Dear Friend,
The Christmas season is upon us, I am sitting on the couch watching snowflakes as big as feathers from a pillow fall on to the roof tops. How are your preparations for the Christmas festivities? My preparations have included baking many cookies. So far Mom and I have made 3 different types of cookies.
Today I was making molasses cookies. I had my brown sugar in the bowl, and as I added the molasses, I watched the patterns of the brown liquid as it dropped onto the sides of the bowl and seeped into the brown sugar. "Look at the curly pattern it makes," I exclaimed to Mom. "Hm... so you still cook the same huh?" she replied. She was referring to the way I baked in elementary.
I used to always help my mom bake as a 1st or 2nd grader. Now friend, you must understand that it takes a very patient mother to let her 6 or 7 year old help her bake cookies. Mom always let me add the ingredients to the bowl and mix it, an easy enough task right? Well, it always took me ages because I would narrate stories of miniature villages.
There I am, sitting on a stool so that I could see over the counter and in to the big bowl. First I had to add the flour which created a grand snowy mountain. I would pretend there were villagers who lived on this mountain and they just had a snow storm. "The village of Cookiedom has just suffered a heavy snow storm." Next I would add the sugar, pouring it out on top of the mountain to create a hail storm. "OH NO! The villagers that are trying to survive the heavy snow fall are now hit with a hail storm," I would narrate. Next I would strategically add the milk. "Just when they thought it was all over, a little stream of white liquid appears and turns into a big flood." Then this big medal thing would come and ruin the whole town and even their mountain. "Ahhhhh, the people of Cookiedom are lost forever... until we bake again," I would smile at Mom. Sometimes my mom would take the bowl and start mixing it because my narrations would take too long. To be honest, sometimes I still think of those stories when I cook, but I just say them in my head.
What a funny child I must have been. Did you know that at this same age I once told my Aunty Kathi that I didn't have an imagination. My sister would always go play 'lost children' with Aunty Kathi's daughter. One day I was hanging around the kitchen where mom and Aunty Kathi were talking. Perhaps I was being annoying because Aunty Kathi said, "Why don't you go play 'lost children' with Hannah and Megan." "I can't," I replied seriously, "I don't have an imagination."
Why did I think this? I have no idea. Perhaps because I didn't like playing with dolls and I wasn't any good when I tried to play lost children, but I obviously did have some sort of imagination if I could create a village full of natural disasters while baking.
Well friend, I have to go make lunch then practice for our Christmas eve service.
Merry Christmas if I don't write before then!
I'm thinking of you and hoping you are having a great holiday.
Your friend,
Rebekah E. S.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Airports
Dear Friend,
Hi! How is your Christmas holiday? Mine is starting out well. I made it safely to my parents house, and have talked a mile a minute since I arrived and probably won't stop until I leave. There is just so much to tell my parents, and it is so much fun when I can see them face to face!
Before I saw my parents today though, I had a 7 hour layover in Narita. Thankfully it was an airport I am most familiar with. Did you know that I have been to at least 23 different airports in 11 different countries? Seven hours is a long time, so I had time to count them out. I also had plenty of time to journal, reflect, think, pray, and I even wrote down a blog while I ate a double cheese burger at McDonalds. So here is my blog transported from paper into cyberspace.
Today as I sat in the blue chairs at Narita airport, I watched people pass through the security check to head towards their international destinations. So many different emotions filled the area! To my left, one grandchild tormentingly cried because grandpa was leaving, to my right two sweethearts were hugging a final goodbye. A few minutes later I heard the stressed voice of a father reprimanding his son for riding on the luggage carts. Groups excitedly headed out on a new adventure, families were leaving together counting to make sure they had every child, and some people had no one to say good-bye to. I wonder what everyone's story is. Where is he going? Is she going home, or leaving home? Did they just meet during this trip, or have they known each other for years? I wonder.
Do you get emotional when you travel? Do you tear up when you have to say good-bye? I have been traveling since I was 9 months old, and I never used to get emotional. I remember leaving Switzerland as a six year old. It was the first time I was conscious of being in Switzerland, the first time I met my Swiss relatives. It was a fun few months, but now it was time to go back to Japan. My godmother, who is also my aunt, dropped us off at the airport. She gave us all hugs and was getting teary eyed. I gave her a hug, said good-bye and was ready to go. I had to carry my older sisters massive teddy bear because I was the 6 year old so I should carry the doll, I didn't like dolls and felt silly. We showed the man in the uniform our passports and tickets, walked through the gates and headed up the escalator. I remember looking over the teddy bears head, through the big glass wall, at my godmother and I tried to look sad as I waved one last time. I thought I was an odd cold hearted child since I didn't feel sad and wasn't crying. Today I realized why I never used to cry at airports... and it is not because I was cold-hearted. I was always leaving with my family. The four people that mattered the most to me were still with me, so what was there to be sad about?
It wasn't until I was in highschool that I got teary-eyed at an airport. I was heading for America to attend a mission trip. I was fine saying good-bye to my parents, but then as I stepped on the escalator going down to departures, I looked up and saw my parents through another glass window. As they disapeared from my view, I felt a knot in my throat. I was traveling alone for the first time, no family was with me, I did no know what may happen. Naturally I would cry. Wouldn't you?
Now, I can't help but get teary-eyed when I say bye to family, because the four people I care about most are not traveling with me. We always try to be so brave and not cry, but it never works. When my sisters dropped me off at the airport so I could move to Indonesia, I cried. We all did. We had no idea when we would see each other again. In fact, we still don't! I am with my parents now, but after the holiday when I go back home to Indonesia, I won't know when I will see them again. We don't even know when our whole family will be together again. That's a scary thought! Thankfully, I have the assurance of Christ, that He is in control of everything.
I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family that loves to travel. I love traveling with my parents and sisters, watching movies together, playing card games or talking. Now, I travel alone. I always wonder... when will I get to travel with someone again? Someone I love and never have to leave. When will I be traveling with my own children, knowing that my family is once again traveling with me. God knows when, I love that He knows and that He has it all planned out.
All this from sitting in an airport. Seven hours is a long time to be alone and think.
Your Friend,
Rebekah Edith
Hi! How is your Christmas holiday? Mine is starting out well. I made it safely to my parents house, and have talked a mile a minute since I arrived and probably won't stop until I leave. There is just so much to tell my parents, and it is so much fun when I can see them face to face!
Before I saw my parents today though, I had a 7 hour layover in Narita. Thankfully it was an airport I am most familiar with. Did you know that I have been to at least 23 different airports in 11 different countries? Seven hours is a long time, so I had time to count them out. I also had plenty of time to journal, reflect, think, pray, and I even wrote down a blog while I ate a double cheese burger at McDonalds. So here is my blog transported from paper into cyberspace.
Today as I sat in the blue chairs at Narita airport, I watched people pass through the security check to head towards their international destinations. So many different emotions filled the area! To my left, one grandchild tormentingly cried because grandpa was leaving, to my right two sweethearts were hugging a final goodbye. A few minutes later I heard the stressed voice of a father reprimanding his son for riding on the luggage carts. Groups excitedly headed out on a new adventure, families were leaving together counting to make sure they had every child, and some people had no one to say good-bye to. I wonder what everyone's story is. Where is he going? Is she going home, or leaving home? Did they just meet during this trip, or have they known each other for years? I wonder.
Do you get emotional when you travel? Do you tear up when you have to say good-bye? I have been traveling since I was 9 months old, and I never used to get emotional. I remember leaving Switzerland as a six year old. It was the first time I was conscious of being in Switzerland, the first time I met my Swiss relatives. It was a fun few months, but now it was time to go back to Japan. My godmother, who is also my aunt, dropped us off at the airport. She gave us all hugs and was getting teary eyed. I gave her a hug, said good-bye and was ready to go. I had to carry my older sisters massive teddy bear because I was the 6 year old so I should carry the doll, I didn't like dolls and felt silly. We showed the man in the uniform our passports and tickets, walked through the gates and headed up the escalator. I remember looking over the teddy bears head, through the big glass wall, at my godmother and I tried to look sad as I waved one last time. I thought I was an odd cold hearted child since I didn't feel sad and wasn't crying. Today I realized why I never used to cry at airports... and it is not because I was cold-hearted. I was always leaving with my family. The four people that mattered the most to me were still with me, so what was there to be sad about?
It wasn't until I was in highschool that I got teary-eyed at an airport. I was heading for America to attend a mission trip. I was fine saying good-bye to my parents, but then as I stepped on the escalator going down to departures, I looked up and saw my parents through another glass window. As they disapeared from my view, I felt a knot in my throat. I was traveling alone for the first time, no family was with me, I did no know what may happen. Naturally I would cry. Wouldn't you?
Now, I can't help but get teary-eyed when I say bye to family, because the four people I care about most are not traveling with me. We always try to be so brave and not cry, but it never works. When my sisters dropped me off at the airport so I could move to Indonesia, I cried. We all did. We had no idea when we would see each other again. In fact, we still don't! I am with my parents now, but after the holiday when I go back home to Indonesia, I won't know when I will see them again. We don't even know when our whole family will be together again. That's a scary thought! Thankfully, I have the assurance of Christ, that He is in control of everything.
I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family that loves to travel. I love traveling with my parents and sisters, watching movies together, playing card games or talking. Now, I travel alone. I always wonder... when will I get to travel with someone again? Someone I love and never have to leave. When will I be traveling with my own children, knowing that my family is once again traveling with me. God knows when, I love that He knows and that He has it all planned out.
All this from sitting in an airport. Seven hours is a long time to be alone and think.
Your Friend,
Rebekah Edith
Friday, December 17, 2010
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Dear Friend,
Apa kabar (how are you)?
Today was our last day of school. Wow... I have been a teacher for half a year. CRAZY! Ah, now to become a good teacher that knows what to do and how to help each individual child and their specific needs.
Today is my last full day in Indonesia. For Christmas I will go to Japan to be with my parents. It is exciting... yet I am sad. I am sad to leave Indonesia. I don't know why I have this sad feeling, I know I will come back in less than a month. But I guess a month seems like a long time. A long time to not see my wonderful students, colleagues and friends. But it will be good to be with my parents. Perhaps I have this sad feeling because normally when I leave a country or place, I don't know when I will be back, so my mind instantly connects the idea of leaving with a sad feeling. I will miss Indonesia. It has become my home! I will miss eating three different fruit every day, I will miss the food, I will miss listening to the rain and smiling at the rain, I will miss riding on motorcycles, I will miss saying "Pagi Pak" every morning to the security guards, I will miss receiving tons of hugs from my students the instant I walk through the door, I will miss playing after school basketball, and I will miss Tuesday night Bible study. Thankfully, I am not leaving for good! I know I will be back in a month, in the year of 2011!
I am excited for 2011. You know my favorite number is 11, so I have always looked forward to this year. Today in chapel I heard a very good talk. One thing that the speaker made me think of was that we are entering into a new decade. SO much will happen in one decade. Can you imagine? In one decade I will be 32 years old! Perhaps in this decade I will fall in love and be married, maybe even start a family. Perhaps my sisters will have too! My parents might retire from the mission field, or decide they never will. Perhaps, (and this will hopefully happen) I will be bilingual because I will be able to speak Bahasa Indonesia and English. I am excited for this new decade to come, especially with the assurance that God is in control of everything, He already knows all that will happen. I love knowing that. Sometimes I try to make things happen by doing something or saying something, and my plan always fails... but when I leave it up to God, those things end up naturally happening, and I am constantly reminded to just leave my life in God's hands and He will guide my path perfectly.
I want you to sop and think of this past decade, year 2000-2010. How much has happened for you?
For me, just in one year so much has happened, looking at 10 years is crazy!
I have lived in 4 different countries: Japan, America, Switzerland and Indonesia, I moved a countless number of times, I went through middle school, high school, college, and have an international teaching job, I played volleyball on the team and performed in numerous dramas and musicals, I was diagnosed with kyphoscoliosis and wore a back brace, I had braces, I went on a mission trip to Europe, and another one just to Spain, I had Christmas in Japan, Switzerland, America and Peru, I met my best friend, I had two Christmas' over skype, I played monopoly with my sister over skype and lost, my parents house started with 5 people in the year 2000 and dwindled down to 4, then 3, then just 2, I learned to drive, then I learned to drive a manual car, I named my car Fabio, I got in a car crash, I attended my first 'wedding of a close friend,' I had 6 different piano teachers, I learned to yodel, I grew closer to God, I got to know my American grandmother, I twisted my ankle and had to use crutches for weeks, I was in America for longer than a year, I had many game nights and Shakespeare read-throughs... the list goes on and on.
I want you to think, not only what you did this past year, but this past decade, it is a long time... and notice how God's hand is in it all. Sometimes we wonder why different things happen to us... and sometimes, years later when you look back, you can finally realize, "Oh, perhaps that is why God had that happened, so I would be able to do this..."
For example, I had to wear a back brace for four years to help straighten my spine. I still don't know why I had to wear it... besides that fact that it was straightening my spine... but perhaps I will be able to use that experience to connect with some child who also has to wear one and be able to share the gospel to them through that similar experience. Who knows? Only God does, but that is what is so exciting! (Perhaps the experience will not lead to anything else... and that is fine too, I believe the experience of wearing a back brace for all of my high school years has definitely effected who I am today)
Well, like I said, tomorrow I am leaving on a jet plane... but thankfully I DO know when I will be back again... so I need to finish packing.
I am sure I will write again before the new year... Oh man, I am so excited for the year two-thousand-eleven!!! I get to write down my favorite number every time I write the date, --/--/11. I know it is silly, but it will probably make me smile every day.
When does your holiday begin?
What will you be doing?
I hope you have fun! Tell me about it okay?
Your friend,
Rebekah E. S.
Apa kabar (how are you)?
Today was our last day of school. Wow... I have been a teacher for half a year. CRAZY! Ah, now to become a good teacher that knows what to do and how to help each individual child and their specific needs.
Today is my last full day in Indonesia. For Christmas I will go to Japan to be with my parents. It is exciting... yet I am sad. I am sad to leave Indonesia. I don't know why I have this sad feeling, I know I will come back in less than a month. But I guess a month seems like a long time. A long time to not see my wonderful students, colleagues and friends. But it will be good to be with my parents. Perhaps I have this sad feeling because normally when I leave a country or place, I don't know when I will be back, so my mind instantly connects the idea of leaving with a sad feeling. I will miss Indonesia. It has become my home! I will miss eating three different fruit every day, I will miss the food, I will miss listening to the rain and smiling at the rain, I will miss riding on motorcycles, I will miss saying "Pagi Pak" every morning to the security guards, I will miss receiving tons of hugs from my students the instant I walk through the door, I will miss playing after school basketball, and I will miss Tuesday night Bible study. Thankfully, I am not leaving for good! I know I will be back in a month, in the year of 2011!
I am excited for 2011. You know my favorite number is 11, so I have always looked forward to this year. Today in chapel I heard a very good talk. One thing that the speaker made me think of was that we are entering into a new decade. SO much will happen in one decade. Can you imagine? In one decade I will be 32 years old! Perhaps in this decade I will fall in love and be married, maybe even start a family. Perhaps my sisters will have too! My parents might retire from the mission field, or decide they never will. Perhaps, (and this will hopefully happen) I will be bilingual because I will be able to speak Bahasa Indonesia and English. I am excited for this new decade to come, especially with the assurance that God is in control of everything, He already knows all that will happen. I love knowing that. Sometimes I try to make things happen by doing something or saying something, and my plan always fails... but when I leave it up to God, those things end up naturally happening, and I am constantly reminded to just leave my life in God's hands and He will guide my path perfectly.
I want you to sop and think of this past decade, year 2000-2010. How much has happened for you?
For me, just in one year so much has happened, looking at 10 years is crazy!
I have lived in 4 different countries: Japan, America, Switzerland and Indonesia, I moved a countless number of times, I went through middle school, high school, college, and have an international teaching job, I played volleyball on the team and performed in numerous dramas and musicals, I was diagnosed with kyphoscoliosis and wore a back brace, I had braces, I went on a mission trip to Europe, and another one just to Spain, I had Christmas in Japan, Switzerland, America and Peru, I met my best friend, I had two Christmas' over skype, I played monopoly with my sister over skype and lost, my parents house started with 5 people in the year 2000 and dwindled down to 4, then 3, then just 2, I learned to drive, then I learned to drive a manual car, I named my car Fabio, I got in a car crash, I attended my first 'wedding of a close friend,' I had 6 different piano teachers, I learned to yodel, I grew closer to God, I got to know my American grandmother, I twisted my ankle and had to use crutches for weeks, I was in America for longer than a year, I had many game nights and Shakespeare read-throughs... the list goes on and on.
I want you to think, not only what you did this past year, but this past decade, it is a long time... and notice how God's hand is in it all. Sometimes we wonder why different things happen to us... and sometimes, years later when you look back, you can finally realize, "Oh, perhaps that is why God had that happened, so I would be able to do this..."
For example, I had to wear a back brace for four years to help straighten my spine. I still don't know why I had to wear it... besides that fact that it was straightening my spine... but perhaps I will be able to use that experience to connect with some child who also has to wear one and be able to share the gospel to them through that similar experience. Who knows? Only God does, but that is what is so exciting! (Perhaps the experience will not lead to anything else... and that is fine too, I believe the experience of wearing a back brace for all of my high school years has definitely effected who I am today)
Well, like I said, tomorrow I am leaving on a jet plane... but thankfully I DO know when I will be back again... so I need to finish packing.
I am sure I will write again before the new year... Oh man, I am so excited for the year two-thousand-eleven!!! I get to write down my favorite number every time I write the date, --/--/11. I know it is silly, but it will probably make me smile every day.
When does your holiday begin?
What will you be doing?
I hope you have fun! Tell me about it okay?
Your friend,
Rebekah E. S.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Fear of the Lord
Dear Friend,
How are you? The Christmas season is upon us. I will be leaving Indonesia in 2 weeks. I will be in Japan with my parents, it will be so great! However, I won't be with my sisters which makes me sad to think of.
The other night I was thinking back to when I was little. Imagine yourself at the age of 6, you wake up in the middle of the night with a horrible stomachache. You try to ignore the pain and go back to sleep but unfortunately this plan does not work. Quietly pulling down the covers, you sit up and tiptoe to the door. The whole house is quiet and dark, everyone is sleeping. Thankfully Mom put that little nightlight in the hallway. You walk down the hall to your parents closed door. Slowly, and oh so quietly, you open the door just enough to slip into the room. There you stand at the foot of your parents bed. They are both sleeping so soundly. Looking to the right side of the bed, then to the left, you have to decide which parent you are going to wake up. "Mooooomy. Daaaady," you say almost inaudibly. "Mooomy, Daaady," you try a little louder. "Mommy, Daddy," you say even louder. Eventually you see a stirring on one side of the bed and begin to approach that parent. "I don't feel so good," you say, trying to sound as miserable as possible so that they won't get mad at you for waking them up. Hold on a second, why would they be mad? They are your parents, they love you and want to help you when you are hurting? Why would you be scared of that?
I don't know why, but it was scary, disturbing your parents when they are peacefully sleeping was such a scary thought to me.
As I was drifting to sleep a couple of nights ago this story popped into my head along with the thought that perhaps this is what it is like to fear the Lord. I have always had difficulty understanding the fear of the Lord. In my head I understand it, but not as much in my heart. I always think of God as the loving Father, always there to help. I know He is so perfect and amazing that I don't deserve to ever be in the same room as Him... but for some reason it is hard for me to grasp the concept of fearing the Lord. Well, this story made me think of it. Even though my parents love me so much, I was still scared to wake them up. Even though God the Father's love for me is unconditional, He is so amazing and has so much power, that we need to fear Him.
I don't know... it's still very confusing to me. Perhaps my story doesn't really relate.
Any thoughts or help you can give me?
Your friend,
res
How are you? The Christmas season is upon us. I will be leaving Indonesia in 2 weeks. I will be in Japan with my parents, it will be so great! However, I won't be with my sisters which makes me sad to think of.
The other night I was thinking back to when I was little. Imagine yourself at the age of 6, you wake up in the middle of the night with a horrible stomachache. You try to ignore the pain and go back to sleep but unfortunately this plan does not work. Quietly pulling down the covers, you sit up and tiptoe to the door. The whole house is quiet and dark, everyone is sleeping. Thankfully Mom put that little nightlight in the hallway. You walk down the hall to your parents closed door. Slowly, and oh so quietly, you open the door just enough to slip into the room. There you stand at the foot of your parents bed. They are both sleeping so soundly. Looking to the right side of the bed, then to the left, you have to decide which parent you are going to wake up. "Mooooomy. Daaaady," you say almost inaudibly. "Mooomy, Daaady," you try a little louder. "Mommy, Daddy," you say even louder. Eventually you see a stirring on one side of the bed and begin to approach that parent. "I don't feel so good," you say, trying to sound as miserable as possible so that they won't get mad at you for waking them up. Hold on a second, why would they be mad? They are your parents, they love you and want to help you when you are hurting? Why would you be scared of that?
I don't know why, but it was scary, disturbing your parents when they are peacefully sleeping was such a scary thought to me.
As I was drifting to sleep a couple of nights ago this story popped into my head along with the thought that perhaps this is what it is like to fear the Lord. I have always had difficulty understanding the fear of the Lord. In my head I understand it, but not as much in my heart. I always think of God as the loving Father, always there to help. I know He is so perfect and amazing that I don't deserve to ever be in the same room as Him... but for some reason it is hard for me to grasp the concept of fearing the Lord. Well, this story made me think of it. Even though my parents love me so much, I was still scared to wake them up. Even though God the Father's love for me is unconditional, He is so amazing and has so much power, that we need to fear Him.
I don't know... it's still very confusing to me. Perhaps my story doesn't really relate.
Any thoughts or help you can give me?
Your friend,
res
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