Road trip

I just found out I am traveling to an SVD retreat house in Mataloko, a 7-hour drive from the seminary where I am staying.  Some of the priests have a 3-day meeting, and I am tagging along.  Be back on Friday.  If you don't hear from me for a few days, you will know why.  Pray for me as I pray for you :-)

Sight seeing

I finished this long blog post on Saturday, and then it promptly vanished into cyber space!  So here is my shorter re-creation of it, with fewer stories but still representative photos.  :-)

On Tuesday, one of my hosts. Fr. Lukas, SVD, took his visiting niece and me sightseeing in the are.  We went up to Nilo to see the Shrine of Mary of the Nations ; visited the local Diocesan seminary including the room where Pope John Paul II stayed during his 1989 visit to Flores; and visited the town  of Maumere's market, shops, and SVD house.  Following are some photos.

Blessed be God!

Laundry

Today Fr. Antony helped me find the laundry.  I saw large machines I assume are washing machines.  However, the women in the photos took my laundry and immediately dunked my clothes in a large basin of water inside a large sink and started washing or pre-washing them.  I was asked if there were any special instructions and which items needed to be ironed.  When I asked when the laundry would be ready, I was told maybe in three days because of the time needed for air-drying during the rainy season.  They pointed to an electrical clothes dryer but told me it is broken.  I was impressed with the organization of their operation, and I look forward to receiving my clean clothes.  :-)

Scorpion (exclamation marks removed)

Yesterday afternoon,  part of the complex where I am staying lost electricity; this included my room.  I was glad to receive several candles, some matches and a bic-like lighter.  After adoration and dinner, it was almost time for bed anyway --  when you get up for morning prayer at 5:15 a.m., you tend to go to bed early!  I said my rosary by candlelight.  It was quite lovely, actually;  I enjoyed the soft light of the candles compared to the overhead fluorescent lights, for a change. 

This morning as I was getting ready for 5:15 a.m. morning prayer by candlelight, I noticed something small moving on the tiled bathroom floor.  Expecting a small lizard, imagine my surprise to see a full-blown scorpion!  I haven't seen one since my camping trip with The Kouba family 20-some years ago!  I was quite astonished and unsure of what to do.  My brother Mark gave me a mini flashlight, which I turned on and shone on the unwelcome visitor.  He did not like the light, and eventually retreated into a hole in the wall.  When I tried to convey my shock to the priests at breakfast, I was met with a matter-of-fact "oh those are common in the tropics.  He didn't bite you, did he?"  And on we went with the morning.  Yes, St. Thomas Aquinas, thank you for helping me learn temperance!

Much like the darknesses of our lives, whether tribal black magic, sin, temptations, or sufferings --all of which God allows -- the Light overcomes the darkness.  Every time.  At morning prayer I realized that even if I had been stung by the scorpion, still God would be with me and still I would be blessed.

Let us seek out the Light in our lives today, and let it dispel the darkness.  Alleluia.

Blessings and love from Indonesia,

Joan
 
Photos:
1.  No explanation needed!
2.  The candles
3. Adoration at the chapel last night
4.  Joan in action speaking to the young priests in the English course.

Photos, by popular request :-)

1 The walkway from the plane to the terminal in Maumere
2) The tabernacle in the chapel at the SVD house in Jakarta
3) beautiful candle holder/plant stand (Jakarta SVD chapel)
4) Balinesian umbrellas in the SVD chapel, Jkt.
5)  very cool ornate Indonesian chair in the lobby of the SVD house in Jkta.
6) Me in front of St Joseph parish in Jkta.

More photos can be seen in my Facebook page ;-)

Out of reach

Upon my arrival in Ledalero at the seminary, I quickly learned that Wi-Fi connectivity is very very limited here.  In discussing this with some of the young priests this morning, one of them wisely said, "Perhaps that is how God wants it."  Indeed!

After lunch, some of them were trying to help me connect and pointed out where 2 of the routers are.  So at the moment, I am sitting outside on a folding chair right beneath the router box :-).  Everyone once in a while, I get connectivity here...more frequently than in my room or the dining hall.

Last night the dinner lineup included a large platter with 2 very large cooked fish (with skeleton, head, fins, the whole 9.)  The priests were very helpful and coached me how to pull some meat off the fish to put on my plate.  The texture and taste were fantastic.

Everyone is very friendly here.  The seminarians and young missionaries who are learning English seem excited to have a native English speaker from the states with whom to practice their English.  Fr. Bill arrived here last month from Australia, so he helps them with the British-style of pronunciation.  Now, with my arrival, they can practice American-style, too.

After a good night's sleep, I awoke and went to morning prayer at 5:30 a.m..   !!!!!!! This was followed by 30 minutes of meditative prayer, then Mass at 6:45 a.m.  (Yes, you read that right... I was there that early!)  The music was gorgeous... singing from the heart, very prayerful and heart, felt.  The men here sing confidently and beautifully, and the acoustics in the church make it sound like there are many more singing than actually are there.  There was also a 25-voiced choir upstairs in the choir loft.  Beautiful singing! I recorded a couple of snippets and will try to upload them here for you.

For breakfast, we had rice and fish and hard boiled egg and more good conversation.  After that, Fr. Lukas and I visited for a long time, getting to know each other.  He has been telling me fantastic stories of missionary work, Indonesian history and culture, and conversions resulting from the SVDs presence here.  Then we had coffee and a snack and more visiting with others.  I caught a 20-minute break then it was time for lunch.  My new food at lunch was some sort of yummy sweet avocado drink.  There is a large avocado tree right here on the property.  Can you imagine?

My large room is quite rustic.  It has a twin bed with a cloth canopy overhead and attached lace panels all the way around, aka mosquito netting.  I also have a desk, several chairs, and a wardrobe.  I do have my own bathroom with a sink, a toilet, and a very large plastic container holding maybe 10-15 gallons of water that have been filtered through a small cloth bag hanging at the faucet to remove dirt caused by the rains.  There is also a hand-held shower hose that I look forward to learning to use.

At times it is quite hot and sticky here, I.e. humid, muggy.  And at other times it is cool with a slight breeze.  It may take me awhile to adjust to the humidity and the proximity to the equator. 

I have been enjoying some great conversations about our Catholic faith and the universal church.  Also have been laughing and enjoying a much simpler life.

Everywhere I look I see flowers and trees and plants.  The rains are intermittent and lovely.

God is doing a mighty work here and I am privileged to be here to help out in my own way, according to God's will.  I am praying for you and thank you for your continued prayers as well.

Peace and blessings.

Love,

Joan

We are more the same than different

I had elaborate plans for my first blog post of the trip.   But my mind is so full already of new experiences that it is hard to organize my thoughts yet.  Alas, it's better to post something at this point than nothing at all!

My flights went well and were easy to bear.  I did pray for those of you who gave me prayer intentions.  Doah, Qatar was not scary at all.  The airport was very international and, even though I sheltered myself in a first-class lounge, I had enough time to see the terminal as well. And buy a couple of trinkets.  Qatar Airways bills themselves as "the world's five star airline" and the service was impressive and enjoyable.

I adopted each new time zone as I arrived and seem to be experiencing very little jet lag.

The ride from the Jakarta airport to the SVD house was eye-opening.  I thought of my little sister Laura whose degrees include urban planning, because there appears to be none here!  Drove by a garish-looking Mall of Indonesia, complete with  huge King Kong, while seeing tenements asking the freeway. Zillions of motorcycles wove in and out of traffic, and horns were constantly blaring. I had been warned about the bad air pollution here; I could literally see it.  And everyone was smoking.

After dinner with the SVDs, I retired to my air-conditioned room around 8:30 p.m. and was in bed by 9:30.

I awoke this morning for morning prayer at 6 a.m. followed by Mass, all in Indonesian.  I took great comfort in the familiar sights of crucifix, altar, ambo and tabernacle, and if course in the celebration of the Eucharist. 

I have been advised not to venture out into the city, so I enjoyed a quiet day of rest here at the 4-story building that houses the SVDs.  Today in the dining room I have seen a few ants, a mouse, & a small lizard on the wall near the ceiling.  In the garden off the dining room, with doors wide open, there are many birds in bird-cages as well as pet chickens running around freely.

Next door there is a Catholic church and school, and from the dining room all day I could hear the delightful sounds of children at play.  Which brings new to the title of this post.

We are more the same than different.  I have observed that we all yawn, smile, kiss babies, no matter what language, nationality or religion.  All children play, nuns and priests and brothers support Catholic schools.  We all are tied to our cell phones.  We all extend a friendly hello, even if only through a handshake or smile.  We were made to love.  And many of us succeed, perhaps more often than we realize.  At the risk of getting the insane Disney tune suck in your head, it is a small world after all.

That's it for now.  The bed calls.  I leave for my final destination on Saturday at 4 a.m.!

P.s.  At dinner tonight, Pater William, working in Guadelahara and home for a visit, taught me how to eat fish with the head still attached.  That is all!

One word, two meanings: Visa

Last night I left for Houston by way of Austin.  I had a great visit with my dear friend Sharon Perkins and invited myself to spend the night there!  She made a great batch of steamy homemade minestrone and bread sticks...yummy...which we ate near the fire.  After a brief but great sleep, we went to 6:30 a.m. Mass where I got to see some of the beautiful "Oprah" nuns, then I was off to Houston and the Indonesian consulate. 

For the first time, I got a little nervous there...would I offend, what are their cultural customs, could I wear jeans, did I have to cover my head; all for naught.  In the lobby, the TV played the AlJazeera America news channel.  While enlightening, it was a little creepy.  The people at the consulate were very friendly, Fr. Paul had made connections there to help get my passport expedited, and within an hour I came out with my visa!  Later I used my Visa to finalize the purchase of my plane tickets.  I leave this coming Monday.  Yes, Margo, that is 6 days from now :-)

I enjoyed a wonderful lunch with my high school friend John Sparks at a South American restaurant, ran some errands, then headed home to Ft. Worth. 

Let the packing begin!

Blessed be God.

If only I could travel with 4 steamer trunks!

One of my all-time top favorite movies is Joe vs the Volcano.  This scene always cracked me up and comes to mind as I pack and prepare to leave very shortly.  


So yes, I am going on a voyage -- to Indonesia.  Not alone, but with and dependent on God.  Not by ship, but maybe there will be ferry boats involved once I get there!   And "Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts (Zech. 4:6)." 

I will be updating this blog with my adventures, pictures, and stories.  Jane Fazi -- I will post the "back story" that led to this trip, maybe while I am in flight! 

In the meantime, please pray for me and for the people receiving me in Indonesia!  Also, please let me know how I can be praying for you and yours.

Love in Jesus,

Joan

Here I am, Lord; send me

I am going to Indonesia!!!!!