We're Back!!!

Well, we arrived home late last night (actually early this morning) and are now getting ready to start back at work/school tomorrow. I`d like to say that I`m glad to be home, but I am actually struggling with that. To be a bit crass, I went into the holiday a `Bali virgin` and like the saying goes, once you`ve had Bali, you`ll never go back to what you knew before. Our typical family vacation is a camping trip or a few nights in a nice hotel. This was an incredible introduction to 5-star resorts, king sized beds, excellent cooking (at a variety of restaurants) and the very difficult decision of whether to get out of bed on the left side or the right. Of course, it being a king and with Tris on one side, the decision was made easier...crawl the 1/2 block across the bed, swing my legs over the side and hop onto the cool wood floors. Some days that seemed to be the most exercise we had all day...except for the days like last Friday, where we had to get from the bar/restaurant on the beach where we had lunch, and walk the 30 meters to our umbrella'ed loungers. There is just something absolutely phenomenal about eating in an outdoor restaurant with the bright blue sky above (something we don't experience too often in the Jakarta area), the huge waves crashing onto the shore, drinking fresh fruit juice, and hanging with excellent company. I definately need to buy the the "I (heart) Bali" t-shirt.

What is the struggle, you ask? The struggle is this: I did not miss my home here in Jakarta, I did not miss my life in Canada (until the last 2 days). I truly just lived in the 'now' and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation around me. Coming home here to this rented home was actually something that I dreaded. The question was: would I be glad to come home? I may sound like a spoiled brat, but there is something about returning to a place that is yours by placement...this is the home that strangers arranged for us to live in. It has a few of our own possessions in it, and although we are filling the rooms with lovely "things" these items still have no history with us. They're just that...things. The walls are still white and will remain just that until we can deal with the possible water leak we have in our ceiling/walls. The curtains were chosen by a stranger (who now, by the way is a good friend and I am thankful for her good taste) and so was the furniture. During the last 2 days of our holiday, when I was on the beach and thought of coming home, I struggled with the idea that I wasn't going home to Canada (that the last 2 months haven't just been an adventurous dream) and that when I got home I would have to go back to the same routine/lifestyle that we have created around our lives here. I am happy to report that when we arrived late last night, when we opened the door to our home, I felt peace and a sense of coming home. You know what was the biggest part of that? I arrived home not alone, but with 3 other people, and as I have said to Tris since day one, where ever he goes is home to me. Now, as I sit at the kitchen table writing on Tris' laptop, I have my new candles burning (shopping in Bali is great!) and Matthew's new Hillsong cd is on the stereo. The boys are doing the dishes (Sri is still on holidays) and Abby is reading. All is well in the White house...actually, the White home.

I could end my blog here, but I have a bunch of things in my head that if I don't write them down they'll get lost with the movement of time. One of those is that I again return to the topic of roast beef. As I mentioned before, a good fatty chunk of meat is hard to find here, unless I want to purchase it from the wet market, which I may just do someday. However, today I found a largish piece of chuck roast in the local supermarket and roasted it for dinner. Now I know that it wasn't the best chunk of beef we've ever had, but it was funny when Matthew, chewing and chewing and chewing his dinner, nonchalantly comments out of the blue "I sure miss Grandma Bea's cooking." The look of realization of what he'd just said and how it may be received was priceless; he backtracked and said how much the roast beef he was eating reminded him of Grandma's cooking. I'm a big girl, I can take it. So Grandma Bea, my kids miss your roast beef too!

Today I was in Hypermart and noticed a whole wall of moth balls for sale...the brand of moth balls is called "Swallow." Ewww.

I have been receiving requests from various friends/sources for different prayer requests. Please know that I really appreciate being included in your lives. It's so difficult when I know that people I love are on the other side of the earth and some of them are experiencing heartbreak, and there's nothing I can do but pray. However, sometimes that's the best that we can do, so I will continue to pray and please know that the prayers go out with love. For those of you with good news, again, thank you for letting me know how God is working in your lives. He is an incredible God who loves to do the impossible in our lives.

Well, this is quite a bit of random thoughts.

Thanks for reading.