Nova

So, like I mentioned in my last post, I am going to start sharing stories about individual kids here at Rumah Bapaku. I will start each post with the bio that Camille and I wrote for the 'My Father's Home' website, and then add to it for those of you who read this blog. After the positive feedback I've received on my posts about Dion and Jolly, I really think that you will enjoy getting to know the kids on a more personal level this way. So here goes - I'll start with today's post about Nova.

(From the website): Nova is a real joy. He has a very sweet spirit and always wants to please others and help. He is quick to give hugs and encourage others. He loves to draw and is one of our most naturally gifted artists. The staff is just recently noticing that he is also extremely athletic, excelling at any sport that he learns. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way someone seems to have convinced Nova that he is not that great. He tends to speak poorly of himself and has a hard time accepting praise from others. Our prayer for Nova is that with God’s help, he will start to believe in himself and to understand just how wonderful he is. Nova is very smart and ‘catches on’ to schoolwork or English lessons right away. He has a very tender heart and is always concerned about the well-being of others. Nova is a true gift to Rumah Bapaku.

(Jeremy's thoughts): You probably notice from the picture that Nova is a really handsome kid. Those good looks penetrate to the inside of him as well, and when I think of Nova, I can't help but smile. Nova is one of those kids who genuinely wants to please others. He cares very deeply for those around him and you can tell that his selfless attitude is not just a show. He is always quick to lend a hand and is one of those rare kids who actually looks to see how he can help others.

Give Nova a pencil or crayons or oil pastels and be prepared to be blown away! He has an uncanny, God-given ability to put anything he sees or imagines down on a piece of paper with amazing realism. He loves to draw and will spend hours just laying on the floor and sketching. I think that part of that ability comes from the fact that he is just so stinkin' smart. He is a great student and is catching on to English with no problems. He will often come up to me and start rattling off English words for things and quizzing me to see if I know the Indonesian version. Needless to say - Nova usually wins that game!

Nova has such a gentle heart. For the first month or so, I couldn't get him to come and play soccer with us. I thought that this was because he would rather just draw, but then finally one day he 'gave in' and joined us for a match. I was amazed! Although he rarely played, Nova was actually better than almost everyone else! Having Jason Hotchkin, a pro soccer player from America, here with us for a couple of months has been such a blessing. After watching Nova play soccer a couple of times, Jason and I were talking and we both agree that he may actually be the most naturally gifted soccer player of the whole bunch! This is not only due to Nova's athletic ability, but because of his heart. You see, Nova is teachable. He listens well and because he is eager to please, he is very good at following directions and taking instruction.

It was Nova's soft heart, or rather (unfortunately), his broken heart that was keeping him from from joining the other boys for soccer matches. As I mentioned earlier, it seems that somewhere along the line, somebody broke Nova's spirit. Nova is extremely hard on himself. He is quick to criticize himself, take blame and apologize for any little mistake. Watching him on the soccer field, I realized that Nova hadn't been playing because he was afraid of making mistakes that would provide more fuel for his low self-esteem. Any time he kicked a ball and it didn't go exactly where he was aiming or each time another kid would get by him with the ball (which wasn't very often!), he would run to me and apologize over and over for being a bad player. I would tell him in Indonesian, "Don't be sorry, Nova - you are a great player! You are so good at soccer!" He would always respond that he was 'no good'.

Jason also noticed this right away, and between the two of us, we made it a goal to boost Nova's self-esteem and help him to start believing in himself. Every time Nova would do something good, on or off the field (which was a OFTEN, believe me), we would shower him with praises. At first, he would shake his head, grin sheepishly and tell us, "Tidak (no), Nova tidak bagus (Nova's not very good)". We had our work cut out for us! One day, we took all of the boys to a local recreation area that has a full-size soccer field. We did some drills and then put on the blue and yellow jerseys for a full-on match. We started playing and some local school children showed up and were watching with that longing 'Boy, I wish I could play' look. I went up to them and asked them if they wanted to play, and they all cheered. So, we put our kids in yellow and the local kids in blue and had a blast!

Well, Nova really shined that day. He seriously played like someone who was years older. Almost every good play that was made somehow involved Nova. Jason and I took full advantage of every single opportunity to praise him in front of his peers. Slowly, we watched as our encouragement started to sink in. As Nova's confidence started to build, he held his head higher, he started smiling more and most important - he looked like he was really having fun and was, for once, proud of himself. I watched the small transformation and had to hold back tears of joy. I'm pretty sure that Jason was feeling the same.

Nova still has a fragile spirit. He will probably always be sort of hard on himself and part of that has to come just from being so intelligent and capable. The 'carnal' side of me would love to go back and give a serious beat-down to whoever it was who took this sweet, kind, talented and sensitive little boy and broke him. Probably not what Jesus would do, but it might make Jeremy feel better... What I can do (and most important, what Jesus would do) is to keep loving Nova and encouraging him and helping God to put that broken spirit back together.

One great thing that I have noticed lately is that Nova, being so intelligent, seems to have figured out that the adults here are rooting for him. He'll look at me with a smile and a sparkle in his eye that suggests that he knows that we share something special. You know that look that someone gives you when they know that you share a secret together? Yeah, that's the look. The fact that he knows I'm rooting for him means that he knows that he's loved. Feeling loved is the first step to putting a shattered self-esteem back together. Thank you, Lord that I can be used as your instrument to help love Nova back into a strong, secure little man.

Back to blogging...

Hi everyone! I know that I've stated repeatedly that I will blog more often. Well, for the last week and a half or so Camille and I have spent every single spare minute writing bios on each of our kids here at Rumah Bapaku to be used on the new update for the 'My Father's Home' website. The link is on this blog page. If you haven't checked the site out yet, you really should. My Father's Home, or Rumah Bapaku in Bahasa Indonesia, is where Camille and I are living and serving 3 dozen children who were born into severe poverty. The website should be updated this month some time.

While the extra work for the website has meant a pause in my blogging, it has actually been a blessing in disguise. I have decided that for the next month or so (or however long it takes), I will start each new blog entry with one of the kid's new bios. Then I will expand the story a little and let you sort of get to know each of our children. I have gotten good feedback on the few stories I have posted so far on individual kids, so I think this will be fun!

I have a lot of 'ammo' for some good blogging, so stay tuned - I'll probably post my first new update on Monday or Tuesday of next week. Camille and I get a day off tomorrow (Monday in Bali, Sunday in America) and it looks like the surf will be great at Balian, West Bali - one of the most beautiful places on earth. That probably means no blogging tomorrow! But trust me, I am excited to start sharing the personal stories behind our wonderful kids, and you will definitely be touched in the process.

Thanks for being patient and a HUGE thank you to everyone who has recently started supporting Camille and I. We are going to be needing a lot more support in order to stay here in Bali, so if what you read here impacts you in any way, tell your friends and help us gather a network of supporters! We love you all and God Bless!

Head Wounds and True Love

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Bali? Everything about this crazy, wacky, beautiful place just makes me smile. I'm not sure if it's things like trying to figure out how the Balinese can light a cigarette at 70 KPH on their motorcycle, or watching dudes paint a 45-degree incline hotel roof in the blazing tropical sun 40 feet above the parking lot with bare feet with no safety equipment whatsoever, or just having yet another total stranger pull up to me at a stoplight and invite me to come stay in their home...just because I'm here. It's probably the latter. The Balinese are some of the most genuinely nice people in the world. Yeah, their culture and religion pretty much give them a blatant disregard for all things safety-wise and they are surely a study in contrasts with their slow-paced lifestyle and 'island time' and their chaotic, life-or-death traffic and busy cities. But I guess that all just makes my smile bigger. What counts is that I have yet to meet a Balinese who won't smile back at you...or smile first! I have yet to be treated like an outsider. I've always been about half-crazy, so Bali's frenetic lifestyle suits me fine. The people are what counts, and as far as people go, the Balinese are right at the top of my favorites list.

As beautiful as the people are here in Bali, unfortunately many of them are very poor. Unemployment is high throughout all of Indonesia and in Bali, the Hindu caste system and views on reincarnation and karma don't help to motivate people to try to do a whole lot about poverty or creating options for the less fortunate. I often notice that people I talk to will feel a sort of empathy or sadness for the plight of the poor here, but they have a sort of 'it is what it is...I can't do anything about it' mind frame. At the same time, they are always very quick to thank us and shower us with praises when they learn about what we are doing for the poor. It's as if no one has ever taught them that they also have the ability to help others. Actually, I'm pretty sure that no one ever has. In a society dictated by caste and bound by karma, what you are in this life is a result of how you acted in a past life. You would think that this would motivate people to work hard to help others and improve their position in the next life, but it actually seems to do the opposite. People may empathise with the plight of others, but they tend to adopt a stand-offish attitude so they won't risk 'rocking the boat' and disrupting their own karma.

I often notice that when people see a westerner like me, they tend to realize that I'm probably not bound by their caste system and that I live by a little different set of rules. I think this may have something to do with why we often times are 'latched onto' by average people we meet. It's almost as if they can see the Light of Christ seeping from our pores and know that we are people who don't just care about Bali, but are willing to act to make Bali a better place. Everyone notices the poor, but not everyone is willing to do something about their plight. People here accept this fact and I think that is why they are always thanking us for what we are doing here at Rumah Bapaku.

Not that we need any encouragement...the love of 3 dozen wonderful children is all the thanks we will ever need! Last week, we took a couple of much-needed days off and headed down south to Sanur for some surfing and relaxation. We actually hadn't even noticed just how exhausted we were from our long days here with the kids. The first day we surfed in the morning, went to lunch and came back to the hotel in the late afternoon for a quick nap...and ended up waking up at 6:30 the next morning! With 3 dozen kids, catching up on sleep is definitely a necessity once in a while. We had a great couple of days and got some good surf and a bit of relaxation. I'm convinced that I never want to put on a wetsuit and surf in cold water again!

When we got back to Rumah Bapaku, the kids were having their afternoon snack. Now, I left out the part about how I wiped-out at Sanur Reef while taking off on a wave that was moving like a freight train and ended up taking the nose of my surfboard to my forehead just above my left eye. Thank God that I am fanatical about putting rubber nose-guards on all of my shortboards. If that board had hit me where it did with just bare fiberglass on the nose, I may not have a left eye or much skin left on my forehead right now. As it is, the nose-guard scooped a neat little patch of skin off of my forehead and left a pretty deep gash, but nothing serious. Sitting out in the water 2 kilometers offshore bleeding and praying for no sharks while knowing that our boat driver wouldn't be showing up for another 45 minutes was a little exciting, but I actually caught a couple of more waves while we waited and I'm still here to talk about it!

I mention all of that for a reason. Like I was saying, when we arrived back home, the kids were in the dining room having their afternoon snack. I walked in to say 'hi' without a band-aid on my forehead. Pandemonium! The little girls were aghast: 'Om Jeremy is hurt! We need to do something...Quick, get some paper towels! Om Jeremy needs hugs and kisses...and then more hugs...and band-aids...followed by concerned looks and more kisses!' The little boys, especially the Sumba boys, immediately went into defend and retaliate mode: 'Who did it, Om Jeremy? Where are they? Did you win the fight? Let's go and teach them a lesson for hurting Om Jeremy!' I don't think I've ever been doted over like that even by my own mother! Eventually, I had to run and grab my surfboard, bring it over to the dining room and show the kids exactly what happened and let them all touch the nose-guard to convince themselves that no one needed to pay for hurting Om Jeremy. Sounds hilarious, and it is - but in those chaotic moments, I knew that I was truly loved. That I am truly loved. That my blatant disregard for living a 'normal' life is so very worthwhile. That to 3 dozen children whom society had overlooked, I am part of the center of the Universe. I hope that someday there is just a little permanent scar left on my forehead to remind me daily of the true love and happiness I felt on a Friday afternoon in northern Bali.

It's nice to hear locals thank us for being here. But honestly, what they think pales in comparison to the love that I get daily from Andy, Yunsi, Joly, Nova, Anes, Alex, Budi, Dadi, Ananda, Desy, Dion, Eka, Hendri, Jonius, Erlina, Gaby, Joshua, Juni, Kristin, Meli, Andika, Mega, Dwi, Suwan, Putri, Sari, Sulis, Ayu, Teo, Novi, Tini, Tinus, and Tris. These are their names. Read them again. They may have been born as anonymous victims of poverty, but their Creator knew them all by name before they breathed their first breath…and He loved them. He knew that one day Camille and I would know their names as well. And now He’s tattooed their names right onto my heart. They love me just because I exist. I wish words could describe how much I love them back...

New Year's Update (Finally!)

Hi All! Whew! What a busy few weeks it has been here at Rumah Bapaku. Sorry the updates have been slow, but it is my goal to change that. I am going to do a little 'wrap up' of the Christmas and New Year's season by posting a bit of the letter I sent out to those who are supporting Camille and I. We didn't do a lot of fundraising before we left for Bali because we wanted to be sure that this is where we belong. If you have been reading this blog, I think that you have probably figured out that we are definitely convinced that we belong here! We have a small core group of supporters, but we need a lot more if we are going to stay here for any length of time - but that is not the purpose of this update. I just want to give everyone a little review of the past few weeks here at Rumah Bapaku. I'll be sharing soon how you can become a part of the miracle that is My Father's Home in Bali. For those who already support us - I just sent the update letter for this month, so if you haven't gotten it yet, don't worry - I haven't forgotten about you. Most of you should already have it in your email, and a few of you who I still have no email address for will be receiving it soon in the mail. So, with no further delay - here's what is happening!

I bet that you are all excited to hear some news about events over her e in Bali, so here goes! December was a whirlwind month, to say the least. On the first of the month, we put up the Christmas tree. We gave each child an ornament and had them climb up on the ladder and decorate the tree. It was a blast! Think about it – this was their first Christmas tree. Over the next few days, their eyes grew wider as more and more presents appeared around the tree. I learned that shaking the present to try to guess what it is must be an instinct that is bred into every human, regardless of culture! No one had to teach the kids to do this! By Christmas morning, each child had seven presents awaiting them under the tree. Mind you, the sum value of those seven presents was probably less than the average American spends for one present for his or her child, but the beautiful thing about these children is that the monetary value of the presents means nothing to them. The mere fact that they have a present at all is enough to fill them with Christmas wonder.

We had an open house here on Christmas Day and a couple of hundred locals filed through to help us eat traditional goat and goat soup and Babi Guling (whole roast suckling pig) with all of the trimmings. Bu Luh, our chef here at Rumah Bapaku really outdid herself! It was great getting to reach out to people in the community and serve them on Christmas. Most of the locals are Hindu, of course. But we also had Muslims and a few Christians come join our party. We even got to meet our village chief. Sharing the love of Christ, which is what Christmas is all about; with people who think that Christmas is just an excuse for stores to run sales was a real blessing. Rumah Bapaku continues to be a light in this community and every single time I meet a local when we are out and about, they thank me over and over for what we are doing for the children.

On the 26th, the kids had their big Christmas pageant at the Hotel Putri Sari that is home to Pastor Dar’s Singaraja church. They had been practicing songs, drama and dances all month. It was so much fun to see them celebrate their first Christmas using the talents that God gave them. We have some really great singers and dancers here! The nativity drama was tender and hilarious at the same time. Little Alex, the smallest of our boys from Sumba, was adamant about playing Baby Jesus. Alex has the energy of a nuclear power plant and the attention span of a goldfish, so we knew that having him in the manger scene would be pure comedy – and he didn’t disappoint! Neither did the rest of the kids. Hearing them worship the Christ child brought tears of joy to our eyes and seeing a ‘pregnant’ Juni playing Mary and Suwan with his fake moustache playing Joseph brought tears of laughter. (I’m not sure how many full-grown Indonesian men can even grow a moustache, much less an 8-year-old!) When Alex ‘magically appeared’ in Juni’s arms as Nova (the MC of the nativity play) announced Christ’s birth, I thought everyone in the house was going to pass out from laughter!

Throughout the Christmas season, I was continually floored by how genuinely thankful these kids are for Jesus and what He has done for them. They have a depth of understanding about Christ’s grace and love that I don’t ever remember achieving as a 7 or 8-year-old. They have seen things that most of us only imagine in our nightmares. They know the ‘dark side’ all too well…both physically and spiritually. They truly understand just how much Christ has done for them…saved them from…given them. And they are truly thankful. While they are only children, I feel that in some ways they are more mature than I am in their friendship with our Savior. I am learning at least as much from them as they are from me, that is for sure.

New Year’s was another big celebration for Rumah Bapaku. Here in Bali, they like to get the party started with fireworks every night starting about 3 weeks before the New Year! On New Year’s Eve, we got fresh ears of corn and barbequed them for the kids. Slathered in Balinese spices, it was some of the best (and HOTTEST) corn I can remember. It almost tasted like spicy pop corn. Tasha bought a bunch of fireworks for the ‘adults’ to light and the kids to watch and she also bought what she thought were sparklers for the kids to hold and play with. Turns out the ‘sparklers’ were a type of Roman candle that would sometimes explode and sometimes spew sparks all over the crowd! We’re lucky we still have all of our eyes and appendages! Being the trained professionals we are, we made sure that no kids or animals were harmed in the making of our New Year’s Eve celebrations! (As much as I REALLY wanted to blow up our annoying rooster.)

After the fireworks, the kids went to bed and the staff started in on OUR New Year’s fest – barbequed barracuda! Tasha sprung for some awesome fish and some of the guys got a nice hot Indonesian barbeque going in an old wheelbarrow. Most of Tasha’s family was here visiting for the holidays and many of the staff brought their ‘significant others’. We roasted the barracuda, played music, sang and danced, played basketball and badmitton and brought in the New Year properly! The Balinese love to sing and are quite talented at anything musical. It was a blast to be included in such a merry celebration.

At some point in the festivities, someone showed up with a whole bunch of durian fruit. Let me tell you – if you’ve never heard of durian, consider yourself lucky! Durian has the consistency of over-ripe avocados and smells like the inside of a REALLY messy baby diaper. Although I’ve never tried dirty diaper, I’m sure it actually tastes better than durian. When we were in Malaysia, all of the hotels had signs posted forbidding people to even bring durian into the building because of its foul smell. The Balinese haven’t figured out that God made durian smell and taste the way it does so that we wouldn’t eat it! They are crazy about the stuff. As soon as the durian came, they all got busy cutting it open and gorging themselves. They had durian all over their faces, on their clothes and even in their hair! Talk about a stench! But it was all good because we got to celebrate another year of God’s provision and grace.

We have been really busy since the New Year because we have lost a couple of the Balinese staff members due to family issues and outside circumstances. We are praising God for Kayla and Jason, some American friends who are spending a month over here to help serve. In addition to our normal duties in helping with the kids, Camille and I have had to double as dish-washers and maids. It really does take a LOT of work to keep a house with 36 kids running smoothly. Camille and I regularly take our turns with the dishes, but since we lost our full-time assistant cook, we are the dish-washers every night now, as well as the dining-room maids. Like I said before, thank God for Kayla and Jason who are eager to serve and happy to help. Today we actually hired a new staff member to be here from seven in the morning until two in the afternoon just to help clean…and she promptly quit because she said it’s too much work! Please be praying that we will quickly find another cleaning person and a live-in full time assistant cook to help Bu Luh.

I can’t say thank you enough for all of your support. All I can tell you is that you are truly heroes to 3 dozen kids. The kids thank us all of the time for bringing them to live here. They shower us with love and affection every chance that they get and they are well aware that it is your love and support that gives them a home and a ‘Tante Camille’ and an ‘Om Jeremy’. We simply cannot continue to stay here and be your arms and Christ’s arms of love for these kids without your support. Every month is a lesson in faith for Camille and I as we wonder from where the funds to stay at Rumah Bapaku will come. Thanks to you, we can stay another month. God willing, next month I will be able to tell you the same. Our long-term goal is to stay in Bali for as long as God will allow. With your help, that could be forever. The only thing that we know for sure is that 36 kids are growing in their relationship with Christ and that leaving them would crush our hearts. So thank you again for being a part of the wonderful team that is Rumah Bapaku – My Father’s Home.

Well, that is a very short 'wrap' for the Holiday Season! The last paragraph was obviously geared toward those who are part of our support team. Although my goal for this blog is to just relate the daily adventures here at Rumah Bapaku and I would never want it to become a forum for any advertising, I will be showing you how you can be a part of the team in an upcoming blog update - so stay tuned. Don't worry - the focus of this blog is and always will be the children and what God is doing for them and through Camille and I here in Bali. Thanks for following and look for another update soon!

Quick New Year's Update

Whew! Sorry I've been such an unreliable blogger lately. Christmas around Rumah Bapaku was BUSY!!! So many times, I have sat down and started to blog, only to be interrupted by a pressing Christmas or New Year's duty. And what a great Christmas and New Year's it was indeed!

As I've mentioned before, it was the very first Christmas for all of our 3 dozen kids. Christmas morning...something that just goes without saying in the West as every kid's very favorite morning of the year...I still can't wipe the grin off of my face from watching our kids get to enjoy this magical morn for the first time. As does most everything here at Rumh Bapaku, our Christmas started out with an early time of worship and thanking God for the miracle of Christmas. Seeing their thankfulness being outwardly expressed with such innocence and honesty was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

Then came the presents! Camille and I, thanks to our chef Bu Luh and her toy-store-owner friend, were able to get a great deal on 18 Barbie dolls for the girls. By the luck of the draw, our presents were the first ones the kids opened. I can still hear the massive cheer that exploded as all of the girls, all at once, realized that they had just been given their first Barbie doll. Then there were squirt guns for the boys, clothes, coloring books, crayons, toy airplanes, My Little Ponies. In all, each child received seven presents. Mind you, the presents were not expensive - in all the cost probably totalled less than what the average American parent spends on just one present for their child. But if you would have walked in to our living room at Rumah Bapaku on that morning, you would have thought that 3 dozen kids just won the lottery...in every state...all at once. That's how much these simple presents meant to kids who had never received a Christmas present before. For those of you who support the efforts here at Rumah Bapku in any manner - Thank You. You are heroes to 3 dozen beautiful Indonesian children.

I'm actually making this blog quick because today is New Year's Day and Bunda Tash (our director) gave all of the staff except the boys' and girls' counsellors, the chef (we tried to give Bu Luh the day off, but she wouldn't hear of it!) and Camille and myself. So to make a long story short - we're kinda busy today! Last night was a blast (literally) as the kids got to barbecue corn (over here in Bali, BBQ = HOT & SPICY, just the way we like it) and then got to try to blow each other up with fireworks! Side note: completely sober people can be dangerous with explosives as well. :) Seriously though, the kids loved the fireworks that the ADULTS lit and then they got to play with what we thought were sparklers but ended up being fire-spewing roman candles that sometimes exploded and sometimes just sprayed the crowd with sparks. Sounds dangerous, but we are all trained professionals and no children or animals were hurt in the making of our New Year's Eve festivities...as much as I really tried to blow up our annoying rooster.

There are a lot of great stories that I will be sharing over the next week or so that came out of this awesome season. Right now, we have to get back over to the kitchen and get ready for another round of dishes. Camille and I will be taking off for a few days tomorrow morning for some much-needed R&R and a little surfing. I'll try to post another update as soon as we get back. Thanks again for taking the time to read my ramblings and for your support. And God Bless everyone this New Year!

Scars

Meet Dion. If you can believe it, Dion is every bit as sweet and good-natured as he is handsome (check the picture to the right)! Some very wise people (thanks Mom, for starters) have advised me lately that my best blogs come from just sharing the 'everyday' stories that happen with the kids here at Rumah Bapaku. I agree. Besides, what happened today just had to be shared.

Dion is from Sumba. I've mentioned before that the Sumba kids are tough. Sumba is a tough place - very remote and still quite primitive by western standards. The people there value the warrior spirit, and it shows in the utter fearlessness of our kids from Sumba. For example, I'm the size of 4 or 5 of them put together, but they will throw themselves in front of me when we are playing soccer and they are trying to get the ball with absolutely no regard for what the consequences may be. Some of our smallest kids are from Sumba, but no one has ever told them that they are small!

That 'warrior spirit' also shows in other ways...unfortunately. Every one of the boys from Sumba bears the permanent marks of a warlike culture. There are huge scars in every one of their precious little heads. Places where hair will probably never grow. Reminders of a life where it was kill or be killed...where 7-year-olds were expected to pick up a sword to defend their family...where differences were settled with the edge of a blade. They have all been abused. They have all had to fight. They all carry those memories with them in the form of physical scars. The oldest is 9, most of them are a few years younger. Think about that for a minute and try to digest all of it...I dare you.

Once a month, the barber comes to Rumah Bapaku. Because the boys are going to school in town and are exposed to kids from all walks of life, and because the tropical Bali heat requires us to shower at least three times a day, it is just easier to keep their heads pretty much shaved. It's cleaner, easier and we don't have to worry about things like lice. Of course, with 18 boys, we have all kinds of personalities. Some of them already are under the impression that they are ladykillers and don't want to shave their precious locks, and some don't mind at all. I'm lucky - Camille sort of likes me with a shaved head, so I can get my head shaved with them! It really does make it easier to live in the tropical heat. So, I get in line with them for the barber and I tell the ones who don't want a haircut that the haircut makes them ganteng (handsome). They love the fact that Om Jeremy gets his hair cut to match theirs!

As I was saying before, Dion is a sweetheart. He is probably the 'mellow-est' of the Sumba kids. He's still as tough and rough-and-tumble as the rest of them, but he has a very gentle spirit about him. I could tell today as we waited for our haircuts that Dion was not too stoked about getting his head shaved. He was avoiding the barber every chance he got, letting other boys go in front of him. When his turn finally came, he got up into the chair with a sort of 'aw, shucks' attitude. I could tell he wasn't too happy about the whole thing. As the barber started to cut his hair, without saying a word or even making a sound, he started to cry. I noticed big crocodile tears running down his cheeks and, true to Dion form, he tried to brush them away before anyone made a big deal about it. I kneeled down next to him and looked him in the eye and told him that it was OK, that the haircut made him look extra handsome. As I ran through the events of the previous hour in my head, I suddenly realized why Dion was so opposed to having his hair cut, and my heart shattered.

Replaying things in my mind, I understood what my limited knowledge of the Indonesian language had missed earlier as I watched Dion talking to some of his buddies...Dion is ashamed of the scars on his head. He doesn't want his hair short because he hopes that longer hair will help hide the marks left from when his father used to hit him with pieces of wood. Dion comes from a family where he is the youngest of 6 children. His father is a farmer and they are very poor. Dion had 4 jobs after school every day - he would have to look for wood for the cooking fire, find food for the pigs, feed the goats and then go and get water from the river. His father would beat him even if he got all of his work done. Dion's scars remind him of what it feels like to be a slave...to have no value...to not know the meaning of love. As all of this hit me like a ton of bricks, it was all I could do to not pick him up, hold him and cry with him.

Thank God that there is more to Dion's story. Thank God that He loves Dion enough to bring him to Rumah Bapaku and give him a new life. It tears me up inside to know that each of our kids has a heartbreaking story like Dion's. But I use it as fuel to fire my passion for giving these kids the most loving home and family that any kid could ever hope for. You want to know why I love God so much? It's because He's in the redemption business. It's because He takes the shattered pieces of our broken lives and puts them back together to make a picture more beautiful than anything we could have ever come up with on our own. Life is hard. You don't have to convince any of the Rumah Bapaku kids of that fact. But as I played soccer with Dion later on this afternoon and he was covered from scarred-head to foot in dirt and as happy as any kid who ever lived, I was once again reminded that God is a God of fresh starts. He wants to work everything that happens to us out for our good (Romans 8:28). Dion carries scars, as we all do in one form or another. But just has He has done for me, God has taken a broken, scarred little boy and turned him into someone beautiful...someone who is truly happy. Thank you, Lord...thank you.

O Holy Night

Whew! It's 5:50 AM and I already have a couch full of little boys who are intently watching the screensaver on my laptop in the living room. The screensaver is scrolling through a bunch of surfing pictures I have collected from various surf magazine internet sites. The boys think that the surfer in every picture is me - I wonder how long Om (Uncle) Jeremy will be that cool! I guess I'll savor it while it lasts!

Camille and I have been busy lately to say the least! The Christmas season is in full-swing and, this being the very first Christmas for each of our 36 kids, we're doing it up right. We have a tree in the kids' living room and we let each child hang an ornament on it. There are presents overflowing on 2 levels below it (it's pretty much a miracle that they haven't been tampered-with yet). We had to put the whole thing on a pedestal so that that Chockie and Brownie (our dogs) wouldn't sneak away with the presents. The staff made a big 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year' sign and there are even Santas hanging from the front doors of the kids' house.

The kids have been practicing for their various roles in the Christmas program/variety show that they are putting on for each other and the staff. We have some VERY talented kids. The other night, Camille and I snuck out for a Friday night 'date night' and when we returned, we heard a guitar and a BEAUTIFUL voice singing 'O Holy Night'. We wandered in the direction of the music and found ourselves out back in our covered gym watching Roy, the boy's counsellor, playing guitar for Joly, one of our 9-year-old girls as she practiced for her part in the Christmas celebrations (Joly is the girl on the right in the picture). I only wish that I had had a way to record those ten or so minutes. It was truly one of the most beautiful things that I have ever experienced. To say that Joly can sing is the understatement of the century. Angelic is the only word that even comes close to describing her voice. The staff actually picked Joly to sing a solo because we had noticed her naturally stunning voice when the kids sing. I watched with tears in my eyes as a little girl who, just 7 months ago had never heard of Jesus or Christmas, sang praises to her Saviour with all of her heart...and really meant it. My brain is permanently emblazoned with the scene of a little girl, under the tropical stars, accompanied by only a guitar, voicing praises to God with such innocence and with such a hauntingly beautiful voice that the world seemed to stop and revel in the magnificence of the whole scene. I've said it before, and I'll say it again here - I truly believe that a child's voice lifted in praise is God's very favorite sound.

The whole scene becomes even more special if you understand a little of Joly's background. Joly comes from a very poor village. Her entire family lived in a one-room hut that housed many people. Joly has a younger brother and sister had a lot of responsibility. Her mother has mental problems so it was up to Joly to look after her younger siblings. Every day she would take them down to the river to bathe, feed them, find wood and cook for them. She never had a chance to be a child herself. When she first came to Rumah Bapaku to live with us, she was very happy for about 2 days. Then she became angry and one night, she jumped out the window of her bedroom. Tash, our director, came to her that night and asked her what had been bothering her. Her response was that she felt guilty being here in her new home because she had so much now and her brother and sister did not. Tash explained to Joly that she was a child herself and needed a chance to be just that. Tash told her that we will educate her and one day she will be able to help her family, but for now she needs to learn to play, have friends just be loved. Since then, Joly has made a new friend...Jesus. She is truly happy and loves to play and sing. She has many friends here and tells Tash that she knows that Jesus is her friend forever. So for Joly, 'O Holy Night' is more than just a Christmas carol. She sings to thank her best friend, Jesus, for giving her a new life...a happy life...a life every child deserves.

Yep, Christmas this year will probably be the best one Camille and I have experienced yet. I'm sure that there will be a lot of great stories to share! I actually planned on sharing a little more 'news' in this post but found myself 'sidetracked' by Joly's beautiful story and knew you'd want to hear it. I do have some more great stuff to share, so I will try to start posting daily. I was going to post this yesterday, but the Indonesian government decided that our part of Bali didn't need power ALL DAY, so the post is a little late! Anyway, stay tuned - more news is coming! And Merry Christmas from Bali, Indonesia!

Sorry for the delay!

Hello to everyone who reads this blog! I'm sorry that I haven't updated it lately - I never knew that the days could become so jam-packed! I promise that I am working on a new blog and will get it out tomorrow. We have been away for a few days, but a lot is happening over here in Bali that I want to share, so stay tuned! I promise the updates will become more regular, even if the posts are short sometimes. Check back tomorrow (or tonight, if you live in North America) for a new post! God Bless you all!

-Jeremy

The voice of a child.

Selemat Siang! ('Good late morning/early afternoon in Bahasa Indonesia) The kids are taking their afternoon siesta and we are getting a little bit of the first rain of the season. I never thought that I would be so excited about rain! Just having the clouds to cool things off a bit is nice, and the rain is SO refreshing! We are looking forward to the rainy season for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that it will give us a chance to get some grass planted on the soccer field and keep the dust down a bit. The field is all leveled out and has about six truckloads of new dirt, but we have been playing on the dirt and between the dust and the 100% humidity, by the end of playtime we are sweaty, dirty messes! Thank God for colorful clothes that don't stain easily!

I am still in the process of trying to figure out the best way to upload pictures for everyone. So far, facebook seems to be the fastest from over here and I have been posting quite a few new pics on facebook. The upload/download times on the 'high-speed' internet over here leave somewhat to be desired, and trying to post pics to this blog takes FOREVER! I may have to start editing the pictures and making them smaller before uploading them. Facebook does that automatically for you, so for now I have been taking the 'lazy' way out and using facebook. I'll be sure to let everyone know if that changes.

I can't believe we've already been here for 3 weeks! We have to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next week to get a 'social visa' for Indonesia that will allow us to stay for six more months without having to leave the country. Kinda weird that you actually have to leave the country to get a visa to stay in the country, but I guess the government is just trying to make it hard for freeloaders to add to the already high unemployment rate in Indonesia. We are praying that everything goes smoothly with the visa process.

We are continually struck by the amount of love that emanates from My Father's Home. It's as if the kids know that they missed out on a lot of love during their first 6 to 9 years and are now trying to make up for lost time. We've been here for 3 weeks, so you think that the 'novelty' factor would be starting to wear off, but we still get mobbed every time we step out of our house and are anywhere where the kids can see us. Personally, it's something that I don't think I will get tired of and I hope that 'Om Jeremy' will always be a celebrity! Last night, after spending the evening watching 'Finding Nemo' with kids piled on our laps hugging and cuddling with us the whole time, Camille announced that if this is what our 'job' description is going to be, she can't think of a good reason to ever leave Bali. I totally agree!

For my fellow Christians, I know that you would probably agree one of the times you feel the closest to God is during worship times at church or with a group of Believers. Every day here at Rumah Bapaku, I am totally awestruck when these kids start to sing during their worship times. Eight months ago, they had no hope whatsoever. They were abused, unloved, used as slaves and many cases their innocence was stolen from them. Now they have hope, love and Jesus Christ. To see the humility and gratitude that they 'bring to the table' when they start to worship is something that has shaken me to the core. They understand God's love and His healing better than I could in a thousand years. I have yet to hear them sing and keep a dry eye. I truly believe with all that is in me that the voices of children lifted in praise is God's very favorite sound in the entire Universe. They start to sing, and He shows up. Period. At 6 years old, some of these kids know more about our Creator's presence than I do at almost 40. And they've only known Him for a few months. I'm getting a crash-course on why Jesus had so much to say about children.

I know that not everything will be 'peaches and cream' for Camille and I here in Bali. So far, though, it seems that no matter how rough the day is going, just one of these little ones can make it all worthwhile when they jump into your arms and bury their head in your chest for no reason other than the fact that they love you...just for being you. We are definitely not special. Heck, we can't even speak much of their language yet. They love us unconditionally just because we're here. For me, they are God's love in the flesh. Funny, because that is just what I came here to be for them. God has a way of turning the tables on us, huh? I guess I have to go back to my basic belief that when you decide to serve God with your whole heart and life, He gives you you cake and lets you eat it too!

Sorry if I'm gettin' a bit 'preachy'. Maybe someday soon I can get a video of the kids singing posted so that everyone else can catch a small glimpse of how beautiful it is. It has truly changed me. That's all I have for today. I'll keep everyone posted and try to update the blog before we leave for Malaysia on Tuesday (Nov. 24th). God Bless, everyone, and thank you for your prayers and support!

I'm Back!

I gave this post the title that I did for a couple of reasons. First off - Camille and I are back from our little mini-vacation to Lombok and south Bali. We had planned to take off for a couple of weeks at first, but after getting to Rumah Bapaku (My Father's Home) and meeting the children, we decided to cut it down to a week. Plus, we have to leave next week for about four days and head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to get our social visas which allow us to stay in Indonesia for the next six months (and then another trip to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore). So, we are back at Rumah Bapaku and our wonderful kids! Second, I titled this post 'I'm Back!' because I have decided that the possibility of me getting any justice from my insurance company is quite slim, so I may as well return to using my real name. So, as Jeremy Youngquist, I am advising you to NEVER purchase disability insurance (or anything else, for that matter) from Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company. In my humble opinion (that oughta satisfy their legal department), I feel that they are crooks...enough said. (Except for Connie - she's been very kind and helpful, but her hands are tied. Thank you, Connie.) Aahhhh...sorta feels good to be Jeremy again.

Camille and I had an awesome time in Lombok. The surf wasn't as big as what we had hoped, but it was fun nonetheless and Lombok is one of the most primitive and beautiful places on earth. The water is crystal clear and the locals are the friendliest people you'll ever meet. It takes a bit of determination to get to a place like Mawi Reef, Lombok, but it is well worth the journey. (That is, unless you are lazy and just want to shell out the 'big bucks' to charter a boat from Bali to cruise over to Lombok and drop you off right in the lineup of surfers like Camille and I who have actually 'paid our dues' to get there. The journey truly is half of the reward - don't get me started on charter-boat weenies.) I've never been anywhere where absolutely everybody smiles and says hello when you pass - and they are genuine. Life isn't easy for most Lombok locals, so I suppose that they have come to realize that true wealth is found in relationships, not stuff.

We also enjoyed a couple of fun days in the Seminyak and Canggu area of south Bali. The surf finally picked up a bit and we got to play in some of Bali's renowned surf! The water here is so warm that even your extra-hard tropical surf wax starts to get gummy and soft while you surf. Being cold is a thing of the past, baby! I once again proved that I can be a wave-hog anywhere...hehehe. This is truly where Camille and I belong!

As we look to the coming months, we are excited to say the least. I am especially excited for Christmas this year. Camille and I have talked for years about spending Thanksgiving or Christmas day just helping the poor somewhere. Now we finally get to! Christmas with these kids is gonna be so fun! I am going to savor the entire season. Bringing the Light of Christ's love to an area of darkness is pretty much what Christmas is all about, and we are going to take full advantage of this opportunity. I spent a couple of hours today just trying to find the best deal on those little balsa-wood glider airplanes that I used to play with as a kid. You remember those, right? I want each of our kids to be able to experience the fun that I had with those gliders as a child. Playing Santa will be a blast this year!

I am still searching for the best way to share pictures with everyone. Pictures seem to take FOREVER to upload to my blog from here in Bali, so I will let everyone know when I decide on the best avenue for sharing pics. For now, I have been posting some of them to facebook - so if you're not my facebook friend, send me a request! I'll hopefully come up with a better way soon.

Thanks for 'tuning in' to the blog. I'll be updating it each day that I have a chance, so check back often. God Bless and if you're the 'praying kind', please keep us and Rumah Bapaku in your prayers. If you want to sponsor a child, go to http://www.myfathershome.net/. If you want to sponsor Camille and I, send an email to youngquistjr@hotmail.com. I'll let you know the details on how to do that. Thanks and check back tomorrow! Selemat Siang!

Lessons about Grace from 7-year-old experts.

Selemat Pagi! It's 4:30AM here in Bali and I got up early so that I could write this post. Camille and I have been here for a few days now, and already it feels like home. As worn-out as we are at the end of the day, by the time the rooster starts to crow (which could be any time of night, actually - our rooster doesn't keep very good time), I lay in bed unable to sleep, filled with the excitement of knowing that I have another day with our wonderful kids ahead of me.

I actually woke up early to write this because Camille and I are going to be taking off for about a week and heading to the island of Lombok. While we were back in Oregon planning our journey, we decided that since things have been so hectic and strange for us this year, we would take the opportunity to 'unwind' and relax a little when we got to Indonesia before settling into our schedule. Lombok has some great surf and isn't as crowded as Bali, so we purchased some tickets to Lombok (an 18-minute flight from Bali). Truth be told, now that we are here with the kids, it is going to be hard to be away from them for a week, but the tickets and hotel, etc. were already a done deal, so we're off this morning for a week. It's funny how your priorities change when you let God sit in the driver's seat of your heart!

We probably won't have internet service on Lombok, so we're not bringing the laptop. If we get a chance to hit an internet cafe or anything, I may try to update the blog, but if not - it will be next week before I have a chance to blog. I wanted to write a few quick thoughts before we leave.

Grace. It's not something most of the world spends a lot of time thinking about...let alone using. As a Christian, grace is central to who I am. Without God's grace, I would be about as valuable as a worm. God is perfect and only by His grace does he allow a dirty, imperfect sinner like me into His presence. I am supposed to turn around and return the favor to my fellow man, but you know how that usually turns out...just think about the guy who cut you off on the freeway this morning and which finger you used (or maybe just wanted to use) to wave a friendly greeting at him. You get the picture - grace is something that I will probably spend all of Eternity trying to understand.

Knowing this about me, God has decided to place 36 Indonesian children in my life to give me a daily illustration of what grace is all about. Our kids have only been here since April and May. If you've seen the website for My Father's Home, you have had just a glimpse of how horrible their lives were before then. They came to us broken, unloved and hurting. Where they were from, it was everyone for themselves. You had to be tough to make it through one day of their young lives. When they showed up, they didn't know a thing about love.

Christ changed all of that. The staff at My Father's Home took them in, loved them unconditionally (many of them had to be taught what a hug and a kiss is) and showed God's love to them. One by one, they started to trust, stopped being afraid...and they started to love. Today, they are absolutely radiating happiness and love.

One thing that they understand better than I ever will is grace. When they came here, they had that 'dog-eat-dog' mentality. Especially the kids from Sumba. Sumba is a tough place where being a warrior is respected and life is often violent and brutal. A couple of our 9-year-olds have actually run into battle with swords...real swords. Did I mention they were 9 years old? There's not a lot of time to worry about showing grace to your fellow man when he's trying to run you through with a sword! All of our kids had to fight to survive and were never shown an ounce of grace. When they opened their hearts to God's love however, grace flooded in and coming from where they had come, it must have been the best feeling in the world.

When they came here, before letting God's grace heal them, they were hard and tough and ready to beat-down the kid next to them if needed to secure their place in the food chain. That was then, this is now. Now Christ is in their hearts and without anyone having to teach them, the 'grace lightbulb' has clicked on in inside of them. I love to play soccer. So do they (and some of them are better than me, the little stinkers). Usually, when you put a dozen or more kids on the field and let them go at it hard, emotions will flare and unintentional fouls or the occasional push can escalate into scuffles or even full-on fights. It humbles and amazes me to play soccer with these kids. They are playing as hard as anyone I've ever played with, yet there is almost never any need for us 'adults' (yes, I consider myself an 'adult'...not an adult) to intervene and stop the skirmishes that you would think would naturally ensue. When one of them gets knocked down, someone will almost always rush to help him up and brush off the dirt before he even has a chance to get angry or point fingers. They're not playing like wusses, either! Like I said, these kids know how to fight and take that warrior spirit into a soccer match. I think that because of grace, and their grasp of it, they just have an unspoken understanding that at the end of the day, we love each other so we'll extend that grace to each other.

With 36 little ones running around, you would think there would be more bickering and fighting than there is. I'm not saying that they are perfect - after all, they're still kids, but there is an unseen but very much felt undercurrent of grace running through My Father's Home. The love and patience they show towards each other is something that will be teaching this 'adult' for a long time to come. It's not a show - when you walk in to a room full of these kids, you can tell that they actually love each other. In just a few days, I've learned more about grace from these precious kids than I have in the 39 years I've been on this planet.

That's just a few days. I'm supposed to be here to teach them...looks like the tables are being turned! Isn't that just like God? What an adventure we have started! It is with very mixed-emotions that we take off today on our little mini-vacation. Lombok will be fun and relaxing, but our kids are here in Singaraja, Bali. Truth be told, if we didn't already have the tickets, we would probably postpone the little vacation. Like I've said before, when God gives you your cake, He lets you eat it, too. Don't be afraid to serve Him - He makes doing His will the only thing you want to do! I'll update this blog in a week the first chance that I get. Until then, I'll try to post some stuff on facebook on my iPhone while we are gone. God Bless!

Smitten...

WE'RE HERE!!! As I write this, I am sitting in my new living room in our house in Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia. I am sweaty, caked with dust and dirt, jet lagged and generally exhausted...and I'm the happiest I've been in a long time. I just spent the day playing, eating, drawing and praising God with 36 of the most beautiful children I've ever seen. Camille and I just became part of a new family. I'm pretty sure that in one day, our hearts have been changed forever.

I actually started a blog yesterday as we sat in the airport in Seoul, Korea. It was a pretty good post, if I may say so myself! Right as I went to publish it, I found out that my computer had dropped the internet wi-fi at the airport and hadn't saved any of my work...one blog entry down the toilet! Luckily, the wi-fi is a lot more reliable here in Bali. Before the literary catastrophe yesterday, I was writing about how one of the things I love the most about being a part of the family of God is the fact that we have instant family everywhere we go. Before yesterday, Camille and I had never even met any of the kids or staff at My Father's Home except for over the internet, yet we loved them already, and we knew that they loved us back. Well, today confirmed all of that, big time!

If you're reading this blog for the first time, you may want to start from the bottom of the page and work your way up. Camille and I have quite a story that has led us to the other side of the globe to love kids whom we had never met. For now, I'll just say that the pictures on the web and the lovely brochures for My Father's Home don't even come close to doing any of it (the kids, the home, the staff, the area, etc.) justice. These kids stole our hearts the moment they jumped off of the school bus and into the arms of a couple of Americans who they hadn't even met, but already knew as uncle and auntie. 36 little ones, who up until this last April hadn't ever been told that they were loved or given any reason to even smile, were instantly crawling all over us and showering us with hugs and kisses. And you should see their smiles now! Camille and I spent the rest of the day being loved so unconditionally, so wholeheartedly...I learned just how little I knew about true Christlike love today.

I already have funny stories to share and touching points to make, but in addition to being dirty, sweaty and worn out from one of the funnest (is that a word?) days in recent memory, I'm completely jet lagged. I'm probably just rambling to begin with, but I know that there are quite a few of you who are waiting for an update so I wanted to at least post something quick this evening. I promise that we will start taking pictures tomorrow (WARNING: Looking at pictures of these kids may cause an uncontrollable urge to get on an airplane and come to Bali), and hopefully I'll get some time to share a little bit more.

For now, I want to thank everyone who is praying for us and supporting us in any way, even if it's just happy thoughts. Our journey to Bali from Oregon was long, but comfortable. All of our bags made it here unscathed, even after the first airline tried to convince us that our surfboards would never make it all of the way. Truly, thank you for your prayers and support. I plan on updating this blog almost daily now that we are settling down in Bali. Thank you for being a part of our new adventure. Bali is truly as beautiful as all of the brochures claim - but what makes it spectacular are the wonderful people. The 36 kids at My Father's Home and the staff who serve them are the 'cream of the crop', and we now have the honor of calling them our family. We sit here tonight smitten. Smitten by the kind of love that only God gives. Smitten by children from unspeakably horrible backgrounds who are finally getting to learn how to just be children. Smitten by the knowledge that we now get to be on the receiving end of the love that they have only recently discovered is inside of them. Yep, we're smitten. Let the adventure begin!

I'm still here...I promise!

Whew! I feel really guilty that I haven't updated my blog lately. It's pretty crazy getting ready to sell or store everything you have and move to the other side of the globe with only a couple of suitcases and some surfboards. I promise that I will start the updates soon!

Right now Camille and I are driving from Seaside, Oregon down to Mexico to help my brother Chad build a house for a needy family in Tijuana. If you wanna find out all of the awesome details about Chad's new Home-for-Home program, I encourage you to visit his blog. The link for it is the 'Home for Home' link on the side of this page. We're getting to help build a home for someone and then visit family along the California coast on the way home. If there happens to be surf along the way, we'll have to suffer and paddle out! Right now we are spending a couple of nights with Camille's best friend Caryn in Atascadero. Her little girl Camryn is SO cute!

Like I said, things have been crazy as we prepare to leave for Bali. We fly out on November 1 and we have a lot of details to worry about before we leave. I promise the updates will become more regular soon. I have a lot of stuff running through my brain that I want to share with everyone. For now, thank you so much for following my blog and I promise that you can look forward to some great stuff very soon! Heck, just driving the length of the west coast and back is giving me plenty of ammo for writing! (For instance, why does everyone speed up when there is a passing lane and then drive like my grandmother when the road goes back to one lane?) Anyway, please stay tuned for more of Jeremy's random thoughts and in just a short while - some great pictures and stories from Bali! God Bless!

God's Hands

If you've ever read any of my blogging in the past, you know that I can be pretty passionate about certain issues. Being a surfer and outdoors buff, protecting our environment and caring for the other creatures who share this planet with us has always been a priority for me. A lot of my friends joke that I should apply to be the helicopter pilot on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship 'Steve Irwin' - you know, the one that harasses the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean and is the star of the hit show 'Whale Wars'. Truth be told, I'd actually love to spend a few months with them throwing stink bombs at those illegal, murderous whalers! I'm definitely not a tree-hugger or anything, I just happen to feel that most Christians don't take the Bible's directives to care for our planet and its inhabitants even close to seriously enough.

That being said, I will always agree that there is one thing that trumps the environment - people. Sadly, for every whale that is being hunted, seal that is being clubbed, rain forest that is being logged or exotic animal sitting in a cage in some third-world market, there is probably more than one human being - made in the image of our Creator - being enslaved, abused, neglected, taken advantage-of, trafficked and generally living a life that is unimaginably crappy. The great majority of the human race ekes out an existence that the rest of us would consider a horror story. Some days the sheer weight of humanity's misery almost makes me not want to even get out of bed. I often ask God how He manages to keep His broken heart beating. He actually answered that question in an amazing way one day - but I'll save that for another blog.

Today, I thought I'd give a shout-out to a couple of other people who are actually doing what they can to care for the downtrodden and brokenhearted. This is important stuff, and I want to be sure that if you are reading my blog, you are also reading theirs. The first is Love146. Love146 is an organization devoted to combating the human trafficking and slavery industry - currently the second largest illegal syndicate in the world, close behind the illegal drug trade. An estimated two children are sold every minute. I won't even do them justice if I try to explain the awesomeness that is Love146 in my own words. I've added another video gadget on my blog page devoted to them - do yourself a favor and watch the 'Love146 - The History' video. Make sure you have a box of tissues. Then subscribe to their blog and learn every week how you can get involved in helping to end human trafficking and slavery.

Which brings me to the picture that is at the top of this post. Last week on Love146's blog, they talked about this great book called 'The Better World Shopping Guide'. Basically, the good folks at 'Better World' have compiled over twenty years-worth of data on just about every company you can think of that makes anything you can buy in any store, as well as the actual stores themselves! They give each product, brand name, store, etc. a 'grade' based on five categories: human rights, the environment, animal protection, community involvement and social justice. Then they publish everything in a pocket-sized booklet that you can take with you when you shop. Even better - for those of you who use iPhones, there is an iPhone app that you can download from iTunes for $1.99 that will truly put social justice in the palm of your hand! Let me tell you, in the short time that I have been using this guide, my shopping habits have changed - big time! It's a great way to voice your support of fair trade practices with your money. I encourage you to check it out.

The other shout-out I have is for someone very close to me. My brother, in fact. Again, I won't get too detailed because you should read his story in his blog, but I'll give you the quick facts. Chad owns a home-building company named Pillar Development. As is the case with most developers right now, Pillar has been having a tough go of things due to the downturn in the housing market. A while back, Chad and I were discussing another company called Tom's Shoes (you may have seen them featured in a Visa commercial recently), a shoe company that gives one pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair that they sell. On a whim, we half-joked about how cool it would be to follow that same one-for-one model on a bigger scale. What if Chad could build a home for a needy family for every home that he sold here?

Well, it turns out that Chad wasn't joking. That is exactly what he is doing. And it is turning his business around! Again, you can read the details on his blog: Home for Home - the link is on the side of this page. Pillar Development is building one home for a needy family in Mexico for every home that they sell here. You know what? In less than a month, with no advertising of the 'Home for Home' deal whatsoever, Chad went from no house sales to four houses and counting! That's four needy families who will soon have a roof over their heads. God's math...it defies the laws of physics. If you wanna get really stoked, read Chad's blog. And while you're at it, read his other blog too: Love - the link for that one is also on the side of this page.

There's a reason that people all over the world, whether they believe he is God or not, revere Jesus Christ for being the greatest humanitarian in history. He...Loved...People...Period. The Bible tells us that, in his own words, He 'came to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10). WE are what was lost. He cares about every injustice, every hurt, every wrong...every child sold into sex slavery, every mother who can't afford to feed her baby, every family with no roof to keep out the rain. He came to make all of it good and right and whole again. Friends, WE are His hands and His feet. He uses US to put all of these wrongs to right. We live in a day and age where information is instant and the world is connected. It is easier now more than ever before to get involved and to become His hands and feet. I encourage you...no, I implore you to take a few minutes of the time that you would normally be browsing Perez Hilton's web site to find out what Jessica Simpson wore to the 'I'm famous' awards show and bookmark a couple of these blog sites and websites that can actually change the world.

Being informed is the first step in changing people's lives for the better. The next step can be as simple as refusing to buy that bag of chips from the company who is involved in child slavery lawsuits. But you never would have known how to vote with your dollar unless you were informed. One thing is for certain - when you start to act, it feels good. Selective shopping can lead to feeding the poor at the local shelter which may lead to flying to Mexico and helping build a house for someone. I'm not saying that that is how it has to work, but the feeling you get from making a positive difference in someones life is a high that not even the best wave on the planet can provide. Take it from a die-hard surf addict - that's a GOOD feeling!

God's Voice...according to Kelly

Man, I wasn't kidding about being sick! I don't think I've ever been knocked flat by anything (besides open-heart surgery) for this long. I've barely left the house for the past week - very unusual. Oh well, maybe it's all for a reason...there's been a 15-foot Great White shark hanging around one of our local surf spots for the last week. It actually swam right up the river the other day and under a friend of mine in his canoe! Regular 'Jaws' action going on in Seaside! I would definitely have been out in the water with that shark (probably sharks - plural) a lot if it wasn't for being so sick. God probably figured that laying me out on my back was the only way to keep me from getting eaten! (OK, I have to stop here and admit that after I started this post this afternoon, I actually took a break and went surfing. I'm back blogging away now, so it's Jeremy: 1, White Shark: 0.)

I sorta have to chuckle every time I hear someone say that, "Everything happens for a reason". I always have to choke down the urge to say, "Well, Duh!". I don't believe in coincidence or karma. I do believe that God has a plan for each of us and although He won't get too pushy, often times things that seem to be just falling into place for a reason really are for a reason - His reason. He's probably not going to show up with a big explosion, crack you on the head with a bolt of lightning, and tell you in a thundering voice that sounds like James Earl Jones to go preach to pygmies in South America while dropping a huge sack of money in your lap so that you can quit your job and buy plane tickets and DVD copies of the 'Jesus movie' translated into pygmy-ese. But there's a good chance that if He really is asking you to do something, stuff will sorta start to 'fall into place'. Some call it coincidence, I call it God's voice.

That's exactly where Camille and I are right now. Ever since we went up to Washington and met with the Boyers (Kim Boyer is the head of the board for My Father's Home) about coming to Bali, WAY too many things have just been 'falling into place' for this new adventure of ours to be anything but God's idea. For starters, the very next morning, my good friend Chris called. Everyone probably knows a 'technology guru' - through the years Chris has been my (and my family's) answer-man for all things computer-related. I've known Chris since I was in high school and he has known that serving orphans in Bali is the sort of thing that I was supposed to end up doing all along. I had 'talked' to him on facebook the night before and told him about our plans. He was literally crying when he called me and told me that he had been waiting for 20 years to see me fulfill my true purpose. Chris is the executive director of a technology industry trade association and has a lot of contacts in the computer world. He told me that he wants to send Camille and I off to Bali with a new laptop so that we can stay in touch with the world. What he didn't know is that we were currently looking for a new laptop because ours is in it's death throes!

That evening, Camille and I decided to stop by the local festivities at the redneck madness that is the Lake Stevens annual Aquafest to see one of my high school buddies. While we were there, we saw my friend Julie from high school (Aquafest is always sort of an impromptu high school reunion/karaoke contest/carnie-fest). We started telling Julie about our plans in Bali and she got really excited. Julie has been in a lot of really cool bands since high school and is currently a talent manager/events coordinator with a big talent company in Portland. She also has a rockin' all-girls AC/DC tribute band! She was so touched by what it is that we will be doing and told us over and over that this kind of thing is closest to her heart. She gave us her business card and insisted that we let her co-ordinate a charity event for My Father's Home, complete with live music and everything! I'll have more details on that soon, hopefully!

Since then, it seems like barely a few days ever go by without another confirmation that Bali is definitely the 'next step' for Camille and I. The other day, the simple act of borrowing a friend's trailer to start cleaning out our storage unit led into me meeting the Seaside High School vice-principal and being able to make some awesome contacts for Camille and I to be able to come into the Jr. High this fall before we leave and learn from the teacher who teaches English as a second language to the local Mexican kids. He said that she will be thrilled to help us in any way and share curriculum with us!

I guess you could say that this stuff is just coincidence. Or that 'everything happens for a reason'. What I know deep down inside is that all of this is evidence that what we are about to do is actually our Creator's idea, not our own. He is 'flattening out the road' in front of us and making it impossible to doubt that we are doing the right thing. That's why I say that it is all God's voice to me. When you are truly following His will, this is how He speaks to you (at least in my experience). No, I have never heard an audible voice tell me to go to Bali and live with 36 orphans. But I know Bali is exactly where He is pointing us. He dropped the opportunity in our laps. He keeps smoothing out all of the details. It's as if the very forces of nature are aligned with one goal: to get Jeremy and Camille to My Father's Home. His voice wouldn't be any clearer if He appeared in a flash of light dressed as Gandalf and smacked us upside the heads with His staff!

I'm writing this stuff down as much for myself as I am to share it with you. I know that there will be days ahead that will be frustrating and hard. It's the details of all of these confirming events that we will always be able to call to mind and know, even in the middle of the hard stuff, that this is truly what we are supposed to be doing.

Hopefully some of you are reading this who have been struggling to figure out how to hear God's voice. This is my honest experience in that area. I've never heard a 'voice'. But I have had longings in my heart or burning desires to follow a certain path. I think God is just waiting for us to act on some of those desires. If they are from Him, He will let you know - just as He is doing for Camille and I. When you hear His voice, let me tell you that you won't mistake it for anything else! Likewise, He has a real knack for shutting the doors that you are not supposed to walk through - if you are sincerely listening! Above all, if you are truly struggling to hear His voice, start by reading His Word - the Bible. He's already given us all of the answers and they are written down in one convenient book!

We are so excited to share our new journey with all of you. Please check in from time to time for updates. Also, if you like to pray, Camille and I would really appreciate your support in that area! Thanks and hopefully I'll blog more this week now that I'm feeling a little better.

Surfing Lessons #1

I'm sick today. Not just the stuffy-nose wussy kind of sick. I'm pretty much the 'lay-on-the-couch-and-wonder-if-you-even-want-to-remain-alive' kind of sick. And wouldn't you know it? There's not a breath of wind on the ocean and the surf is glassy. So what does a guy like me do? He picks himself up off of the couch, wades through all of the used Kleenex, takes some Advil, and paddles out into the Pacific Ocean. That's what he does, yes sir.

Kelly's probably not the brightest light in the chandelier, you're probably thinking. Well, you may be right, but then again - I scored some waves. That's better than NOT scoring some waves, Mr. Smarty-Pants! If you're reading this and you're a little confused - congratulations: you just entered the mind of a surfer. A lot of what surfers do makes little sense to the non-surfing world. That fact is actually a twisted point of pride for surfers. People often ask why Camille and I are willing to brave freezing water, giant sharks, stinging jellyfish, huge waves that can crush us onto rock reefs, pollution, being chased by sea lions, getting held underwater by the raw power of the ocean and all of the other dangers surfers face just to catch a few waves. I guess the ugly, truthful answer to that question is that surfing is more like an addiction than a sport or pastime.

I often compare it to drug addiction. I tell people who are thinking about learning to surf to consider the consequences very carefully before they try surfing. Once you catch your first real wave, it's all over! You have been ruined. All you can think about is catching another. You have just experienced Creation in a way that is not possible anywhere else, and the exhilaration of it leaves you wanting more and more. There is a high that comes with smoothly gliding down the face of a wave, dancing a dangerous jig with the power of the ocean, that simply cannot be duplicated. The only way to feel the high again is to catch another wave. Surfing will limit your options when it comes to places you can live, friends you can keep, even jobs you're willing to work (I know many surfers, myself included, who purposely work the graveyard shift so that they can surf all day). It literally takes over your life.

While this may sound a little...diabolical...there is one thing that makes surfing a healthy addiction. Well, many things, if you consider the simple health benefits of getting all of that good exercise and fresh air. But one thing in particular changes surfing from just another addiction into something wonderful and productive. Simply stated - surfing lets me be closer to God than I ever thought was possible in this mortal body. Outdoor enthusiasts everywhere will talk about how they can feel the Creator's presence more closely when they are 'out in nature'. Whole libraries of books have been written about the 'power of the ocean'. When I surf, I feel a part of something that is SO much bigger than myself, and its power is what propels my (hopefully) graceful interaction with the Source. As a Christian, I understand who that Source is. Our Creator's voice is heard in the crash of each wave, the call of each sea bird, the very pull of the tide. His presence permeates the water and I find myself often in a state of awe and...worship.

It's no coincidence that surfing is often compared to a religion. Surfers' devotion to their pastime often mirrors religious fanaticism. The Bible explains that those who do not know God personally will naturally turn to His Creation and worship it instead the Creator (a deadly mistake, unfortunately). One of the major surfing magazines actually published a headlining article recently that proclaimed that surfing is indeed a religion! The fact is that you simply cannot sit in the ocean and even watch the surf without feeling a presence that you know is altogether bigger than you. Our natural inclination being to worship something, those who have not had the pleasure of getting to know our Creator personally tend to worship the ocean itself. I, on the other hand, get to have the incredible experience of literally sitting in God's lap and hearing Him speak to me. I can't tell you how many times I have found the answer I was seeking by just sitting in the ocean and listening. Or how many times I've heard Him say, "I love you" when I wasn't expecting a thing.

Which brings me back to why in the world a dude who can barely even stand up without being dizzy and whose sinuses feel like they are holding back the Amazon river would put on a wetsuit and paddle out into the Pacific Ocean. I'm an addict. Addicted to waves? Yes, but more than that - I'm addicted to God's presence. I'm addicted to hearing His voice. I'm addicted to feeling His power. I'm addicted to the beauty and peace that resides only with Him. I feel His presence a whole lot more sitting on my surfboard than I do laying on my couch. It's that simple.

So what's the 'lesson'? Well, after our surf session today (as I was laying back down on the couch), a question found its way into my thoughts. Am I as passionate about some other things in my life as I am about surfing? Hopefully, the answer is 'yes'. As I pondered the question, I had to admit that in some areas, I believe that I am and in others, I can stand for a little improvement. I know at least that I have a great topic for God and I to discuss over the next few surf sessions! What areas of my life am I passionate enough about to act upon? What areas should I be? What areas shouldn't I? What does God want me to be so passionate about that even sickness can't restrain my enthusiasm? How about you? Ever asked yourself these kinds of questions?

I don't have all of the answers, but like I said - I have some great fuel for future conversations with my Creator! Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and I'll get to surf again. Even if I don't feel better, I'll probably be out in the ocean if there are waves to be had. But most of all, I look forward to hearing my Creator's voice, waves or no waves.

Too Preachy?

I just realized that I already broke my promise to not get 'too preachy'! It's just that as we prepare to leave the U.S. for Bali, my worldview seems to be shrinking - or maybe my brain is sub-consciously cleaning itself of the stuff that doesn't really matter. Can I do anything about our country's health care crisis or North Korea's race to blow up the world? Nope. Can I do something to change the life of a child who has no parents or might go to bed hungry? Absolutely. So, I guess you could accuse me of caring very little about American politics these days...or politics in general. It's not apathy, it's just reality. The reality is that each of us can only touch the lives of the people or change the small part of the world that we've been given. If we all were to strive to actually do this - then the words of the Talmud would surely ring true: "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."

Well, now that I've preached to you again...

I figured that since the word 'surfing' is part of the name of this blog, I had better not spend ALL of my time on the 'serving' part...although 'serving' makes for much better reading and will always be the focus! Along this vein, I've added a YouTube gadget on the right side of the page so you can check out the beautiful surf that Bali has to offer. It's a feed from YouTube, so I'm hoping that the keywords 'surfing' and 'Bali' won't end up putting anything offensive on my blog page. I'll check regularly to make sure the content is 'G-rated'! I especially like the vid of the sunset session at Padang-Padang and the vid of Made Lapur - that guy rips!

I'm sure that I'll be posting some 'surfing lessons' posts as I often have on my other blog. I tend to have a knack for getting myself into ridiculous situations out in the water, and I usually try to learn something in the process...even if it's simply 'I'll never do that again'!

Thanks for indulging my often times random thought-process. Please realize that when I rant or air my opinions, I'm really not trying to preach at you - I know that you can go to church for that. Once again, the only thing that I'm trying to convince you of is the power of love (didn't Richard Marks or Peter Cetera or someone sing a song with that title in the 80's?). I better quit while I'm ahead...