BACK TO SCHOOL!

WEDNESDAY 16TH
I know we said these blogs would be short - but there is so much we want to share with you, so sorry! Go and make some tea and settle in for a long read!
This is certainly not a holiday-we are up at 5.45am to walk the two miles through the mud to get to the 'taxi ankoht' and work until 1,(with a couple of 15 minute breaks)then lunch and working through the next day's lesson plan. Home by about 5 and by then so tired we don't want to do much, and anyway it gets dark at 6 which is odd, happens in about 10 minutes from light to dark.
Having said that - we love the place (Banjarmasin is the noisiest place I have ever been), the people are charming, we love the food (mostly - apparently according to one of the translations I got from a student I ate chicken beaks yesterday. I had thought (and still hope) it was chicken livers), we love the weather (as I write this it is raining so hard we are having to shout to be heard indoors - but it only rains in the evening, so sensible!). We also love the quaint unexpected things that happen - for example every night at 1am (one tap), 2am (two taps), 3am (three taps) and so on until dawn a nightwatchman comes and taps on the pole near the house to let us know that all is well and there are no burglars around! At dawn he is taken over by the call to prayer from the mosque over the road, so we get great time checks all night! We love the way the ankoht will take you wherever you want, regardless of the other people on board - they are all happy to have a long drive as no-one is in too much of a hurry. We love the motorbikes with a family on - Mum and Dad wear helmets and the two, sometimes three, little ones jammed in between or on the front handlebars don't!
Now finished our second day with our students and have realised very quickly they prefer interactive to sitting and listening, so lots of role playing. Also interesting that their humour is like that of someone much younger (to us). They loved playing silly games, so silly games they got!
Only when they start to tell you what they will be doing and where they will be going when they leave here do they suddenly seem very grown up and you get a very real sense of God at work in them when they talk about the possible risks to them and their family.
We were so blessed today - there are two classrooms at the college with air conditioning which rarely works. Today it was so we drew lots to see who would get them - and Stan and I did! God loves poor hot white people!
High point of the day for Sue (1) - we had to tell the students about our family so showed them a pre-prepared slide show of photos including some of Will growing up (including the one in the paddling pool - sorry Will!). When we got to the one on his 18th birthday looking very smart in his suit the girls all gasped and SCREAMED! They said he looked like a pop star (I guess because all the boys in class have short black hair he is a bit of a novelty). So Will, if you ever want to visit Asia I think you will be welcomed!
High point for Sue (2) - I seem to have been voted in as worship leader, mainly because I know a few songs. Have discovered they love singing and we have a 'Let's Sing' spot every day. Tomorrow have been asked to teach a new song so of course it has to be Happy Day - so, Gaz, by tomorrow Happy Day will no doubt be taking Indonesia by storm! (Actually, as the only 'modern' song in their book is 'Our God is a Great Big God'- which as Celia knows is one of Stan's favourites, it's a distinct possibility.
High point for Stan - We have met an 'Ecumenical Co-Worker' (great title we thought!)called Ruth, a German lady, who is mad about football. She has invited Stan to watch the Germany match with her (on Friday) as long as he supports Germany! He is so desperate to see some football he has agreed - should be interesting! Unfortunately means a 45 minute walk there and back as no ankohts at night, so that will be interesting - walking anywhere here is a challenge - no pavements but lots of zebra crossings which mean absolutely nothing - you just learn to thread yourself across the road (as Biddy says - pray and run - it always works!). People on cars (rare) and motorbikes (hundreds) just go round you and smile sweetly, no-one seems to get road rage here, everything is done with a smile!
PRAY PLEASE FOR -
Stan tomorrow - he is leading 'Thought For the Day' which is a mini-sermon. It's also his birthday and the students apparently have a surprise for him - will let you know what it was!
The students - that they continue to be so enthusiastic
The mentors - us two, Biddy, Jenna and Mary - that we continue to come up with new ideas to keep them enthusiastic. One of the boys said today that learning had never been such fun - can't get better than that!
Blessings to St Andrews - we miss you. Going to try and listen to the Sunday service on the web if the power stays on long enough.
Love Sue and Stan xxx