I don’t even know where to begin. There’s so much to tell, I definitely will not be able to put it all into one entry; even stuff just from yesterday.
God is good, no matter what part of the world you are in. So that is of great comfort.
The team I’ve been with, left today. They will go on to do some rebuilding work, and some ESL work. They’ve been a great part of my joy for the last couple days. It�s been great getting to know other people, and having uninterrupted conversations. But alas, after today, I will be on my own. It will be a growing experience, to have so much time to myself.
With that comes all the stimulus of yesterday…
Unfortunately, due to some unexpected changes, all we did was get lunch/short orientation and then half of the team from Missouri went on their trip, and the other half were left behind. We were hoping to be able to do some work, but it seems there wasn’t anything for the team as a whole to do, so we spent a little time sightseeing.
We hired a cab for a �2-hour tour�, and he drove us to some tourist areas. We went to a Sultan�s Palace, which was kinda like a museum, and then onto a very large Mosque. After that we just pretty much drove around Medan, just taking it all in.
I can’t begin to explain what traffic was like�
It was a million mopeds and small bikes zooming around. Some had just the driver, but many had families with young children on them. Some bikes had a type of rickshaw, or becak, as they call it here, attached to them. Then there were small buses, smaller than the Volkswagen 70′s van, which seemed to be somewhat kinda like bus lines, some with their back doors open. They were very colorful. Then there were a few small minivans, and mostly Japanese cars. Everybody is driving on the “wrong” side of the road. There are a few traffic lights, and the drivers ignore them. There are no lanes, and sometimes, cars just go head to head towards one another, and they manage not to hit each other. Intersections are a nightmare. All this infused with loud and unique car honks, heavy smell of fuel from all the bikes, and people all over the place.
That was our fully immersed in Medan event. It was awesome and overwhelming all at the same time.
The food is great. Some spicy, and some really different, but mostly, real cheap and yummy! Today I had a piece of fried chicken with rice and some spicy vegetables. It all came wrapped up in a banana leaf instead of a container. I also had coconut water to drink.
I’ve taken many pics, but mostly with my film camera. I will try to take a few more of the traffic with the little digital camera, so all can see what things are really like
Today I worked in the office, and I’m posting this from the organization’s office.
I’ve been around Indonesians all day long, and I’m learning a few words. I worked on sorting photos, and I am starting to work on a few designs.
I might get to do a bit more sightseeing today, with some of the workers here, and that should be nice, and less overwhelming, as I will be with the natives, who also speak a bit of English.
Continue to pray for mine and the whole team’s safety.
