Home again, home again
I figured going home over Christmas and then coming back to Indonesia would be weird. I knew that, after six months, I could come back here again. I just figured it would be hard. It was.
I cried from Omaha to Dallas to San Francisco and then partway from San Francisco to Hong Kong. (It's a 14 1/2 hour flight...most sane people would cry!) I begged Travis to let me come back; I told him I was just catching a plane back to Omaha from whichever airport we were currently sitting in. He didn't let me, though, which is a good thing because once we FINALLY landed in Jakarta, I was fine. Strange, isn't it?
Once we landed in Indonesia, I was OK. We claimed our bags (they all arrived, hooray!), caught a cab and went home. Yep, home. It was good to be back in our house, call our friends and go out to eat to catch up. It was even better to go to school on Monday. I was a bit apprehensive to start the second semester, mostly because the first one started out so shakily. It was great, though. I was glad to see the kids, glad to see they were all OK and glad to get back to a job I'm actually not too terrified of anymore. I miss everyone just as much as I always have, though, which is hard.
On another topic, the Indonesian response to the Indian Ocean tsunami has been interesting, from what I've seen. Our students, particularly the younger ones, are convinced it was an act of punishment from God. They don't really know what to make of it, I don't think. I guess I really don't, either.
Life is pretty much back to normal here, but the people affected by this horrible natural disaster still need help. There is currently enough food and clothing, etc.; in fact, there's too much of some of that, as there are reportedly warehouses of food spoiling. What the people need now is help for the future. They need to rebuild schools, churches, mosques, hospitals and clinics, businesses and homes. Anyone wanting to help out now should consider giving to reputable organizations like the Red Cross and UNICEF (which is doing a lot to help the thousands of orphaned children). This way, you can be sure your money will be going to help people, not just to pad someone's wallet.
It seems like most of the world has already moved on from what happened. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's separation is making bigger headlines now. I know that's how life goes, but I just ask that we not forget the millions of people who lost so much. To the rest of the world, it's old news, but these people are just barely starting to figure out how to even begin to pick up the pieces and live again. Keep them in your prayers, please. Prayers are something the world can never get enough of.
I cried from Omaha to Dallas to San Francisco and then partway from San Francisco to Hong Kong. (It's a 14 1/2 hour flight...most sane people would cry!) I begged Travis to let me come back; I told him I was just catching a plane back to Omaha from whichever airport we were currently sitting in. He didn't let me, though, which is a good thing because once we FINALLY landed in Jakarta, I was fine. Strange, isn't it?
Once we landed in Indonesia, I was OK. We claimed our bags (they all arrived, hooray!), caught a cab and went home. Yep, home. It was good to be back in our house, call our friends and go out to eat to catch up. It was even better to go to school on Monday. I was a bit apprehensive to start the second semester, mostly because the first one started out so shakily. It was great, though. I was glad to see the kids, glad to see they were all OK and glad to get back to a job I'm actually not too terrified of anymore. I miss everyone just as much as I always have, though, which is hard.
On another topic, the Indonesian response to the Indian Ocean tsunami has been interesting, from what I've seen. Our students, particularly the younger ones, are convinced it was an act of punishment from God. They don't really know what to make of it, I don't think. I guess I really don't, either.
Life is pretty much back to normal here, but the people affected by this horrible natural disaster still need help. There is currently enough food and clothing, etc.; in fact, there's too much of some of that, as there are reportedly warehouses of food spoiling. What the people need now is help for the future. They need to rebuild schools, churches, mosques, hospitals and clinics, businesses and homes. Anyone wanting to help out now should consider giving to reputable organizations like the Red Cross and UNICEF (which is doing a lot to help the thousands of orphaned children). This way, you can be sure your money will be going to help people, not just to pad someone's wallet.
It seems like most of the world has already moved on from what happened. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's separation is making bigger headlines now. I know that's how life goes, but I just ask that we not forget the millions of people who lost so much. To the rest of the world, it's old news, but these people are just barely starting to figure out how to even begin to pick up the pieces and live again. Keep them in your prayers, please. Prayers are something the world can never get enough of.
posted by Erin @ 9:02 PM
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