the good, the bad, and the “HORAS!”

I don’t know if I’ve told you about my neighbors. Oh, my sweet, sweet neighbors. Next to my house, there is a kos. A kos is like a dorm, with young people renting rooms and sharing a main living area, kitchen, etc. Well, most of the students that live in this kos belong to the Batak tribe. If you spend much time on this island, or in this country for that matter, you’ll quickly understand the reputation that follows this tribe. To be honest, most of them seem to be quite proud of the loud, overpowering, sometimes stubborn, almost manic preconceived notions that characterize the people of their culture. It’s true though. Most of the time, I really enjoy these Batak people. They are a little more my style than the quiet, reserved, always so gracious people from another tribe here. Now, of course, with everyone on the planet, sometimes you just need a break.

My neighbors, while I love them, sometimes drive me crazy. They love to sing, LOUDLY. It does not matter how much or little talent you have either. Most people here, they have some mad guitar skills. Seriously, it’s impressive. I can handle that. They are loud, no doubt, but I generally stay up later than they do, so I have a hour or two of quiet after they’ve gone to sleep.

What I didn’t anticipate is what noise filled my room a few weeks ago. It’s pretty early in the morning, maybe around 7ish. I wake up to a new noise, almost like a recorder. Who plays a recorder that isn’t in elementary school or a music education class ? I don’t know. I remember my roommate learning to play some songs on one while we were in college. Good times, ha! Anywayssssss, that’s what I hear at 7 a.m. Not only that, but in all seriousness, it is the theme from “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.” I kid you not. Although mornings aren’t my favorite, I laughed out loud at the reality of what was actually happening at that moment.

As far as the weeks after that, it became less and less amusing, until this weekend. We went to one of the treasures of this country – a beautiful lake only a few hours from my house.






See what I mean? Gorgeous. The photographs don’t even come close to doing it justice. We went for one of my national friend’s birthday. I did a lot sitting, a lot of reading, a lot of coffee drinking, and a lot of listening to Father’s voice. We even went out on bikes and explored a little. We ate some of the most delicious fresh fish. It was wonderful. One of my favorite parts was Saturday night. They had a traditional Batak song and dance night. Around 7 p.m., 5 beautiful girls and a full band showed up. We sang, danced, laughed, and had an awesome time.




It was in the midst of all of this carrying on that I noticed one of the instruments…somewhat foreign in appearance, but the sound was so very familiar…the recorder. Well, the village version. All of a sudden, the annoying sound I hear every morning became very different. Now, don’t get me wrong, it will still be less than welcomed sometimes, but I see where it comes from. Honestly, I see where the people come from. You see, there are about 3 million people that live in my city with me – my loud, harsh, overbearing, very crowded city. Those people aren’t far removed from this place though - the village.


And in seeing where they came from, I understand more and more about them. The more I know them, the more I love them. The same is true of our Father. The more I know Him, the more I love Him. Out of that also, the more I know Him, the more I love them. In knowing Him and knowing them, I grow to love them more and more.


As I was a participant in one of the traditional dances, one of the sweetest old men I’ve ever met spoke to us (in English, impressively!) about the meaning of one the the words in the Batak language here. Each tribe, aside from knowing the national language, also has a tribal language. I’ve heard them use “Horas!” as a greeting, but I’m not sure if anyone had ever explained to me the full meaning. Come to find out, it’s because it can mean just about whatever you want it to mean, “’Horas!’ can mean ‘Hello, Greetings, Good to see you, Good luck, Good-bye…”





For me, it served as a precious reminder of the rich beauty of these people and this culture. What a good Father to give such a real reminder of His goodness in this place. What a great privilege it is to serve Him all the days of my life! And although there is an ocean between me and much that I love, I know that I would never have traded moments like that night.

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
   we wait for you;
your name and renown
   are the desire of our hearts.
Isaiah 26:8

the voice.

I’m laying beside my little buddy and we’re talking about his day. One of the many joys of living in this city is being able to hang out with this one particular family of four. Tonight, it’s just me and the kiddos, and I still count it all joy.

“So how was your day?” I asked.

We talk about random things – playing with trains, making messes, eating McDonald’s, and then we decide to tell stories. I chose to let the Good Book help me out a little. We said some prayers, and I tell him that I’m still going to be here after he falls asleep, and he can come get me if he needs anything, that I’ll be close by.

Then he asks to call his Dad. Not out of the norm, which his Dad had already told me. I dial the number and hand him the phone. “Hey Dad…I love you Dad…I wanted to tell you goodnight Dad…okay…I love you Dad…” That’s all. No crying, no whining, no anything. Just wanted to hear his Father’s voice.

And after that?

Peace. He goes straight to sleep. He’s not upset. He’s not stalling. He just hugs me and says goodnight.

I started thinking. In the same way, how much do I long to hear the Father’s voice? How much peace and rest comes in knowing that He speaks and He listens? How precious is the joy of knowing that He is always there and I can always call upon Him?

My little buddy didn’t need to see his Dad. He didn’t need reach out and touch him. In that moment, all he needed to do was to hear his voice. That was enough.

And y’all, it’s enough for us. It is His voice that constantly reminds me that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” as it says in Hebrews 11.  My buddy didn’t have to see his Dad to know that he existed. He knew his Dad enough to know that his voice was the guarantee that He is. There was peace simply knowing that his Dad is.

The same is true of the Father. We don’t, with our human eyes, see the Father, but we know that He exists. How? Because He speaks.

    Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
        ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
    Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
        worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
    The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
        the God of glory thunders,
        the LORD, over many waters.
    The voice of the LORD is powerful;
        the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
   
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
        the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
    He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
        and Sirion like a young wild ox.
    
    The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
        the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
    May the LORD give strength to his people!
        May the LORD bless his people with peace!
(Psalm 29 ESV)

We know He is because He speaks. And His voice, it fills His people with peace. It is filling me with peace when I’m far away from friends who are struggling. It is filling my friends with peace after they lost their unborn baby, with peace as the literal storm rages on the other end of the island, and with peace in my family’s heart even though we are miles apart. There is peace in the assurance that the Maker of the universe is our Father, “and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Peace comes from knowing and hearing His voice, believing all that He is and all that He has said He will do. And sometimes a little boy and a bedtime routine have to remind me.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
(Mark 4:39-41 ESV)