I wrote this as i was sitting in my backyard one day at 6pm listening to the calls to prayers. There are at least four/five mosques within hearing distance of my home.

listening to the
calls to prayer
is like
watching a marathon
at first there are a few
people that pass
then more and more
and more
then it gets less
and less
again.
And you are left there
sitting
in the same spot.
not much has changed
but you know
something profound
just happened
maybe even felt
compelled to join.

I want to take you through a Sunday morning worship service here in jepara.
just before 6am a hymn is sung
the church bells are rung
we sing another hymn
announcements are made
there is a prayer to open the service
we sing 'mulia bagi papa'
another hymn
bible verses maybe read
the offering is taken
the choir sings (that includes me)
the verses for the sermon are read
we sing 'hallelujah'
there is a sermon
we sing a hymn
there is the closing prayer
we sing Praise God 'Kepada Allah'
we file through the back doors and shake hands

i think that is why i feel peace.
here is part of a poem i wrote contrasting hymns and praise'worship music

....hymns
do not give you highs
they do not get you jumping
up and down
for your creator
but they bring you deeper
they hold meaning
you dont
crash
after them

and that is why i am torn
i am pulled towards
praise and worship
by my emotions
but i am pulled towards hymns
by my desire for depth...
....
spirituality
can not rely on feelings
feelings are not reliable
....

to feel peace
is to know you are not complete
not finished
yet rejoice in that
knowing you can grow
expand

the silence in my soul is heaven
not an empty silence
but a content
knowing
silence

until next time......

hello.

i decided it was time i update my blog after having a friend ask me if i have to bike a long way to use internet. (I have internet with in ten minutes of my house)

last time i wrote it was still rainy season here. It is now beginning to be the hot season. However just last night there was rain.

I am still enjoying my life here but at the same time looking forward to going home. However as i feel the day of departure getting nearer I feel the realization that I may never see the friends I have made here again becoming clearer.

There are times when I just wish I was home already but there are also, more frequently, times when I feel happy here. Just the other day I felt at peace, complete peace. I will be sad to leave the community that has helped me find that peace.

An average day here for me now looks like this
I get up around 6/6:30
I go to school and teach for a few hours
I walk around town, visit with friends, sit at stores and watch life in Jepara
Eat lunch
maybe sleep in the afternoon
spend the evening at church, choir practice, bible study, meetings.

Last week Friday I was interviewed on the churches radio station in bahasa indonesia. It was a good experience.

That will be all for now, as I need to go back so school and teach!

I have now been here longer than I will be here. Do you ever get the feeling that something is being taken away from you with out your permission? I just did. I felt like time was being sucked away from me, into some unknown black hole. It is a strange feeling. Made me feel uneasy. Think is there is nothing I can do to stop it. Time will keep on moving, even if I throw my watch out.

Now you all are probably wanting to hear something exciting about my life here. Lets see, it is still the rainy season here. For the past ten days it has rained all days every day basically. But today the rain has let up and there was even some sun!!! I am now pretty knowledgeable of the Indonesian language. Still lots more to learn but I know lots already.

About three weeks ago my sister, older brother and his girlfriend left this beautiful diverse country after spending two weeks together. That was a very good time.

A couple weeks ago I received a package containing Canadian tattoos just an hour after thinking it would be neat to have them.Thank you!!

I love the friends I have made here and am overwhelmed when I remember I have known them only fiveish months.

I am looking forward to going back home.

My life in Indonesia,

is a blessing
is short
is full of laughter and smiles
creates tension and questions in me.
is so very different than Canada.
I feel...
blessed to have found such a big loving family.
cold after an evening rain.
frustrated with undisciplined children
joy singing in the choir
anger when people exploit me with their camera
full all the time
the tension of being white and not liking all the power that brings
peace watching the sunset
my host sister as she climbs all over me.
divided not knowing who I am.
like a giant amongst friends.
blessed.
discouraged when students dont want to learn.
confused when people talk really fast
at home in this culture
sweat dripping down my back

Time
what is it
does it exsist?
is it a human creation?
will it destroy us
can you run out?

Teach me to love
and with in that love
teach me to accept
accept people
accept circumstances
accept blessings.

That is all for now folks!

Greetings!
I send blessed Christmas Wishes to all of you back home.
May the season be filled with joy.
Christmas here does not really feel like Christmas to me, i suppose i am too used to having snow and minus twenty degree weather.
Nonetheless it is good here. Very good. I will write a better update later.
blessings

Hello all!
Just wanted to let you know I am still doing well here. The raining season has started so it rains pretty much everyday. And I have been told that it will become more frequent. So it should be interesting.

Lets see, i am now helping at the school with kindergarten untill grade 11. So I have fifteen different classes. Which is a lot. But so far it has been good.

I am still eating lots of interesting food. For lunch today I had the chance to eat cow skin. Which i was told is eaten frequently here. I would not really say it was my favorite. But am glad to have had the chance to eat it.

thank you all for your e-mails. I really do appreciate them. And I am sorry if i do not reply all the time. but please do keep sending them. they are enjoyed.

now i will bike home.
untill next time.
enjoy the christmas season. make sure you take time to enjoy it. and do not let it fly by in business.

That is one thing I am really starting to love here. The ability to just sit and be. And not to always have to be busy with this that and the other thing. but to actually sit and enjoy peoples company.

And if you are ever feeling really cold you should make yourself a cup of ginger tea. It is fairly common here, and is very good.
good bye