Home

So here I am. Indonesia. Last night was rough. As soon as I got dropped off at my house, I realized how incredibly, incredibly alone I was. I knew only one person in the whole country - Hannah, who was gracious enough to pick me up at the airport. I don't speak the language. I don't share the religion. Everyone else was in bed. I couldn't use my phone to call anyone. I couldn't use my computer to write anyone. It was me and only me. So I decided to unpack to take my mind off things. Even that was hard. I didn't want to unpack because once I did, it would really mean I was home, and who wants home to be such a lonely place? I did it anyways. Set up house. Moved things around. Went to bed. And was hit with the loneliness all over again, there in the dark. I needed someone to talk to. So I prayed myself to sleep. Good choices.

Today was much better. There were no clocks in my house except for the alarm clock I brought, but I managed to guess the time difference, set my clock accordingly, and wake up in time to walk to church! I went to church on campus here, so it was mostly teachers and missionaries serving in the area. A family took me out to lunch at an Indonesian restaurant, and then Hannah took me out for the rest of the day. In typical girl fashion, we went shopping! On Hannah's motorbike, of course. I got shampoo, a clock, fruit, kitchen supplies, and a cell phone! Picking out a cell phone here is no easy task. Here, one's cell phone is a status symbol. I would be content with the cheapest phone on the market... But that's not such a hot idea. I would never get any respect. So I went midrange. I like my phone. And it wasn't all that expensive. (~80 USD) Then we rode home through the alleyways. I met a lot of new people today. I made home more home today. And most importantly, I FEEL more at home today.