We passed Unit 2

We have now finished Unit 2. Thank you for all your prayers. We really feel like we have come a long way with the language. We are able to hold deeper and deeper conversations with people.

This was a long weekend for us because our school takes breaks between units. We had Thursday through Sunday off from school. So, on Thursday we went back to the zoo with friends. This time we took five children, two mothers, and one teenager with us. It was a good time for us to get to know them better. The two mothers are the ladies that meet with Laura to discover The Word.

Saturday, I, Steve got sick with a fever. My fever fluctuated between 99.5 and 100.7 F. So we didn’t do a whole lot. I spent most of the day laying on the couch reading or watching DVD’s. I didn’t have much energy for anything else. Sunday morning I still had a fever, so I didn’t go to church.

Laura, however, went to the Sunday morning local market with a Muslim friend of ours. Afterwards, this Muslim friend took Laura to a Christian church that she attends and Laura spent the morning worshiping our true God beside her. We are still confused as to why she claims Islam and attends a Christian church, but we thank God for all the friendships like this that He has been giving us.

Please continue to lift us up as we meet and become friends with the people around us. Also, pray for good health and energy. Thanks.

English Everyone?

Last Friday, one of our neighbors asked if I could help her daughter, Pani, with her English homework for school. I said, ‘Sure. I’d love to help her.’ We decided that Saturday at 3pm would be a good time for both of us. I was looking forward to helping Pani with her English. Pani is in the equivalent of 4th grade.
On Saturday, I got a note pad and pen and my English-Indonesian-English dictionary. At 3pm, I heard the klip-klop of flip-flops on our stairs and some giggles. Then, I heard, ‘Ibu Laura (Mrs. Laura)…….Ibu Laura……Ibu Laura.’ Pani had come for her lesson and brought five friends, but they didn’t bring their books. So, they all had to run home and get their books.
After the lesson, which consisted of me helping them correct their homework, we sang a couple songs in English. Then, a friend of mine came over and the girls left.
On Sunday, around 2pm, I heard, ‘Ibu Laura…….Ibu Laura……Ibu Laura.’ When I came to the door, I saw Pani’s friends, but Pani wasn’t with them. They wanted to learn some more English and to play in our yard. We have a small yard by American standards, but it is one of three yards in the neighborhood here. So, the grass is a prized place to play! So, we sang a song or two, they looked through a picture dictionary that I have, we played Duck, Duck, Goose and Tag. Then we drank some water, I went inside to get ready for an Indonesian friend who was coming over, and the girls ‘went home’...actually, they went to another missionary’s house to play. 
The last two days the girls have come by to play in the yard and chit-chat. (Ibu Laura…….Ibu Laura……Ibu Laura.’ They really are shy about speaking English. I’m not sure how much they really know. It’s such a difficult language compared to theirs. Even their workbooks had incorrect grammar and spelling in them.
I am looking forward to our next ‘lesson’ on Saturday…two more girls have joined the group this week. By the end of the month, I’ll have all the girls in the neighborhood!  I think I need some help.

Just a note about Indonesian public schools:
~They are not paid for by the government.
~Each year costs about $100/child (the average months wage is $50 and most people have three or four children. A sack of rice costs $5, electric bills are around $3/mo, powdered milk is $1/box, beef is $3/kg, chicken fillet is $3)
~The family must pay for books and uniforms, too.
~Sometimes there are ‘mandatory’ sports activities that the student is required to pay for, too.
~A few of our neighbors have asked us to help with the school bills for their children. We want to help, but are unsure of the process, we don’t have much extra either, and we don’t want to create a dependence on foreigners. However, these children need education! Please pray for us to have wisdom about this.