Bernhardt Update

We've been back in Indonesia for almost 9 months now.  It is hard to believe!  Time flies when you're having fun or when you're busy I guess. 

I guess you could describe life here as life anywhere else--you have your ups and your downs.  There are good days and there are tough days.  There are days when you are homesick for things in America or the people you love there.  There are days when the culture here makes you want to pull out every single hair on your head.  There are days when the noise, traffic, dirt and the pollution make you want to leave and find a quiet uninhabited island.   Then there are days when you are astonished by the beauty that you see.  You think about the funny and amazing friends God has given you who have become like your "family".  You give thanks for the skills you are learning about how to relate to others.  You also realize that the tough things you are walking through can be good lessons for every single member of your family.  You feel thankful that God is present, God provides, and God has a purpose. 

Casey is still adjusting to his position and his responsibilities.  He is enjoying working with the Indonesian staff.  My classes are going okay.  I work with some amazing teachers.  I find that while Casey's Indonesian is improving, mine is worsening, because I do concentrate on using English a lot with my coworkers and students (to help improve theirs).  It is an interesting phenomenon.  The boys are ready for summer vacation I think.  Ryan and Niko both have deadlines approaching (end of next month) to finish their online courses.  It will be challenging to press on and do well until the end.  They feel pretty burned out.   They did start playing basketball at school two times a week.  They may not be able to join games, but they are practicing their skills and are getting some exercise.  It is going fairly well.   Chase is doing fine and is enjoying his friends at school.  He is using more Indonesian there and his teacher praises him.  She says even when he doesn't understand, he still wants to try.  She told me that he was responsible to hand back papers and didn't know all his classmates names (there are 26 kids) and he figured out on his own to look at the label on their backpacks so he could return their papers :). 

We would appreciate your prayers as we battle some flu bugs and also try to help our kids adjust to relationships here.  Please do keep praying for some good friends for them.  That has been a big challenge.   We are so thankful for your encouragement, love and support.  We'd love to hear from you!

Blessings,
the Bernhardt

At Pita and Okik's wedding at the end of December

Car in the flood outside of school

Ry holding a sea turtle in Bali

Brothers at play

Bernhardt Update- February 2014

I realize with this note that I have not sent out an update for over a month now.   I had great intentions to send an update once a month, but I dropped the ball!   I guess life happened.    J

Here is the news for each person in our family, since our last update:

Casey-  Casey survived a week with the kids when I was in the States.  Everyone was alive and in one piece when I returned.   Over the last few weeks, Casey has been officially given the job of “manager” over the staff at our school.   The areas which he focuses on are security, maintenance and grounds, and the cleaning crews.  Please pray for wisdom for him as he tries to make changes and train and encourage the workers while keeping a positive spirit.    On two occasions we have dealt with very heavy rains, which flooded the roads near the school and made it impossible to get to/from the building.  We also have dealt with a volcanic eruption over 130 miles away which caused ash to fall in our city.  He has had to consider how the staff should respond to those issues to help protect the students.  Although he has faced challenges in this work, he has continually noted how much he enjoys being here and how he feels like he is doing what God has called him to do.

Sharon- I was able to make a quick trip to the States.  I was really grateful for the opportunity to make the trip and to spend that time with my Mom and Dad.  Jet lag really made me rather useless as a help to my Mom, which I felt bad about, but I was really grateful to spend some time with my Dad.  I also got to see my grandfather twice and some friends who used to be in Indonesia.  It was not an easy trip for all of us, but I am very thankful that I was able to do it.   I am staying busy, but then I wonder if there was ever a time in my life that I haven’t been?  J  I am still teaching 2 classes to 7^th graders (Geography and History) and two English classes to the teachers.  I also am reading to 11 elementary classes once a week.  Those are my responsibilities on campus.  I also help prepare Ryan and Niko’s school work every day, so that they can make sure they get through their “homeschool” assignments.  I have worked (and am still working) on some writing assignments and have 20 online students for Earth Space Science.  We won’t have a helper, so I am also cook and cleaner.  I do feel that often my life involves “juggling”, but I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given.   I am involved in a ladies Bible study and what started with just two people has now grown to 7!  That has been amazing.  I also have really enjoyed learning more about God and His word as I’ve practiced verse mapping.  God has really been encouraging me in my walk with Him and I feel very blessed.   I am thankful for the lessons He has been teaching me and I long to learn even more.

Ryan-  Ryan stepped out of the norm recently with the reluctant urging J of his parents and took a school trip to Bali.  It was a great experience for him.  He came home with so many stories about the places he visited and the things he saw.  He also got to spend more concentrated time with his classmates and teachers, which really helps.  Since he only pops in for class occasionally, he really needed an experience like this to help build relationships.   Next month he will hopefully get to start playing some basketball at school and piano lessons.  We are hoping that will work out for them.  

Niko- Niko has probably had the most challenging time with making friends.  He has met some kids who he thinks are “nice” but he too has struggled to find when to talk with them, get to know them and spend time with them.   I think that the cultural differences and the situation that we are in all contribute to making this more difficult.  We would ask for your prayers for him.  We hope that he will be able to start basketball and piano as well this coming month.

Chase- Chase is doing well.  He complains about school every day, but when we pick him up, he talks happily about his friends.  He really enjoys playing with other kids.  In fact, it is starting to be a little more challenging to take him to class with me each day (after his school is over).  He would rather distract and play with my students that do something else.  This is a little more stressful this semester, and I am hoping I can consider creative things that he can do that will not disturb my students.  Unfortunately I don’t teach any of my classes when he is in class, which may be something I try to request in the future J.   He has adjusted well to life here and can (and does) befriend anyone.  It is a great gift!

We have come across so many needs here.  The boys and I were able to head to an orphanage between Semarang and Salatiga and we spent a morning there painting.  I have known the head of the orphanage for awhile, and he helped me arrange service projects for students in the past.  It was good to visit them.  They definitely have many needs.  It tugged on my kid’s heart strings to see kids who have been abandoned and don’t have families to care for them.   It was a good experience for them to get out of “themselves” and focus on others. I was really proud of how hard and how cheerfully they worked for and played with the kids.  I was able to lead my current students on a trip too, to a home for street kids.  Hopefully we can occasionally provide some support to them too.  There are so many in need and I hope and pray that we will look for ways God wants to use us to help others. 

This semester for our school will go until mid-June.   Indonesian school breaks are very short!!   Casey will have one week of vacation and the boys and I will have a month off for school holiday.  It will go quickly!   Casey and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage this summer, so we are hunting for where to go (and what to do with the kids J) for some of his week off.  A friend of mine from my junior high years at boarding school may also make the trek this way during our school break, which I am excited about.  It may be bad to say when it is only February, but we are already looking forward to a change of pace and the rest and relaxation.   

Thank you for your prayers and for your encouraging support.  It means so very much to us.  We know that we could not be here, doing what we are doing, without you by our sides.   We would love to hear from you if you have the opportunity.

Blessings,

the Bernhardts

Very important mail or contributions should be sent to:  PO Box 2479, Anderson, IN, 46018

Please do not send financial gifts through the mail to our address in Indonesia.  We have received some mail and packages, but it takes a long time.  Please always put customs value at $0 (because it is not for resale) and use lots of packing tape if you want to send a package J.   We can get letters here and sure would not mind.  The mailing address is: Jl. Puri Anjasmoro L15/2, Semarang, 50142, Jateng, Indonesia