Today, as I was preparing to teach a class on how pictures can share the ‘story of place’, I took my camera and headed beyond city limits to scout out locations to bring my students.
I was once again struck by the magnificent beauty of the place we call home …
With a population of more than 252 million people, Indonesia is the worlds 4th largest country. Over 50% of those people live on the island of Java, the place we call home. That’s a lot of people! Yet, when Koover and I ventured beyond city limits, we didn’t have to go far to find quiet roads, lush green trees, and acres of carefully tended farmland .
Through my lens …
Even a concrete jungle can be beautiful ~ it all depends on your perspective …
Hong Kong
There were games to be played, songs to be song, faces to be painted, beads to be strung and crafts to be … well, crafted.
There were meals to be prepared, dishes to be washed, floors to be swept, and squatty-potties to be scrubbed.
There were mattresses to be purchased, rock walls to be built, and piles of dirt to be levelled.
Amazing memories.
But it’s the stories shared that will stay with me long after those memories fade.
Stories shared by the husband and wife team who run this children’s home; their stories, the children’s stories.
Stories of trials, perseverance, opportunity, hard work, and dreams.
Stories of faith, and stories of Gods faithfulness.
Their stories have inspired and challenged me.
They are now woven into the fabric of who I am.
A few quotes from our time in the river village that will always bring a smile to my face …
“Luar-biasa!” {“extraordinary” ~ describing our whole river-village experience}
“I would like to live here”, said Koover of the small wooden home in the middle of the jungle, a half hour river boat ride from the village {literally in the middle of no-where}. “Why?” I asked. “Because there are puppies, monkey’s, motorbikes, guns, riverboats and no people” he replied.
“I’m going in, I’m going in … ughh … I’m in!” {I need to work on my rickety bridge balancing skills}
“Mom, I climbed even higher than this!” {Koover says from half way up a very, very, very tall tree in the middle of the jungle with a HUGE grin on his face. I am SO glad I did not see him at full height as I would have been an overprotective mother and told him to get down}
Then later that day … “Your son slipped a little while climbing the tree, but don’t worry, he didn’t panic. It’s a good thing he has such strong arms to hang on!” {I am SO, SO glad I was not there to witness the “slip”!}
“Oops, I think I just shot a whole in the water pipe.” {I guess that’s what happens when you put the target on top of the pipe ~ lesson learned}
“This is my favourite day!” {Abby loved the leaky river boat ride up the small jungle river with a group of crazy new friends}
“Ambil photo, ambil photo!” {“Take my picture, take my picture” ~ so I did}
Cliff Jumping With The Schmidt's 