Facts and Logistics!

Salamat Malam!

Yesterday I said I didn't know a lot of facts and logistics, but I realized today that I know enough to keep you all in the loop about some things here!

First off though, let me thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers- they are working! Last night was a breakthrough, beginning with an awesome experience with the youth group at church, and ending with a renewed desire for attempting communication with my host family, and thus a lot of laughs and a lot of fun!

That said, today was another emotional roller coaster day, beginning with a really warm welcome from the Sola Gratia Church, where I will spend my year. Two days ago, they had me come in and film a greeting, but when I got there, I was also asked to stand up and greet the congregation. I'm usually terrified of the idea of being put on the spot in front of a large group without any preparation, but when I looked out at the people, I realized that they couldn't care less if I made a mistake. Every single person had a huge smile on their face, and looked so interested in what I had to say (through a translator- my Bahasa is not at a level adequate enough for public speaking!). The church sang two songs in English, one of which I knew. I don't know if they often sing in English, but I do know that when I was at youth last night, they sang an English song just for me, so I think this morning may have also been special just for me as well. Such actions as those make me realize that everyone who was anticipating my arrival- my host family, the church community, the youth, the staff- have bent over backwards to make me feel as welcome as possible. It may not be in the same way I would do it, but in their own way, they're really trying hard. It's an awesome feeling to know that so many people are excited about my arrival, and I really hope that I don't disappoint!

As I mentioned yesterday, the radio show host position is back on the table. I will be hosting two very special shows- "Relaxing Hour" and "Happy Kids" as well as singing karaoke during "Worship in Prayer" (believe it or not, it's an FM station). AND you too can listen to the LIVE STREAMING by tuning in to www.ichthusfm.com! Unfortunately this means staying up until 2AM in Ontario, or waking up at 5AM, depending on which show appeals to you more- "Relaxing Hour" or "Happy Kids." Once I get started, I'll let you all know which one is more worth it. ;) For those who do not feel the desire to tune in at such awkward hours, I asked the guy at the station if we could record it and put the recordings online, and he said it shouldn't be a problem, so we'll see if we can make it happen! I have absolutely no on-air experience whatsoever, and have been informed that my voice is quite normal and thus not of a particular radio show quality, but I will do my best to make "Relaxing Hour" and "Happy Kids" the most awesome time slots on ichthusFM!

A bit about my host family: I'm living with a family who is similar in age to mine at home (my host sister is 21, and my host brother is 18). They are incredibly kind people, and remind me a lot of my family at home- they have a strong desire to make me feel welcomed, but really give me my space too. When we're together, we usually have 2 dictionaries and 2 electronic translators (and if we get desperate, we whip out google translate). Attempts at communication go between being frustrating to hilarious to completely satisfying when we struggle through something and finally get the message across. I still find it difficult to not have the chance to talk as much as I love to, but I found an outlet in both my grandparents and Andrew when I got a chance to talk to them on skype tonight- my throat is a bit sore from all the chatting, so I can only imagine how they must feel!

The house that I am staying in is quite a bit nicer than I had expected, and has actually left me feeling quite confused as to what my role is here. I go between being completely overwhelmed in trying to understand, and being excited to discover my purpose.

The youth group here has been so welcoming, as I said before; they greeted me with smiles and handshakes and pictures. The kindest gesture to me is when someone attempts to speak English with me, even though they struggle and they know they aren't perfect at it. In a weird way, all the English motivates me even more to learn Bahasa Indonesia. I feel like, if so many people are putting themselves out there, I can (and should) too.

Idul Fitri is coming up this week, and I must say, I am excited for it to happen, and for it to be over! During Ramadan, people set firecrackers off all the time, especially late at night. It's super loud and quite startling! That, combined with the 4:30AM calls to prayer make for a short night on most occasions!

I have no idea what will be happening tomorrow, but my host family has a lot of relatives over, so the house will be loud and busy, which I like!

I am off to bed! Have a great day!