Things that are diffferent: Idul Fitri date changed!

Imagine it’s 5:30 pm on Christmas Eve.  Family has gathered from out of town for a special meal -- the food is almost done and the table is set.   Kids, adorned in their new clothes, are excited about the festivities to come – whether marching in the Christmas Eve parade, or just spending time at home opening one special present or perhaps all of them!  Churches are putting the final preparations on their Christmas Eve services.  Some people are already on the road heading to church.  The next morning is CHRISTMAS – they can hardly wait!  Adults are a little frazzled with preparations but happy with a holiday glow. 

Then the announcement comes over the radio and the TV.... people start calling and texting each other immediately with the news!  Christmas has been postponed by one day!  Today is not Christmas Eve …..it’s the day before!   

I don’t know what everyone did ….whether they put the special food in the fridge or just ate it …and I don’t know how they felt ….

This is exactly what happened here last night.  The date for Idul Fitri are published on the calendar, but cannot commence until the moon is exactly right.  On the afternoon of Idul Fitri eve, Muslim experts all over the country peered at the skies for the sighting of the new moon….it didn’t appear and therefore the date was postponed.

Everyone was ready though, when the festivities finally started last night.  Jonathan was excited by the children’s parade that went by our house at 7 pm.  All of the kids were shiny in their brand new holiday clothes, singing and holding candles and marching to the beat of a big drum.  At dusk, the mosques started their all night broadcast.  The music continued until 7 am, when our neighbors gathered at the Mosque to worship and hear a special Idul Fitri sermon.  People are now officially breaking their month long fast with delicious food and will soon start visiting each other and asking forgiveness for any wrongs they may have committed over the previous year.  It’s Idul Fitri!

Ramadan 2011

Our neighborhood mosque is located down an alley and behind someone's construction supplies, but it is bright, cheerful, well attended, and well maintained.

The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan falls in August this year, from August 1- 29.  Ramadan is a time of intense spirituality for Muslims, during which they spend extra time in prayer and seek God's forgiveness and favor.  Sometime during this month, the first revelation of the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammed making it a sacred time. 

The people fast from sun-up to sun-down.  Ramadan culminates with the huge yearly celebration of Idul Fitri, which this year falls on August 30 - 31.

The culture in this country is so different during this month ....most of the population is fasting from sun-up to sun-down and the level of activity in general is decreased to be sensitive to everyone's lower physical endurance.  For instance the soccer field next to our house is usually loaded every morning with students from local elementary schools doing their PE classes.  This morning, the soccer field is quiet, and the students stay on campus and perhaps do stretching exercises only for PE.

Everyone needs extra money for their holiday travels, so little temporary store booths have popped up here and there.  There is a new fruit stand near the school -- it's so convenient to be able to buy fruit just a block away from home!  I'll enjoy it while I can, but it will likely be gone after the holiday.

Follow this sign to find our local mosque.

Our local mosque uses this tree to help make sure everyone hears the calls to prayer and neighborhood announcements.  Four speakers facing North, South, East and West are attached high in the branches.

As for the effect on our family, we primarily feel it in the mornings.  The first call comes early, around 4:30 am, to wake people up to eat before sunrise.  At 5 am, a half-hour of preaching is broadcast from the mosque.  Jonathan will sometimes sleep though the 4:30 call to prayer, but he almost always wakes up for the sermon.  I wish it wasn't true, as I could use just 1 extra hour of sleep!

It also affects our decision making.  For instance, I was planning to get an ultrasound in the big city next week to check on our new little one.  However, it's the last week of fasting month.  The doctor and the nurses are likely to be grumpy and not performing at their best.  Also, too many people will be on the road traveling and shopping with their last minute holiday preparations.  I've waited this long ....no problem to wait a few more weeks!

Life in Our New City -- Part 1

Disclaimer: This Blog is Still Under Construction!!

It's been over a week since we arrived in our new town. We don't yet have internet at the house, so it's been a challenge for Jenn to get to a connected computer what with Jonathan's naptimes and night time and everything.

Here's a picture of the house we are living in now. The first house we were assigned really wasn't ready to live in yet. We only lived there for one night -- it had NO cockroaches but lots of dirt and needed some essential repairs. We were so grateful that the school quickly offered us another house which was very clean and study but has many cockroaches. At first Jenn asked Dave to stomp on them because they make a horrible sound when squished. After a few deays, Jenn is now brae do to the deed herself with a broom handle. She yells during the kill to cover the unpleasant sound. Fortunately we found the main cockroach entrance and plugged it, which decreased their number at least 80%. The next step is to shop for boric acid, which when mixed with onions, sugar, flour, and milk makes a "cockroach cookie" that is will scare them away for 6 months. The book says the recipe is 100% effective -- I'll let you know!

We have so many blessings here. The weather is always warm but not as sweltering as Dave had feared. It's supposed to be dry season now, but it's rained several times. The locals are worried because it's messing up the crop cycles and driving up the food prices in the market. In our house we have 4 ceiling fans and a wall fan in the kitchen. The floors are tile throughout. We have hot water n the bathroom and sometimes in the kitchen. The school provides a regular ample supply of drinking water. Electricity is good -- the power has only gone out a few times for about an hour in the mid-morning. We were so blessed to be able to buy a used washing machine from a family who is leaving town. Thank you Lord! Someday soon I will do a room-by-room tour for those of you who are interested!

Our neighborhood is mostly Javanese. There are at least 5 mosques within a 1/4 mile radius of our home. The all perform the call to prayer over loud speaker 5 times a day. It's not too bothersome -- actually sometimes I think it's beautiful depending on the talent of the singer. It would be nice if we Christians did something similar. They start around 5 am and at this time of year the last call is around 8:30 pm. The times change as the Muslim calender year progresses. I have heard that when Ramadan (the Muslim fasting month) starts, they sing almost all night long.

There is another American teacher family 2 hourses down from us. They have 3 small children with another on the way. We expect to be good friends with them. Also there are 2 Korean families on our street. They do not speak Indonesian or English, so we can't communicate much with them yet.

The school community has been so supportive and helpful and kind! The first night we were here, dinner was brought to us. The next 4 nights, different school families invited us over for dinner! This was a life-saver because Jenn definately wasn't ready to put together a meal yet and we didn't know where any of the safe eating joints are! Another mom took Jenn shopping twice in the first few days to get essentials for life. We were so pleasantly surprised to find there is a lot available here in town -- including delicious whet breat that can be delivered to our house every Tuesday for a good price! There is also a delicious high fiber red rice we've been enjoying.

We are about 4 minutes walking distance from the school, all on stroller-friendly quiet side roads or sidewalk. Jenn can easily take Jonathan to campus! This is a wonderful answer to prayer -- Thank you Lord!

After the first few days of taking care of details, Dave has been going to school every day to prepare for the new school year. Today (July 29) is the first day of new teacher orientation. Students arrive on August 9 and school starts on August 10.

We so thankful to be here. Sometimes while we're laying in bed under the ceiling fan, listening to the call to prayer, we're amazed that God has brought us here together. It's a dream come true and an affirmation of God's call on our lives as a family.

Until next time!