P-town to J-town

I wake up around 5:30am…I teach from 6:45-3:45…and then I go to bed around 8:30pm.

That is a regular work day for me!

Where do I begin? So much has happened since I last updated you on my life.

For starters, I am officially a teacher now. I have 17 third graders and I love them so much. I have 10 boys and 7 girls. Some of them are Korean, some are Indonesian and some are Canadian and Australian. I love all the cultures my classroom holds.

The first day of teaching was over-whelming, but so amazing! Thank you for your prayers, I had so much peace in my heart and it was a success! My principal had two others and myself stand up at our staff meeting after the first day of school and every one applauded for us because it was our 1^st day of school as teachers. I even got my first Indonesian cake from Bali from one of my students the first week of school. I am learning…EVERYTHING I CAN DO IS NOT EVERYTHING I SHOULD DO as a teacher. As a first year teacher, there is so much I want to do…but I need to realize I can’t do everything my first year or I will drive myself crazy.

My I-phone is working now! Thanks to my Big Sis Aubs, I have an I-phone in Indonesia! After much prayer and help from others I was able to get internet on it. It still doesn’t seem real being able to get on facebook while walking down dirt roads. Feel free to Skype me whenever, I have been loving all my Skype dates while being in Indonesia so far! My name is sarah.seibert on Skype and I would love to see you! Also, if you want my Indonesian phone number…just message me and I will make sure to get it to you!

I love Indonesians. They put their hand over their heart every time they greet you or say thank you. Also,  the women are called Ibu over here, but for short, everyone calls me bu and I love it! They have so many great churches here…last Sunday the pastor talked about how, “the one we deserve least is the one we need the most.” It is so true. We don’t deserve Jesus, yet He loves us no matter what we do. One thing I have been teaching my students is that God doesn’t have grandchildren. Every person is a child of God and talking about how if your parents are Christians doesn’t mean you are; you must have Jesus in YOUR heart. It has been a great time to talk and get to know my students spiritually.

Thank you so much for all your prayers! I have for sure felt all your prayers of peace while I have been here and started teaching. I have also been blessed with living next to amazing and godly women. It has been fun to do dinners every night with them and I even got them addicted to the TV shows “Lie To Me” and “Vampire Diaries.” I have been meeting so many great people and Ibu Daisy said, “I am so glad our paths met on this side of Heaven.” That is exactly what I feel like every time I meet someone new here. Also, I never knew Jakarta was going to be so similar to home…went to a movie theatre and watched Batman the other night, went to a Hillsong Concert at the beach last night and went to Starbucks this morning before church. Jakarta is the 11^th largest city in the world, so I guess it makes since why it is so westernized. Kemang Village, where I live, is a very growing expatriate community as well. But there is still so much contrast…

I have been struggling a lot with the contrast around me. To live in such a nice apartment, but then see people who live across the street in nothing. To teach at such a nice school, but then see children who have nothing but a dirt floor for their classroom. This past weekend I attended an outreach to bring food to people living in a garbage dump. It was such an amazing/difficult experience to laugh and love on people who were living on top of trash. My heart has always been for the less fortunate, but God has me teaching at a very wealthy private school. I have been struggling with that, but then God touched my heart this past week and showed me why I am teaching at SPH. 

One of my students had their father leave them this past week and the mom came in and talked to me and started to cry and I was able to pray with her. She said thank you for being a mom to her daughter during school and then I started to cry. That is exactly why I am here. To love on the children God has put into my class, because even though they have money, some of them do not have love at home.  I am strict with my students, but I love them each so much. God put me here to love the rich and to show them they have the opportunity to show Gods love to the less privileged. I am teaching leaders, who will make a difference someday. The highlight of my week was during prayer journaling a couple of boys said, “Ms. Sarah I feel like I’m at home,” it put so much joy in my heart to know they felt like home in my classroom and I was creating a safe learning environment for my students.

Here is a picture of my class and Ibu Lina. She is an Indonesian teacher who comes in twice a week to lead my students in devotions. 

Please pray I would continue to shine the light of Christ to my students so they would begin to do the same as they grow up. SPH stands for Sekolah, which means School, Pelita, which means light and Harapan, which means hope. I teach at a “school of light and hope.” I want my classroom to be filled with Gods light and hope! Thank you for your prayers and I love you all so much!