cooking 101.

This weekend we had a little fun. I asked for some help in becoming more and more like my people here, and of course, we all love to eat! A couple of my friends came over to cook some traditional food here. Now, first, let me tell you…they love to fry things, so that was quite an experience! But the number one thing I wanted to learn to make: Sambal.

“What is sambal?” you might ask. As far as the quantity consumed, I would liken it to ranch dressing in America. Or maybe ketchup (since that comes from tomatoes). Actually, they may consume enough of it here that it would equal the amount of ranch dressing AND ketchup consumed in America. THEY LOVE IT. And well, I do too.

It’s ingredients are simple. Some garlic, small red onion, tomato, and red pepper (cabe merah aka SPICY little guy). Now you can also add some lime (which I personally love, haha), but that’s less traditional. We were going for home with this one. All in all, a spicy and delicious sauce for just about anything you’d like. I’ll explain a little more as the pictures comes up!


My sweeeeeeeeeeet friends!



These are most of the ingredients you needed for our meal (minus chicken, rice, eggs, and a few other things).



They are skilled choppers!



My friend is slicing up the tempe (like a soybean cake). I LOVE THIS STUFF, especially when you do what we did to it….





My friend getting all the ingredients ready for Sambal. Remember how I told you this one was number one on my list? YUM.

          Before and after!


   




It’s a “little” hot here anyways, but the kitchen heats up in a hurry! We took a little break.



So here is the finished product! Ayam Sambal (Sambal Chicken) & Tempe Goreng (Friend Tempe)! Yes, we battered & fried that soybean cake, and yes, it is DELICIOUS!


 
Of course, we had to have fried rice too!! Can you count how many fried things I ate last night? Yes, Jillian Michaels and I had a date after that!

seasons.

Today, I am feeling guilty because I haven’t written anything on this blog for over a month. January has been really busy, but not too busy to post something! Forgive me, if you’re in the habit of reading this story of mine, because I have been lazy. Jangan malas (Don’t be lazy)!! What’s coming in the next month though, is a whirlwind of funny stories, life lessons, and some photographs (I hope, yet to be taken) of my life. So much of that has been swirling around in my head, and it is time to get it down in writing.

Today was a kick-start for the blog. Today was a day that I’ve been thinking about for a long time.

Well, let me back up for a minute.

We’ve been studying this wonderful language here for three months. We finished on Friday. We finished on Friday!!! That doesn’t mean I’m done learning, but the formal classroom language school is over. We actually went out for ice cream during our final evaluation, ordered it ourselves, and talked with some people. Later that night, we went over to our language teacher (also good friend)’s house for a sleep over…complete with TV! Haha, it had been a long time since I’d watched TV. And wouldn’t you know? White Collar was playing. Father just knows what we need all the time. (Yes, I like TV. Sue me!) Anyways, that was a huge milestone. 3 months of language study. Over? I still can’t believe it. I can’t wait until I wake up on Monday and I don’t have to walk down the street and hail a becak and go to school.

But, in some ways, I can wait. Because the end of language school meant Rachel was leaving to go to her final destination. And it meant my constant companion for the last 4 months was not going to be here anymore. So in a lot of ways, I didn’t want it to end. Of course, the end came. My mom used to quote Hope Floats to me a lot…

Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad. But it’s the middle that counts the most…
Thanks, Mom. Those are some very true words. We took Rach to the airport this morning.



It was a sweet and hard goodbye. But you know, I’ve seen His faithfulness over and over and over again, and I know that I will continue to. So while I’ll be once again finding a “new normal,” I know that He provides. The beginning was scary. The ending was sad.

The middle counted the most.

After a sweet and emotion-full morning, tonight we all gather together. There was so much joy in tonight for so many reasons, but one thing a dear friend said really stuck with me. Of course, it comes from the Word.

Trust in the Father, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
- Psalm 37:3

That’s really a packed verse. Trust. Do good. Live where you are. Befriend faithfulness. Sounds a lot like what I’ve been saying to myself lately in a different way – just walk.  Intentionality has be swirling around in my head lately. Best friend says there are two types of people. Those who know and those who don’t. We walk in a manner worthy, in a manner that points every person closer to the Truth.  To befriend faithfulness.

be·friend/biˈfrend/
Verb: Act as a friend to (someone) by offering help or support.
Synonyms: assist – help – aid – support

That’s what I want to do. Befriend faithfulness. I want to act as a friend to faithfulness by offering help or support. Help it. Aid it. Give it opportunity to grow in the lives of people and in my own life. Walk intentionally. I want to faithfulness to the Father to be cultivated in me as I walk with Him over the next year or so. And the overflow…well, I want it to make an impact in lives here. It’s interesting the order that these four things come in. The most interesting, in my opinion, is that trust comes first and foremost. After that, the others follow.

So in as much as I can say on this blog, with so much more in my heart, those 4 things are my desire in this season of life.

Trust.
Do.
Dwell.
Befriend.

my best friend.

First of all, she probably won’t be too thrilled that I’m writing this post about her, so that’s why I’m not going to tell her I’m doing it until afterwards. She’s already had to put up with shenanigans like that for almost 8 years now.  What I know is, sister has walked where I’m walking right now, and she’s been speaking truth into my life.

Some days, moving far away is hard. Far away from everything you know and far away from everyone that knows you. Some days, living in a second culture is hard. Living where you don’t know what’s appropriate and where you don’t know how things are supposed to be done. Some days, you wind up feeling totally inadequate. Well, let’s just be honest, pretty much every day I wind up feeling totally inadequate.

Here’s the thing. All of this inadequacy only leads me to understand more and more of the grace the Father has lavished on us. While we are so unable, He is ever able. Able to do all things through me for His sake. Able to rescue me. Able to cover up all my mistakes and failures. Able to be enough. Able to do the work, with or without me. Able. He is able to make Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, and dying a death beyond compare…

For me,

And for His Name’s sake. That's what I'm walking in right now. So I digressed away from what all of this talk has to do with my best friend. You see, most of the time on this blog when I write to y’all, often I just feel like I’m writing to her. Therefore, some of you, though you don’t know me well, really get a good story into what my thoughts, my life, my feelings, and my emotions are. You can thank her for that (or blame her, well actually, me)! All in all, so much of what I’m learning comes out on this blog. And what I’m currently learning has a lot to do with a list and a life that my best friend gave me before I stepped on to this island. If we’ll do these things, faithfully, we will walk ever increasingly with the Father and ever increasingly be transformed into the image of His Son. It looks like this:

1. Know Him.

2. Be with Him.
Some days when you feel like you’re not doing anything and all you’ve done is be with Him, that’s the best thing and that is enough because that moves us to action.

3. Learn to be satisfied in being in the background.
If no one remembers you, but they remember He was there, you’ve done enough.

4. Be hard to offend.
We’re called to be slaves and servants and to put everyone above ourselves.

5. Learn to rest.
When you’re feeling crazy and everything is chaos around you, it is okay to just sit, rest, be, and be filled up with Him.

6. Guard your heart.
Just constantly repeat to yourself, “Let the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you.”

7. Be intentional.
If we’re available, He’ll use us. Remember the two types of people.

8. Respect your authorities.
Just don’t let people keep you from what you believe the Father wants you to do.

9. Have fun!

10. Love God. Love people.
Love Him first and most, and everything else will follow.

very merry.

Selamat Natal! Merry Christmas from this beautiful country!

What is Christmas like here? I don’t think I can totally describe it with words. My heart has been so full this year for so many reasons, but most of all because a new version of Christmas has emerged.

I’ve always loved Christmas. Growing up with a Kindergarten teacher Mother and a Christmas light extraordinaire Father left little room for any sad faces during the Christmas season. Our house was filled to the brim with trees and decorations and lights and all kinds of happiness. The Grinch (for those of you who know me well) was always, always playing. You could have called us all the Holiday Cheermeister. I have a new appreciation for putting lights on the house with gloves because my fingers are so cold, and I really did miss it more than I thought I might this year. Being in this far from cold country during this season has really changed a lot about how I view Christmas. It’s not cold here, but people still drink coffee and tea like crazy. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever see any snow. There are a lot of things that are different, but mainly, my family ain’t in this country…well not at least my blood family.

There’s more, as there always is. This country’s weather reflects it’s people. Warm. I have never been welcomed into so many homes, invited to so many Christmas services, received as many Christmas “SMS'”, and given so many precious gifts. I’ve been asked by bule and local alike how I’m doing, how my family is, if I need anything, if I want to hang out, and on and on and on. I feel and felt so loved and cared about by so many. And you know? Even if that wasn’t the case, He would still be enough. But these people have shown me what Christmas is. That’s the message of Christmas right there. We’re never alone. Even in the darkest night, we are never alone, because He came.

Immanuel, God with us.

That’s it. He came. And I’ve been overwhelmed this Christmas season that Christmas is, in so many ways, the beginning. Of course, the Redemption story began before the foundation of the world. But the baby in the manger is the beginning in so many ways as well. It’s new this year because when I look at the manger I can’t help but look at the Cross. And I see that although I’d rather be hangin’ with the family, I know that He’s worth it. And to be honest, I’ve been filled with a really unexplainable peace and overwhelming joy this season. Of course, there are ups and downs, but I know that He is always good in all of it.

I would’ve missed this:

Some of our sweet neighbors came to our house for a Christmas party!

Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas day
Hark now hear the angels sing
A new king born today
And man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day

I got to Skype with the family so much over the holidays, what a blessing! It doesn’t look all that different than the videos above! I am so, so, SO blessed!

mail time.

The events that took place today (now, yesterday) are hard to believe. Sometimes, when I think about it, my days seem pretty normal to me, but then other times, I think about my life in America and laugh. I laugh because what I do day in and day out here is sometimes so far from my life in America that all I can do is laugh.

Today was one of those days.

I rode a becak to school, just like every other day. I went out to lunch at one of my favorite places with some awesome friends, and then we went over to D’s house to prepare for the afternoon. Oh, to preface all of this story, my sweet parents sent me a package on November 2. Said package arrived in country on November 10 and was yet to be seen. Notice the “yet” in the sentence, because today was a great day friends. Normally, packages come to the English center within a couple weeks – not the case this time.  We took matters into our own hands!

We go by taxi over to the main post office, in this really huge, really old building. We have the tracking number, so we go in to customer service. She says the package is here (please know that our local friend was helping me out with the language, haha there’s no way I could’ve done it without her!!!). It’s here! What beautiful words, but we basically had no idea what we were in for.

We walk back through a few hallways and corridors, into a part of the post office that I am sure I would never be allowed into in America. We pass by platforms with names of different cities, lots of people sorting out the packages accordingly. We walk back into an area where, well…I don’t really know what it was. We give him the form. He looks some stuff up. They talk in my new language, and they laugh and are (for some reason) impressed that I know the little bit of language that I do. He says it is here also.

He gives me a chair to sit in….that last about five seconds, because the room where the package was looked like this (I had to sneak these photos so there would be no hurt feelings, haha):

The hunt was on. I walk over to help him look and I see the customs form with my Mom’s handwriting all over it. I start crying. Mom’s in Southeast Asia! He looks at me like I’m crazy, and in broken language I tell him why. He understands, and now is helping even more!

Haha, my friend and I go searching through the packages. The “mail man” finds one! Oh, it’s for my friend who is waiting in the taxi! Haha, but there’s some hope! Oh, he finds two more! Oh, they are for my roommate…what in the world? Where is my stinkin’ package?! By this point, I’m a little bummed but resolve that it’s okay. It’s here. Right? I just keep saying “Di sini! Di sini! Itu di sini!” (Here. Here. It’s here!).

I go out and get the girls out of the taxi so they can sign for their packages (and help me hunt). We go back to one of the first piles the mail man thought it was in. Now, there is a new mail man and he’s not helping. He is pointing and telling us where to look. Really, pak? Oh, Southeast Asia. We’re searching, and Rachel finds it! We all rejoice! Haha, and then we talk some more and sign some things, and without too much trouble we're on our way!

We walk out and I’m saying “Selamat Natal (Merry Christmas!)” to everyone. Haha, they respond with “Hadiah Natal (Christmas presents)!” Wow, I am sure that they laugh at me all the time. Can you tell there was a lot of laughing today? And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! They ask me where I’m from, are shocked when I say America (like its not obvious), are curious when I say my parents sent me presents, the whole shebang. In the midst of all of this, they are saying that we got our presents, and my sweet local friend chimes in, “yeah, but we had to find them by our self!” Haha, so true…but you know, at least I have no more doubts about ever getting a package, I might just have to find it first! It was actually a lot of fun!

Just one more way that my life is far from what I know as normal, but the “long walk part of gift” saying has never been more true. How sweet it is to get some happiness from home!

christmas in a sauna.

This weekend, we had a party at the English center for the students! It was so fun, and since I put so much seriousness on this blog of mine, I thought I’d let you in to the abundant cup of fun that is my life. For example, although it was 90 degrees, it doesn’t matter!



We can celebrate by singing Christmas carols that speak to having a “white Christmas” and to “dashing through the snow.” We ate a delicious Christmas dinner of KFC chicken and rice, along with lots of desserts! We had a gift exchange, where I got some sweet awesome glow-in-the-dark stars!



It was a great day, and it’s always encouraging to hang with the students, speak a little English, and get really excited about life after language school!

From all of us, especially for you…

corn pops and tootsie rolls.

In honor of Thanksgiving (a little late, I know!), I thought I would tell you a story. This is a story about trash. Seriously. Literal, stinking garbage. Sounds like a mood uplifter, right? Well, you see, it all started with these cats…

Oh, how I have a love/hate relationship with the cats outside our gate (and sometimes inside our gate). For one, they hang out around our trash bin. They eat our trash and drag it out all over the place. It’s annoying, you know?  But then, they take care of any rat-like animal that may be lurking near our house. So, what can I do? They drive me nuts with their late-night cat fights and trash eating, but I kind of like them because they keep the rats away. 

Cat. (It must be noted that none of these cats have what we would call “normal” tails, only adding to their peculiarity.)


These cats got me thinking though. They are eating my trash, what I’ve decided I don’t want, what I throw away. Now, probably, since we’re Americans, we throw away more than the average person here would. We’re learning, but it’s a process to learn to be less wasteful. So, they’ve probably picked a good place. But, there is restaurant upon restaurant down the street. Maybe there are bigger cats there who already claimed their territory? I don’t know, but I wonder if these cats knew it was there…would they go?

Trash bin.


Now, I know I’m crazy. Who thinks this much about cats and their eating habits? But think about it. I think it has some implications for my life. There’s this story from that Father reminds me of from time to time from when I was in high school. We had a weekend where we all gathered together, and this guy came to speak to us. Here’s the story (or best I can remember it) that he told:

It was Thanksgiving day. You know, the one where we eat like kings, with everything you can possibly think of. This day was no different – abundant turkey and casseroles and breads and side dishes and desserts galore. As everyone was busy preparing for the dinner a little later in the day, he tells us that his sister was no where to be found. He began to search for her and finally found her hiding in the pantry, eating corn pops and tootsie rolls. He looks at her, very confused and asks why on earth is she eating that when they’re about to eat a feast! “I couldn’t wait.” She responds. She couldn’t wait for a few hours to eat a feast, so she settled with corn pops and tootsie rolls.

How often am I like that?

I trade the feast for corn pops and tootsie rolls all the time. I trade the marriage banquet for the world’s garbage. I trade the wealth of riches I have in the Father for worthless things on this earth. I give it up, day in and day out. I miss the vision. I miss His glory. He is the Bridegroom, and we are the Bride. Can you imagine the most exquisite wedding banquet that ever existed? He’s preparing a table for us, even in the presence of our enemies. What on earth am I thinking? That’s just it…I’m setting my mind on worldly things, not on things above. I miss the feast because I’m too busy hiding in the pantry eating corn pops and tootsie rolls.

The same thing is true about those cats. I love how I see the Good News in so much lately. It really comes to life when you start to look for it. Now I’m not saying that those cats have a feast waiting for them, but I do know that they’re eating trash. I see how in my own life I feast on the trash of the world when the Bread of Life is offered to me. My Daily Bread has been provided, yet I scrape around, desperate to reach out and taste the world. I’m so thankful that He loves us just the way we are, yet He loves us way too much to leave us like that!

My street.