The Elliotts

A Few Christmas Highlights

This was our third Christmas in Indonesia - kind of hard to believe .  We are far from used to warm weather during the holidays, in fact quite the opposite has happened.  As the years pass we find that the idea of a cold, snowy Christmas gets more and more romanticized.  I have mostly forgotten all the negative aspects of a cold climate and my memories have become much like a storybook - warm, cozy evenings by the fireplace, frost on the windows, the sound of scraping shovels in the early morning - paradise!  Next year we will experience Canada in all her wintry glory.  As for this year, we mostly stayed at home.  Indonesians love to get out on holidays so we opted to avoid holiday traffic and hide away at home.  It was nice.  We shared Christmas Eve with some neighbours and Christmas day with colleagues.  Below are a few photos from our holidays (please excuse the poor quality - our camera was dropped on the tile floor and thus I had to use my blackberry).

 Picture taken after Blaise's school Christmas performance.  He had several key roles which he carried off in style.

Flora and her new bath robe and princess hat

Blaise faking surprise as he had already discovered this present hidden away in the bathroom cupboard long before Christmas morning (reminds me of myself :))

One highlight for me was a visit to a local orphanage - Panti Asuhan Bersinar.  The children were so happy to sit and chat with us and then entertained us by singing and dancing.

 Not Christmas related at all - but this picture captures the best of Indonesia and makes me happy

 

Teacher Day

This past week I had the fortune of being one of the parents involved in the "teacher day" event in Flora's kindergarten class.  We had a lot of fun and all agreed that we are sooooo thankful for the teachers who do this day in and day out!

Outdoor games to warm us up

Flora with her classmates and teachers

Me and one other teacher parent

My "lesson" - decorating Christmas cookies :).  My favourite student (on the left) other than Flora of course. 

 

God cares about the small things

I made a promise earlier this week.  I was feeling really sick Saturday, Sunday and into Monday; I was fretting about it too because I had two races coming up on the weekend.  Great timing. As I was moaning about how unfair it was, Ben challenged me: if we pray and God heals you, you have to blog about it. 

I think I didn't feel back to my usual self until Saturday morning, the day of the Cibinong 10k.  Any runner can tell you just how important it is to be mentally tough.  For me being sick and having to scale back on training is just the kind of thing that can kill my mental game on race day.  I had an excuse if the race didn't go as planned.  I had chosen this race because I wanted to get a PR in a 10k - I had no hope of winning a prize (as some of the top national athletes would be attending) which usually means I will run better :).  Before the race began Ben and I had the chance to warm up and chat with many of these athletes.

 

Cibinong 10k start - only picture I could find

The start was a mass start - unlike anything in the west. People were pushing from all directions and some even fell down after the gun went off.  I managed to get off safely however and I knew right from the start that God had blessed my legs - I felt strong and fast.  So, at the end of the day I managed to gain a PR and beat one of the national athletes which put me in fourth place overall.  I have never been so pleased to finish one place off of the podium and one place out of 10 Juta (approx.$1000) - Ben may have felt a little differently!  

I am thankful that I believe in a God that knows me so well and cares about even these small things.

Accreditation Helps Project

Hey, just a quick update FYI.  For my winter project this year I am putting together a series of essays called "accreditation helps".  They are designed (you'll be surprised to learn) to help out accreditation and ordination candidates in my church, the Christian and Missionary Alliance.  The plan is for a new essay every week, and I have several finished already, so I should be able to deliver for the time being at least.

So, cruise on by the new Accreditation Helps Project site and check it out; I'd love your feedback, especially if you are getting ready for accreditation or ordination in the Alliance.

Eleven out of Ten

So, big days in the Elliott house.  Well, normal days really, but one of the days involved a turkey, which in Indonesia involves an investment of half a million at the Ranch Market, our international grocery store.  But boy, it was worth it!

I'd like to say that the menu item of the day was my fresh mango chutney (it is mango season here right now); but I think the fact that none of our SE Asian friends had ever eaten turkey kind of made the bird itself the marquee item.

To clarify, this is not our turkey.  This is a promo turkey picture from Butterball.  But our turkey was every bit as delicious and the Ranch Market only had one for sale: a fifteen pounder so we probably have enough leftovers to make it to Thursday or Friday!

Our guest list was our office accountant whose wife was out of town, and two of Kari's single mom friends.  It was a really fun and unique time, celebrating a Canadian holiday with a bunch of non-Canadians.

Anyway, that's how life looks this week, really normal.  I (Ben) am working away at my school; we are at midterms right now.  I am really proud of my students this week, they are working hard and it seems really learning and growing.  Great job Jaffray students!  I am really thankful to God that he has put you in my life.

For me, it has been easy to find things to be thankful at this thanksgiving.  My amazing wife, my great kids, all the blessings God has put in our life like friends for Kari and a safe place to live; you know, we prayed for several months that Blaise would have a Western friend at his school this year, well one is moving into the neighbourhood one block over.  I am so thankful.

And of course, one last Turkey at the Ranch Market.  Turkey borscht tonight, and then grading midterms and commenting on book reviews [one of the best books ever: The Christian Mind by Harry Blamires].  I am thankful for this life, and really thankful as we go through this year that we begin to see some of the difference that our liife over here has been making, in spite of the difficulties.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I thought I was the athlete???

    So, usually I get priority for weekend athletic events, but this weekend was different.  We as a family had the opportunity to watch Daddy participate in his first ever criterium cycling race.  It was a very cool experience full of cycling entertainment and we are super proud of Ben!

If looking good could win you the race . . . 

Helping daddy get his bike set up

Hanging out with the Indonesia national champion

Ben at the front of the peloton

 

Field Trip and Graduation

You've been searching for the answer.  You've been wondering.  It's ok, we all have.  We all want to know just what really represents the cultural heritage of Indonesia for the rest of the world.  Is it a game like hockey or baseball?  Is it a fashion statement like the kimono or the kilt?  Maybe it is a food . . . a kimchi, a lasagna, or warenecki?  What really sets Indonesia apart from the rest of the huddled masses?  Well . . . 

. . . you guessed it: its shadow puppets.  You might be asking yourself: how is it that a nation built on shadow puppetry has not yet managed to rule the world?  It's a mystery my friend, but one me and my philosophy class tried to unlock on our field trip to the Wayang Museum of Indonesia last Friday [wayang is the Indonesian word for shadow puppet].  I can definitely say that I have never been to a museum quite like this before.  The wayang here is either Arjuna or Bima.  I can say that with confidence because, judging from what I picked up from our legitimately awesome and knowledgeable guide Didit, pretty much every wayang is either Arjuna or Bima . . . or a member of Team America World Police [yup, these are authentic Indonesian cultural treasures].

Anyway, we had a great class trip and enjoyed the museum.  One the way, we stopped at 7-11 [there are only 6 in Indonesia, so it makes a cool stop] and Kari gave me a stern look when I said to one of my students: "Boy, let's you and me hop out here and get the Slurpees."  She said that it was really rude to address him like that; but then I told her that his name actually is 'Boy'.  Take that Kari.  Here is Kari's hair and Boy, staring lovingly at his first ever Slurpee.  He said it 'almost makes him forget his home town'.  If they had a sweet potato flavoured one I think I could get him to move to Canada.

So, long story short, next week in class we are going to be talking about how Plato's allegory of the cave in the Republic is basically just Indonesian wayang set in a Greek context.  The only difference might be that Plato says we spend our whole lives watching the wayang instead of trying to discover what is really real; the wayang show itself actually only lasts ten hours [!!].  Oh, and we also got gamelan lessons, and Blaise was a natural.  Keep in mind that the gamelan playing also lasts ten hours (Didit only let us mess around for 15 minutes) but at the end I think you get to see Arjuna fight Bima.

 

Also this weekend was graduation.  We had a joint graduation between my school (Jaffray Seminary Jakarta) and our sister school (The Foundation for Christian Counselling).  It was really cool to see all the grads come through and get their diploma, especially so now that I have had so many in class and got to know them a little bit.  I am really proud of our grads, and really proud to be a part of a school that is committed to shaping leaders, teachers, pastors, and counsellors in their work here in Indonesia. Being a part of an event like this is a great reminder of how really worthwhile (hopefully) all that theological class prep and grading really is.  Great job grads and great job organising committee!  [ . . . and next time can I get one of those killer medals?]

The Elliotts Get Creative and Organized

Mostly it was Ben, but I like to think we all had a hand in the work projects of today.  Imagine a house without any closets - no linen closets, no front hall closets, no pantry - that is what all homes in Indonesia are like.  You have to create storage space.  We have been craving storage (especially for toys) for so long but reluctant to spend much so Ben went to work.  At one point Blaise said to Ben "Mom is sure lucky to be married to a carpenter".  I agree!

This afternoon all four of us Elliotts were out on the front lawn.  Ben was hammering and sawing and I was leading the way for team "paint".  We realized that we were causing quite a stir in our neighbourhood - especially around 5 pm when everyone began to pass our front lawn on their way home from work.  I am sure some were thinking "you know you can buy furniture in Indonesia".  We like to think you can't buy it quite this nice!

Raffles Time Trial

Lately, the Elliotts (mostly Ben, let's be honest) are into biking, and by into biking, I mean rearrange your schedule to watch the Vuelta every night for two hours into biking.  In fairness, it is really the only sport that you can get on prime-time TV 'live' here in Indonesia; that, and it has more crashes than Nascar.  So, it was no surprise that the decision to host a family time trial in the neighbourhood (Raffles Hills) was met with much acclaim.  [Here is Blaise looking for some TV time with his (sweet $2 outlet store find) jersey unzipped and a mouth full of juice; he traded bottles with the car at 3k.]

Blaise led us out, followed by me, and then Kari, with Flora driving the support car.  My guess is that Blaise is the only six-year-old not resident in Europe who has shouted over his shoulder: "Mom, do you have an extra tire if I have a blow out?"  I corrected him with the reminder that, by rights, she should have prepared a full wheel to speed up the change.  (You know, maybe a little less Vuelta for that kid . . . )  Yes, those are aerobars on Blaise's bike; thanks for the loan Uncle Harry, but Blaise hasn't let me try them yet.  [Nice custom TT numbers by Blaise -- he got 6, I got 5.  We should make a video, out of the saddle Blaise has a style that looks just like Contador, with a little bob; he is so light.]

Anyway, Flora passed drinks out the window, Blaise pulled yupies out of his back jersey pockets (Indonesian for jube-jubes), and Kari and I tried not to get honked at too much.  But all in all, it was a cracker of a family day in the neighbourhood.  Blaise finished the (quite hilly) 5.5k loop in 27:34, and the two adults went 10:54 and 10:07.  Our neighbours assuredly think we are so strange [. . . especially that guy that I just passed in the minivan . . .]

Canada=cold and Jakarta=hot

    We had been in Canada for two days when one morning (and it was particularly chilly) Blaise says to me: "It is so cold in Canada!  I like the Jakarta weather better".  He says this from the warm place he has created under his blanket covers.  To be fair it was a rather cold summer this year even by Alberta terms. Despite the initial "climate shock"  we had a wonderful month in Canada: holidaying at the cabin, visiting friends, shopping in Canadian grocery stores (a highlight for both Ben and me), and eating all our favourite things.  It was a trip full of blessings.

Blaise chilling on the way over to Canada

Blaise and Flo with their cuz

My favourite nephew!

    Well, we are back now and it is HOT here.  The rainy season disappeared while we were away and hot has fully taken over.  We are excited about this coming year; both kids are in school.  Flora is in all morning and Blaise (big primary one kid) stays until 2 pm!  Yikes they are growing up quickly.  We are so thankful that both kids are happy going to school.  Blaise was greeted with such enthusiasm from his class mates and naturally Flora has already charmed both her teacher and all her little friends.  She told me that after the first day of school her teacher made a new rule: no kissing other students, only hugging is allowed.  After a little digging I discovered that this rule was created after several little boys tried kissing Flora.  I don't really blame them she is quite kissable after all :).

    A big thanks to our family and friends in Canada.  You guys encouraged us in so many ways and instead of feeling sad and homesick (and there still is a bit of that) we feel so ready to take on the challenges of this year and are excited to see what God has for us life and ministry.