By Adam Martin
On January 8th 2010 Jeff, Sean and I left Perth to a school in East Java for a strange experience. When we arrived in Indonesia we were welcomed by the thick warm air, congested traffic, and people selling whatever they could. I thought that often Westerners are frustrated by how aggressively those from Bali sell, but if I was faced with poverty how aggressively would I sell?
After flying into Subaraya we were welcomed by true Indonesian hospitality by the Richardson's and Charis National Academy; its amazing how community and belonging feels the same where ever you are in the world. The following days included teaching students and simply learning about the culture and the area. The poverty in Indonesia was not as visible as we anticipated, but the teachers were only on $150 a month, which is what a WA teacher earns in half a day.
Charis National Academy provided a school for students in the area, but was also involved in training and equipping teachers across Indonesia. I think overall the most challenging part of the the trip for me was the way the people I met lived their lives. I will introduce of few of these heroes:
Paul and Faith After retiring in the US both Paul and Faith had this feeling that they could do more than sip tea in a condo all day. At 70 both of the took a risk and went to Indonesia to serve, and have been known to hoon around on motorbikes from time to time.
Samuel Is training to go and help start schools in the jungle; this is a very difficult and lonely task... I admire his courage in going.
Wenny. Even after discovering that she is dying Wenny continues to provide after-school care for at-risk kids.
I hope this blog gives you an overview of our experience; we look forward to going back and serving in the future.
Much love
Adam
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