The fourth week of our trip

Another adventures we had this week. We had a big whole family vacation, went out of Jakarta to Puncak for 2 days. Can you imagine we pack 8 adults and 2 babies in one van (this is Indonesian size van) and of course plus baby gears and bags. Yes! a full car for more than 2 hours driving to Puncak because of the long holiday traffic. We (Dave and I) didn’t know that it was a long holiday in Indonesia when we planned the trip! Oh yah Puncak is a place where every one in Jakarta want to get away during the holiday. It is a nice, cooler town with beautiful view where every one from the crowded and smokey city wanna be. Normal day, it only takes about 2 hours to be there (of course still have some traffic jammed because of the local public transportation).

Finally after a long time being in the car, we arrived at the hotel that booked by Joe (remember, Sella’s boyfriend?). It was a little bit passed after 12 noon and we were all tired and hungry. After checking in to the rooms, unloading all the stuff, we went out for the adventure! We planned to go see the seven water falls and had lunch there. But when we got there it started to rain and it was a hard one. We took shelter at one of the “Warung” (a small restaurant that sells food, snacks, drinks, but not the fancy one, traditional food, mostly, and cheap – supposed to be cheap – since it’s at a tourism area, you know they raise the prices). We decided to wait there and had lunch there. After an hour waiting, the sky was getting clear, but the visitors were getting crowded and so many people smoking cigarettes. Couldn’t breath the air! Finally, we decided to go back to the hotel because it would be not so much fun.

“What can we do to have fun today?” we asked to each other, and we found out that they had an indoor pool! YAY!! Swimming would be good idea. Then we went to the pool. And…BRRRRRR!! Indoor pool but the water was so cold! It was a huge tub of ice water only we didn’t drink that water. Joe said that we had to tell the hotel manager a while ago if we wanted to go swimming so they could warm the water… hehehehe… wish we knew that few hours before =)
And… splash! Dave and Abigail were in the water, my mom and dad with Callista were sitting at the edge of the pool. Then splash! Sella jumped in, but Joe were cold and sitting at the chair (he was in the pool before we came). Then Windy and Tony jumped in. But my mom and Callista were still sitting at the side of the pool while my dad jumped in and played with Abigail. Talking about Abigail, eventhough she had blue lips and were cold, she didn’t care, she loved it! She had a great time splashing the water and playing with Dave, my Dad, and my sisters.

 

We ended the day with get together for dinner and watching tv, chatting, and babies were asleep already. It was a good day.

The next day, we checked out aroung 10 in the morning and was planning to go up to the highest peak of that town to enjoy more the view. We stopped at one of the most famous sub-division called “Kota Bunga.” We took a break by taking pictures when we saw good spots. Like you can see at these pictures.

Then we went farther and further to the other town called Cianjur. It’s a town knows by its delicious fresh fish and Sundanese food, too. Then we decided to have our late lunch at one of the restaurant, Saung Kuring. The place had beautiful view of a green hill, rice field around it, and pond full of hugh “Ikan Mas” (gold fish).
Abigails was amazed when she looked at those fish in the pond. Her eyes were wide big opened when she saw them. We had a good time resting and break for a while at that restaurant.

But then we came up with crazier idea. We decided to go up to Bandung which we didn’t plan to go. We just wanted to go and had fun at the mall (again!) then back to Jakarta. But after calling our cousins, they invited us to stay at their house for that night, and had dinner together with other cousins, too. So we did! It was a great to see them and had some time together, catching up things that we didn’t know yet, and let Abigail and Callista were able to meet their cousins, too. The next morning we went to the Strawberry place and had lunch at the Ranch (you can tell from the pictures, below) and then we headed home.

On the way back, we got a phone called from another cousins in Jakarta. They invited us to have dinner at their house. We thought that it was our last week here in Indo, we accepted it. Didn’t know it would be so late when we get to their house. But we had a good visiting and finally we get home around 1 in the morning! Amazing family vacation!

Oh… something happened on the way back from Bandung though. Joe got a phone call from his mom telling that his dad was sick again. They needed to take him to the hospital. We were so worry and prayed for him. Joe also had a meeting. So we dropped him off at the church. He didn’t go to dinner with us. Hope his dad get well, soon!

Wednesday afternoon (after coming back from the trip), we had an invitation to share about Mission and God’s Word at a church of friend of mine, Lili and Ko Chris. It was a church that reaching out Chinese people at the neighborhood. They had Mandarin interpreter for the service. That night was a prayer night for mission and they were praying for all children at risk and how to minister to them. Praise God that God gave us the wisdom and right words to share to the people at the church. Our friends told us that their church had been 20 years praying about mission but about few years ago they started to take action. Praise God for that. God is moving among the people at that church, opening their hearts and understanding what to do to show God’s love to the people around them and to the unreached ones. We were so thankful to be there and shared our vision to our friends, too.

The next day, we paid a visit at the other mission agency which working among the unreached people group and mission mobilization organization through prayer, trainings, conferences and collage students and your people, too. It was a great opportunity for us to be there. We shared about what we has been doing since 2006, and how we did that, and what was the purpose of the ministry to our friends at the office. And they also shared with us what they has been doing and what they are going to do. So much information we got and to think about.

We had full schedule this last week in Indo. Friday was the last day we scheduled to see friends. On that day we arrange a short meeting with friends from SID* at Citos. We were so happy that we were able to see them before we went back to State. They still had some things to do for their work so they couldn’t stay too long, and also, Windy had to go to work that evening, we also needed to go back to Tangerang. Also, this was the last day we did our last shopping for gifts.

What a fruitful and long last week… we had a great family dinner together at one of our favorite restaurants. We were able to see my mom’s brother in law (his wife was my mom older sister. She passed away about 12 years ago). And still we had to finish our packing…

I couldn’t tell what I felt that day… once again… I had to leave my country and most of it… my parents and family again… But I trusted them in God’s hands and protection. Though I couldn’t stop crying but I understood one thing that it had to happen that way and I have a great family, Dave and Abigail. I wanna be with them wherever God send us to go for his glory.

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