The Catch-Up Post

Hello Hello!

I have been asked a few times now when my next blog post was to go up (which means that people are still following- thank you!!), and I figured that it is definitely high time to get this post up!

In just over two weeks, on February 4th, us SALTers are reaching an important milestone in our journeys- the halfway point!! Part of me thinks that the time has just flown by, and the other part of me thinks, "How is it possible that we haven't hit that mark yet!?" I am ready to be on the other side of February 4th- I think that, at least mentally, this milestone will have a positive impact on my mental state (ahem, sanity), and will perhaps make me feel that there is an end in sight. I'm not yet desperate to come home (ok, that's not always true- I have my moments!), but I'm hoping that I will appreciate this more when I feel like it's less permanent, and like I really truly do only have this short amount of time here.

Until then, I have been trucking along as per usual. Everything has settled back to "normal", and I think- I THINK- that all of the Christmas celebrations are behind us (though Jeanne once attended one that happened in March, so I cannot be too sure). Besides the typical day-to-day activities, this week has been full of little surprises here and there, to keep things interesting...

Last weekend was, as I predicted, a quiet one. Those can be really nice, but the amount of time on my hands allows for too many opportunities for my mind to wander. I am an over-thinker by nature, and so by the end of the weekend, I had worked myself up into such an anxious state over this, that, and the other thing. I have spent a good amount of time this week trying to unwind myself from that!

I headed on up to Salatiga again on Monday, for my weekly getaway. It was my first time being there completely alone (well, MCC is there of course, but usually I hang out with Laura or Nicole), and so I used the day to do things that I would not otherwise do. I walked all around the city, and sat in the Cosy Cafe ("our" spot, appointed so during our time in language training) with a book. This shocked the waitstaff, who for one, are used to seeing me come in with a group of people, and for another, are likely of the mentality that one is lonely if they are by themselves. I really enjoyed it though! The waiter remembered that I like water better when it's cold, and I was flattered by one waiter who asked me about my relationship status, and looked completely dejected when I told him that I "sudah punya pacar" (already have a boyfriend). 

Tuesday was a really great day! I was at the TK in the morning as usual, and then at 2:30, we headed to Kudus. The reason for the visit wasn't one of an overly thrilling nature (a retirement celebration for two pastors- the "celebration" aspect taking the form of a church service), but Jason and Laura were both there, as was Sushant, one of the MCCers who is serving in Solo. I enjoyed watching Jason sing in the choir (he's practically double the height of everyone else) and many of the pastors from the GKMI synod of Indonesia were there, which was interesting- there are a lot of them! As fun as Tuesday was, however, it didn't really compare to Wednesday...

I think I've mentioned before, that the "serving" role that I find myself in here is very different than the one that I was envisioning before I arrived here. Most of the time I find that I have absolutely no clue HOW I'm helping here, but every so often, something- or someone- pops into my life as a glaring reminder of the vast and diverse ways of service. Wednesday's reminder was Zoe, a stick-thin, white and patchy kitten with a stub tail and different sized eyes...

Wednesday nights is my night to help at the Gloria Patri Learning Centre. The teachers are Ibu Linda, her daughter Vania, and Debora (all of whom speak English), and I look forward to an evening of English and sharing a meal together after the class. The kids who attend this drop in learning centre are a bit more... enthusiastic than the kids at PPA (particularly in their desire to NOT sit and study.) They have energy unlike anything I have ever seen in human beings before (and I've spent a good deal of time with human beings) and it is not always channeled into the most positive activities. On Wednesday night, the activity was "Throw the Tiny, Starving Kitten Down the Slide." Now, there are many many cultural differences between here and Canada, and I try very hard to bear in mind that I am the guest here, and that my role is to adapt. I draw the line, however, at a lack of concern over the well being of other animals. I realize that pets in North America are often overindulged, and I by no means believe in putting animals on the same level as human beings (though I do refer to my cat Stella as my brother. Nonetheless, that "brother" sleeps in the garage), but I do firmly believe that they are little creatures that are deserving of respect. Here, however, cats roam about everywhere, and are likely more of a nuisance than anything; they are not viewed in the same way as most people in North America would view cats. So, much to the shock and dismay of a dozen young kiddies (who insisted that they weren't hurting the animal, and couldn't imagine why I would have taken their object of entertainment away from them), I put an end to "Throw the Tiny, Starving Kitten Down the Slide." The kitten thanked me by digging all of her claws into my arm when I tried to remove her from the area, but at last I got her into what I thought was a safer space.

About two minutes later, said kitten came wandering back over to the play area (admittedly, I did not move her very far away), but the kids respected my desire to keep the cat off the slide, and I felt safe leaving the cat outside to go and have a discussion with some grade 12 kids. After the class was over, however, I was informed that the cat was "on a shelf." Sure enough, there she was, stuck up on a bookshelf, where the kids had stuck her. I plucked her off, and at the same time, Ibu Linda said, "Would you like me to take her home and take care of her?" Well, the options were these: leave the kitten out there to fend for herself, or bring her to a home where she'd be loved and cared for. "Yes I would" was my response.

We weren't even at the car yet and I had her named (Zoe) and she had decided that I was not her enemy  and she calmly snuggled into the crook of my arm and fell asleep. It seemed that at about this point in time, Bu Linda realized what she had just committed to, and began offering alternative solutions. We stopped first for supper on our way home, and had no choice but to bring Zoe in with us (lucky for us, Indonesia has substantially different standards regarding the presence of cats and other wild creatures in eating spaces). Bu Linda asked the owners if they would like to keep the cat, promising that I (the white foreigner) would visit frequently if they did. I suppose the incentive wasn't enough (though I can't imagine why ;)), and the owners politely declined Zoe. Our next stop was to drop off some of Ibu Linda's students, where she offered Zoe to them. They have a dog who, I was told, is VERY friendly, and it was requested that I introduce Zoe to the dog. Friendly as the Golden Retriever was, Zoe was by no means ready to befriend a dog, and took one violent swipe to the dog's nose, her stub tail puffing to four times its normal size. She hissed as mightily as her little body would allow her to, and I think a little cat spit even flew from her mouth. It need not be said that Zoe was not warmly welcomed into the home after that.

So, long story short, Ibu Linda now has an adorable little kitten named Zoe. I consider her mine (with all the perks of not having to care for her myself! Thanks Bu Linda!!), and plan on visiting her frequently. This weekend, Zoe is coming for a little vacation while her new family is away. She should be arriving tomorrow around 11:00. My host parents said yes to this idea (provided she stay in her shelter), which was an extreeeemely kind gesture on their part, especially because they aren't the biggest cat fans. I am pretty excited about this!


On Thursday, I arrived at Ichthus FM to discover that Chris, my co-host, was not coming that day- I would be hosting all alone! Of course, this had been mentioned to me the previous week, but somehow, I completely forgot, and so I was totally shocked and unprepared, and had about five minutes to put something together. Luckily, I have already been taught how to work all of the radio stuff (this likely sounds more impressive than it is), and a topic came to mind (just a big answer session to all of the most FAQs that I get here), and I got through it remarkably well! So that was a big "first" (and likely "last") for me this week!

Riki arrived today, from her placement in a small village near Jepara (about 2 and a half hours away). Together, we led a discussion at PPA, made and ate Kraft Dinner (a real shocker), and came up with a menu for tomorrow night's dinner, as we offered to cook. There will be 10 of us eating together, and I am crossing my fingers that everything will turn out! In her village, Riki has to bike about 2KM to get to the nearest internet source, so she's been taking advantage of the internet here tonight. It's another reminder of how much I take for granted; in fact, most of the SALTers do not have regular internet access. I am lucky that I can send updates, check my email, and keep in touch with those at home, whenever I want.

This week I learned that one of my students has not returned to school since Christmas because of a lack of desire on part of a parent, for their child to get an education. This absolutely baffled me! I learned that the parent themselves is not educated, nor do they have a good job (if any job at all), and yet they don't feel that it is important for their kid to go to school. The siblings of this student are also uneducated or have received a bit of homeschooling (though not up to standards). I found out that the only reason that the child is even enrolled in school is because the family is receiving financial support from an organization that requires children to get an education- no education, no funding. However, at the time, the organization has not stopped providing support, and so apparently the incentive is lost. This story really saddened me, and prayer for a change of heart on part of the parent, to allow the child to return to school, would be greatly appreciated.

Tomorrow is TK, then Zoe's arrival, and then out for an adventure with Riki! The rest of the weekend filled up with a youth retreat on Sunday and a PPA competition on Monday, so we'll have to use tomorrow afternoon wisely! 

Well, there's the update on my end! I'm always thrilled to receive updates from your end too, wherever you are! Emails, letters, packages... I wholeheartedly accept them all! ;)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read!
Lots of love,
Ellery