thankgsiving, part two

When we arrived to Malaysia in August, we had a potluck to meet all our supervisors for our placements. Casually we had already mentioned to Laura earlier that week how fun it would be to cook Thanksgiving for her and her husband, the Bishop, for when we would be feeling homesick. However, as things usually go here, a comment turned into an idea, and at the potluck Laura invited all the supervisors to our Thanksgiving festival that we would be hosting for them in November.

Needless to say, I was worried.

Worried because...

1) We have never cooked Thanksgiving before.

2) The people here don't normally like sweet or bland food. American food is both.

3) That is a LOT of people.

4) If the other volunteers cook like me, we are in trouble.

After much scheming and discussing, we began to slowly pan out a plan for this "festival." Doria and Michael graciously offered their house to host the celebration of over forty people. Jacob could perform his trumpet (performances are a vital component of any celebration. clearly.). We could all make our favorite recipes.

So the next obstacle was the recipes! Our first problem came quite quickly; ovens aren't really a common kitchen tool in this hot, tropical country. Luckily, one of Katherine's teachers is in Sarawak for the month, and lent us her portable oven! I plan on using this as much as possible in the next month. Wheat bread and Christmas cookies, anyone?

The second obstacle was ingredients. Overall though, we did fairly well. My favorite substitution had to be a real pumpkin (think jack-o-lantern pumpkin) for the pies, instead of canned pumpkin. Steaming, mashing, mixing... it was an intense process.

We spent all day Saturday and Sunday cooking (with Kelsey making a ton of things the week before). Who knew Thanksgiving was so much work?! Luckily, Kelsey has done a lot of cooking in the past since she's worked at a camp full time.

In the end, here was our delicious menu, pretty much everything from scratch.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry relish, homemade buns, corn bake, green bean casserole, sweet pickles, two types of stuffing, and... wait for it... SIX pies!

I am still impressed.

The day was really great-- we had our guests come at 6:30. We shared our favorite thanksgiving prayers (yes family, I taught "Be"), taught them all about Thanksgiving (it was almost every one's first), all shared what we were thankful for, and enjoyed the food!

I think the biggest compliment came from Deborah, Doria's sister. Deborah was explaining how she had studied abroad in the UK. One time she was invited for a traditional dinner there, and they served her spaghetti. She said that she ate her plate, and then looked expectantly at the hosts. What food was to come next? Of course, that was it. There was no rice, so she was still hungry! The compliment was that even though our meal had no rice, she was full!

Another funny part of the day was as I was baking the rolls, I had many people ask me what they were stuffed with. Turkey, or maybe pork? I had to explain that no, we don't stuff the rolls, they are just plain. Just bread. I could only laugh as I watched numerous people open up their rolls later in the evening and stuff it with cranberry sauce.

Anyway, I don't think the day could have been any smoother (except for maybe the part where Doria locked the keys inside the car with the unmade turkey roasting in the hot malaysian sun with T-6 hours to go... haha). I think it was so great for all of us volunteers; not only did we enjoy sharing our traditions, but it was just a little piece of home.

The best part... leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast. :)

The apple pie making process! Erika and I were pretty much masters.

Please take note of our oven (that we made almost everything in) on the floor next to me.

We were surprised it made it.

The spread (and the happy eaters)

Mmmm, heaven!



Kelsey, Me, Erika, and Katherine with our homemade pies!!!
Note the Christmas decorations in the background.
It was like Thanksgiving/Christmas in July!

Thanksgiving, part one

As many of you are beginning to prepare for the big day with warm ovens, freshly baked pies, afternoon movies, and cards (atleast in my family!), I am about to head to bed, finished with Thanksgiving, part one.

Now I realize sometimes it requires a second thought, but no, Malaysia does not celebrate Thanksgiving. I did however, manage to have a wonderful day.

This morning (since it was NOT a public holiday) I taught for three hours. After that, I proceeded to my normal lunch with my students, which I appreciate more and more every day. Particularly when the menu does not include chicken feet. :) But that's another story!

After lunch, we had made plans to go rambutan picking, which is a local fruit that is in abundance this time of year. After being advised to put on my least nice shirt and bring a cap, five students and I piled into two cars to begin our journey. I can't quite say where we went to pick the rambutans, but it was definitely outside of the city somewhere, I'm going to say a kampung. Anyway, we trekked in a ways, stopping for snacks of manggis and langsat on the way. Finally we reached our destination-- which was basically a farm in the middle of the jungle. But there were so many rambutan trees! Think tropical apple orchard. To be honest, I mostly just enjoyed eating my fill while I watched others climb the trees like monkeys and gather large quantities of rambutan with a bamboo stick. We also managed to find lots of durian (called the king of fruits for good reason, but more because it dominates than it is delicious, sedap). Either way, the afternoon was filled with laugher and lots of fruit to eat.

After a much needed shower, I headed to my next commitment for the day. One of my student's had invited Erika and I to his pastor's house for dinner. I think they had no idea how meaningful this was to me to spend this evening in a house and with a family. It was also just great to spend the entire day with my students.

The evening was wonderful as well, with more laughter as we shared in three different languages (English, Malay, Mandarin) with no common language. It's funny because it doesn't even strike me as odd that we can't all communicate. We just bounce back and forth, with everyone in and out of the conversation at some point. I have picked up on a fair amount of Chinese this week (as my students currently only speak Mandarin, Burmese, and English), so I catch the few words I now know (things like no, delicious, come, okay, teacher... you know, the essentials, haha). The meal tonight was great too-- spicy Thai chicken, rice, tofu, pork, vegetables, fresh pineapple and papaya, and sweet bread. Oh, and soda! I don't know about you, but that's what I call a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Part two of Thanksgiving is to come, as we begin the Western cooking on Saturday. Now that could be quite another story... :)

Photos following, Selamat Malam!

photos

Rambutan trees

A close-up shot. It really is delicious, I promise.


Durian, the king of fruits.
Now this fruit, on the other hand, tastes like it looks.

Just a portion of our pickings-- so much durian!

the daily things

For those of you that sit at home and wonder, "what is Ellen doing today?" (though maybe some of you never do...) here is your answer!

Now that STS is on holiday I have a new routine and schedule to my days. I teach English in the mornings, to students who are staying here for holiday (ones that cannot go home to China and Myanmar). Each day I teach from 9-12:15 between the six students. I really love the small group atmosphere of it, though I still am struggling with how to fill my time outside of teaching. This week I have a Malay class in the afternoon (Saya belajar bahasa melayu tengahari ini?) so I am attempting to switch my thinking into Malay a bit. Although the timing isn't great, as now the only language the students and I have in commmon is English, so I can't practice my Malay like I could when school was in session.

The students and I have created a bit of a routine where we have class in the mornings and then eat lunch together. This lunch consists of a water-based soup, rice, meat, vegetables, and fruit, and of course, eating until all the food is gone. Today they officially invited me to eat with them everyday, which I am extremely grateful for! Even when the conversation switches to all Chinese, I still enjoy the company and the cooking. To be honest, I don't think I was ever meant to cook for myself with only a stove top-- I can probably make a total of three meals. On the list of things I miss... an oven! As well as baked goods and dairy products.

In two weeks, I'll get to try my hand at cooking again for our Thanksgiving celebration! We'll see how that one turns out. I'm hoping through my lunch dates I'll be able to learn some cooking (and then I'll be the best Asian cook in the States!). I was joking with Erika that we will forever be really strange cooks since we first learned to cook for ourselves in another country. It seems perfectly normal to me to eat a fried egg over rice with a little bit of chili sauce. Hmm...

Back to my routine... evenings are quiet here, with a lot of down time. My plan for this evening includes correcting a student's thesis paper, lesson planning for tomorrow (I still find that I can only take it one day at a time), studying Malay, and maybe a little leisure reading.

Did I answer your question? :)

I'll be posting an entry about graduation soon! Sekejap lagi!

pictures first, then the entry

Temburong National Park
"One Language, One Nation, One Kingdom"

The longhouse housing 16 families

The Mosque

Kampung Air, water village

Yesterday I just got back from a six day trip to Brunei. Brunei is a small Muslim country, located on the island of Borneo, surrounded by Malaysia. A flight from KK to Brunei is... (drum roll please) a whole nineteen minutes!

In Brunei we (the four volunteers, Laura, our country coordinator, and I) took our first retreat and stayed with some of Laura's friends. Our main host was Isabel, a beyond-gracious host and a mother of three. She took much time away from her week to provide comfortable accommodations for us (in her late grandparents' apartment), and showing us around the city. We were in the capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan.

A few tidbits about Brunei... first, because it is a majority Muslim country, the entire country is alcohol free. Also, it is a monarchy, with one of the world's richest sultans. The palace itself has over 1,300 rooms. We also learned that they use golf carts to travel around within the palace, AND there is a zoo inside. Also, Michael Jackson performed for one of the princes' eighth birthday party, but you can ask me about that story another time.

Anyway, we spent most of our week in fellowship with each other and our hosts, doing Bible studies, and sight-seeing. Brunei is a small country, so I have to say that six days is more than enough time to get a feel for the city. It was funny to go to a new country and not experience any culture shock (since it is so close to Malaysia, and we are maybe finally adjusted to Asian culture); it was nice to enjoy somewhere new. Brunei was more relaxed than East Malaysia, as well as a lot cleaner and well kept. It was also much greener and spread out.

Some highlights of the trip...

We took a water taxi through the "kampung air" (water village). Brunei has an entire community on its river. Not only are there stilt houses, but stilt schools, mosques, fire departments, and hospitals. Because so much of the city population lives on the water versus the land, the government had to adapt and provide for this. Over 30,000 residents live in the kampung air. These houses have electricity, plumbing, and some even satellite television. People with cars keep them on the land, lining the sides of the roads (giving the city almost a small town feel). This housing differs from Malaysia, where most of the people living out on the water are illegal immigrants. In general, it seems like Brunei's government wasn't really a fan of this concept because they would like the people to have land for themselves. Therefore, whenever there is a house fire or something of the sort in the kampung, the people are not allowed to rebuild their houses, but have to move onto land.

Some other things we saw included the Brunei Museum, which had a lot of Islamic art, the Omar Air Saifuddien Mosque, the six star (who knew this was possible?) Empire Hotel, and the Royal Regalia Museum. The Royal Regalia had every single thing you could ever wish to know (and see) about the Sultan-- my personal favorite: the golden hand that holds up his chin when he is crowned. Second place goes to the yellow umbrella that he uses every time he goes somewhere outside.

My favorite day though, was spent at Ulu Temburong National Park. The four girls (Kelsey, Katherine, Erika, and I) took a day trip to see the rainforest! To get to Temburong from Bandar we had to take an hour boat ride (a morning commute for the business men), a 30 minute drive, a hike, and another boat ride. I have to say though, it was totally worth it. On our way to the park we stopped at a long house. A long house is traditional housing for some of the indigenous people of Brunei and Malaysia, specifically the Murut. The long house we saw provides housing for 16 families (mostly relatives). This was used to provide safety for the tribe during the head hunter days. Now it is more of a sense of community, but once families have enough money, they usually move out of the long house. During the Harvest Festival (in May to celebrate the harvest of rice), the long house sounds like quite the place to be for the festivities and the rice wine.

Anyway, back to our day in Temburong... :) We had tea at an eco village (where they do a lot of overnight trips and camps and things), then made our way over to the park in a long boat on the river. I have to say that a river in the jungle is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen (though I kept expecting to see a deer cross the water or an eagle to fly overhead). We then proceeded to "jungle trek" through the jungle, climbing uphill towards the canopy. Once reaching the end of the trek, we had the opportunity to climb up into a canopy walkway. Despite my fear of heights, and a deterring bee sting, I made it to the top of the canopy walkway! It was a great view, and worth the scary ladder climbing. After hiking around in the top layer of the canopy, we then hiked through a stream to a waterfall, which was GORGEOUS. It was so awesome to be surrounded by these huge butterflies in the air, and refreshing to swim in the cool water. We finished the day off by floating down the river in tubes. Luckily, the current was fairly strong in spots with even a few rapids, so we enjoyed the trip immensely. I think it was one of my favorite days in Southeast Asia in general!

While all the sightseeing was great, I also just enjoyed spending time in Brunei. It was so great to get to know the other volunteers better and laugh and joke around. Also, we spent some time with two families in particular, and it was so wonderful to have dinner at someone's house, or take the kids to the local pool, or teach them how to play Skip-bo and Spoons in exchange for learning how to count to ten in Chinese. It's a funny sense of home to know you have friends in other countries.

I'll finish with just a few photos of the trip, to give you a glimpse! As always, thanks for reading.

Shopping malls

I decided I am going to try and give you a glimpse into one of the many sights and attractions in Sabah.
Today's topic-- shopping malls.

For the avid shopper, you will not be disappointed in KK. There are malls pretty much everywhere, and more in the works. In walking distance alone, I can reach three malls. Maybe four. And let's not forget that KK is now home to the world's largest hypermall, available by free shuttle.

While you may feel that you have your choices of shops and malls, you may, however, not be ready to shop.

Even after shopping three or four times, I still find shopping to be a stressful experience. There are people everywhere, floors and floors of stores, flashing lights, loud music, food stands, and every shop imaginable.
Then once inside a store, it is even more overwhelming. The tiny aisles, the overflowing racks of mismatched clothes, and the random assortment of items are a store attendant's worst nightmare. To give you a perspective, maybe walk into the teen store "Forever 21" in the States, and times that by four. Atleast.

Needless to say, shopping is a very popular activity here. And quite the cultural experience. I have to say that I prefer to hit up the grocery store and the occasional market, and then make my way home.

On a more serious note, lately I have been reading an excellent book called "Beyond the White Noise: Mission in a Multicultural World." The author, Tom Montgomery-Fate, writes of his experiences as a missionary in the Philippines. He too, discusses malls in his writing. I'm not an expert on Malaysia's situation, so I cannot say how close this is to being equally true here, but I have felt these elements at times. It is hard, to say the least, to see a new mall being built next to the shack homes of numerous illegal immigrants.

He writes:
"I had been to SM Megamall and two other malls during our orientation and language study in Manila. SM City, the mall nearest our apartment, was the most interesting and disturbing, because of its location near a large squatter community. Before arriving, as I peered through the front window of the Monumento bus, through the black clouds of diesel exhaust, I would see the mall slowly materialize from a hot, wavy mirage into an imposing palace of cool, white granite: an island of wealth surrounded by sprawling poverty, by packs of street children and dogs straying in the dust, scrounging for scraps of food and hope.
Like malls in the U.S., Philippine malls are timeless, Muzak-filled escapes from the real world. Cool, controlled environments tailored to rapidly quench bodily and material thirsts without distraction. They are three times as crowded as U.S. malls. This may be because nearly two-thirds of all Filipinos live below the poverty line. There is more physical hardship, but fewer places to escape the grind of daily life-- fewer public oases.
The best part is that it's free. A free escape and free entertainment. Any who the armed entrance guards consider appropriately dressed can enjoy the air conditioning, ride the glass elevators, smell the bread in the French bakery, wander through rows and rows of imported underwear and polo shirts, and stay as long as they like."

It's been a while...
And sorry to disappoint, but this isn't going to be much of an update. More updates (and a newsletter!) to come soon.
Tonight I just wanted to post part of a blessing that a volunteer passed onto me. I think it's reassuring to remind ourselves, and truly believe, that what we do in life has a purpose, and that we can make a difference (no matter which country or community we are in).

May God bless you with discomfort... at easy answers, hard hearts, half-truths, and superficial relationships.
May God bless you so that you may live from deep within your heart where God's Spirit dwells.

May God bless you with anger... at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people.
May God bless you so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears... to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war.
May God bless you so that you comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world and in your community, so that you will courageously try what you don't think you can do, but, in Jesus Christ you'll have the strength necessary to do.

21 things...

...(and a few more) that you might learn after living in Malaysia for a month.

1.) Malaysians don’t like hot weather

2.) If not chopsticks, utensils include a fork and a spoon. Have fun cutting your meat.

3.) Table manners are flexible-- though you should always excuse yourself from the table.

4.) It is unclear if toilet paper can be flushed, but to be on the safe side, I’d say don’t do it.

5.) Dinner is at 6, Supper is at 9

6.) You are a proud member of the clean plate club at every meal.

7.) Nothing is too spicy.

8.) After lunch it’s time to rest and shower

9.) Carry your own toilet paper

10.) When entering a home, take your shoes off outside of the door

11.) Texting is very common among all ages- “I’ll SMS you”

12.) Common phrases include take some more, it’s okay for you?, you like? And if the answer is yes, take some more

13.) Roommates include ants, geckos, and cockroaches

14.) Never leave the house without closing your windows

15.) Twenty minutes is far away, especially if you were planning on walking

16.) If you receive a bowl of hot water at a restaurant, it’s for washing your utensils

17.) “lah” is added on to most words, as in okay-lah?

18.) Need a napkin? Ask for a tissue.

19.) Never leave the house without an umbrella

20.) Showering multiple times a day is the norm

21.) Do not be late for meals, even by a few minutes, you’ll miss the prayer and the food might be gone

22.) A bowl is better than a plate

23.) Need to dry your clothes? Hang it on the line.

a successful week

I've finally taken the time to update my blog and make some changes. I hope you enjoy the pictures, and now you should be able to leave comments without having a google account. Hopefully a few more changes on the way...

This morning I woke up to an utter downpour. Rain here is cooling and refreshing, but heavy. I wanted to lay in bed all day just listening to the sheets of rain, but I trekked through the rain over to the seminary.

Wednesdays are my down day, as I have no classes to teach. I have office hours in the morning, so I spend my time grading papers and preparing lessons. Today I am excited, because I have an outing! There is a break in the day from 12:30-2 (the hottest part of the day). During this time today, one of my students is taking me out to the tailor to have a skirt made out of some traditional fabric that was given to me, and we are also getting lunch. Even though she was asked by my country coordinator to drive me (as I have no car), I am looking forward to this time of just hanging out.

A few things I've accomplished or experienced in the last week that I consider a success, whether small or large--

- Joined the choir
Yes, after three years of not singing, I am back to it. It's true, music is one thing that doesn't really stop being a part of you, and I'm already enjoying it. The choir is a bit motley, as there are so many men (a choir director's dream!). To make up for the overabundance, all the women are first sopranos, and the alto section is men. However, I find that most people do not read music, and rhythm is quite difficult. The choir sings in English, Malay, and Chinese. On my first day, after being welcomed, I immediately was asked to read the English translations. Right now we are working on the Hallelujah chorus which we'll sing for the opening of the new building next year. A great piece, but difficult, and I do have to say I am nervous we won't be ready in time...

- Found the library, post office, and the store
And all within walking distance! Now the next step is investigating the library and seeing if a library card is worth the 50 RM (approx. $14). Also, this is good news for letters, because then they hopefully won't sit on my table for two weeks before they are mailed.

- Made an acquaintence with one of the professors
This isn't exactly an easy task as everyone has their own schedules and agendas, and to be honest, I'm only 23 and not actually a seminary professor (contrary to popular belief). However, Jacob and I went over to one of the international professors' house, and it was great to just talk freely about our observations and experiences in Malaysia. Unfortunately, he'll be leaving in November to take a new teaching position in Costa Rica, but we'll hopefully be attending an Anglican church service with him in a few weeks, so that will be a good experience. I think the Anglican church here follows more of the traditional service that us midwest lutherans are used to.

- Had weeknight plans
There is a young adults group at one of the volunteers' churches, so last week Monday I had plans! This is very exciting news, and we enjoyed a good dinner and time of fellowship. Hopefully this is a group of people I can get to know and hang out with a bit more often.

Hm, I think that's about it for now, but I'm sure there will be future additions of little victories to celebrate. Hope all is well.

a little lantern festival

I think the best way to describe this weekend's mooncake festival is through a few photos! This was my favorite part of the evening; walking with the lanterns. Even though it didn't include any candy or costumes, like halloween, it was so much fun! Enjoy!

a news update

not sure how much the flooding in the philippines is in the news back home, so i thought i'd put it up here for you to be aware. we are definitely focusing on it a lot in prayers and support daily at the seminary. i checked the local paper and some international ones too, this article seemed the best. already it's interesting what news and areas i am focused on now, after only living here a month...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/world/asia/30phils.html?ref=world

a conglomeration of thoughts

Teacher's day was a success! The weather was beautiful-- it was cool and the rain stayed away for the most part. Students, staff, and families (probably around 100 people) gathered for worship, fun, and food. We definitely were all laughing through the relay games on the beach. As a part time lecturer, I received a towel as a gift (which happened to be a much needed gift!).

This weekend is the Chinese Mooncake festival, so on Friday I'm helping my church host a Lantern Carnival for the neighborhood. I'm in charge of the handpainting booth, so hopefully my artistic abilities will meet their expectations. Saturday we are going over to Doria's (one of the volunteer's placement coordinators) to celebrate with her family. Mooncakes are VERY sweet, I'm not sure if the consistency is really comparable to anything in the States. I'm excited to see the lantern festivities with the children.

In other news, there is only five more weeks of the semester! By the time I have a routine, it will be vacation. Graduation is November 7th at the seminary. November and December will hold a variety of things for me-- teaching small group English at the seminary as well as study sessions (most students will head home over this break), teaching English workshops for local elementary teachers and their children, Malay and Chinese classes, a trip to Brunei for visa purposes, and a mission trip to the interior of Sabah for Christmas. Oh, and not to mention the volunteers' "Thanksgiving festival" (I'm sure this will be an entry in itself)!

Yesterday at my church I was able to attend the youth group for the first time. I am happy to report that I have a new, fun game to play-- malaysian chicken! It's similar to whoosh if you're up on your camp games. :) I am excited for the opportunity to spend more time with these young adults-- they are insightful, knowledgeable, fun, deep, and eager to learn. I have no doubt that my own beliefs and thoughts will be challenged weekly by this group. I feel as though I will learn more from them than they will from me...

It's getting close to rainy season, and the local fruits are booming. I don't think Erika and I will ever be short of vitamans, because we eat grapefruit 24/7. The grapefruits here are delicious, and probably about the size of my head. You can easily pull them apart, no need for a grapefruit spoon. We've also received a lot of rambutan, a fruit that doesn't seem edible from the looks of it. But once you get over the spikey shell, there is a delicious inside just waiting to be eaten.

As I was walking back from work today, a old familiar song popped into my head (a varsity women's favorite!). I thought I'd leave you with these lyrics today to meditate on. Much love!

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

celebrate good times

I have to apologize for the lack of blog posts lately, but to be honest, blog posts seem like quite a daunting task. How do I pick one or two things to share about, or tell you everything I'm up to? As a result, I have avoided my blog for some time. Here's attempt one at playing catch up. :)

One thing I have learned about Malaysia is that they love their public holidays. Since I've been here, we're already enjoying our third public holiday. And, if you were wondering, public holidays = a day off of work. Earlier in the month we celebrated Malaysia's Independence day, last week was Malaysia Day celebrating Sabah's independence from Britian, and these past two days have been Hari Raya, marking the end of Ramadan.

Each of these holidays have varied in celebration styles. For Malaysia's Independence day, we gathered with the STS students to attend the city's celebration. Unfortunately, our hike down into town was in vain, as the city's celebration was moved to a smaller scale and location for H1N1 precautions. We were not ready to give up though, and stayed awake until midnight to watch the fireworks from the roof. Yet again, our plan failed, as we could not see the fireworks from our perch. All in all, though, it was a fun evening and a great way to begin meeting some of the students.

Malaysia Day was last Wednesday. I attended a celebration with Thomas, a seminarian whose practical is at the same church I am assigned to work at on Sundays. The youth of the church gathered with many other BCCM youth to put on this celebration. They had prepared different acts, reminiscent of an Olympic opening ceremony-- a flag processional, tambourine dances, flag twirling, and the like. The BCCM church here is very reform and charismatic, similar to a Pentecostal church in the US. Overall, it was a very new experience for me. The government is promoting a program called 1Malaysia to promote unity between the peoples and races in Malaysia, and this celebration prayed a lot for this unity.

And now onto today, Hari Raya, marking the end of Ramadan for Muslims. For our holiday, the volunteers attended a church retreat at the base of Mount Kinabalu (the highest mountain in SE Asia). I have to admit, I'm not sure I've ever stayed at such a beautiful place before. The retreat center was perched high on a peak of a mountain, and mountains were as far as the eye could see. We attended the retreat with a church called Canaanland, also apart of the BCCM. Today a few of the volunteers and I went to a church member's neighbor's Hari Raya celebration. It is very common for people and government leaders to have open houses as celebration-- the hosts' outfits, as well as the food spread, were extravagent. It reminded me of a formal graduation party, and afterward, I definitely felt I had eaten my fill in sweets.

I have to say the dynamic between peoples in Malaysia is quite interesting. For example, we are celebrating an Islamic holiday, but with primarily Chinese Christians. Sabah, the state I am in, is much more lucid than say, West Malaysia, in terms of peoples and differences meshing, but many things are still very separate.

This Saturday we have a STS Teacher's day at the local beach. I'm hoping it will be a good opportunity to mingle and meet some more of the staff and students (I have to say this is a slow process, I wish I was better at remembering names!). We've visited this beach before, and I'm looking forward to the traditional Malay satay beef kabobs. Hopefully soon I'll take the time and upload some photos. :)

Till next time-

my first "supper"

As I have spent the morning checking emails and such, I thought I might as well finish it off with an entry.

Things are busy! I have started teaching this week, and I think I am in for a fun, challenging, planning-filled year.
I teach three classes-- a one-on-one tutorial with two women who speak only Chinese, an English One class, and an English Two class. The English Two class is quite advanced, many of my students hope to preach in English. In between those classes (roughly 14 hours a week), I am also correcting grammar in thesis papers for students, and planning a study session for an English test that is required for the masters program here. In addition, I will be busy on Sundays as I start working with a youth program at a local English speaking church. It is easy to say that I have my work cut out for me!

Onto the story of this post...

Last night I had my first real supper! Here in Malaysia, in a typical traditional day, it would be common to eat five meals. So, as we are sitting at dinner, Thomas (one of the students here) asked if we were having supper tonight.

Well, of course, aren't we eating it now? (especially for you Iowans, haha)

After a good while of confusion, Erika (my roommate) and I came to the conclusion that we were not, in fact, eating supper, but eating dinner. So we prepared our stomachs for another filling meal at 10:00pm. We went with Catherine and Thomas to a nearby restaurant to meet some other STS students and had noodles with beef and pork-- our first official supper. Catherine asked if we wanted to document this momentous event. So, here it is.
The moral of the story-- if you are hungry at 10:30 at night and are unsure what to do, the answer is easy- just go out for supper!

Hope all is well,
Ellen

hello dear readers! selamat pagi! after a total of 41 hours travel time, i am finally in Malaysia!

We have been in Kota Kinabalu for a week now, finishing up our orientation yesterday. I’m not sure how to even begin to summarize what we have been up to, or what we have learned so far, but it has been a busy past few days as we are learning the city, the language, and the ways.

Laura, our country coordinator (she is the wife of the bishop of the BCCM- Basel Christian Church of Malaysia, and the dean of students at the seminary), greeted us with open arms at the airport. She has been very busy preparing everything for us—she hasn’t missed a beat on things we may need. Out of our volunteers, three girls will live at an apartment nearby, and Jacob will move to a nearby town. My roommate and I share a spacious apartment on the fifth floor within the seminary student housing. We have a living/dining room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and laundry patio, as well as a great view of the mountains! The student housing is maybe a five minute walk from the seminary, and on the first floor there is a cafeteria of sorts where we eat.

The seminary has a main building with classrooms, offices, and a library, as well as a chapel, and teacher housing. Every blank space in the city is filled with thick, tropical vegetation. It is humid, and rains often. We have to close our windows every time we leave the apartment, just in case!
We have definitely already met so many people; everyone is eager for us to be here. Some have been praying for years that we would come. This is the first year of the program in Malaysia, so everything is new. They love to invite us to events and share with us the best local tea, fruit, markets…. and so on.

A few observations about KK so far…
- The food! We eat often and in large amounts. Meals are usually rice or noodles with either beef or fish balls/patties (though fish is preferred by the locals). And yes, this is even for breakfast. My roommate summed this up best by saying “I’ve eaten a million things in the past two days that I never thought I would eat!” Also, we have lots of different kinds of tea. My favorite already is called the tarik- it reminds me of Tanzanian chai.
- The language! Everyone can speak everything! Laura would like for me to learn both Malay and Mandarin, though I’m not sure how far I’ll get without any formal instruction. We are slowly working on our Malay, but it is difficult. The locals use many languages interchangeably. Right now I’m just trying to differentiate when someone is speaking Chinese or Malay, haha.
- The diversity! There are so many languages, cultures, and peoples here. Though it is not a melting pot, like the US. Each culture keeps to itself.

I’d better be somewhat brief, so I’ll save all the little details for another time. I'm off to begin preparing for my class, since I start teaching Monday! Prayers for that are definitely welcome :)

More to come, Ellen

i am waiting for you

less than five hours until departure!
i leave you with a poem that summarizes beautifully orientation, thoughts for the year, and things yet to be experienced.

Pack nothing.
Bring only your determination to serve and your willingness to be free.

Don't wait for the bread to rise.
Take nourishment for the journey, but eat standing.
Be ready to move at a moment's notice.

Do not hesitate to leave your old ways behind--
fear, silence, submission.
Only surrender to the need of the time --
to love justice and walk humbly with your God.

Do not take time to explain to the neighbors.
Tell only a few trusted friends and family members.
Then begin quickly, before you have time to sink back into the old slavery.

Set out in the dark.
I will send fire to warm and encourage you.
I will be with you in the fire and I will be with you in the cloud.

You will learn to eat new food and find refuge in new places.
I will give you dreams in the desert to guide you safely to that place you have not yet seen.
The stories you tell one another around the fires in the dark will make you strong and wise.

Outsiders will attack you, and some follow you, and at times you will get weary and turn on each other from fear and fatigue and blind forgetfulness.

You have been preparing for this for hundreds of years.

I am sending you into the wildernessto make a new way and to learn my ways more deeply.

Some of you will be so changed by weathers and wanderings that even your closest friends will have to learn your features as though for the first time.

Some of you will not change at all.

Some will be abandoned by your dearest loves and misunderstood by those who have known you since birth and feel abandoned by you.

Some will find new friendships in unlikely faces, and old friends as faithful and true as the pillar of God's flame.

Sing songs as you go, and hold close together.
You may at times grow confused and lose your way.

Continue to call each other by the names I've given you, to help remember who you are.
You will get where you are going by remembering who you are.
Touch each other and keep telling the stories.

Make maps as you go remembering the way back from before you were born.
So you will be only the first of many waves of deliverance on these desert seas.
It is the first of many beginnings --your Paschaltide.

Remain true to this mystery.
Pass on the whole story.
Do not go back.
I am with you now and I am waiting for you.

-Alla Bozarth-Campbell

the beginning

hello dear readers! welcome to the beginning of my blog, as well as the beginning of my adventure into the next year of my life.

i write to you from my dorm room at the university of chicago, as i am preparing for my time abroad. i am spending the week in chicago with 49 other yagms (young adults in global mission) for orientation. we spend our days at LSTC (Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago) in discussion, song, worship, and fellowship. we have sessions and small groups each day on ways to prepare us spiritually and realistically. overall, it is quite enjoyable spending time with the other yagms, but also a bit of a roller coaster to begin to comprehend all that we will experience in just one week.

a little background about what i will be up to for the year...

i am spending my year volunteering through young adults in global mission with the ELCA. the program is intended for young adults, such as myself, ages 19-29. this year there are volunteers in slovakia, hungary, the uk, south africa, malaysia, jerusalem/west bank, argentina, uruguay, and mexico. placements range from working in the church, education, to social justice. i will be teaching english to seminarians at Sabah Theological Seminary in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. i will be living with one other yagm in an apartment at the seminary. there are six yagms total in Malaysia; we will all be in close proximity. four others are teaching kindergarten, and one is working at an orphanage. on sundays, when we are not teaching, we will attend one of the local English speaking churches, and help lead a boys and girls brigade.

our departure date is wednesday (for almost all the yagms!). we are flying from chicago, to los angeles, to singapore, to kk (short for kota kinabalu). the time is 13 hours ahead, so we will arrive in malaysia on friday-- one week from today! the expectation is growing as we discuss what cultural rules will catch us by surprise, what it means to walk in accompaniment, or how we will share our own views on faith, politics, and calls.

prayers for safety, confidence, and solidarity. more soon to come...