Jakarta

As much as I complain about the traffic here and various frustrations related to living here, overall, I love living in Jakarta.  I do miss my friends and family back in the U.S.  In fact, over Christmas I was feeling quite homesick.  We found out recently that the job transfer to Duri is not going to happen.  Doss asked the kids what they wanted to do…stay in Jakarta longer or go back to Texas.  All 3 kids said they wanted to stay.  I was surprised since Joseph and Audrey especially have been quite vocal at times about wanting to move back to Texas.  Doss and I said that we would think and pray about what we should do if the Duri transfer didn’t happen.  Today we both  got impressions at Church that we should stay.  Doss said that he had been thinking and praying about it and just had that impression today.  I had been thinking and praying about it but was really having a lot of conflicting emotions.  Today as I was waiting for choir to let out, I was standing in the hallway.  I wasn’t really thinking about anything and I just had this thought with a strong accompanying emotion of how much I love Indonesia. As the Indonesian members came out of their meetings, almost all the ones that passed by me shook my hands and said hello. I love how polite, friendly, humble, and content the people are. Despite their poverty or any other difficult circumstances, most of them are happy. It just strengthened that feeling that I love living here and I love the people.  As crazy as it sounds, I think I fit in better here than I have anywhere else I have lived.  So, the short of it is, I think we will be staying a little longer. 

Joseph: #20/365

This is the sunset today.

 

Julia: #20/365

The Pancoran statue is what we see as we are driving to Church each Sunday.  Apparently it was commissioned by the first President Sukarno to represent “glory in aviation.” He had hoped that Indonesia would develop a sophisticated aeronautical industry. The bronze statue is 11-meters and points toward where Jakarta’s first airport was located.  A friend of mine brought me an article about the landmarks in Jakarta which is how I know anything about the statue at all.  Before, I just thought it looked like a gargoyle.