What's Next - March 2019 Ministry Update

Thirty years ago, my family and I moved to Indonesia and my life was forever changed. During the years we lived here in Sentani, when I was 10 to 18 years old, God built into me a love for living in a multicultural and cross cultural setting. Many of the skills and talents that I started to master in those years are foundational in my current ministry to missionary kids. Since returning to Sentani and Hillcrest in August 2018, I've enjoyed watching again how God is continuing to use the traits and skills He built into me all of those years ago.

Thank you so much for your prayers for me as I've pondered the next steps in this ministry and life of serving missionary kids and their families through education. At times I feel alone in this journey, but I know that I have many fellow sojourners who are lifting me up and supporting me and I can see, in little and big ways, how God walks with me. So, I'm excited to share that God is leading me to stay here in Sentani and continue to serve as a teacher at Hillcrest in Indonesia. Life is often harder due to the lack of some conveniences, but I feel at home and I can clearly see how my role of teaching the children of the Christian workers furthers Bible translation.

The four-hour hike to this small village while on OE was both beautiful and exhausting.

March has been a BUSY month. First, the high school students left and most of their teachers went on a 10-night trip called Outdoor Education, or OE. We traveled to Nalca to serve the people by doing some repairs on their airstrip, teach kids about the Bible, and showing the Jesus film. We also learned more about them, their language, and their culture through a 4 hour hike to a smaller village, participating in two traditional pig roasts, and asking anthropological questions. My small group worked really well together and showed growth throughout the trip. I’m proud of them!

Then, while we were gone, Sentani got lots of rain, and three days after we got back on Saturday night there was a LOT of rain (almost 6 inches). This triggered landslides and flash floods that ripped through neighborhoods sending people running up the hill to our school for safety and killing around 100 people. Both our gym and indoor soccer court were filled all day with refugees who had lost their homes. At night, the population increased with those that were afraid to sleep at home as the rains (20 inches over 5 nights) and landslides continued. The school staff and teachers were stretched thin as we worked to care for, feed, and serve around a 1000 people until responsibility could be effectively passed on to the local church and government. Please continue to pray for the displaced--including co-workers whose homes are severely affected--and all of us as we adjust to a new normal and process all that has happened. Thank you for the prayers and encouraging words you have already given.

The indoor soccer court is where I spent a lot of time serving refugees.

May the peace of God be with you on that side of the world and with us on this side of the world as we continue to serve even amidst hardships. I am so thankful for His presence in my life!

Tidings of Sadness and Joy

On December 22, a fire started on the third floor of the NCCC Mall in Davao. One of my former students, Maryjoy whose wedding I attended just before I left Davao in August, was trapped on the fourth floor. All day (which was their night) on the 23rd, I waited along with many others to hear news, praying and checking Facebook every free moment with high hopes that plummeted with each passing hour. "No survivors." was the cold announcement as the snow began to fall here in Nebraska. How do I process this grief when I'm so far away, in a often foreign environment? A poem:

Tidings of Sadness and Joy

by S. Farlin

Here, a blanket of cold and white

There, you were wrapped by inferno.

Now black tints our world with grief,

Sorrow piled on top of joy.

Last we met you were clothed in white

A resplendent bride.

Dimples and hugs, kindness and love, 

Hope was embodied in Mary.

Waiting for confirmation,

Waiting for His advent.

Anticipating the Good News,

Fearing the worst.

For unto us a Child is born

And from us a daughter was taken.

Death I feel your sting, 

But the Son came and brought victory.

Jesus be the center as we journey

Through all these extremes.

First 30 Days in Nebraska

Transitions are a regular and repeating part of my life. They come and go in waves and sometimes overwhelm me. As I was wrapping up things in Davao and preparing to live in the US for a year of home assignment, I wanted to prepare my heart and mind as well. I decided to post a small insight or observation from the day on Facebook to record my journey for my last 30 days at home and then for my first 30 days in Nebraska. Here's a collection of what I wrote: #first30days

Day 1 of being back in the US: Glad to be able to help my sister mow the lawn. Almost feels like I've always lived here.

Day 2 in NE: It's impossible to instinctively know what time it is when it's cold (< 80 F) all day and the sun doesn't go down til almost 9 pm...oh and you're jetlagged.

Day 4 of furlough: Hanging out with siblings is nice!

Day 5: Belly laughs that end with tears in my eyes

Day 6 in NE: According to a local, Haiti and the Philippines are the same place. LOL!

Day 8 at "home": Craft night helped me to settle in and not feel like I'm living out of a suitcase.

9th day of furlough: Helping siblings with yard work, they're sweating and I'm enjoying myself.

Day 10 in NE: Who knew that you could buy a fishing license online while out on the water?

Day 12 aka Day 42 of transition: Connecting my phone isn't as easy as buying a SIM card load at the sari-sari store. #imissglobe

14 days since I left Davao: Finding a daily or weekly routine is harder when you don't have a class schedule.

15th day in NE: It's so quiet here that I can clearly hear my stomach growling.

16 days since I left Davao: Each day there are moments where it feels like a friend from the other half of my world should be by my side or I should be by their side. Time and distance don't negate those connections but they do make my heart hurt.

Day 18: Saw a partial solar eclipse in Davao in 2016 & a total eclipse in NE today. Living globally does have perks!

Day 20 away from Davao: I miss the warmth of the tropics.

Day 23 back home: I do love the beauty of a big sky!

Day 27: Today I cleaned out the kitchen...oops, she doesn't belong in the trash!

Day 29: It's so refreshing and comforting to spend time with good friends from my other life on this side of the world.

30th day in NE = 60th day of transition: At the State Fair viewing the animals and walking around in a SEA of red t-shirts...yep I'm definitely in Nebraska.

Last 30 Days in Davao

Transitions are a regular and repeating part of my life. They come and go in waves and sometimes overwhelm me. As I was wrapping up things in Davao and preparing to live in the US for a year of home assignment, I wanted to prepare my heart and mind as well. I decided to post a small insight or observation from the day to record my journey for my last 30 days at home. Here's a collection of what I wrote. #last30days

30 days til I leave Davao for NE: I will miss small hardware stores manned by a smiling tindera.

29 days til I leave Davao: Finding community and connections where you thought that they had withered away.

28 days til I leave: Even an honest to goodness "see-ya-later" causes me to tear up.

27 days til I leave: I will miss 🛌 💤 during ☔in the 🌴

25 days left: Supper sorted for less than 120 pesos ($2.50)!

24 days left until my departure: I will miss my motorcycle that gives me freedom to go anywhere, and I'll even miss the funny looks I get when people realize that a white girl is driving.

23 days left till I leave Davao: Loss reminds me that things that seem permanent aren't, so I need to
 put my hope in my eternal God.

21 days til I leave Davao: Sari-sari stores--a perfect place to pick up the garlic I forgot to add to the market list and to strike up a conversation with a neighbor.

19 days until furlough starts: An early start to a long day at school is more bearable when there's others to work with and time with good friends to end the day.

18 days til furlough in NE: Nearly empty closets make me feel both accomplished and empty inside.

16 days to furlough: Caught in the middle of "I'm leaving so I need to pass tasks on to the next person," and "There's so much to be done and I'm not gone yet."

15 days left until I leave Davao for a years furlough: Half way there! I will miss serving parents and colleagues.

14 days left: In transition, alone-ness rears it's ugly head and it stinks! But I'm so thankful for the multiple communities I belong to!

Day 12: Like a tongue returns to a new filling, so my thoughts seem to always come back around to "Is this the last time I'll ever get to...?"

11 days until I leave: Last night in my house. What a blessing this place has been!

Day 9: Even a LONG day on little sleep in the midst of a depressing circumstance feels less burdensome when you can laugh with friends!

8 days left until I board a plane: There's nothing like a good cry to tire you out and to make the world seem better.

6 days til furlough: Enjoying the pool at the end of the day. Thankful for friends who let me use their extra bedroom by the pool.

5 days (or is it 4 since it's after midnight?): Genuine care is a 3 course (2nd two shown here) meal painstakingly and lovingly cooked just to treat me!

4 days to go before getting on an airplane: The chaos of packing is real!

2 days left: One last ride home in the rain, the kind of rain where you are soaked in less than 2 seconds.

TODAY I leave Davao for a 1 yr furlough in NE: So thankful for my 16 years here and the lives that have impacted mine. Who knows what the next 30 days will hold?

Dependency and Strength

I like to be independent. Being single, living overseas, and carrying responsibility all mean that I have to be self-sufficient and willing to do things on my own. There's a strength that I experience when I set out to accomplish a task on my own.

As a teacher, I feel effective when I'm helping others - recognizing their problems and finding a solution so that they can be successful. That's a large part of my job. A good teacher helps their students.

But this video reminds me that  I can rob my students of the same strength that I feel when I do something on my own. Living in this paradox of serving but not stealing independence from my students is a balancing act. It requires me to be dependent on God's direction and draw strength from Him.

OE Feb 2016 Cagayan de Oro

Outdoor Education: our (mostly) annual high school trip where we organize opportunities for the students to serve others, hear from God's Word, stretch beyond their comfort zones, and learn outside of the classroom walls. During OE, we require our students to journal and I require it of myself; its something that I don't generally do. My OE journals over the years great snapshots that pack a lot of memories and meaning. Here's some excerpts from my journal this year:

All of my OE Journals

Day 1 - K and I came up 2 days early to  get all (well almost all) of the plans finalized. Lots changed in our schedule in the past 2 days of planning but we were able to connect with 2 important contacts....It was cool to stop and take a picture with K in Sinuda on the drive up here - that's where K and I first did an OE together, her as a student and me as a teacher planning OE with her dad. What's even neater (is that a word?) is that this is our 2nd OE planned in CDO together. It's so cool to connect with people that we served 4 years ago and see the fruits of our small efforts then. It helps me to see God's faithfulness.

K and I worked on this fence back in 2006

Day 2 - During our tour of the Habitat for Humanity sites, we got pulled over by the LTO (the DMV as its known here). Apparently our hired jeepney was not allowed to go into that area of the city because it wasn't on his route. I didn't know that was a thing because in my thoughts, a hired vehicle can travel anywhere. I guess that's not true in CDO.

The joy of a jeepney

Day 3 - Some days there's a lonely feeling that just hangs around me...at times I feel like there's no one who knows me and gets all of the aspects of my life. Evening talks have been about the koininia connection that we can have with God, if we just ask and I'm trying to draw on that, but there are just days that it feels empty.

The singing on OE is one of my favorite things

Day 4 - Today was a great day! My group of students rocked! They were attentive, responsive to directions, and they worked together well...Its funny how today I'm totally loving OE but the months beforehand planning it are a BEAST and dragging the kids to it is draining. I always love it when I'm here (and so do the kids--usually), but getting here takes so much work that I don't have a good attitude about it. However, I do have to say that my experience is biased because I have a great group! They aren't the smartest or most organized, but they have heart.

You never know who you will get to serve - this time  a kid named Stephon Corey

Day 5 - I really can't believe that this is my 16th OE - 13 as an adult and 3 as a high school student in Indonesia. When did it get to be so many? How did I get to be that lucky? They are so much work to plan though! And I'm ready for some down time...Man, when I came back from Habitat today, everyone was overflowing with stories. I had some great conversations with kids, where I wasn't their teacher, but just a person, and they weren't my students but people who could relate to me.

We got to hear this couple's typhoon story...and love story

Day 6 - And now comes the end of OE slump--the tiredness, the pride in the kids' growth, the weariness, the joy of connectedness and community, the knowledge that I will soon be all alone in my house again, the drudgery of a return to routine, the gratitude for a great experience, the elation of completing the large task that is OE. How am I supposed to make sense of all of these emotions? How do I reconcile the good and the ugly, the joy and the sorrow that are truly intermingled, entangled, and wedded together?

The beach at sunset: the perfect way to end a great day

Today - As I look back on the school year, I'm grateful for the opportunity that I've had to go on OE. It was my favorite activity as a kid and I looked forward to it ALL year long. As an adult, its easy to take OE for granted, easy to be overwhelmed by the task of leading it. But really, its one of the perks of teaching here and I really wouldn't want to stay behind while there's fun to be had and important life lessons to be learned.

OE my senior year...20 years ago

The beginning of summer break

walkways are a labyrinth of faces and book bags
books and papers abound
projects in various stages of completion
groaning about the tasks to do and the limited time and energy
when will it end? are we done yet?
the pressure is high

halls are a highway in Nebraska, wide and few travelers
silence and loneliness surround
transitions ahead and goodbyes mostly said
time and days stretch into eternity
what will those left behind do? what now?
the emptiness is papable

Blood and Guts

"Miss Farlin! My frog just blinked!"

Today we got to dissect frogs and fish as a part of the Biology curriculum. The students always enter into the process with fear and trepidation.  But at the end they are proud of their accomplishments. One student looked like he could conquer the world since he conquered his fear of blood.

The frog's hearts were still beating--a cool thing to watch while appreciating the rhythm that God put into living beings. I learned to better identify the kidneys in a fish--specifically in bangus or milk fish.

I'm super thankful for our school janitor who prepared cardboard cutting boards ahead of time, caught the frogs for us even in this dry hot season, and cleaned our classroom up afterwards. His help makes the whole process so much more enjoyable.

What I saw while diving in the Davao Bay

I've got to go diving 3 times over the weekend - one night dive and 2 dives at a new place called White Rock. Here's some pictures that I've collected off the internet of some of the cool things I got to see.

Yellow spotted box fish, similar to a puffer fish

Blue Puffer Fish

We saw 2 small cuttlefish. One let us play with it. The other one squirted its ink and hid.

There were so many feather stars, or crinoids. It's fun to see how quickly they catch on to you when you touch them. One soft coral had 10+ feather stars hanging on to its branches.

One feather star even swam for us like this one.

The banded coral shrimp is a cleaner organism.

I love the shells that a tiger cowrie makes, but seeing the animal in the water brings joy too!

Nudibranchs add more color to the ocean. we saw a small one like this, about the size of my pinky, and a big one, that was closer to the size of my hand. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of the one that was dark purple and round with bright green markings that we saw on the night dive.

January 2014 Praise and Prayer

As we landed in Davao, I was able to
see Faith Academy Mindanao,
with its white roofed buildings,
out the window of the airplane!

Give PRAISE:

• I have arrived in Davao and I traveled in STYLE! I was able to get on every flight that I wanted to and I was seated in a business class seat for 2 out of 3 flights. The extra legroom, scrumptious food, and privacy all helped me to arrive well rested. I have never been so relaxed on a trip across the Pacific!
• My house, my motorcycle, and my classroom were waiting for me in good order. During my first few days back I was easily able to get the essentials prepared to start classes on January 8.
• Many graduates and former students are in town visiting family over the holidays. What a blessing to hear how God is showing himself to be faithful in their lives as they mature into young adults.

Please PRAY:

• For elementary teachers to fill the critical need in four classrooms next school year at Faith Academy Mindanao. (see more in this video)
• I'm back to teaching 4 classes at the high school - AP Calculus, PreCalculus, Geometry, and Biology. Planning, teaching, and managing these classes is a somewhat mundane set of tasks for me, but it brings lots of opportunities to interact with students, fellow teachers, and parents. Please pray with me that God would clearly show me where I should step out in ministry.

Road Trip

For the holidays, my brother, sister and I drove down to my uncle's house to spend time with family for the holidays. The car was full! Along with our personal items were 2 dogs and their kennels and necessities AND all of the things that I was sending to Davao in a balikbayan box. I'm so used to traveling by public transportation where I need to put all my stuff in an enclosed container where volume and weight matter. It's so weird for me to be able to access to the stuff I've packed, have room to stretch out and sleep, and cuddle with Rachel's dogs along the way.
























Today, I saw a post with with video and laughed out loud at the host's view of traffic in Manila! I'm looking forward to driving my motorcycle in this kind of traffic again!

December Praise and Prayer

The lovely, REAL Christmas tree we
decorated this year.

Give PRAISE:

• God has provided new monthly financial partners so that my ministry budget goal is reached! I will be able to return to support Bible translation through educating missionary kids living in Davao in time to start second semester!
• I am looking forward to taking time to enjoy Christmas with friends and family. It's been many years since I've enjoyed a cold, and possibly white Christmas.
• Many of my former students have just finished their first semester of college and survived their first college finals. Thank God for his faithfulness in their lives!

Please PRAY:

• For elementary teachers to fill the critical need in four classrooms next school year at Faith Academy Mindanao. (see more in this video)
• My return ticket is a standby ticket - so pray there will be openings on the flights I want to travel, even during the busy holiday season.
• I will arrive in Davao just a few days before second semester starts. Pray for health - physical, mental, and spiritual - as I hit the ground running!

Prayers of Commissioning

I’m giving you this commission in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom. Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction.

Paul's charge to Timothy found in 2 Timothy 4:1-2

You can also listen to the sermon that Pastor Tom gave, reminding everyone why Jesus really is the only one qualified to tell us about God. 

A couple of months ago, Pastor Tom also shared a great good message about why people like my parents and I serve.

Just a few reasons why I love and appreciate this church!

A trip down memory lane...

The other day, I went to visit some long time friends expecting to pull out my pictures from the Philippines to show them. Instead, they asked me if I would like to see the pictures that they had taken when they had traveled with a group from church to visit my family and my aunt and uncle's family in Indonesia in 1995. I enthusiastically said "YES!" and the fun began. Seeing my childhood through my adult eyes and through my friend's eyes helped me remember all those little things that you forget, like the carpet in our living room that mom hated because it was so hard to clean without a vacuum cleaner. All of the pictures where on slides that we viewed with a slide projector and a screen. After we had the best time reminiscing, sharing stories, and commenting on little details, I asked if I could get copies of some of my favorites to share with my family and others. "Sure!" was the answer, and so I took pictures of the screen while my friend patiently clicked through the slides again.

Here's Dad waiting at the bottom of the stairs off the plane to greet our visitors.
I *love* the big grin on his face. He was so excited to have people come visit. 

My dad's desk in the math room. His desk is WAY more organized than I ever keep mine. Those plastic
folding chairs bring back memories from many of my high school classes.

Here's my mom and aunt in front of my families house. When I first saw this, the first thing I thought was
"Mom's motorcycle looks so old! Especially compared to the one I drive in Davao." I also remember
trying to dust those silly decorative blocks in the front, painting the fence, and planting those bushes in
front. We planted them by cutting branches off of our neighbors' bushes and then sticking them in the
 ground. The saying was, "If you plant a pencil, it will grow!"

This is our living room, with the great picture window that we added, the not-so-fun-to-clean carpet, and
the broken aquarium hidden behind the bookshelf. Notice the feast of snacks, fruit, and other refreshments
 that mom has set out on the coffee table. It wouldn't be my mom's house without those!

And here's the dining room and kitchen! I love the retro lamp!

Downtown Sentani - I remember searching the stores here for a shoe that would fit my size 42 or 43 foot
(size 10 in the US). I learned to ask what types of shoes they had in my size and then choose one from
there rather than ask, "Do you have something like this in my size?"

We took the visiting group to one of my favorite beaches, Tanah Merah. If you look closely enough you
can find my mom, dad, sister, brother, and extended family. I love the mountains in the background!

My favorite thing about Tanah Merah was the fresh water pond where you could rinse off
 the salt water so you didn't feel so sticky. Yes...that is me in the pool!

My mom and dad made friends with Pak Triyono and Ibu Bustomi who worked for a local airline
carrying freight to Wamena, a city in the interior of the island of Papua. Ibu Bustomi loved to put on
dinners for people and she decided to put on a feast in honor of our visiting guests.
Check out my 80's pants!

My parents and my aunt and uncle took the group to a trip interior. Pak Triyono provided cheap airfare
to Wamena in the back of his cargo plane. Wamena is the largest city in the world that is only accessible
 by air. Our visitors got to ride in a plane with rice. A different time our family got to ride in a plane full of
 kerosene. When Pak Triyono invited us to stand up front and watch the plane land, Dad said to Mom,
"Go ahead and let them do it! If we are gonna crash, we are all going up in flames,
so why not let the kids enjoy the experience!"

My friend got to go along on a trip with my uncle who is a Yajasi pilot, flying small aircraft to serve the
 needs of villages and missionaries living in the interior of Papua. My friend said that this opportunity was
the highlight of his trip and one of the highlights of his whole life. The rich, pure, jungle is so inviting to me!

This is a traditional hut that most villagers live in TO THIS DAY!
If you look closely, you can see my mom.  

A traditional village - however this one was constructed recently,
as evidenced by the organized walkways and landscaping.

A picture of my adventurous parents taken in Wamena. The large poinsettia bush (tree?) in the
background was one of my mom's favorites. She commented on it multiple times and often said,
 "We need to get a picture in front of that bush to send to Grandma Farlin because she loves poinsettias."

As I look at these pictures again, I am reminded how much more my parents had to give up, deal with, and adapt to in order to serve there in Indonesia. In comparison, my life in Davao is a cake walk with Starbucks, easy communication with family in the US, consistent electricity, and convenient grocery stores. I miss the simplicity of life in those days and I am SO grateful to have had the chance to experience it and grow up in Sentani.