A Hike In Price..... of Gas

As of the night before yesterday, Indonesia has increased their gas price by 28%. The gas stations regularly ran out as people scrambled to fill their tanks before the price hike. This is a big blow to the people as their wages have not increased yet to help them adjust to hike in ALL prices of food and gas....

Spending Time With Friends.... Linegars

We worked with Ron & Kim when we were here before as teachers with Mountainview. :) They have taken off for summer break, back to the US, but before they took off, we were able to spend some time with them!

Ron cooking us Sourdough Pancakes from his Alaskan cookbook. :) Mmmmm!!! (They also made strawberry & blueberry syrup!!!! WHAT a treat!!!)














Kelsey & Clayton...... :)














Micah! The fun of being here by the school is getting to meet students who have since graduated and moved on. What a pleasure to see them again to to get a chance to catch up. Wonderful, wonderful!! :)

Salatiga's 'Rock' of it's Foundation

Salatiga has a rock from WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back with it's ancient script still seen on it. Shane went and saw it about a month ago now, but just recently we took a break and Shane took me to see it.

LITTLE bottles of LPG..













A 'kaki lima' - fifth foot. :) and a guy cleaning out his buckets. :)













Another amazing load....













The stone's shelter....














:) Us posing...














Now, THIS picture is something you'd never see back home!!! This mother took her little one to the stone's shelter, opened the gate and the kid played around in there while she waited to spoon food in his mouth. :)














We then continued to drive around the countryside, exploring territory we've never explored. :) Here's a beautiful view of Mt. Merbabu atleast. I am wanting to get back to this area when it is very early and get Mt. Merapi and Mt. Merbabu. It is a beautiful view of both mountains.


























Rice....














A flower..... :)














...and another flower. :).....

Water Tank Cleaning

:) Here's Shane cleaning out our water tank! FILTHY!!!! :)

Bu Wati's Chicken

Bu Wati's chicken is the best!!! Mmmm! If you were here, you could also enjoy eating with your fingers. :)

'Road To Recovery'

Glidwells, you are right, it HAS been a while since I have posted....

I was sick for a while and stepped out of my unit of IMLAC. It is too hard to express all that I was and have felt in regards to learning language, but I basically was having a hard time learning at IMLAC any longer. The material is covered quite quickly and I felt that the points that I had learned previously or that current day were lost in the hours of study just getting ready for the next days' lesson. This the below picture and title.... I feel like I have been on a "Road To Recovery" in my emotional state of language learning. I sat down wrote out the areas where I needed to have a variety in my studying and how many hours that I needed to devote to each to head to the goal of 8 hours of study a day. This is my chart, though you can't see it that well, sorry... I made one for each week, using a ladybug rubber stamp and choosing a colour/color of my choice each day to mark off what I have accomplished.
















My idea of taking a 'step-out unit' had higher goals than I have attained with loosing 2 weeks with being sick. I have been discouraged.

The lighter side of it all is that the Lord had me line up atleast one tutor, Ibu (Mrs.) Lilies, and I have since added a second. We went back over all of the grammar points covered in Unit 3, about 15 of them...., and within my 2 hour tutor session we review that point either making up sentences or talking with using those points in our conversation. I go away from most sessions encouraged that I really learned something. Besides the 2 hours of the tutor session I am able to spend the rest of the 6 hours applying much more diversity into what I am studying. I read, memorize, listen and transcribe a text if I got one that day, work on flash cards, review the lesson, prepare for the next tutor session and also get in 'Live Language' with friends or neighbors. Having time for this variety has been such a help!

Ibu Lilies and I...














Learning here is not only about IMLAC, but reaching the proficiency level NTM wants you to have before moving on. This is sometimes hard to remember as I feel like I am being left behind. This is NOT true, I just have to remind myself of that. I AM enjoying the progress I am making.

Shane just finished Unit 7 this past Monday and will begin Unit 8 this coming Monday. Unit 9 is the last unit of IMLAC. We will for sure be taking a step-out-unit in July as we will be missing a week with another committment.

If you think of it, please pray for me. I need prayer for a clear mind to remember what I have learned. I need pray for opportunities to speak the language, and lastly, prayer for me to be disciplined, excited --- thus me feeling encouraged.

Duku

Hopefully you pronounce that right when asking if a fruit stand has any of these! You could be asking for fruit or a witchdoctor! :)














We have a BIG tree behind/side our house and the fruit is ripe! (Remember the tree and kids house or whatever it is beside the speakers from this past weekend???)














Shane and Alan headed up the tree for a first time experience of harvesting Duku. :) It is very yummy, kind of like grapefruit but sweet not tart. :)














Tomorrow morning hopefully Shane and I will venture up the tree to pick some more. :)

Drivers Test

Today John took Shane and I out driving in the mission van to 'check us out' on the mission vehicles. :) We didn't run over or hit anyone. :) Whew! :) Left-side driving is a bit different, especially with a stick-shift. :) It was fun though.

The 'Guys' Wedding Celebration

When a couple gets married, a week or two, or even a month later, there is a big party at the grooms' home. His whole family comes, there is a TON of food, guest come, leave their money in the big pot, eat, then leave. There is loud music, and someone might sing like there was today.

We were privileged to have this shin-dig right behind/beside our house. You could say 'in' our house too as the big speakers were in our yard.


















Preparations began Thursday. Thursday evening we received our guest, Pak Siswanto and his wife, Ibu Siti as they came asking us to help them with greeting the white folk who would come from Mountainview International Christian School. (Pak Siswanto is and has been a security guard for a long time. We knew him from when we taught at Mountainview.) :) We were thrilled to help! Ibu Siti came bearing a gift as is customary. :)

peanuts and emping (a type of krupuk made from candle nuts.)















I have been sick all week with a cold virus that has totally zapped my energy level. However, Friday morning Shane went back to help with putting up the tents and carrying chairs while I stayed home and rested. I would have gone to help the neighborhood ladies begin the task of cooking the mounds of food that would be served last night and today.



























































This blue tarp is going up between Pak Siswant's house and our cement wall that is two feet from the back of our house.














Speakers were set up in our yard.. This is taken from our bedroom window. (Music began playing that afternoon and played til about 11 that night, beginning at 6 A.M. on Saturday and again continuing til 1 as 4 neighborhoods were invited to the big party last night. It was all in Javanese, there were a number of prayers, special music, speaches and then an Islamic devotional. We weren't there but we heard it all.) :)














Saturday there was last-minute preparations, then the day was filled with trickles of people coming to give their money, shake hands, eat, and leave. :) Pak Siswanto's home family was dress up and had to be that way all day, through to the night's program! This is Ibu Sri.





























Puput warming up her voice, her cousin getting in the shot, and an uncle having a good time dancing. :) Unfortunately I didn't catch the uncle smiling, but he was having a real fun time.














The 'stage' which never was used, but I guess just made so that it looked like the wedding stage. Here are some of the coconut leaf decorations. A spider, and then some kind of design that I was told was to represent some 'wayang kulit' characters.... not sure. :)







































































I did go over and was able to help with wrapping their kind of jello, and putting three different kinds of snacks in boxes. They expected over 1000 people!!














Some neighborhood ladies came and as is customary, plates of food is brought out for them and hot sweet tea is given.














Sunday after church our responsibilities began as the Engish speaking greeters. We went at 11:30 to be greeted, eat and then began our 2 hours of greeting. :) It was quite fun.









































In between greeting we all sat down. :) The line died down at about 2.














Today was the day for those with whom Pak Siswanto works with at Mountainview and famly to come. It was so fun to see old friends!! This is Ibu Hendri. She was the secretary and we shared office space. She since got married and has a baby. :)














When we house-sat for Tim & Kathy, I got to know her house help quite well. They are two sweet ladies. :)














The bride and groom, Pak Angga and Ibu Laela, and us. :)














Just some of this very large family! Pak Siswanto is from a family of 9 children and Ibu Siti is also from a large family.














Pak Siswanto's neice (who just up until recently lived in the same house along with her mother) is a local artist and sang for a long time. :) She dedicated a song to me. :) Here is her singing with her Aunt Sri from Bandung.














The mosh pit. :) hee hee hee














It is typical for anyone to get up and sing who is willing. :) Here are Puput's cousins from Bandung. :)














After we ate we went home for a nap and we slept til 5:30. I was awakened by metal bars clanking. Here the speakers were taken down and loaded in the pickup sitting in our yard. WOW! We totally expected to have music late into the night again! Certainly a nice treat, but we enjoyed the cultural experience. :) We will sleep good tonight!