Road to Indonesia: Third World Life

 In response to my post about the water trouble, someone wrote and said something about never getting a break and hoping that I can keep on.  I think I may not be expressing things well. Much of what I post are normal everyday things that everyone who lives in third world countries should be expecting to do/see/experience/suffer through.  It is just life.  Even the visa issues.  Maybe some of what has happened are a bit more extreme than most. Many people were in the same boat as we were trying to make it under the wire to get into Indonesia before they tightened it up.  And they have many stories, too. It just is that the current situation for them does not involve having made it successfully yet.  Even our Bank problems out of China, I am sure is not completely unique.  It is terribly frustrating, and takes a lot of time, effort, and prayer, but it has/is happening to other people as well. Maybe with our own particular twist and turns, but happening.  So please think of us. Enjoy our stories. Pray for us. But realize that I am trying to just let you know what are common experiences. it does not mean that we do not feel persecuted. I sometimes do. I know  that some of it is from Satan, but others are being messed with as well. (Other expats who have lived through these things, please, chime in that these things are not necessarily unexpected.)

Went to open air market yeseterday.  For $35 I got a leg of pork, 6 deboned chicken breasts, a papaya, a pineapple, a cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, kidney beans, and shredded coconut.  The leg of pork was smoked a little bit, but the friends who give us a ride to market, came in our kitchen and cut it open and helped us put it in a pan to bake for a couple hours. I also had watched the market lady take a whole coconut, peel it, cut it up,and  put it through a machine to shred. I had to bake it for a while so it would last.  I had to soak the cabbage and tomatoes since I use those raw.  An hour later we went to a town about 45 minutes away and got grocery items.  I now feel like maybe we have enough groceries that I can feed us without thinking about what the next meal is going to entail.  That is a milestone in the adjustment process. Have company coming for supper tonight.  Everything is ready and in the fridge, waiting to heat up.