Water, Vegetable, Animal: Living in Asia

CACOPHONY. Definition: what we hear outside our window at night.

Jet lagging, Chris and I were lying awake our first night laughing as we identified the various parts of the cacophonous chorus-a territorial rooster, chickens, goats, an indistinguishable number of dogs, tropical birds, and a cow bellowing her two cents occasionally. Around 11:30pm they calmed down and, except for a few encores from the dogs, it was mostly quiet until the rooster took his post around 3:45am and the Muslim call to prayer at 4:45am.  

It’s a little different than at home.

Despite the differences, we are settling in nicely. Clara, the boys, and Chris were sleeping well by the third night. Lily and I, we’re getting there. The food has been delightful. We’ve had all sorts of new combinations we haven’t experienced yet. Goat, water buffalo (called buff), cat fish, pea soup for breakfast, in addition to more familiar fair such as eggs, rice (lots of rice), chicken, and beans. And tea. Lots of tea.

Breakfast

We landed here in the midst of the biggest Hindu festival of the year drawing thousands of people. They come together to offer sacrifices to their gods. The smell of burning goat hair singes our nose hairs and brains. 

A swing erected for the festival. Those who swing from it have their sins erased for a year.

Butted up against one side of the property is a Muslim boarding house/school for boys. On the opposite side of the property the dividing wall has been torn down because the government wants it moved. With this information and no sleep, I embraced a spirit of fear like nobody’s business the first few nights. Lying awake for hours cataloguing a litany of what if’s isn’t the best way to spend one’s time.

This little spirit is a slippery sucker. It speaks straight nonsense but overpowers the senses. By the third night it was so loud in my ears, I cried out to Jesus. Instantly, it lifted and left. Then Isaiah 26:3 came to mind.

You keep him (or her) in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Now that that’s gone, we can move on with life.

We’ve spent the week navigating the showers, squatty potties, laundry, water, food, homeschooling the kids, making new friends, and learning to teach what we learned in Switzerland. 

In the afternoon, when classes and jobs are finished, most of the students/staff play games, listen to music or sit around outside and visit. I imagine they wonder why the freckled, red headed couple paces back and forth between electric tea kettles to shower a couple kids only to have them playing in the dirt twenty minutes later while intermittently yelling across the base at the other kids to finish their school work. Maybe it’s a little warm culture/cold culture. Maybe it’s because we don’t quite know how to relax yet.

The most exciting news happened to our new Samoan friend this week. Over the years, her knees have begun to hurt. Being here was a bit of a challenge because of all the stairs. She actually didn’t trust that they would get her down them. Then, one day, while sitting in class discussing the content she heard both her knees pop. Odd. She didn’t think too much about it. She didn’t even remember it until after she descended the stairs and realized she had no pain. God healed both her knees instantly while she thought about the content. She didn’t ask for prayer. We weren't discussing healing. He just did it. Because He can.

How cool is that?

So-thanks for reading our quick update on the Kennedy Adventures. Below is a lovely video Lily compiled about our short time at home preparing to come here and a tour of our living quarters. She did such a great job.

Lily's sweet video. 

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We love you all dearly.

Running beside you,

The Kennedys