Our plane landed in Jakarta 10 days ago. We had a 2 hour flight to Boston with a 6 hour layover, then a 12 hour flight to Qatar with a 1 hour layover, and a final 8 hour flight to Jakarta. We landed, walked through immigration without a problem, grabbed our bags, and walked outside. The first thing I noticed was the smell. Indo has that familiar smell of the Philippines, a mixture of pollution, garbage, and vegetation. Then I noticed the heat and humidity. Then I began to sweat… a lot. Y’all, it is so hot out here.
We got a ride to a city called Bandung. It’s a lot cooler there, similar to Baguio city in the Philippines. We stayed there for 2 ½ days with a lovely couple who gave us great insight into living in Indonesia. Our wonderful hosts also happened to live next door to the loudest Mosque in the universe. Every morning around 4:30 the Mosque would broadcast their prayers through the same loud speakers used at every Metallica show ever. Super fun.
We also tried a dessert called Martabak for the first time. It’s like a pancake with chocolate, peanuts, and cheese inside it. Y’all, it’s so ridiculously good.
My team left to go to an Islamic boarding school close to Jakarta called Jagat ‘Arsy to teach English. It’s ridiculously nice at this school. They’re giving us free food and lodging for the next 3 weeks! And the rooms are super nice AND has AC.
Although everyone at this school is Muslim and we’re Christian, the students and teachers have been very kind and open to us. We can talk to them about Christianity and Islam without having an angry debate. Y’all, they are so nice to us. It makes starting good relationships and planting seeds very easy.
Three of us on the team spent 2 days at a school for something called Super English Camp. We taught a bunch of little kids how to speak English. It was definitely a stretch for me. We arrived at the school and were basically thrown into it. We were given a schedule and left alone with 30 little Indonesian kids who spoke very little English. The kids we’re a little crazy, but the worst part was the lack of AC. I was so dehydrated the whole time. It ended up being pretty fun and I definitely fell in love with the kids (at least some of them).
So far the hardest part is having a quiet time. It’s just difficult with a lack of good sleep and a completely private place. I’m sure that’s just something I have to get over. Also, this Indonesian heat is no joke.
10 days in and so far so good!
