Hi Family!
So sorry about the long delay in sending this newsletter to you all. Rest assured I am still alive and more importantly thriving here in SEA.
Ramadan
Ramadan has officially begun and that means the city has become more quiet as my Cousin friends and neighbors direct their focus towards reading their Holy Book and attending prayer services more often. Last year I joined in on the fast mostly because I was curious about their different customs during the month. This year my main focus during this month is to be more intentional with the conversations I have with Cousin friends.
You might remember from last year that every night those participating in the fast will buka puasa (break fast) together. This is a great opportunity to meet with groups of people that you wouldn’t usually talk to or really close friends. My plan is to use this time to ask questions like, “How has God revealed himself to you today?” or “What are you thankful to God for?” or “What did you hear God say to you today?” These questions are great ways to get people thinking and I’m excited to hear how they’re answered.
Visa Matters
One of my biggest prayer requests this year has been regarding visa matters. I must truly say PRAISE GOD and thank you all so much for your prayers over this issue. Last week I went to the immigration office to ask for an extension on my temporary visa. Normally, if you have all of the correct paperwork this should be a painless process. However, when I arrived there and tried to explain why I needed a visa extension the immigration officers did not believe my reasons for needing to stay and said they could not give me an extenion without an explanation from my sponsor. To make a long story short I came a few days later with a representative of the university who could explain my case in a way that was pleasing to the officers ears. Then to our surprise one of the officers was friends with the representative. After finding this out they had no problem extending my temporary visa.
Now I am waiting for my work permit to be processed. The agent says it should be ready within the next month. Once the work permit is in hand I will not have to worry about visa matters for at least another year and I will finally be able to start teaching my English Pronunciation Class!
Visit from a friend!
3 weeks ago a good friend of mine from APU came to visit me from another part of Asia. Before we graduated she mentioned coming to visit me and 2 years later we, well she, made it happen! During her time here we had a great time eating, laughing, and encouraging each other. A large source of our conversations came from sharing our different cross cultural experiences. I think we were both amazed at how different our experiences are, but remain confident that God has His hands on us through it all.
If you get the chance or if that Lord places it on your heart please take a moment to pray for her and many other cross cultural workers. After being out here for over a year, and hearing the stories of those who have been out even longer, I know that we cannot do our work without our warriors lifting us up.
All is Well :)
Family, I am really doing well here. There are days when I feel extremely ineffective and like I’m just going through the motions of life. On these days I just journal or play with my cat. Yet there are other days where even the smallest action reminds me that God is moving in my life and in my relationships. Things like one of my kos (living area) mates calling God “Abba” because she continuously hears me refer to Him that way. Finally hearing one of my tutors call me “younger sibling” instead of always formally using my name. Or more recently having the opportunity to share with a group of ladies why we, as believers, fast and what that means for us. It’s reasons like these and many more that bring me joy in life.