On Assignment!

In the last bit of our time in Salatiga, we SALTers had our trip to Jogja (photos to come) where we saw Borobudur, a large Buddhist temple. We also enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving spread together with all the MCC Indonesia staff and families on Java. I said a tearful goodbye to my family there, and headed to my assignment where I will spend the rest of my time (except for occasional vacationing or other adventures that may come).

I am here in Ungaran again, staying with the same family I was with the very first week of being here. They are very kind and hospitable of course, and have been taking excellent care of me. Since arriving here on October 14th I have been going to Solafide school where I help with teaching English, and this week begins English clubs at Maranatha church for youth, adults, kids, teachers and church staff in the afternoons. I am finally beginning to remember kids' names, although there are always more to meet and more names to try and remember.

The classes I help teach English to are grades 1 and 2. They are very eager to learn and I am getting used to being called "Miss Lee-Ann." On Friday we celebrated United Nations Day: everyone dressed up in clothing from another country and there was a fashion show where kids greeted the crowd appropriately (namaste, ni hao, hi how are you?...etc). I had the pleasant surprise of being asked to sing and dance and play piano...but did not exactly feel up to it, since I was dressed in a few layers of heavy silk - a Mary costume from the church - I kindly declined, and suggested that I don't know the same songs as them and was nervous under pressure. Did I mention it was not just children present? There were parents, teachers, former staff and other people I didn't know. There was a photographer AND it was all being videotaped. I don't know how many times that line will work though...maybe I should practice something for the next time I get asked. Oh! Look at that. I just got a text: asking me to sing a short song in Spanish for a youth event at the church. I guess I need to lighten up a bit and just get over myself.

I was feeling pretty homesick one day last week, so I bought some oreos and buried myself in a book (which I finished). Surprisingly that helped...it's crazy how much I like Pizza and Oreos here... although I also really like Sate and noodles. And I'm beginning to feel a small emptiness when I only eat rice 1 or 2 times a day.

This morning I awoke to something touching my leg - Oh yes, not just touching it, crawling down my calf. Surprisingly I didn't scream. It was one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) cockroach I've ever seen! About the size of my thumb. Then it proceeded to crawl up the curtains, fall back on my bed (by this time I was wide awake and no longer in the bed), fly around, crawl under the bed... finally when I got the chance I gave it a swift and killing whack! And then went back to bed.

More stories to come!