Because........
1. On motorbikes you can do all of the following - we have seen it - we are watching for more!
Carry 10 boxes full of chickens
Carry a 20 foot pole in one hand and drive with the other
Carry a baby in one arm, a toddler in the other, Mum and 2 small children in front of her and drive with one finger
Tow a large wooden wheelbarrow full of furniture (pillion passenger just puts his arms behind him and holds the handles and you tow it along)
Carry a barrel (in one arm), drive with the other hand
Text (using both hands)
Light a cigarette
Make a phone call
2.Bananas - the choice is amazing. There are apparently 25 varieties. So far we have tried -
Usual Tesco size and taste (boring!)
Half that size and almost straight - crunchy like an apple when ripe
Size of middle finger - very soft and sweet
size of smallest finger - bright yellow flesh tasting faintly of caramel
size of middle finger and SQUARE - yes really - completely straight four sided skins and so is the fruit inside - would never pass EEC regulations!
We continue to try more, there is a banana stall in the market.
3. The market. I know the Asian people are tiny (the only place I have ever been where I am not the shortest person for miles), but the spaces between the stalls is inches - hardly room for one person to get through, and passing someone is very cozy!
Also, a vegetable stall will be on your left and on your right will be a stall covered with boxes of chickens - or as we saw recently a hand holding a chickens neck down whilst another hand with a cleaver in was poised to come down. I had to dash out of the way quickly (I said it was so I didn't get blood splashed on my clothes!
Every day we see something that amazes us even more. God has again put someone knew in our path. A lot of the houses near Biddy's are unoccupied or half built. Last night we had a knock on the door and a man (Roi) and his wife (Yuli) came to introduce themselves and brought with them a chocolate cake. (No Indonesian will visit anyone without taking a gift). They have moved in next door, a very sweet young couple who have only been married a couple of years. He has been moved to Banjarmasin with his job. They are both from Jakarta and were very apprehensive to be moving to the house as it is built over a swamp. (It's true - all of Banjarmasin is built on swamp land and over rivers. With a little imagination it could be called Little Venice). They are keen to improve their English and have asked if they can visit again - we said we would be delighted. Yuli is keen to visit England and wanted to ask us lots of questions - she asked if people in England had seen people of her faith, and would she be allowed to wear her jilbub. We told her about the communities in Gloucester and she was delighted!
Please pray that we will be given the right words to say to them.
Please also pray for Roger - he is a South African living in Southampton who attends Biddy's place of worship there. He is coming out on Saturday to join us for the final 3 weeks of the course. Pray that he will very soon feel at home (he is to share Biddy's house with us) and that the students will accept him. (We were surprised that they are feeling very apprehensive about someone of a darker/different colour to themselves when they accepted us so readily).
With love and blessings to everyone
Sue and Stan xxxx
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