Its me Sabrina

We went to the Orphanage and we had lots of fun with the kids.

We met many different type of kids, some were sick, and some were in good condition.

The ages ranged from young to older teens, and were in their own shred bunk bed type rooms.

I thought the orphanage was shocking to me cause I've never been to an indonesian orphanage before. In fact I have never been to an orphanage before. Its a place without mom's and dad's.
thats the shocking thing that thre are lots of kids and no moms and dads to take care of them.

Some of the kids try to run away to go home, but they find out that their moms and dads cant give them food and they catch them and bring them back.

They had a little snack bar there too where I could get some gum.

We sat in their church for a couple of hours.. that was a short church service. a normal one goes for about 4-5 hours.

I tried to go sleep during the service but my dad kept on waking me up. I wanted to go to sleep in the car but dad told me it would be very rude.

Everyone shook our hand before we left and said goodbye.

Visit to the Orphanage

Hi all,
We went to the orphanage and there are photos on the flickr group. Ill put a few up here also just to give you a flavor of what it was like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10383469@N06/

It turns out this is the BEST orphanage in Indonesia. It is self funded and operating with actually very clean facilities except for a temporary water/sewage problem running overground right now.

This is pretty good even compared to some Ive seen in Mexico. The children have clean sleeping areas, there are pator interns and college interns attending to the children and there are helpers giving the needed attention to those special needs children as well.

Today we go to the Orphanage

Hi,

I hope to have some pictures of the orphanage to place either here on the blog or on flickr.

Please pray as we go and as I continue to work with marie and Charles on discussion on how to biblically deal with people here that are in need and with love.

Dad

Coffee Shop Hotspot

Hi everyone,

Here is a picture of the coffee shop and its 'hot spot' is all its glory! :-P

You will see that we had to run a seperate electrical circuit into the upp 'attic' portion of the coffee shop and run the circuit into a electrical regulator/conditioner and then to the linsys wireless device.

Since there are many tropical storms here there needs to be equal importance on protecting the electrical equipment as is the design and imlementaton of the technology itself.

The CAT5 cabling decends from the Sattelite equipment on the roof.

Dad

Indonesia Ministry Needs

Hi folks,

Just letting everyone know of some of the needs here with the current immediate Ministry. Trying to get off the ground.

This afternoon I go to the orphanage. With the following things its not really the purchasing of the things thats the challenge. it is the getting them here without getting stolen in the post or fedEx!! They really need to be carried here personally!

Needs:
a) HP Pavilion ZD8000 replacement battery: current one is fried:
--> example site: http://www.batterystandard.com/product/18422.html
or
--> http://www.batteryrefill.com/laptops/compaq/pavilion_ZV5000.phtml

b) Water Distiller:
--> example site: http://cgi.ebay.com/KENMORE-COUNTERTOP-WATER-DISTILLER-42-3444_W0QQitemZ250145145348QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250145145348

even better is a more indistrial version frm polar bear

---> http://cgi.ebay.com/POLAR-BEAR-WATER-DISTILLER-STEAM-DISTILLATION-PBD-26-M_W0QQitemZ330150085240QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item330150085240

c) Desktop computer: P4/512MB/30GB/XP/CD-RW
Monitor and keyboard they can get here pretty cheap.

d) Brita Water filter with pitcher
--> http://cgi.ebay.com/Brita-Grand-10-cup-Water-Filter-Pitcher-w-filter-in-box_W0QQitemZ150145038379QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150145038379

Dad

Hi Everyone,

We went to Japara, it took us 3 days to move our way across the wild wild weavy roads of Indonesia to Japara from Salatiga. Below ais a link to some photos we've posted to give you an idea.

Marie and Charles spent time looking for furniture. Ill post of the the furniture on the site as well as examples of what you get in Japara. very unique quality. Furniture shopping took a total of 2 full days. going from one vendor to another and haggling over quality, price and delivery method. In the end they did not get all the furniture delivered that they bought. You really need to be careful here!!


http://www.flickr.com/groups/415653@N20/


Also I purchased our tickets for the return trip from Semarang to Jakarta on the Aug 1st and in that 1 transaction my credit card was distributed to several illegal users in Saudi Arabia. Pray I can get that straightened out. This is why they use mainly cash here. So much fraud going on here.

Dad

Hi Folks,

http://www.flickr.com/groups/415653@N20/

Please check out the link above to see the new photos that we've put up. We included them into the original photo group on flickr. I hoe you enjoy them. There are many photos of what you just don't see every day.

We traveled 3 days across the island to a place called Japara. This is where Charles is from and grew up. We went there to see his dad who is dying of Diabetes. I was able to visit with him and some length and pray with him and for him.

He is a pastor of one of the largest evangelical and Pentecostal churches in Indonesia. You might say he is the chuck smith of Indonesia. he worked with Billy graham during the 70s and 80s on Asia Pacific Crusades. Due to the sensitivity of his health and who is his I do not have a picture of him.

Unfortunately they don't really understand treatment of diabetes with insulin here in Indonesia. to some great degree medicine here is about at the stage of the early 1900's

The trained nurses insist that checking blood sugar is only for when a patient goes into a coma and not for daily sugar level treatment. Insulin is only used as a radical method of binging someone out of a coma.

Please pray for him as he is not very alert and in his dying days. He cant even get out of bed.

Dad

went to saletiga and going somwhere today

hello every one .
yesterday i went to saletiga. we had a lot of fun . i went on bumber cars and did all kinds of fun stuff. but today we are somewhre again today. i think its joga. because its a saprise.
well see you later.
snow

Orphanage and Life In Indonesia

Hi Folks,

Here in Indonesia (Salatiga) were working on a few things:
a) helping the missionaries live amidst the local Indonesia community
b) help them begin and start a business to be able to intertwine themselves into the community (be like the people they minister to)
c) begin building an orphanage
d) helping windows and those in need locally that don't have any assistance

Why is there a need to help people like this?
Indonesians like many other cultures in the world view Americans coming to Indonesia as rich and full of money even though many of us (especially those that go to the mission field) are not. Regardless they see the whiteness of our skin and generalize on our economic state. These people have VERY meager living conditions and I guess comparatively they don't have the economic means like many of us do. For example, many people still live in huts with very bad living conditions which are unsanitary etc.. their water for the most part is not drinkable according to American standards. If you do drink it you will get Giardia or another type of protozoan bacteria which will cause sever stress in your life! They just live with it. People live simple lives trying to make about $2-5 each day just to survive. That is a good wage here in Indonesia. Yet this is still a 3rd world with lack of infrastructure, good sanitation, good water and thus why the focus on creating a method for distilled water etc...


Why build an orphanage?
because of the meager living conditions many parents find it impossible to feed and clothe their children. They simply beg on the street and their children sit and lay and sleep in the gutter breathing exhaust fumes from the passing cars and ending up with breathing and lung problems. The children really need a safe and sanitary place to grow so their parents are free and able to earn a living to then bring them back into the family. That is simply the rational. There is an orphanage here and it is so good for the kids. Its provide a place for consistent, food, sleeping, education, and sanitary facilities that the kids just don't get on a consistent basis. Sadly many parents are reluctant to put their kids into an orphanage (understandably) but then the kids suffer..


Why begin a business?
This allows the missionaries to work at the economic level of the locals and be among the locals. Be like those that they minister to.. They also have the ability to minister to other missionaries since they are so close to the compound. with coffee, communications etc..


Who do you help? and what is the best way?
Interesting question: The missionaries here are currently helping one widow, they were paying for her to have a apartment (bless their hearts - good intent since the lady leaves her little girl to sleep on the dirty gutter and beg for money while her little girl coughs up a lung). It turns out she is getting a bit demanding and expecting since she is dealing with the rich American missionaries. I liken this to either the giving of bread or helping those to grow and refine and be self sufficient to make the bread. The missionaries intent was to help the widow who is truly a widow and exhibited christian vernacular so they felt a sincere empathy towards her situation. Now it almost has turned into a enabling situation with the widow and the original intent (to help the child) has not improved. Instead of having the child in the apartment she still is with mom on the street coughing up a lung.

This situation was a source of good prayer and discussion among us as they just get into the life of living here and trying to help.

As a result we were able to discuss the scripture and the biblical principals that are set in the bible which I think are gentle which allows for the good intent but comes with controls to enable the innocent to prevail . So this is a constant learning experience and never the same twice. Just like we see in the states where each situation to help is different it must be met with a custom attitude towards the situation along with a custom response.

Christ never enabled a situation, he always met the situation head on with a manner in which cut to the core of the issue and dealt fairly and the result was a restored individual back to himself OR it was alienation cause the person was not of his fold. It is always a challenge to walk in this and in each situation. and I encourage dialog on this since it is a beginning for the missionaries and for all of us to see in the 3rd world first hand.

Covet all of your prayers

In Christ,

Dad

HIGH Speed Communication is up

Funny, how we treasure high speed communication.

Any communication here is a blessing. All that is really available is dial up (that's about 33kbps) lower than normal 56k dial up modems folks!!

Now they have a satellite (shared) connection that get them about 75k download and 50k upload during the day and at night it gets to be about 150k download and 100k upload. its better than dial up, and they don't have to pay phone bills so it is a blessing here to the Missionaries. Saves them money and increases their communication capability since they can now split some of the bandwidth to their coffee shop and allow other missionaries to be able to access good communication also.

This is one major blessing here.

Sorry No DSL here, NO FIOS, no "AMERICAN" speeds for communications. it is truly 3rd world methods of communication. Like stepping back 10 years or so.

Dad

Church in Indonesia

Hi All,

I thought I'd write about church in Indonesia. At least where we went over the weekend. We are currently staying in a place called Salatiga. Out of all Indonesia it is the 'most' christian and it is used for a landing and beginning base of learning and missions operations here in Indonesia.

Just down the street from us.. oh about 15 minutes walking distance is a Christian Compound. Yes like a compound that you see in national geographic with high brick walls and guard towers.

its pretty big. The compound stretches a distance of oh I would say about the size of a high school campus with big brick walls around the entire thing with guard towers and gates at certain points.

Inside the compound it has sleeping facilities, gymnasium with basketball courts, soccer field with 1/4 mile running track around it (this is outdoors). There are other buildings such as classrooms and facilities.

This is where we went to church over the weekend. It is an international church where many of the missionaries and international families that speak English go to church. It was a very 'normal' service.. it began wish guitar contemporary worship and praise. Time of prayer, we worshipped in song, praise, prayer and giving just like services that we know and love in the states. We also heard a message from one of the missionaries. Since there is no dedicated pastor, the missionaries take turns ministering to each other.

it is interesting.. There was a time of 'fellowship' (that actually was the message for the day sun day). We met one another (there was about 20-2 people there with their families) from all walks of life. some with New tribes missions and others that teach Indonesian at the school for new missionary arrivals.

Even though we had a time to meet people, here also like the states peoples lives are 'busy', daily needs never stop.. Lives are filled with busyness and one thing that has impressed upon me being here is that to live an effective christian life we constantly, proactively and purposefully need to take time to pray, read and foster our walk with Christ.

Just a few observations from this weekend.

More soon!

Dad

Traveling to Salatiga

Sorry for not posting earlier and explain why it took so long to get here.

I got to Taipei Taiwan OK without incident and change to my place to Jakarta and got there on time on China Airlines. It actually was a nice flight.

The challenge and stress time was in Jakarta.

It turns out there are limited flights to Semarang from Jakarta and they are ALL FULL.

so the only think you can do it go stand by and that means to literally STAND next to the stand by counter staring at the man operating the computer (FOR SIX HOURS). Turns out I missed two flights and there was only 1 more left for the day to get me from Jakarta to Semarang.

So why was it so stressful. well it tuns out it has to do with the 'style' of the methods of getting the stand by ticket. People just don't wait i a queue or line, they will shove your stuff to the side and then when you go to retrieve they will slip to your slot. Muslims will press and cut into line with their 5 or six family entourage. FOR SIX HOURS this occurred. I was just about at the breaking point where I as going to bag it in for the day and get a local hotel hoping for the next day when I heard the man 'MUMBLE' an American sounding name so I jumped on it and took the tickets. I just about missed the flight anyways since I have then to go and buy the ticket at the cashier and then go back and check in. My bags were over weight for the small aircraft so I had to go back to the cashier and pay a penalty and deal with the cashier and then she tries to steal my credit card. Just on thing on another. Then get to the plane and finally get to Semarang.

So that's the story.

Thank all for the prayers!

Dad

Dad is Here

Hi Everyone,

It's Dad posting. We got here ok and im over my jet lag.

So far we've scheduled to go to a number of ministry sites, but like many 3rd world countries plans change due to circumstances.

We were planning on going to the orphanage yesterday but the car broke down and so worked on our friend car all day.

So this week I am now working on couple of additional projects
1) Getting them high speed Internet (instead of expensive dial up-Phone fee + Svc Fee)
2) Grounding their house
3)Helping with the setup of the coffee shop business (how to make distilled water)
4) Purchasing a oven for the house
5) Getting wireless Internet and wiring equipment for the coffee shop.
6) Fixing the car

Evidently here in Indonesia there is a lack of concept of grounding and what happens is that electrical static charges build up on electronic components and the rapidly discharge on whomever touches them. Really bad for computers and sensitive electronics which are relatively new to Indonesia.

Below are a few pictures that Sabrina had. Ill post more as we get more Ministry photos.

Keep us in prayer please!


Here is a URL to a group set of photos that I set up in Yahoo Flickr since it is easier to upload instead of posting here on the Blog.


http://www.flickr.com/groups/415653@N20/

Over all of this, it is kind of interesting how God gives you the skills that are needed so that they may be distributed along the journey to bless others. Just so happens I know how to work on cars, do electrical and work on computers and Internet stuff.. Good coincidental timing huh?

Like others have said. Coincidence is not a Kosher word!!


In Christ

Dad

dads here

hello everyone.
my dad is here now. Charals was waiting for my Dad at the airport and he didnt come. when my dad didnt come into the airport here i was very scared something happened to him. Also i stayed up late waiting for my dad. by the time he got here on the later flight, i was whiped out. we have to stay up for a half hour. because marie and charals go to town. theres even better news .there today we went to seea diffrent tiny monkey
because the other one was sold. when we went to see the monkeymy only shoes BROKE!
cause my church sandles where stolen. now my other shoes BROKE!
now i got to go . my dad is going to write .
bye!

Would you like tea.

HI again ,
today i went to jills house. me and josh only went. Becuse bethine went to school . then charels and marie went to get paint for the coffee shop. then me and marissa had a tea party, it was fun . now tomorow we might see a crazy monkey thats as big as little joshua that is at this little zoo place in a nearby village. I had cereal for dinner tonight because I dont like sate (its burnt chicken on a stick with peanut sauce) yuck! But the cereal was great and I had milk on it that marie got from a cow. She didnt tell me till after I drank it, the cow was milked this morning in another village, and before we drink it we have to boil it first to kill the germs. Last night me and Charles killed two big really big cockroaches that actually fly. Marie found one in the laundry room and when she was trying to kill it i snuck up behind her and said "BOOO!" and she screamed like AHHHHHHH! I was never scared of a bug before I saw these cockroaches. EEEWWW.... Ok now im going to bed on the top bunk because Im scared of the cockroaches. bye bye

Indonesian Wedding

Yesterday I was able to go to an Indonesian Wedding. First it was in a church and then to a house in the village where the reception was. At the reception they had really good food, but I saw the kitchen and I realized they cooked everything on the floor with a campfire. There was icecream, and sate (indonesian beef on a stick). When I had to go to the bathroom that was scary because their bathroom was basiclly a hole in the ground called a squatty-potty, with no toilet paper. I guess this is what most indonesian bathrooms are like. The flower girls were pretty and they didnt throw flowers but glitter and candy. I liked that part a lot, espically the candy. Today after lunch we are going camping, the missionary dads here and their kids, like my friend ely and Joshuas friend Parade are going. It will be so fun, we are even going to have a campfire. They dont have marshmallows here so no smores. I will write about that in a couple days. Thanks for reading!

staying at Jills house

hi today i am staying at Jills house while marie and charals go to samarang to buy an oven.
me and marissa are going to have a fun timetogether making home made tortillas. yum! my dad is coming on augest 1. and im leaving augest 10. joshua my brother his birthday is tomorow the 18th . hes going to turn 16.
i miss you all. i love you. bye.
snow

A Note from Marie,

Sabrina is doing great, she has made friends with the other missionary families here who have daughters her age. She will try just about any food and its a miracle that she hasnt had one single tinch of stomach abnormality. French toast is her main staple, rice and fruit of course. She has been very willing to help with things around the house.

she had another full day yesterday- she watched B and J at the Kids Club, then went to tennis practice with J and her friend Marisa, then over to play at her friend Elys house in the bamboo playhouse with tight ropes, then to pizza (indonesian style), then to top it off went to the carnival in town. Now she is sleeping in, usually gets up around six, its almost seven. Hehe-I didnt think it was possible to wear her out but maybe I did it... whoo hoo. She sure is an adventureous little soul, like her mommy

CARNIVAL............................. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight we are going to the carnival . the carnival is in town. we are going to have a fun time. i love the carnival. its a fun time for kids. josh is alsogoing into tennis. i wanted to go but i forgot my tenishoes . well how about that . i actuly am having a fun ---- .
time.

had fun at Elys house

Today i slept over at elys house. ely is my other friend. ely is a daugter of another missonary family here in salatiga. ely has 1little sister and 2 little brothers. ely is 7 years old. we also went to kids club at the international school, and joshua and bethanie came too. there we made penut butter playdo. tomorrow i am going to marissas house again. we are going to have so much fun.. they have a big back yard thats a lot like a jungle.