i'll be posting photos on Facebook when Naomi finishes editing them, and then i'll be captioning so you can understand what i'm talking about and get even more little details that mean so much to all of you at home, to figure out what this mysterious land is, where it's across the country- and in a city! not in trees :) yep. that's what some Americans think of all of Indonesia. hah.
We left for Medan on the 21st of Decemeber, the night after I had a break through with God on the entire idea of Christmas. Once again, I felt pressed on all sides, educationally, socially, language-ly, family-ly, all sides. And it hurt. I felt like I was getting personally attacked. So, the one thing that could cure this deep down lie, was God time. And boy did I, when I broke down, broke down to the floor of my room- He consoled me, let me cry, let me sob for about 1.5hours. and then- He lifted me up, He brought me to a Christmas devotional YW, and a book about the 7 Aspects of Love, and a book called the Calvary Road. Along with a portion of a book about the reality of God's birth. And He picked up my pieces. It was the most beautiful moment I've had with Him. It was amazing :)
He showed me how loved I am, that He turned away from the worship He deserves, so that He could turn into a baby- and risk His life as a mortal, so that He could show us how to love. Then, He died for us, so we could be with Him and love together eternally. He made this entire journey possible, made this entire conversation I had with God, possible. That's whenn at 2am in the morning, I started crying with Him, listening to His music, loving Him in the just, loving, compassionate, angry, jealous, omnipresent God He is :) He is everything. He taught me that He is SO big, SO BIG! so BIG! so righteous, the Creator of everything, that I am nothing, I am but dust- He made everything happen. And He invited me into His story :) What an invitation :) That was the perspective I needed to go to Medan, another place where I didn't know what would happen. Like always :)
We left, Naomi, Sinikka, Jessica, and Mama (Papa had to work on his real estate business to hopefully sell off a villa in Bali) and took off on a plane to Medan. Which is on Sumatera, the island north of us. It is one of the hottest places in Indonesia, but it feels hotter in Jakarta becuase there is more rain here- since there is more pollution in Jakarta with more people.
We got there in 2 hours, and then our cousin and his girlfriend, Stephan and Tebita, picked us up and brought us to the most amazing, comforting house.
Our grandpa (Opa in Indonesian) is on the Board of Religion in Medan and Indonesia, as the Christian leader- so everyone in Medan knows him, and his house, the house we stayed in, was the most peaceful. There were about 40 birds that they had- all Cockatoos- in a big cage, and you would wake up in the morning, after taking a cold dip-bucket shower (only i took a shower there, water was warmer in Oma's bathroom, but I wanted to be pushed to take a shower there, since it was like swimming again- getting through and just doing it) you would walk outside and next to the amazing noices birds make that you don't hear a lot in Jakarta, then you would make your way (at least i would :)) to the kitchen to greet Tutan, the maid- and Jessica's nanny from when she was way little, and then go through the living room to a little corner in the house where there was a visitng area, and I would sit there with God for about 2-3hrs. each day (becuase it was vacation!!) and it was amazing.
God taught me His purpose for me in Indonesia, to shine His light and love people. Then He further detailed it with showing me how to do that. Bearing the Fruits of the Spirit *detailing with showing me exactly what joy, love, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, and self-control were and are--He's still showing me*, loving people *with the aspects of forgiveness, humility, kindness, patience, courtesy, and generosity* .
He showed me how He saw Christmas, How big of a deal it was, how RIGHTEOUS, THUNDER, GLORY, POWER, HONOR was coming to earth to die. because of His love. The angels must have been going crazy because God is so AMAZING! and so- I started to do that; to do God's will; to fufill His purpose for me here; and love my family and shine God's light to the family. And I did :) I had conversations with my Opa and Oma and Tutan in Bahasa Indonesia that I may have tried to get out of before, I did things for my sisters that I may have hesistated to do, I had so much more patience with the times that they said they would like to do something tomorrow instead of today. It was amazing, God blessed me in incredible ways at during the trip with learning how to do this right, and practicing with my family before I came back to Jakarta- because it's at home where change needs to start :)
He showed me how to love and be courteous, and so much more while Mama, Chiqua, Naomi and I were going to the largest Buddhist Temple in Southeast Asia, visiting the largest mosque in Medan, visiting the Sultan's Palace *who used to rule Medan*, visiting the house of the most influential Chinese man in Medan, who built the mosque and gave it to the Sultan *his friend at the time*, visiting a Hindu temple *learning how to see a person no matter what He believes*.
He taught me how to value people and their stories, their lives, their everything *like he does* and be courteous while I was meeting new people at their church, meeting new family, getting into cars, thanking people for presents, being an ambassador of America- but more for God :) While we were going from our church, to a church whose Pastor invited Opa and his family to come for the Christmas celebration, then to church on Sunday morning for our little cousin's baptism, and even when we were just at home hanging out, and I taught Naomi and Chiqua how to make bracelets that come from South America. :) He finally taught me how to start conversations when He nudges me to, right away, and not hesistate but just do it- as I did at a Christmas celebration for the church we went to- as Mama's church when she was a kid. and the one Opa and Oma still go to.
In the middle of this, we had Christmas!
On Christmas Eve day, Mama, Naomi, and Tante Suzy (Stephan's mom) went out shopping, because they still didn't have all the presents yet. The travel agent made a mistake in our plane ticket and had us leaving a day earlier, which meant one more day in Medan, but last minute Christmas shopping :) But it was good, Chiqua made CDs in Jakarta on my laptop for everyone the night before we left, and I had tons of presents from America *my suitcase was fill to the brim and biggest out of the four of ours haha.* so we hung out with each other, watching tons of TV- while I was doing tons of devotions with God, and hanging out with Him!
We went to church at 5pm and had a Holy night, sang song in Bahsa Indonesia, and I actually sometimes forgot the lyrics in English!
Afterwards, we came home, hung out, and ate dinner. Their dining room table was a buffet table, and we all sat on couches or any chairs we could grab- to eat the dinner. It was macaroni, and red bean soup, along with some other things that i didn't actually know what they were!
After, I skyped Alan and my parents, MERRY CHRISTMAS! and then we had a family service *like we do at home in America* sitting in the visiting area, with candles for the kids, next to a humble amount of presents around a pinecone tree! At Catholic Churches here, you get a pamphlet that tells everything that's going to be said during the service, you also get that for christian churches- that are Catholic like- as well. And we had those for this night as well, I think that's what they're all used to, so, all the kids had to read a verse from the Christmas story, yep that's right! I read it in Bahasa :) not as fluently as the others, but still as good. no worries- I'm loved there! and we sang songs.
Afterwards, Chiqua divided out all the presents and we opened them all together; I got:
from Naomi: hairclips we can't get in America
from Oma/Opa: a Medan Shirt, and a mug with a verse in Bahasa :)
from Tante Suzy: a bracelet, and a Berastagi shirt
from Mama/Papa: duster (pj dress) but looks like an actual dress on me so i can wear it outside :)
from Chiqua: a necklace that has a watch on the insiide I needed and that she didn't know about!
from my parents in America *found them when I came home!*: 3shirts, oodles of CDs/church sermons, Toxic Relief *a book*, cheeseball that died in the package and smelled toxic itself!, food that I divided out to my family later on, a clock for my family here that sings a short christmas carol each hour, socks for Naomi and Chiqua, a small wooden figure *the kind my mom collects* for Mama, leggings that I gave to my driver's wife *his name is Pak Prapto*. and I think that's about it :)
from Alan: a blanket, and tons of letters from friends in America
overall- Christmas was phenomenal. not because of what I got or didn't get. But becuase of how God was releasing to me all this information, all this knowledge, on how to live, how to be His, how to fufill His purpose, WHAT His purpose was for me, and everything I already said :) I could have gotten no presents, and I would've been utterly fine. Becuase Christmas with God Purely. Is 100x Christmas with gifts.
I loved it so much.
and I ate Oreos from Tante Peggy :P
alltogether:
Stephan, Chiqua, Reggy, Christian, Oma, Opa, Tutan, Tante Suzy, Mama, Naomi, and me. We're there at Christmas night :)
On Christmas Day, we lazied around and then went to the church service we were invited to, and there- my goodness, it was the biggest church i've seen, bigger than the one I go to. and they had 3 huge choirs that really sung to God what He deserved, or I thought was the best I heard, or closest to what God deserved for Christmastime, but He deserves so much more, so much more :)
Christmas was good. So good.
I also tried frog legs, seriously delicious, and just enough food!
learned a lot about Mama's family : who were in Germany for some time, and then came back to Indonesia, whose mom loves collecting antiques, whose papa loves eating these delicious things that my mouth was watering for.
SO MUCH FOOD IN MEDAN! I lost 18lbs in Jakarta and when i came home again :) i was back up to my normal weight. haha.
So, here we are- at the end of my Christmas time, it was with God more than anything, He showed me so much love, and I was good, in the one time that most foreign exchange students break down. It was the most fufilling time with God that I've had here. The most intense time with Him, and a time when I've never felt so fully loved in my life, w