Unworthy of God's Providence

I have been in Indonesia for exactly one week, yet it seems like I have been here my whole life. Indonesia is very similar to Africa in many ways…same dirty streets, same contrast between wealth and poverty and the people are just as warm.

Indonesia is growing on me.

I was at the mall the other day and a bunch of guys got up and started dancing to techno music and at another mall (there are malls everywhere) a guy was watching Vampire Diaries. Techno music and Vampire Diaries: I love Indonesia.

Like most of you know, my travel to Indonesia couldn’t have been any better! No lost luggage, etc…Once I arrived to Indonesia…I could feel the humidity…it actually isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was shown the school and my apartment. Words cannot describe SPH. It is nicer than any public/private school in the States…there is a workout room, outside basketball courts, inside swimming pool, etc… Not to mention, my apartment is amazing. I am living on site, which means I am an elevator down from my classroom! It is so nice to live on campus…especially since the work day starts at 6:45A.M. I have a little studio apartment and it totally fits me. It is still surreal; having my own studio apartment in the “big city.”

Kemang Village is such a contrasting community. You will see a fully covered Muslim woman walking next to a teenage Indonesian girl with mini shorts and a tank-top. The contrast is followed by the architecture. I live in a very nice, modern apartment complex, but right across the street is an area of tin and tarped houses. It is crazy to be in between two worlds…listening to my iTunes in my apartment, while listening to the Muslim call to prayer from my window from the neighboring Mosque.

God is for sure teaching me patience. To run an errand here takes an average of three hours…I am on Indonesia time now.

 Food is crazy here. They put the most random things together. For example, I saw a chocolate cheese cake the other day. After looking at it more closely, it legitimately had chocolate and cheese on a cake. Who would of ever though cheese and chocolate would go together? Sure they don’t have Butterfinger here, but they got some pretty legit stuff I would have never eaten before.

Love brushing my teeth using a water bottle. Scariest thing in Jakarta: crossing the street. (Besides that, I feel even safer than home;)

Every day I am: Making my classroom my own, making my apartment my home and making new friendships.

Please message me when you want to send me something in the mail because I have found out I will most likely not get any packages because the post office makes a lot of their money from bribery. You can buy everything in Indonesia, including corruption. There are many people from Corban, such as Janine Allen, who come to Indonesia multiple times a year and would love to bring anything you want to give me!

Ps. Please pray for the preparation of my curriculum…it is hard enough being in a new school with a new culture…but being a 1st year teacher has its challenges as well. Pray for my future students and that I would continue to love my class and the culture. Thank you! Love you!


Here is a picture of Ibu Daisy (Administrative Principal at SPH) and I enjoying my first Indonesian meal!