Independence day

This was the image today on Indonesian google http://www.google.co.id/ for Independence day  The red and white letters mimic the Indonesian flag, the flowers are orchids and the woman is a balinese dancer.  For some reason, I liked it and it gives me a great excuse to write a bit about my day off from school.  Not only did we celebrate with a BBQ, but I caught up on work and got to play sports with Neil.  Eric skateboarded all day with friends and Hope went swimming with Janet.  No fireworks for us tonight though.

Tomorrow at school we have a mandatory flag ceremony (for over one hour) in which Eric and the band will play the national anthem followed by some whole school games. All this makes this week very different.

15 minutes of fame...but maybe that's not such a good thing

Billboard in Lippo Village (photo by Kim White)

Neil is the latest Tropical Weeda to enjoy his time in the limelight.  Included are the billboards and presentations he has been included in.

Neil likely has a "kick me" sign taped on his back

New house and new year

first day of school

Janet Reading (View of Living room from top of stairs)

(Kitchen and Dining room)

Backyard

Living room with view of stairs up to bedrooms

Outside (street view)

By the numbers

By the numbers… Our trip back to Indonesia for year 3.

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1- Number of laptop computers brought from America for our first year teaching in Indonesia in 2008.

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2- Number of laptop computers brought from America for our second year teaching in Indonesia in 2009 (a new laptop plus an old one which had a accompanied us both ways).

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3- Number of laptop computers brought from America for our third year teaching in Indonesia this summer (a new laptop and netbook for Janet, plus an old one which had accompanied us both ways) bringing our total number of laptops in the house to 4. My financial planner hopes this trend doesn’t continue in the future, but as our family depends on computers more for work and school (as well as for a stereo and telephone), two additional new computers makes sense.

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4- Number of the worlds oceans (out of 4) seen on our recent trip from Grand Rapids to Jakarta. While this may seem impossible, here is the explanation. Leaving Chicago to Hong Kong, our flight proceeded due north (see abbreviated flight path below) in which we traveled close enough to Hudson Bay (connected to the Atlantic Ocean) to see it. After that, we continued north flying significantly over the Arctic Ocean which was very iced over (see picture). Then as we approached Hong Kong, passed over the Pacific Ocean. Finally, as we swung over Jakarta (West Java), the Indian was close enough to view.

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5- Number of jet lagged members of the family. 19 hours of in flight time. It’s now 3 days later and we are still exhausted.

Our flight plan from an IPhone app showing our improbable route over Hudson Bay and Arctic Ocean

Ice sheets over the Arctic Ocean

As cool as our flight path was... it didn't stack up against what Hope discovered in the Singapore airport transfer lounge. Check it out and put it on your Christmas list!

snapshots of a summer

Our summer holiday in 10 pictures:

watering flowers at Grandma's house

4th of July Bike parade

Swimming at Aunt Mary's

Glass sculpture a Meijer Gardens

Tubing with the Zylstra's at Big Star lake

Campfire with the Pikaart's at Paradise Hollow

Finding a Geocache near Rehoboth

Summit of Pyramid rock

Sand dune near the Crevice

Not My Own

Photo by John Van't Land

What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own but belong--

body and soul,in life and in death--

to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

The catch phrases of Heildelberg catechism Question and Answer #1 (see above) are “comfort” and “belonging”—two great concepts. However, for some reason, the phrase “not my own” has resonated with me the past few weeks as I considered about what to write for this posting. Truly understanding and living that I am “not my own” is tricky for educated 21st century people who want to and think we can control everything in our lives.

A Sunday ago, Neil publicly professed that he is “not his own” but belongs to his faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

Know it…

and struggle with what it means for your life, Neil. I still do.
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What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own but belong--

body and soul, in life and in death--

to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

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He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,

and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way

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that not a hair can fall from my head

without the will of my Father in heaven:

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

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Because I belong to him, Christ,

by his Holy Spirit,assures me of eternal life

and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready

from now on to live for him.

End of the year

Two Grade 12 students and I at the reception of the SPH "farewell" ceremony (graduation)

After enduring countless PowerPoint slide shows of pictures of the past year set to Christian Praise songs in chapels, graduations, proms, assemblies, staff meetings and homerooms, I am happy to announce the school year is complete! I put up with most of the sappiness as I got to enjoy the kids I teach as well as the kids I fathered move on to bigger things.

Neil at the Grade 6 "Thanksgiving" Celebration (Graduation)

Hope at the Kindy "concert" (Graduation) where she dressed in a dutch costume

In a cruel twist of fate, Eric, who would have enjoyed an 8th grade graduation in the U.S., was the only Weeda child to not graduate this year. In lieu of a graduation or presents, maybe I'll make him a nice PowerPoint :).