still don't have return tickets). I will update you later, maybe after my trip!!~ Janitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754961272635467150noreply@blogger.com2