Hi, we’re Corina and Hannah and
we’re sharing our two perspectives on our first full day in Indonesia. Between
sorting bags, visiting Insan Permata, introducing ourselves to the Indonesian
culture, and overcoming jetlag, we had a busy day.
As our driver took the van down a
narrow street, the returnees simply can’t wait another minute to arrive at the
orphanage. The rest of us in the van are here for the first time, and are
filled with excitement- yet unsure what to expect. When we drive up to the
gates, the kids are already there waiting, and we are received by hugs and huge
smiles. The yard becomes a commotion of reunions and introductions. Once the
craziness dies down, we start activities with the kids. The orphanage is not
large enough to hold our whole group and the kids, so we spread out. Duct tape
“roads” for toy cars are set up outside, and an obstacle course is made out of
streamers inside. With such simple toys, the kids are content. This encompasses
their whole attitude- happiness and contentment with the little they have.
There is a range of ages at the orphanage, from Gabriel at 9 months to Indah
who is almost 17. While one girl immediately grabbed my hand and held it,
others take longer to warm up. These are the kids that somehow break your
heart, steal it, and fill it all at once.
After we gave lots of goodbyes and
hugs at the orphanage we headed back to the Chevron Camp for a late lunch. Next
we were off to Mall Ciputra. Driving through the streets of Pekanbaru, the city
of over a million we are in, gave us a great glimpse into the culture of
Indonesia. The city is raw, there isn’t the orderliness or precision we find in
America. Nice buildings are next to shacks and motorcycles seem to weave in
between everything. The Chevron camp is out a ways from the heart of the city so
it was about a half hour drive to the mall. Our mission from John and Kathi
when we reached the mall was to split up into groups and find the best “white
elephant” gift. We explored the mall
where a large group of Americans were an unusual sight for the Indonesian
shoppers. We enjoyed getting to be celebrities for a couple hours. While there
were some weird things and clothes we discovered in the mall, we realized that
the Indonesian people are not that different from us at all. They may speak a
different language but they go through their days doing the same things we do
and experiencing the same daily struggles and victories, just in a different
context than us.
Random gifts in hand we all piled
back into the cars and returned to Chevron camp. We were welcomed back by the
visit of a troop of monkeys who were scurrying around in the trees across from
our houses. Lots of picture taking, admiration, and laughter ensued as we
realized they had gotten into the garbage and were now eating the bread that
had been thrown out. After they all scampered off we were brought Indonesian
take-out for dinner. The take-out consisted of rice, vegetables, chicken, and
fried soybeans and tofu, a delicious or not so good combination depending on
who you talk to. A friend of John and Kathi's
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