Change is Coming...

Hi friend!

Our time is coming to a close in Sentani. We move to Wamena in 9 days!!  Appropriately so, it is time for a little reflection.  

Sentani.  This place.  I am going to miss it.  

Flying to Indo for the first time.

Sentani, the place I thought I wouldn't be able to bear the heat, but I have survived quite nicely. 

Sentani, the place where fantasy merged with reality. The fantasy and wondering of what life in Indo would look like, and Sentani showed me.  It showed me how to live here.

Sentani, the place where I thought culture shock would hit me like a ton of bricks, but instead it stuck up from behind when I wasn't looking.  

Sentani, the place where I struggled to learn more patience for the little things you can't control. 

Learning you must filter all your drinking water.

The place I have had countless adventures and many struggles.  The place where I did things I never thought I could.  Like learn a new language, jump in a lake that has crocodiles, catch a massive ocean fish, be able to live, not only live, but THRIVE in a new culture. 

Sentani, the place that has seen me through the very first baby-steps of this journey.  It is almost like this place has seen me take my first wobbly steps, then learn to walk, but occasionally fall down and scrape my knee, then learn to get up again.  

Here I learned how to navigate a taxi by myself with 3 little phrases in Indonesian written on a napkin.  Here I didn't drive for 6 whole months.  Here I learned to cook from scratch in a box oven.  Here I learned the in's and out's of air drying your laundry.  I learned how to make friends with the ant armies that relentlessly are trying to take over our house.  I learned that I can survive a cockroach crawling all over my face.   Here I went to the local market (Pasar) for the first time and thought there was NO way, NO WAY any of the food in my house would come from there, and it is here that I now have most of my food come from the Pasar.   Here in Sentani I learned that street food won't kill me. 

Here in Sentani I watched Grace and Matt become extremely sick with dengue fever, and here I learned that God is capable and bigger than dengue fever.  

Discovering the Pasar! 

Here I learned how to survive being the "show" because whenever we are out in public people stare....it is rare, odd, unusual, exciting.....???  to see us  foreigners "bule" folk around town.  

Here I made friends with my neighbors and watched as Grace became friends with all the neighborhood kids and now calls them "all my friends", even though they can't speak the same language. 

I have built some deep friendships here that are lasting.  

Here I have watched my husband flourish in his language skills, and I have watched him place his hearts desire in God's capable hands.  I have watched him release control of something dear to him, and give the controls to God.   I have watched Matt's faith, and it has encouraged my own.  

Here, I watched my heart be changed, challenged.  I have never been so tired somedays, or so excited others.  

Sentani has seen me through a million "firsts" and in many ways, this town, these people have been my teacher.  Teaching me I CAN live here, I CAN learn not only a new language, but a new CULTURE.  I CAN not only live here, but FLOURISH here.  

I can have FUN here.  And most of all showing me that God CAN and IS using us here.  

I will genuinely  miss this town, and the people in it.  I am thankful we spent this time in Sentani. And I know that God has more awaiting for us around the corner.....so while it is ALWAYS hard to say goodbye to one chapter closing....I am eagerly waiting to see what the next one contains.

Much love,
Amanda.  

Ps.  Enjoy some pictures of our time here in Sentani! 

Let it begin. 

Grace and one of her friends.....Daya

My english speaking mind had a hard time with this one. 

jumping in lake sentani

eating a grub

I ATE A GRUB!

Movie and dinner night! 

Learning about culture! 

Wahoo! 

Matt met an old friend who cared for him when he was little and lived in Papua!  It was a beautiful moment. 

The jungle is leaking! 

A day trip on the river in the jungle. 

Met a carpet python in the jungle! 

While walking through the jungle we stumbled across this...a bakar batu! 

We sold our car in America and our only wheels for the foreseeable future....motorbike...or scooter. 

With the wild traffic....sometimes this is how driving on a motorbike makes me feel...... haha

The worst sunburn of my life.  If you look close my nose and chin are a giant blister

Walking around Sentani......discovering lots. 

My first time on the taxi alone....I celebrated with coffee!!!  

Our team and friends, heading off to the lake

My FIRST time getting motion sickness......it is no joke. 

Making friends

Grace is making friends too! 

The tops of lots of fences....glass...or nails

annnnnd then Matt got dengue fever and was more sick than I had ever seen him

And in that same week Grace got diagnosed with reactive airways.  Tough week

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At the beach making friends. 

Coming home from a fun day at the beach. 

On a field trip, we had to speak to people at the pasar

fruits and veggie stand

the beauty is breathtaking.  Mt. Cyclops in the background. 

Matt and his buddy, Septi

Our first time in Wamena......surreal

Falling in love with the locals

Clash of cultures. 

No matter the country, we love to fish!  

We are blessed

boat to the beach. 

our first Christmas in Indo.....in Sentani

Our first bakar batu

Our first Indo New Years.....in Sentani

LOVE beach trips with our dear friends.  Jared showing grace his monster fish

Our dear friends. 

Kittens in Sentani!!!!  

Fishing in the ocean! 

Success fishing in the ocean!!!! 

She fishes in pink pajamas! 

Learning about culture! 

I love Silvia! 

Hiking around the lake

 

Ohhh what adventures we have! Snorkeling to a secluded cave. 

We love snorkeling 

And we love adventure!!! 

My first ever night snorkel spearfishing trip.  I was nervous...but I loved it! 

jungle shower

Our bathroom.  

cutie bug