America

It's a little late, but I want to share a few of my favorite moments while home.  Facebook shows some photos, but here are some stories, and I want to keep these stories close.  My blog tells about all my crazy adventures around the world, but my life in America is also pretty awesome.  So here are some of my favorite moments, the things that make coming back to America such a wonderful time.  So bare with my random phone pictures and instagrams, but they're some of the moments that meant the most... and my camera was not to be found.

My youth pastor for all my high school years moved to Florida to teach Bible at a Christian school.  Last year when they moved, he asked me if I was mad at him like so many others were.  I told him absolutely not.  He did the same exact thing I did... followed God to a dream job in a tropical place... how could I be mad at that! He's doing awesome work there, but I'm so glad the family came up to visit while I was home!!

Last year I met a few girls from college in Chicago.  There, it was a last hoorah before Janna and I moved to Indonesia.  This year, we met in Chicago to eat yummy food, drink wine, and catch up on everyone's new husbands, jobs, and homes.  We got an apartment that overlooked Millennium Park, and it was almost as though we never stopped living together, picking up our relationships right where we left them. I've seen Janna a bit every other weekend while I was in Indonesia, and it was fun to be back with the group where we first became friends.  I'm so grateful for these girls and the blessing they've been in my life.

A trip to Pennsylvania for a family reunion with the extended family, and then a couple days with my grandparents and aunts was so good for my heart.  I love this family so much.  I've been blessed to have such a supportive family as I've gone out into the world.  And I have grandparents that have left me with a fabulous legacy of serving God and loving people.  It's amazing to see them continue in this, more and more every time I see them.  I hope that as I age, I age as well and with as much passion as they have.

Being back in America allowed me to have a life like I always used to have during the summers (during those rare weeks when I was home from camp).  Lots of graduation parties, picnics, and trips to get ice cream.

Evan and Alec.  Evan, who is doing awesome work spreading the Good News in East Asia.  Alec who is doing great at the Air Force Academy, and going to be president some day.  Here we all are, fresh back from our time away!

Beulah Beach, where I spent so many happy weeks as a child and teen. So much spiritual growth from here, and so many friendships developed.

Before I went back to America, people asked me what I was most looking forward to... not the real answer (my amazing family and friends) but materialistic thing.  And it was food.  Bacon. Cheese.  Berries.  Food cooked on a grill.  And oh, did I ever get a ton of berries and grilled picnic food and other American goodness!  I also got a little bit of Asian mixed in, as we had some picnics with Chinese families, and we went out to Chinese and Japanese restaurants on occasion... but it was fabulous having a break from Indo food and the Indo version of American food.

Every year that I remember, we went to Blossom for the Independence Day concert.  This year was no different, and I took my favorite Blossom buddy, Cassundra.  I love this girl so much, and love spending time with her.  Whether bowling, or listening to music, cuddling in the fluffy blanket watching a movie, watching our pretty lame city parade, or just sitting and organizing my room. 

Some of those I was most excited to see was my church family.  And my last week in America was our 5 Day Clubs (VBS).  It's been years since I've helped out (because of camp and Indonesia), but I was able to help out again.  I can't think of a better way to spend my time then with the people I love making a Kingdom difference.  Eight hours a day with some of the people, hanging out with kids and pre-teens, teaching them what it means to follow Jesus. Perfect.

 

We made up a flash mob dance to do with the pre-teens, and at one point, we run around taking fake selfies with everyone.  And, being 21st century pre-teens they all took out their phones and took real selfies.  Of course I wanted to be like those cool pre-teens, so I whipped out my phone for some of my own selfies!

I feel like Dorthy. There's no place like home.  There's no place like home. These people have known me for 5, 10, 18, or 23 years.  And they know me.  Know me better than anyone.  And they love me.  I love them.  And being back with them, for those four short weeks, I felt like I never left. Now, being back in Indonesia as I write this, it's weird to think that I was with them not to long ago.  And it was perfect.  Thanks guys, for taking time out of your crazy summers to spend time with me.  It means the world to me.  I love you all and miss you already.

Birthday Bash

A few years back, I celebrated my birthday while I was in Bosnia during an internship.  It was one of my hardest birthdays.  Hence, I was unsure how this birthday would go, but I was hopeful.  I've developed some wonderful friendships here, and we've been able to have great times celebrating others', so I was excited to see what would come of my big day, and if it would all work out as planned.  Because, let's be honest, nothing goes according to plan here.

My birthday weekend was very full.  First up, the Highland Games. You know the Scottish festival where the men get dressed up in kilts and throw the giant logs?  Well they had one of those in Karawaci.  I wasn't able to go for long, just enough to see the opening parade, but that itself was an interesting experience.  A mixture of Asian and Scottish men dressed in kilts all playing bagpipes... I never thought I would ever experience something like this.  There were a ton of shops and restaurants represented here.  I didn't know there were more than two Irish pubs in Jakarta, but apparently, there are many. And they all came out to appeal to the masses of bules, though I'm not sure where all of them came from either!  Sooo many people.

I opted for a more traditional Indonesian snack... a fresh coconut.  In the background of this picture is my apartment building.  I could see the games and all the tents from my window.

For other birthdays we've gone to Bali, played lazer tag, rocked out at karoke, or played games late into the night.  So I wanted something a little different.  So we had a pool party and cook out with only American food.  Burgers, grilled veggies, potato salad, macaroni salad, watermelon, and brownies.  What could possibly be better.  

It was a bit of a challenge getting everything pulled together for the BBQ.  Getting a grill was the most interesting part.  Coincidentally, there was a Frisbee tournament going on the same day.  For lunch, a few of the teachers had brought grills over to cook for all the teams.  When we let one of them know, he was happy to let us use his grill, and we wouldn't have to worry about transporting it or anything.  

But it was out of gas by the time we went to use it.  So Jon and Kimberly rode to the neighborhood to try to find the gas man, who has no phone number.  They'd ask him to deliver the gas to the school where we would be having the cookout.  They found the gas man, and ordered the gas.  But then it started pouring rain.  And what gas man wants to run a massive tank of gas on the back of his motorbike to a school?  None that I know of.  So after a while, Jon was wonderful enough to find a family with a car who drove to the gas man, picked up the gas himself, brought it back to school, and then carried it on his shoulders across campus so that we could put it in the grill.  Have I mentioned how wonderful some of my friends here are?  Then we recruited a worker who was fixing something to help us hook the gas up to the grill.  People are sometimes so helpful!

It stayed pretty rainy most of the evening.  But we were still able to swim, play pool games, smell the grill cooking the burgers (which I haven't had-or smelled- since summer, and didn't realize I missed so much), play some Bananagrams, and have a nice time sitting and talking together.    

Janis made my cake, a carrot cake, since I was having trouble thinking of a kind of cake that I actually like.  Her cake was delicious!  No nuts either!

And the celebrating didn't end there.  Sunday (my actual birthday), I went into town for church and met up with Janna.  We went to a fancy hotel brunch, paid a pretty penny for our meal, but had a lovely time sitting and talking.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful friend live near me.

I was born at 9:21 am.  And every year I get a picture at that time. But with the time difference, that's 8:21 pm.  So Lauren and I headed to Supermall Sunday evening to get my photos.  What a better way to celebrate my birthday in Asia then by doing a photo booth! So that's what we did!

And being a teacher means a guaranteed class party! I actually got to celebrate twice at school.  Once with our pod staff.  We ordered in Chinese food and had a fun time talking and hanging out during lunch.

But interestingly, on Monday, my kids said happy birthday and I handed out my snack to them, but no one sang happy birthday.  Neither of my co-teachers initiated it.  It was a little disappointing, not gonna lie, but I moved on.  Tuesday I get to school, and one little boy informed me that there was going to be a surprise for me.  So he hands me a present.  It was a very nice surprise!  Later, he informed me that there was going to be a surprise after lunch.  Well, I had seen some donuts in the staff room, so I figure that might be it. And then, after lunch, as we were headed back to the class, he lets me know that the class planed a surprise party for me.  Thanks dude.  You apparently don't get what a surprise means.  

As we walked, two of my Korean girls came up and grabbed my hands.  They said to close my eyes.  So as we walked back to class, they chatted in Korean.  Those smart girls!  They left me outside the pod and said not to move.  Ibu Ida invited me into her other office instead of standing in the doorway with my eyes shut.  After a few minutes in her office, one girl comes in saying, "Miss Rachel! There you are! You're supposed to be teaching us English!"  Oh no! I totally forgot!  I made my way into the classroom, and there was a surprise party!  All my kids with big smiles and lots of food on the table.  

I really was surprised!  Maybe not at that moment, but it was such a surprise to have such a big shindig.  I love my team. I love my co-teachers.  I love these students.  I cannot wait for another year with Ida and Betty.  But I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to these adorable little children whom I love so much!

Another surprise, one of my girls brought in trick candles.  I've never experienced them before.  And I don't think there was a better time than when I was surrounded by 17 kids who thought it was hysterical to see their teacher work as hard as I was to blow them out.  There was probably a mixture of spit that landed all over the cake, but I guess I do appreciate their help :) 

We Speak to Nations

Our current unit in grade three is studying and celebrating our family histories and looking towards the future.  As I've encouraged my students to reflect on their ancestors, I've also reflected upon mine.  Not just in the genealogy, but in character and mission. 


At the beginning of the unit, I shared a devotion with the kids about my family.  I showed pictures and introduced them to my mom, dad, Lyndsay, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (both human and dog).  They know many of my extended family members by name after of the stories I've told through the year.  But this devotion focused on one specific aspect of my family. 


Both my parents come from strong Christian families and had parents that raised them to seek after God.  Both my parents felt the pull towards missions, and they lived in Bangkok, Thailand for four years of my early childhood serving in an international church, the International Church of Bangkok.  During that time, my dad's two sisters were also living abroad, one in Gabon, Africa and one in Penang, Malaysia.  He called his mother one Mother's Day while we were in Bangkok and expressed how sorry he was that none of her children were able to spend Mother's Day with her. 

Her response: I'd rather all my children were spread around the world and in the center of God's will than down the street from me and out of God's will.

And because of that attitude, only God knows the number of people that were impacted by the ministry of my grandmother's children. 


We moved back to America when I was five, to Fairlawn, Ohio, where I have called home ever since.  Even though I spent the rest of my childhood in America, we never lost the passion for missions.  My church is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which is a denomination that places a lot of emphasis on spreading the Gospel through missions. 

Every October we would have a mission conference and would hear stories of missionaries around the world, in the jungles of Africa, the coffee shops of Europe, and the skyscrapers of Asia.  And through the years, I too, just like my parents, felt the call to take God's Word to the nations.

And just as my grandparents sent their kids around the world to spread God's Word, so my parents have sent me to the other side of the world.  And now I am able to do exactly what God has for me.  I asked the kids what they think I'll pass on to my children.  And they guessed right... I want to send my children off wherever God wants, even if it hurts to say goodbye. 

Sometimes I have to stop and marvel at the fact that here I am in Indonesia, teaching children about Jesus.  I am a missionary.  I have been called.  I have followed.  And my class can see my life as an example of someone who is going to the ends of the world to teach about Him. 

This is the life I have dreamt of since I was eight years old.

This is the life I have waited for. 

And it is everything I have imagined and more.

One of the songs we sang a lot during the mission conferences as a kid was the song We Speak to Nations.  As I listen to it now, I get a little choked up at how God gave me a passion as a kid and has carried it out... not to completion yet, but I can already start to see how He is fulfilling His plan in my life.  And I am eternally grateful.