Indonesia 2005-06, Part 3
Church
This year we have enjoyed attending the church that meets on the seminary campus next door to the university. The building itself is full of Papuan and Christian symbolism. The bas relief behind the pulpit depicts people from a variety of cultures in Papua sitting at the table with Christ. We are often treated to very energetic music. After the Sunday service we have on occasion been invited to the home of a church leader for coffee. At such an event recently a banner was presented by a visitor from the Netherlands.
MCC Funded Library
Sally Jo has devoted some time recently to helping a newly-develop small community library that is being set up by two young men who spent time in North America under the MCC International Visitor Exchange Program.
Outing to Amay Beach
A family that we have learned to know offered to take us and other friends to a very beautiful beach about two hours away. We enjoyed salt water and waves as well as a near-by fresh water river. It was a wonderful Saturday!
MCC Retreat
We recently enjoyed the annual MCC retreat at a beautiful resort beach hotel on the island of Lombok. It included all MCC Indonesia personnel and their families, about 40 people. The stay at the hotel included a free massage, and there were also times for singing, sand castle competition, and small group discussions. On talent night we demonstrated and taught the Texas Waltz.
Lombok Excursions
While at retreat we had opportunities to see more of the island of Lombok horse-drawn carts, a hindu temple, craft making, a beautiful waterfalls, and an evening meal in a nice restaurant. We also took a one-day excursion to a nearby island for snorkeling and swimming.
Aceh Tsunami Recovery
Following retreat we traveled with the MCC workers stationed in Aceh. We stayed with the program directors living in the capital city of Banda Aceh and saw first-hand the devastation still apparent from the earthquake and tsunami that occurred a little over a year ago destroyed homes and large ships carried 2 or 3 kilometers inland. The water marks left on buildings 3 km inland are about 9 ft high. Over 100,000 lives were lost about 1/3 of the population of the city. We visited the site of a mass grave for about 5,000. Clean water has been provided and a lot of new construction has taken place, but much more needs to be done with some people still living in tents.
Aceh Banda Aceh
The part of Banda Aceh that remains is a bustling city lots of street traffic and busy shops. As one of the more autonomous and more conservative religious areas of Indonesia, banners declare that all citizens are expected to wear Islamic dress. Aceh is also known for its excellent coffee production and coffee shops, one of which we enjoyed visiting.
Aceh Samalanga
We traveled 4 hours from Banda Aceh to Samalanga, a more rural area also affected by the tsunami. We stayed with 2 American MCC workers and their Acehnese partners. They took us by motorcycle, over less than perfect roads, to see several projects related to the recovery of the fishing industry building structures for boiling and drying fish as well as new boat construction.
Riot
Back in Papua, we experienced a violent protest and response by paramilitary police on our campus on March 16 that resulted in the closure of the university for one week and little activity the second week following the incident. We were not the targets, but as a precaution we moved to another town for 4 nights and then returned home when things had calmed down. During this time we stayed in close touch with and received a lot of support from our church friends and neighbors.
Buddhist Temple
Although the dominant religion in Papua is Christianity, other religions found in Indonesia are also found here especially in urban areas. On a hill overlooking the Jayapura harbor is a beautiful Buddhist temple and grounds.
Holiday outing
All Christian, Moslem, Hindu, and Buddhist holidays are observed here. So, on the Hindu New Year (30 March) we joined friends to visit a Papuan village and enjoy a nearby stream. The cold, clear water rushing over rocks was wonderful! We were also introduced to a common plant here known as the shy plant because its leaves close tightly whenever they are touched.
Easter
Special activities for Easter extended from Good Friday through Easter Monday. At our church on Easter Sunday there was special music by a children’s choir and a women’s choir as well as a fellowship time with snacks after church. Children and youth, who were camping in the seminary grounds for the entire period, also had an Easter egg hunt after church.
UNCEN Activities Beach Trip
Sally Jo was invited to attend a post-Easter celebration organized by English students. After a worship service there was food and fun in the waves at a local beach.
Highland Guest House
After Easter we traveled with MCC friends visiting from Java to a highland guesthouse at an elevation of about 6000 feet overlooking the beautiful Baliem River valley. Daytime temperatures were pleasant, and nights were quite chilly. We stayed there two nights.
Highland Hiking and Vistas
To get to our guest house we flew 45 minutes from Jayapura to Wamena, traveled by taxi about an hour, and then hiked another 2 hours. On our return we hiked 5 hours, nearly the entire distance to Wamena, and then took a taxi for the last 3 kilometers. We also took a 4-hour hike further along the Baliem River valley during our full day at the guest house.
Highland River Crossings
Since it is near the end of the rainy season, the rivers and streams were very full, and some river banks were very muddy. So crossing them was a bit tricky at times!
Highland People
On our hikes we met many friendly people. Although traditional (un)dress is disappearing, many other traditional practices remain. It was good for us to experience a bit of the culture that we do not see in Jayapura, but from which some of our students come.
Highland Farms and Buildings
We enjoyed seeing traditional grass thatched houses, stone walls, and sweet potato agriculture in a region that was unknown to the rest of the world until about 60 years ago. Other structures now include churches, primary schools, and Indonesian military posts.
Papeda the local food
Papeda is a sticky, glu-like, base that is eaten with a kind of fish stew/soup. In a meal it replaces rice or potatoes. It comes from the trunk of the Sagu palm tree which is cut and ground into pulp that is then soaked and strained to get a liquid. From the dried liquid a type of flour is obtained which is then used to make papeda. We have photos of the initial process as well as of an MCC colleague demonstrating the final product.
Village on Stilts
We enjoyed a weekend outing with several university students to a village built on stilts over shallow water next to a long thin peninsula in the bay near Jayapura. To get there we used a narrow boat equipped with outriggers. A church, village offices, and all houses were connected by walkways on stilts. Gardening was even done in flatbed boxes. We waded through knee-deep water to reach an island and were also offered a ride in a dugout canoe. Starfish were found in the water and we observed small crabs moving balls of sand into interesting patterns. On the ocean side of the peninsula we enjoyed seeing the active surf.
HIV/AIDS Training
Sally Jo recently visited an HIV/AIDS training session for church leaders from across Papua that was hosted by an MCC partner organization. The participants are expected to implement additional trainings and educational activities in their home areas. One of the beginning activities asked small groups to discuss the question, Why is sexual activity so popular?
UNCEN Activities Elementary School
Ron was invited to attend a special day at a local elementary school. Activities planned and led by university students included aerobics, painting the school gate, cementing a new flag pole, and making artificial flowers from plastic grocery bags. The head teacher was eager to show the school garden. Ron and a faculty member led a short workshop for the teachers at the school.
Global Families Program
Global Families is an MCC program that helps to support students at all levels, elementary school through seminary, and their families who have significant financial need. Some live in remote (but beautiful) areas and others live in urban areas. We were privileged to accompany those in charge to visit some of the families and hear their stories and expressions of gratitude.
UNCEN Activities Mathematics
Ron has met with and assisted faculty members with their classes for future elementary school teachers. The topic recently was different number bases. Students working in groups investigated results using chips.
UNCEN Activities Library
Sally Jo has been working hard in the Education Department library. Broken shelves have been fixed and a lot of dirt and grime has been removed. Once the tables were cleared many students were eager to use the space and resources. In addition during the past two months she was finally able to make some progress in getting a computerized catalog system started and is now organizing training sessions for local staff.
Working with Faculty
Ron has spent significant time working with other faculty members, introducing them to the use of mathematical software, manipulatives, and games. Some of the materials were already here but were not being used because the instructions were written in English.
Outing to Sentani Waterfalls
We recently enjoyed a holiday outing to a waterfall on the side of Cyclops Mountain with good views of Lake Sentani. The climb was hot and sticky, but we were rewarded by beautiful cascades and a deep pool of clear cold water to jump into. On the return down we enjoyed the view of rain falling on distant mountains.
Abepura
We will soon be leaving to return home. We will miss our town of Abepura and the minivan taxis that we have used to get around. We will miss the little fruit stands and food vendors along the street as well as the quiet little road just above our house.
Saying Good-Bye
Two days before departure a farewell was held in our honor. It included speeches, good food, photo ops with the Vice-Rector and our Dean and with others, as well as two Cenderawasih University gold rings that were presented to us. The following verses were quoted by our Dean:
Kalau ada jarum yang patah
Jangan disimpan dalam lemari
Kalau ada kata yang salah
Jangan disimpan dalam hati
Kalau ada sumur di lading
Bolehlah kita menumpang mandi
Kalau ada umur yang panjang
Bolehlah kita bersua lagi
Translation:
If there is a broken needle
Don’t store it in the cupboard
If there is a false word
Don’t store it in the heart
If there is a well for cleaning
Let us join in a mandi (bath)
If we live a long time
Let us meet again.
Departure
On June 2 we left Jayapura by ship on a 6-day journey to Jakarta. About 12 well-wishers accompanied us to the harbor and waited until our ship Labobar arrived at 9 pm. We boarded at 10:30 pm and stayed up until departure at 1:20 am to see the lights of Jayapura disappear behind us. We went to sleep in very comfortable accommodations and were treated to three fine meals each day. On deck we had plenty of opportunities to rub shoulders and become acquainted with some of the 2000 or so passengers.
People and Harbor Activity
From an outside deck we could watch people as well as the loading and unloading of cargo.
Interesting Boats
Along the way we saw a lot of fishing activity and passed many interesting boats.
Ports of Call
We made three stops in Papua that included an early morning in Manokwari and a monument welcoming us to Sorong. We also saw the minarets in Makassar (Sulawesi) and navy ships in Surabaya (Java). A tug pulled us into our docking space in Jakarta.
Our Favorite Day
Our last day in Papua proved to be our favorite day of the trip. It began with a sunrise as we entered Manokwari harbor, passing a sister ship there, and meeting the son of our assistant Dean with three of his university friends. From there we passed beautiful mountains, including waterfalls all day long. In the evening we were greeted with a full rainbow over the Sorong harbor and a spectacular sunset a very nice way to remember our departure from Papua.
