Penang, Malaysia

Arrived in Penang on Thursday morning waiting for a letter from a person (name withheld) for visa purposes that would arrive Friday afternoon. Originally it was to be picked up on my way here but no such luck. WAITING WAITING WAITING. Nothing, finally last night (Friday) well after the Indonesian consulate closed I got the letter. SO frustrating.

But the food is good. I will go to the consulate with this magic letter Monday and maybe they will give me a work visa. If not I will apply for another social/cultural visa and come home in May. Really, either way I am fine. And today I went for a walk in the unbelievable Paneng Botanic Gardens. There was no one on my path and it was absolutely alive with bugs and birds and vines. I was able for a moment to GET OUT OF MY HEAD. And just love the physical sensation of walking in the density of life that is tropical rainforest. Pictures to come later.

Yesterday I after I finally found a new SIM card for my phone and was able to contact the folks in Chicago and Indonesia I had a few hours to kill. (I think the things you choose in a different place than home alone reveal a lot about you. Am I a religous nut case???) I found myself in a Chinese sea temple, then in a Hindu temple to the Elephant-headed God, and then in a Budhist temple. In all three places my heart rate slowed and I just wondred and found myself repeating my favorite Christian prayers in my head. These stunning places and the wonderful people who choose to spend there time there (volunteers and monks) welcomed me and made my vocation clear. I am frustrated with the visa process but excited to apply to PLTS seminary. My cultural understanding of these different religions is truely poor. I asked a lot of questions and everyone was willing to talk with me. Then I was asked to explain my own belief, but only in terms of action. What are you doing? Why are you here? Who do you love? I love when belief is translated into action with verbs.

I love Jesus. So I came to Indonesia. To work with the poor.

Yesterday about twenty deaconess students, Sister Beatrice, several people from staff and I went to do ministry in rural areas. We went to a place called Loumobangulu where I went to a village called Hutanamora. Sister Merile did the sermon, students offered information about nutrition and herbal/traditional medicine. I gave a short informational speech about not burning plastics. The people offered us a meal after the service. Some students and I got to walk around for sometime before the service.

On our walk along the hills we found a grove of tiny tangerine trees. I was as tall as the tallest tree in the grove. The tangerines were the size of walnuts. They were more delicious than walnuts, though. Each perfect little fruit was like God rubbing my tummy. When Sister Dewi walked right in to the grove and started to pick the fruit and eat I became nervous. Hey, you can’t do that. Then I remembered watching young Claire stand on the sidewalk of Davis casually eating kumquats from someone’s hedge while Kate chatted with neighbors. Okay. I guess you can do that in California and in Indonesia but not in Haiti or Mexico or Canada or Colorado. The students called out and soon a women came and helped us gather some fruits to take back to Balige with us. She asked 3,000 rupiahs for a kilo. That’s about 30 cents for roughly two pounds. Or 15 cents for a pound. Seriously, they were so good I literally had to sit down to concentrate on the deliciousness that was each tiny section. I also had to sit down because I had twisted my ankle slightly while chasing this huge toad around the trees. He was so cool. I will post/add a picture.

In the church during a service I noticed a bat hanging in the rafters asleep. In Indonesia small bats are called kilalawar. I can’t remember how to ask for more water, but I can point out the small bats and kittens. The Sisters here think I am an idiot savant because of my bizarre and often unpredictable ability to remember words in Indonesian.

It seems I need to go to Malaysia for a new tourist visa next week. Sister Serepina will not go with me so I am working to find someone to accompany me. A single women traveling alone on a ferry is not safe or advised. I will e-mail a friend and see if he can help me out from Kuala Lumpur. I have not yet heard anything about my year and a half work visa. Maybe I will know more a week or two. A guy has travelled to Jakarta on my behalf from Nommenssen University and the HKBP. He should get back with us soon. April 1st is the latest I will wait, otherwise, if I don’t hear anything I will plan to go home in May because the waiting has become absurdly stressful. Spending time ‘registering’ at the police station is frustrating and I would like to feel like when I go to work every morning I am not breaking the law. You know the wonderful feeling of doing a good job for a good cause and staying within the local and national laws? I want that feeling again.

I love teaching and am encouraged by my advisor suggesting last week that I should teach as a vocation. She describes me as ‘gifted’ in the classroom. There was this funny moment two weeks ago we were practicing our English with a play of the story the ‘Great Banquet” from the new testament, I am sure you know it. The story is that this really rich guy prepares a huge party but none of the big-shot guests that he invited come and instead giving stupid excuses. So the rich guy sends his messengers out into the city streets and they invite everyone they see- beggars, cripples, widows, street children- and everyone has a wonderful time at the party except the lame rich people who aren’t there. Someone in our class had to play Jesus. Which is funny since I think we are all Jesus, and none of us at the same time. But that’s hard to explain to students in a foreign language so we just went with the literal- someone would play Jesus. There are pastors, regents of the church, AIDS health workers, and deaconesses in the class. The students decided that the good doctor should be Jesus in the play. Just before it was time to preform the doctor got a cell phone call. Normally, I wouldn’t allow cell phones in my classes but these students are literally dealing with life, life after death and death. The doctor stepped out to talk on the phone so we waited for him to come back. Then as he came up the stairs the students who were sitting near the window, light was streaming in and giving them a halo effect, looked out and three of them turned, wide eyed to me and smiling said in unison “JESUS IS COMING!” I fell out of my chair laughing. I don’t think they understand how hilarious the moment was. But really sooooooooo funny.