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
