Things have been a little bit hard to get used to, new food- a.k.a…chicken and rice almost every day, driving on the left side of the road, and the Bahasa language. We found out quickly that Soccer is the most popular thing on this island. Don with HOH is the Soccer Coach for the best team on the island. We got invited to watch the championship game of the season. It was interesting seeing hundreds of eyes being locked onto us as we sat to watch the game. We got treated like royalty because they don’t have many foreigners (aka Bulai in Bahasa) coming to their island, let alone to a championship soccer game. We took lots of pictures with people, received gifts, and celebrated with the team. Some small highlights of the first couple days so far are: the soccer game mentioned before, playing worship songs with the kids, and going to church service. Two of the biggest highlights are teaching the kids how to play pickle ball and I mean…. A LOT of pickle ball, and Natalie getting baptized in a river.
-Maddie Jern
We’ve been accepted with open arms. We look forward to everything that’s coming our way. We’ve been blessed with a community here that is constantly teaching us to look at life in a slower more compassionate way. We were fortunate enough to watch our sister in Christ get baptized… tears were shed, the river was swam in, and God was being praised to the highest. It has been such a gift to go to their local beach, eat coconuts that a staff member climbed a palm tree to get, and celebrate a sport that is LOVED by everyone around. We are so blessed and so grateful to be here.
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Congratulations Nat!!! We miss you here In the states! So excited to hear you were baptized in a RIVER!!! Can’t wait for you to return home and tell us all about your amazing mission!
Thank you for sharing about Natalie’s baptizing in the river, your experience with the community and their passion with soccer and the impact that they are making in your lives. Excellent pictures!! You all look great!!
God Bless
Great update!! It is so awesome seeing how you are touching the lives of all those kids….. first starting with pickleball and then soccer. They have great team teaching them. How wonderful it is for your team to experience a different local culture and see how they live. Continue to touch as many lives as possible!! Even though I don’t know you Natalie, congratulations on your baptism!!