One place we went was to this village where we prayed for a woman partially paralyzed by a stroke. We traveled an hour and a half each way to get to this Muslim stronghold. After we prayed for her and had polite conversation, the women began to talk, and we men went outside to look around. An old toothless man came hurrying along and stopped with a big smile to greet me. I asked him what he had in the bucket on his shoulder and he lowered it and showed me the clothes inside. He was on his way to wash clothes. We followed him across the rice paddies to the pool created by a nearby spring where he went down and joined a woman who was already washing her clothes. Village life is very simple, and this is but one example of how. It was very poetic and beautiful, but I thought I would not trade my washing machine for a half kilometer trek across the rice paddies to wash clothes in a pool! I supposed it isn’t always sunny and nice..jpg)
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I noticed some school girls gathered down the gravel main street of this village, and went to investigate. Turns out they were fifth graders on recess from the nearby school. The younger kids all ran away but one brave girl spoke out in English "What is your name." This was an opening for me to get them to practice their English, and I got all their names and ages. Just when they were about to sing for me, they were called back to school. Three gi
rls, not in uniform stayed. I asked why they were not in school, and they replied they were sixth graders, already out of school. I sat and talked with them for some time. One wants to be a doctor, one a teacher (sixth grade) and one wants to be used by her nation. I thought this latter was an unusual but very noble and high desire. They sang several songs for me, including one which names all the Asian countries.
rls, not in uniform stayed. I asked why they were not in school, and they replied they were sixth graders, already out of school. I sat and talked with them for some time. One wants to be a doctor, one a teacher (sixth grade) and one wants to be used by her nation. I thought this latter was an unusual but very noble and high desire. They sang several songs for me, including one which names all the Asian countries. It was a very precious visit for me, from the humble dirt floor home we visited to the visits with the children and the old man, giving me a peek into the very simple and very hard life of village farmers in Indonesia.
--HWK--
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