Story Telling Competition

Last week, I was asked by a friend if I would help out by being part of a jury for a kids story telling competition. Being more than happy to help out, I agreed not knowing any details, figuring it was just for the kids that take English classes at his after school center. Come to find out it was actually a legit competition! It was held at a Elementary-High school and a bunch of kids from different Elementary schools were competing in different events all week--story telling(in English!!) was just one of the events.
When I got there, there were 26 elementary age students from different schools around Malang participating. They were supposed to choose a fable/story from Indonesia or another country. They memorized the story, retold it in front of the audience and were scored based on their story-telling competency(pronunciation, performance, presentation, how well they followed the story, etc.). I'm probably not the best person for a jury, because I thought they were all great---I was probably the equivalent to Paula in American Idol. We listened to all of them give their stories, then chose 10 finalists who told their stories again. From the 10 we chose the top 3 winners. They all did such a great job!! I was amazed at how well they spoke English(kids start learning English now in SD, or elementary school).

A picture of all the contestants...They were so cute and got all dressed up in costumes for their stories. Most of the ones that were dressed up were for the Indonesian stories, but there were a few little red riding hoods there too :)

The 2nd and 3rd place winners...I loved their look of anticipation for the 1st place winner!

Aaaand the 1st place winner...she's a little excited

The jury and the winners...sorry for the bluriness, one of the students took the picture haha

New Food Friday...Sate Kambing

This was actually my new food from last week, but poor internet connection kept me from uploading :) Next on my list was snail sate, but when my friend, Kurnia, and I went to look for it the seller wasn't set up yet, so I settled for the next best thing...goat meat sate. I will just have to wait for snail sate next week(I don't mind waiting!). I've had goat sate before and it's actually really delicious and tastes a lot like beef, but for some reason this time was below par. Maybe it was just the place where I bought it.

Murah Hati

One thing I'm constantly learning more about from Indonesians is being "murah hati" or how you "generous" in Indonesian---direct translation is a cheap heart(or liver...they use the same word for both sometimes!). In every way I am challenged by the way they freely give in their lives-their time, their service, their food, etc...and always with a smile on their face. Neighbors and friends are like family to them and guests, even if they're dropping in unexpectedly are treated like royalty(they even have a common phrase in Indonesian for that). Indonesians have been a true example to me of how to have more of a servant heart. I'm reminded of 2 Cor. 8:7 where Paul says(talking about the generosity seen) "Just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in complete love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving."
This past weekend was another example to me of their generosity and kindness. My friend Kurnia invited me to her friends' house for the weekend. Mind you, I have no idea who her friends are and have never met them before, but immediately I was welcomed into their home and lives. Her two friends live in Pandaan, which is about an hour north of Malang, in between here and Surabaya. Their house is in the middle of rice padi fields(literally)...it was amazing. They immediately welcomed me and as we visited and talked, I learned a lot about their family and life, and they even tried to teach me Javanese(the language most people prefer to speak here). They laughed everytime I tried to use a Javanese word. The mother has 8 siblings, most of which live nearby in Pandaan. We went and visited 3 of her siblings, who all welcomed me the same...as family. The amazing thing to me was how simply they lived, but how generous they were. Their family of 6 live in a 2 bedroom home, but joyfully opened their home to 2 more for the weekend. I had such a blast meeting them and going around the town with them. One of the aunts said to me at the end of the weekend that since my family is so far away, they have become like 2nd family and I am welcome anytime. :)

Trekkin through the rice padi fields

We went to the top of a lookout hill where the view is amazing...you can't really tell because my camera skills are below par :( I can never get over the colors of green here!

Thanks for the memorable weekend, guys!

Lessons Learned...

I'm writing 2 times in a weekend...I think that's a record for me! No there are no pictures in this one, just an experience and my lesson learned. As a result from different life events recently, God has been teaching and speaking a lot to me about trusting Him. When trials come, things happen that don't make sense or in seasons of good and bad, I can put my trust and hope 100% into knowing that God is in control. The One who made everything on Earth, who gave me life, is of course powerful enough and all-knowing to be in control of what comes up in life, good and bad. It's become easier for me(don't get me wrong, I still mess up), through God's grace to stay Gospel centered and trust God when big trials come up, but often it's the day to day trials and hiccups that sneak in and I lose my focus.
Take last night for example...I was heading back to my kost on my motorbike, as normal, and all of a sudden another guy on his bike pulled out in front of me without stopping or even looking. Luckily I wasn't going too fast and was able to stop somewhat, but I still knicked him and I went to the ground. Instead of thanking God that no one got hurt, that things were ok, and responding to the guy with a gentle tone, my sinful nature kicked in and I responded in frustration to his driving and lack of caring(as he tried to do a hit and run). Later, when I got back to my kost safely and calmed down, I had a clear mind.
This morning I was reading from My Utmost For His Highest and guess what it was about? Having our minds fixed on God. How fitting...It was a passage from Isaiah 26:3- "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." You can read the devotion from February 11th at http://utmost.org/is-your-mind-stayed-on-god/.  Basically that our minds are the greatest gift God gave us when He created us. Our thoughts affect our actions and our actions can bring glory to God. I want to learn in everyday life to take every thought captive(2 Cor. 10:5) and make it obedient to Christ and set aside my weakness. Luckily, I don't have to rely on my own efforts, but He helps us in our weakness. How different would my reaction have been last night?

Cooking Sessions with the Ibus

I'm not really sure how it got brought up, but back in December, two of my language teachers and I were talking about food and cooking(it happens pretty often!) and I told them I'd teach them how easy it is to make granola and offered to teach them. We met at Ibu Sulis' house and made granola together. It was so much fun!! We decided to do it once a month and learn how to cook foods from both cultures. This month, I chose something to teach and Ibu Itin chose something Indonesian to teach. I chose Enchiladas(I know, not very "American" but they wanted some Mexican food!). Now, one thing about cooking and baking in Indonesia that I've come to really appreciate is that most things have to be made completely from scratch. I've made enchiladas before, no problem, but this was the first time I've made everything from scratch...Everything from the tortillas to the enchilada sauce! I've loved learning how to make things from scratch like that, and I think it makes it taste so much better! I'm also amazed at how easy things are to make from scratch...I never thought about it before in America since it's just much easier and cheaper to go to the store and buy it. The enchiladas turned out great...maybe a little too pedas(spicy), but hey Indonesians love spicy.

The finished product...enchiladas with guacamole. One funny thing I learned from a teacher is that Indonesians think it's so strange to eat avocado as a food. They usually only use it for juice!

Ibu Itin with her finished product. She made "lumpia" which are a lot like egg rolls. Lumpia's a food from Semarang on Java and are usually fried, but Ibu Itin made her own recipe using something more like a crepe. One thing I have to say about Indonesians is they are very talented at cooking and not needing recipes to follow!

Another shot of the lumpia...sorry for the bad quality. I used my cell phone. Inside was carrots, chicken, beansprouts, onion and garlic. It was so delicious!

I love the chance to hang out and interact more with my teachers and learn new things from them and what they like to cook. I can't wait for next time! :)