As Iron Sharpens Iron --- Thankful for Friends!

About a year and a half ago, I remember crying in my living room because I couldn't arrange any playdates for Jonathan.  I couldn't find any little boys in our community who could come play.  I felt that Jonathan needed the practice to learn how to share, be gentle, be polite!

In the next year, God provided several little friends for Jonathan.  It's been very special because two kind boys are quite a bit older than him (kindergarten), but still are faithful to come for a playdate at our house or play on the school playground each week.  Jonathan thinks these big boys are worth emulating. 

We LOVE this friend who comes to play every Wednesday afternoon!

On this day, Joshua just would NOT leave him alone, wanted to hug him or sit on his lap for 30 minutes solid!  Our friend is the youngest of 5 kids, so doesn't have any younger siblings.  He didn't mind the baby love.

This friend is from the Phillipines.  His mom works at Mountainview.  We've been playing with him twice a week for the last 6 months or so, and although he is shy, he and Jonathan love each other.  In this picture, he was sick at the hospital and we went to visit him there.  He had typhoid fever but is all better now.

Sunday School play time

Another blessing this year has been the little 3-5 year old Sunday School class that was started at the international fellowship where we attend.  We started in September, when he was not yet 3, always accompanied by a parent and closely coached.  Now he goes to Sunday School by himself and has learned to sing songs in the group and (sometimes) sit quietly for story time!  After the lesson and craft, there is usually some play time. 

We miss this friend who already moved to Papua in February.

As we live in a language school town, many of the ex-pats who come to town only stay for 10 months to a year, and then move on to another island or area of Java.  Jonathan has lost several friends this way already.  He often asks "When are we going to move to Papua, Mommy?"  A few of his friends have already moved to this far eastern island, so he thinks maybe we will too.

When good friends leave, new ones arrive.  Here is a friend who arrived with his parentsfor language school in December. 

Of course it's nice to have some female friends too.  Sometimes these two sisters come to play, and Jonathan always agrees be the patient while they play with his medical kit.  Nothing like being doted upon even when you're not actually sick.

Even Joshua has had a regular play date this year.  It has been such a joy to watch these two little boys, only 16 days apart in age, grow up together!  Sadly, Monday will be our last playdate with him and he will move away with his parents!  Words cannot express how much we will miss them! 

Progress! Dave learning with a new tutor!

As the new school year approached, we were praying for a new language program for Dave.  The tutoring he was receiving last year just wasn't producing strong results.  For one thing, it all happened in the middle of his busy school day on campus. It was hard to focus.

We prayed for a specific person -- someone mature, male, with strong tutoring experience, and who uses a curriculum.  We followed a few dead-end leads before the Lord finally led us to Pak Sabto, who meets all of those criteria perfectly!  Pak Sabto is a full time home tutor.  He and Dave have been meeting for about 2 months now, and Dave is making progress!

Now Dave can hang out on the front stoop  of the corner store with the other men and say quite fluently "I can't speak Indonesian, but my wife can."  He's become so fluent in that phrase that people don't believe him anymore! 

Pak Sabto is 34 years old with a wife and newborn daughter.  He comes to the house on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  He has worked at language school in the past and even has written his own curriculum!

The funny thing is, Jonathan LOVES Pak Sabto also!  He calls him "Dahdo" and waits at the door when we mention that he is coming.  As soon as Sabto is in the door, Jonathan pushes a chair into the study room and sets himself in it, waiting for his lesson.  Sometimes Sabto will go over a few words with him before I lead him away and shut the door.  It's great to hear Dave and Sabto conversing diligently in the local language for their entire 1 hour lesson.

Jonathan waiting for his lesson with Pak Sabto. 

This day Jonathan got to sit in on the lesson for the first couple of minutes!  I guess he shares his daddy's love for learning!

P.S.  You see the couch in the picture?  I just have to share about the miracle that happened at our home last week.  It is the same couch -- an American hide-a-bed sofa given to us last year -- in the last video post of Jonathan dancing.  We just had it recovered -- very affordable -- and it looks brand new.  Best of all, whereas previously we were unable to fit this 83 cm wide couch through our 80 cm wide spare bedroom door, the upholsterer's assistants were able to fit it in after the work was done!  So the miracle is..... we now have a guest room!  Praise the Lord!  Let us know when you are stopping by!

Jonathan is making friends

I have confession to make.  I haven't been blogging much lately ...and the main reason is frustration with my camera!  Jonathan does so many cute things....but he does them so quickly and our little camera just can't catch the action shot!  90% of my pictures are blurry, and the ones that aren't have no little person in them because Jonathan has already run out of camera range.

What I most want to blog about ...Jonathan and his little friends...is also difficult to document.  In the process of making friends, I don't want to alienate the parents by taking too many pictures.  The other problem...I need BOTH hands to catch my little squirt, who knows no fear, before he jumps into ditches or critter-infested rock piles or in front of a speeding motorbike!  So often, the camera is left behind. 

Yet it is happening, and gives me so much pleasure!  Jonathan is making friends with other children in the neighborhood, and so we also are slowing getting to know other families who live close to us.  Every morning, when Dave leaves for work, we walk him down the road a little ways and then continue our way around the block.

Our neighbor girls, Safira and Alisia are usually out at that hour.  Safira is always in her school uniform, waiting for her mom to finish getting ready and take her to kindergarten on the family transport vehicle, a motorcycle.  Alisia, at age 2, goes along for the ride.  They like to chase our 2 good-natured cats, and Jonathan likes to chase them!

Often we go around the corner, where Rasha and Aria, brother and sister, live.   They toddle around in their driveway while their mom or grandma follows them around with a bowl of porridge, feeding them a spoonful whenever they stop long enough to breathe.  It's just not the culture here to restrain a child in a high-chair during meals. 

Naufel, 3, is often out, although we haven't seen him for a week or so.  Riski, another 3 year old, is also frequently helping his daddy sweep in front of the house.  We usually only see him for a few minutes before he has to go inside for his morning bath.

Four year old Didi, is very fond of Jonathan.  We usually see him in the mornings before he goes to school.  He attends a Muslim pre-school, and his family seem very faithful.   He has a little green bike, and an old push-car that Jonathan likes to ride.  If we've passed his house before he comes outside, he will walk along the street until he finds us and invite us to play in the yard.  His doting Grandma is always there too.

Here are a few (admittedly poor quality) pictures of Jonathan with our neighbor girls.