The Next Chapter...Indo to Abby

"Those who know your name will trust in you. For you LORD have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10

I still remember the feeling. The prayers of desperation for direction. My choices volleying in my sleep. Playing through the options and scenarios of endless what-ifs. Through it all, I discovered the inexpressible joy and assurance of knowing that God's perfect will was all I needed to fix my eyes on. I listened to the LORD, packed up and moved across the world on an adventure of a lifetime to the beautiful country of Indonesia. Not long after I arrived, I felt in my heart that I would stay here until God called me elsewhere.

Four years later, I am now preparing to finish up my last year in Indonesia. Many people have asked me why I am leaving. Do I not like it here anymore? Do I miss my family? Am I getting married? (to the last, my response being, "belum"- Indonesians' way of saying NOT YET-- a positive spin on things is always appreciated). I usually respond to the big question with many answers to how I am feeling. I would find myself looking around my apartment and thinking of what items I was going to sell, even though I wasn't going anywhere for at least a year. I would have pangs of loneliness and I wished I could just hug my family or at least pick up the phone without having to think of time change. I would get frustrated over cultural mis-communications. And although these may all seem superficial and small, I knew that my heart was preparing to leave. After-all, most of these thoughts and feelings had crossed my mind many times before, but this was different. I believe that it was God laying on my heart to prepare for change.

Like four years ago, I had a dream and goal in mind for where I wanted to be, only instead of Asia, it was Canada, Abbotsford, B.C to be exact. Why Abby, you may ask? Well, the biggest reason is because of people. After visiting there last summer, I realized that this was a place where I had several friends from different chapters of my life who I wanted to continue growing in relationship with. Not only that, it was a lovely hybrid between city and small town (and if you've been to my hometown of Houston, B.C. and/or Jakarta Indonesia you might be able to understand what I mean). For the other two big moves I have made in my life (Dordt College in Iowa and then SPHI in Jakarta) I pretty much had the opportunity to make a fresh start. I believe these were both hugely important times in my life that God has used to grow me in amazing ways. But, for this next chapter I felt the call to be planted in a community where I already had some connections. So, I had a destination, but that really didn't help me if I didn't have a job.

As the months passed, my plans to be in Abbotsford settled into my heart and I began the job search process. I filled out my resume and researched schools in the Abbotsford-Vancouver area. I soon came across Abbotsford Christian School. As I perused the ACS website, I became excited about all that the school stands for and I heard reports from friends about how great of a place it is. The only problem was, that they didn't have any job postings. Although disappointed, I decided to go ahead and work on the application anyways. A few weeks later, I sent all of my documents in to the principal and was very excited when the principal mentioned that there was the POSSIBILITY of a job opening. That gave me hope, but also left me in suspense for a good 1-2 months. In the meantime I was able to fly to Abbotsford for a few days (I know, crazy trip!) for a friend's wedding and visit ACS. It was everything I hoped of and more, and confirmed my desires to get a job there and live in Abby. But, I also had to be realistic so I continued to weigh my options. I sent applications to schools in Northern BC after hearing from people that jobs were hard to find in the Greater Vancouver area. Maybe my dream of living in Abby really was just that--a dream. I spent much of these weeks in prayer, often at night getting on my knees and praying for a position to be available at ACS. I still sometimes prayed for a job there, but then figured I shouldn't be too demanding and then prayed for at least an interview.  :) After-all, God would lead me where he wanted, but he also knows our hearts and listens to our prayers, which is a promise I will always cling to. 

Finally, a few weeks ago, God began to open doors. I got an email saying that there was officially a position open at ACS and they wanted to interview me. I did a victory dance in my mind as I attempted to calmly walk home from school. It was just an interview, not a job. But I praised God to at least have the opportunity to interview. Then, this past week I got another email with an offer for me to accept the position. Another victory dance, only this time for real, in my classroom...when no one was around. :) I was overwhelmed with thankfulness and joy at God's providence. He, in his grace, answered my prayers! I am excited to announce that I will be teaching grade 7 homeroom (most subjects) and French at ACS for the coming school year. The staff and students sound wonderful and I am very excited about working and living in that community. God showed me, like he does over and over, that he is forever faithful, forever loving, and forever giving. I believe that this next chapter, like all of my life, is in God's complete control and direction. It is not a coincidence that I will be moving to Abbotsford. Here are some reasons why I know:

-The timing and location of my friend\s wedding allowed me to visit the school and make some initial connections
-My good friend needed a roommate and I needed a place to live in Abby (I am so excited Monique!!)
-The position includes French: I have a minor in French and have been thinking throughout the past year about brushing up my French
-The position was for 7th grade (my favorite grade) and seems to function in a way that I enjoy and have some experience with at my current school
-And of course: By faith, I sent my application in with a small hope of there being a job, and in the end I am going to work there!

This is my testimony of God's provision and guidance in my life, a reminder that it is Him I live for and Him I ultimately serve. His sacrifice on the cross was a far greater gift than this new job, and it is my goal to live each day, not just in awe of his vocational provisions in my life but more importantly in awe of the daily grace I have through salvation in Christ Jesus. I realize that life in Abbotsford will not be perfect, for there will be times of cultural frustration (reverse culture shock), missing Indonesia, and struggling through transition. However, this is the place that God has planned for this next stage of my life and with Him I know that the adventures (although different than Asia), friendships (both old and new), and opportunities to grow will be well worth it. This is the song of my heart:

"May He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

I leave you with this question: what has God been doing in your life lately?

Gravity

My current grade 7 science unit is Forces and Motion. As part of our exploration into gravity, the students experimented with ramps to calculate how the height of a ramp impacts the distance a car travels. They tons of fun with this and also learned how to share the space in the classroom, as we had 5 different ramps set up, sometimes with intercepting tracks. This unit has provided many opportunities for the students to get involved. Next week they will be experimenting with friction and then parachutes/ air resistance. Rarely a dull moment in the science lab!

Old friends, new memories

This week Sunday I returned from Bali tired, tanned, and filled with new memories.

I was blessed with the presence of two of my college friends, Kristina and Melodie. They arrived on October 17 and spent 2 weeks with me in Indonesia. The first few days I spent at Professional Development, and they battled jet leg by sleeping in, going to the salon and getting massages. My holiday started on Friday, and we flew off to Sumatra for 6 days of adventure.

We landed late at night and drove directly to Bukit Lawang, which is a village right on the edge of a nature reserve. The next morning we set out for an overnight trek in the jungle. The trek took us through the beautiful jungle. We walked, slipped, and clambered our way past massive trees, dense forest and of course the wildlife! We were so lucky to see over 10 orangutangs (the main attraction of the hike), a few white gibbons, some black gibbons, a Thomas leaf monkey, huge horn-bills (birds), and smaller (more annoying) grey monkeys. We got extremly close to 2 orangutangs and one gibbon that was swinging above our heads for about 5 minutes. It was such an incredible experience to see these awesome creatures in their natural habitat! We stayed the night in a hut near a river, and in the morning we took tubes down the river, back to Bukit Lawang.

The second part of our trip was spent at Lake Toba. It is a massively huge volcanic crater with an island in the middle nearly the size of Singapore. The landscape is beautiful with mountains and waterfalls, palm trees, fascinating buildings, and deep blue water. We spent some of our first day exploring the town and laying in the sun by the lake. The second day we explored the island on motorcycles. The roads were wide-open and the was so much fun burning around and taking it all in. We stopped by a museum (if you can call it that) and watched Batak (local people) dancing. We also went to a local beach, saw some old stone chairs, a tomb and made some purchases at a market. In the morning of our last day in Toba, so hiked to the waterfall we had been admiring for that previous 2 days. The first hour we took random paths and made a trails for ourselves until finally, we found the main path. We walked as far as we could and then headed back to enjoy one last day on the lakeside.

Bali was our next stop. Our first 2 days were action packed as we did a variety of activities in Ubud. We were able to accomplish: motorbiking to a temple and a shopping street, visiting monkey forest, watching Balinese dancing and eating a yummy dinner. The second day we went on a bike tour that took us to the volcano crater for breakfast, a coffee plantation, and biking down the mountain through rice paddies, past houses, temples, and friendly locals. The tour ended with an awesome breakfast and we even had enough time to shop in the market for 3 hours before we headed towards the beach. I figured we had to spend some time on the beach during vacation, so we thoroughly enjoyed the crashing waves, hot sun, and fresh fruit on the beach.

It was so much fun to show Kristina and Melodie my life in Indonesia, and to explore new things with them. They had a few days with my in Jakarta before they left. It was hard to say goodbye, and i am missing them, but we had some awesome times together that i will never forget. This holiday, I was reminded of the importance of friendship, staying connected, and being thankful for all of the opportunities God graciously brings into our lives.

Some fun times in the Science Lab! Turbo Balloons, Oobleck awesomeness, and our new pet turtle Leonardo.

Jumping Back In

Well, I am back at it. After a nice 1.5 week holiday, I have returned to a regular work schedule. The first day is always the worst.

Wake up early. Try to remember what it is I am going to teach. Remember everyone's name (only a problem for a few today). Plan upcoming lessons and assessments. Stay at work late. Walk home because I have no ojek money. And finally...

Home.

Even after 5 days away in Jogjakarta doing language school, I have the feeling of HOME when I walk back into my apartment. My time in Jogja was good though. Visiting Borobudur again and spending a good 24 hours in class. Thankfully, being a student again was quite enjoyable and helped me to take a different perspective on learning. Interactive learning is so important, and I really have a new passion to use it in my classroom. Now to keep the energy and passion fresh for the rest of the year!!

Torajan Culture

(This is all according to Michaela Groot and Stephanie Hansma, from the wonderful tour guide David. Appologies for any inaccurate information)

General Information:

Up until the Dutch came in 1907, the Torajan people practiced animism. Today, there are four religions: Catholic, Christianity, Islam and Animism. Many of the villages still function like mini kingdoms with Nobles, Middle class, and the lower class (or slaves). A leader is selected from the Nobel class for the village and acts to keep peace and justice. There is still a National Government in place, but in the villages, the leader is in charge. Nobles receive the most benefits. Generally, they are richer which also allows them to have carvings (specifically for Nobles), horns, and better burial options at funerals. For marriage, any man can marry a class below, but a woman must always marry at the same class, or higher.

Middle class: most people fit here. Still allowed carvings and other perks, but not at the same status as nobles.

Slaves/Lower Class: This class only exists because of head hunting. Seventy years ago, Torajans still practiced head hunting. Sometimes villages would fight each other and some captives would ask to be slaves rather than loose their life. Slaves are not allowed to any carved houses and coffins, or own land. They are to serve their “master” for the rest of their life by working in the rice fields and such. If a slave was caught being dishonest or testing authority (trying to gain status), the master would bring the priest in and have him pray over the slave (very spiritual, voo-doo like). If the slave or his/her children died within a few days, they were dishonest/wrong and deserve punishment. The master is required to care for the slave and his family, providing a house, education, and funeral arrangements.

Life revolves around death (ironic) and funerals are the biggest ceremonies, even more important than weddings. Torajans believe that their deceased ancestors still speak to them through dreams and offer advice.

Traditional Houses

Traditional houses are shaped like buffalo horns or a boat, but a curved roof. They are on stilts, they have bamboo roofs, and they are carved with incredible detail (except slaves’). Carved Buffalos represent strength, roosters’ justice, and the sun life (?).The house always faces north and south. When the people sleep, the head is in the East for good luck because the sun rises in the east. There is a chamber for Mom and Dad, a main room for eating, cooking, and bathroom, and the sleeping corridors for the children. Across from the house is the rice barn, which is like a small house to store the food. The wife is in charge of keeping track of the rice and all that the family needs. At the front of the house is a post with all of the buffalo horns on it, showing the wealth and status of the family from previous funerals. Some houses may even have skulls from the dead hunting days.

Funerals

When a Torajan dies, they are treated as if they are still alive. They are kept in the family house, in the parent’s room and receive attention like food and greetings. The family preserves the corpse by injecting a fluid into the corpse. At this stage, they are only half head. They are not considered completely dead until the last Buffalo at the funeral is slaughtered, signifying the release of the soul. A funeral usually takes years to prepare for, which means the body could stay in the family home for up to 10 years. When the family has enough money for the preparations and buffalo they will have a proper funeral. Funerals may last a few days or a week.

To prepare for the funeral, the family sets up temporary booths on their property, sends out invitations, lines up the details and rolls that people will play, and of course, buy as many buffalo and pigs as they can afford. The more buffalo they can buy, the more status the family has. A noble funeral might have as many as 40 buffalo and thousands of guests present. Friends and family come from all over the country to attend the funeral. Close guests bring a pig. They have to register with the government when they come, and they generally expect a similar gift in return for funeral they might have in the future. Other guests bring cigarettes, tobacco, or sugar.

Day one of the funeral is the procession. Everyone wears black, but some people also wear red and white. For Torajans, Red is blood, black is death, white is purity, and yellow is prosperity. Yellow is traditionally only used for weddings, which never happen at the same time as a funeral (also, about 75% of them are now free choice, and 25% arranged). The procession is when the coffin is brought from the main street, to a special house built at the family property. The coffin requires many men (maybe 20) to carry it, since it is so heavy. At the front of the coffin is a huge red cloth that extends out, under which, the women of the family walk. At the front of the processional line is a drum, then some dancers, all the buffalo, children carrying bamboo flags, and finally the coffin. The atmosphere is generally happy and there are continuous shouts and screams of excitement. People are having fun and enjoying themselves. Before the coffin reaches its resting place, the men may even throw around some beer and water.

When the coffin arrives, a drum beat is already going and the coffin carrier is disassembled and the coffin is brought to the top of the special house. The close women of the deceased throw down cigarettes to the men helping. People stand around, or sit in the temporary shelters drinking tea and eating snacks. After the coffin is at rest, the master of ceremonies gives a history of the deceased, and then the first buffalo or two are slaughtered.

Directly after the first slaughter, people begin to eat a meal of rice and freshly cooked pork in the temporary structures. Pigs are slaughtered throughout the day to provide food for all of the guests.

Buffalo fights sometimes take place during a funeral. Several buffalo are brought to an open field. People surround the field and watch as different buffalo take each other on. Most fights end when the scared buffalo runs away towards the crowd, causing the people to scatter as well. Men place bets on which buffalo they think will win. Some buffalo fights can get rowdy, so an officer might be sent to keep an eye on things.

Cock fights, although usually illegal, are allowed during a noble funeral. Men show up at a location with their cocks ready. They measure and find partners to fight against. Each rooster has a blade attached to their leg. They are tested in front of the crowd so that bets can be placed. Then they are set loose. The winner is the cock that lives (or dies last in some cases).

Day’s 2 and 3 are more serious. These are the days when the family receives guests. The guests are welcomed in groups. They learn of their groups through their invitation, and it is all very organized. When they arrive, they sign in, the pigs are prepared, and then they are officially brought in, women in one line, and men in another. They are seated in a special area where the family comes to greet them, and then women bring them refreshments. Different groups come throughout the day. There are dancers, a circle of chanting men, and the history told by the MC, with each new group that comes in. The mood during these days is more sombre and reflective, not as exciting. More buffalo and pigs are slaughtered on these days as well. Palm wine might be brought in as part of the refreshment.

The last days of the funeral involve the slaughter of the rest of the animals. After the last buffalo is slaughtered, they can begin the burial. Since the deceased is now officially dead, it is a time of mourning, and the coffin is brought to the burial place, where ever that may be. The head of the deceased is in the west, opposite of the direction they sleep in.

Graves

There are several different kinds of graves in Toraja, but all are important. Most graves, no matter what type, are often decorated with small gifts or presents from loved ones such as cigarettes, water, or anything the deceased enjoyed in life. These gifts are believed to help them enjoy paradise more fully. Bodies used to be wrapped in a fibber from pineapple leaf, but now wooden coffins are used. Coffins range in price, depending on the carving. A noble coffin could be as much as $2000 and take a month to carve.

1. Aron- These are graves where the coffin is hanging from the side of a rock face. It sits on top of wooden beams. It remains there until it falls, and then there is a ritual involving a sacrifice for the bones and wood to be set up in the area below the hanging grave. One of the Aron grave locations had as many as 2000 skulls. These graves are accompanied by Tau-tau which are wood carved images of the deceased, that sit in a balcony. The higher the coffin, the higher the social ranking.

2. Cave Graves- Natural caves are used for keeping the coffin. The coffins are often stacked up inside the cave. One cave up high on the rock face had 10 coffins in it. More coffins are added to each family grave and the old bones are pushed aside to make room.

3. Stone graves- Big boulders or chunks or rock are used to contain coffins. They are carved, or shaped out (often months or years before the person dies) in preparation for the funeral because it is difficult and takes a long time.

4. House Graves- These graves look like small houses made out of concrete, with a roof, and a small door. These can go anywhere.

5. Baby Graves- The Animists are the only ones who have a separate burial for babies (not Christians). They believed that babies who die right after birth or up to 3 months of living are sinless because they have no teeth. Therefore, they are buried in a living tree. A small rectangular hole is cut into the tree where the baby is vertically placed and facing out. The mother believed that the baby was not really dead because it was sinless and that it would go right to paradise. The tree has a natural milky sap, so it continues to nurture the baby after death. After 3 years, the hole that the baby is in, grows closed and the baby is apart of the tree.

6. Sometimes, a body is not found because of the cause of death. In this case, the family would bring a wrapping up to the mountain and wait for the animals or insects to come to it, or they fill the wrapping with air and that takes the place of the deceased’s body.

Burial Stones

Burial stones are set up as memorials for a deceased person. They are rock pillars that have been carved out of rock (but not inscribed with names because it is against the law) and stand as high as the person is important (e.g. nobles would have big ones). Traditionally, with head hunting, the villagers would run out to other villages to kill an innocent person and bury their head under the burial stone for luck or proper ‘rest.’ The stones were often very big, and it could take days for them to be moved over to the memorial area. Bamboo is used to help roll the stones to their location.