John and Anna Weeks YOUR link to tribal missions WEEKS’S WAFFLINGS
Well, a lot has happened since I first sat down to write this update two months ago! I started to write about Ramadan, the big holy month of fasting and then we finished that! Then I added a section to pray for the upcoming elections and that too has passed! Is that a praise now or still a prayer request or …etc.? I guess that depends on who you voted for! Somewhere in there my computer crashed and had to be carried on a stretcher to the local computer doctor. During that time, “The Dark Weeks,” I did little correspondence or working on computer-type projects; I guess my eyes were able to rest up during that spell…a blessing in disguise? Well, at any rate I’ve cut and pasted and deleted certain portions of this “long-lost chronicle” to try to best update you on the Weeks’ family in Indonesia the past couple of months!
I tried to come up with an ingenious title to my ramblings so I turned to Roget’s Thesaurus, something I haven’t used since high school and even then, very sparingly! I looked up words to do with delay, or procrastination that began with “W” for “Weeks” or “J” for “John” such as in “John’s Journal” but none of the synonyms began with those letters? I also became increasingly depressed as I waded through Roget’s Thesaurus coming across words such as Lateness, Retardation, Tardiness, Slowness, Postponement, Prolongation, Respite, Suspension, Dawdle, Bide, Dally, Tarry, Loiter, Hang Fire (?), Linger, Put Off, Stave Off, Retard, Lay on the Table, Shelve, Stall, Temporize, Leisurely, Unpunctual, Overdue, Posthumous (I hope not!), At the eleventh hour, Late, Behind Time, At Last, Draw Out, Apathy, Negligence, Slovenliness, Slacker, Postpone, Pigeonhole, Push Aside, Throw into the Background, Ignore, Heedless, Remiss, Perfunctory, Supine, Abandoned, Procrastination and several other words I didn’t understand…I know, I need to subscribe to Reader’s Digest and read the “It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power” section. It’s funny that “procrastinate” is under verbs as in “action words” as I usually think of “to procrastinate” as in the “lack of action” sense!
Another Ramadan…
Well, another Ramadan has come and gone! This is the big holy month of fasting for the predominant religion here in Indonesia. It’s kind of like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled up into one as even though most people are fasting during the day, they party and visit relatives after dark! 
The timing is based on the lunar or Javanese calendar, so varies each year. Our first year back in 2003 this fell close to Thanksgiving, but this year was September 2nd – October 1st. During this month of fasting, most Indonesians who participate abstain from eating during the daylight hours as well as abstaining from smoking and marital shows of affection during the daytime hours. Then after dark, all the food stalls are crazy busy ‘till late at night. Then at around 3 a.m. is the “sayur” or call to get up and eat a breakfast to gain strength for the day, then off to morning prayers and facing the next day of fasting. Then the last two days of the fast are the Idul Fitri holidays, the time of victory for those who endured the month of fasting. Those fasting have fulfilled one of the five tenants of this predominant religion, the other four being belief in one God, praying five times a day, giving alms to the poor and doing good deeds, and going to Mecca if one is able. This is also a month of being cleansed from the past year’s sins. It’s also a time when Indonesians “mudik” or “travel upstream” to go home and visit family. Jakarta clears out as much of its workforce heads home to other cities and villages across Java and Indonesia. The roads get very busy towards the end of Ramadan until a week or two afterwards. Things began quieting down around here mid-October.
We enjoyed visiting with our Indonesian friends and helpers and their families during these two days of Idul Fitri. 
It was the fifth time we had holiday meals with two of these Indonesian families with whom we are close friends (we missed 2007 since we were home during Ramadan.) It is also a time where we can give gifts to our friends of this other religion. It is the custom here that when your Indonesian friends invite you for a meal, they serve you and visit with you while you eat, but they do not eat with you! This is a very awkward time for us as we would never do that in our home culture! We have to remind ourselves “When in Rome, do as the Romans” or as Indonesians say, “When you enter the goat’s barn, make a goat’s noise; when you enter the cow’s barn, make a cow’s noise!”
Other interesting facets of this holy month of fasting include, higher prices all over town including food as well as gas and transportation, curtains over food stalls for people eating during the day so they won’t bother those that are fasting, more beggars out in force as those who give alms during this time receive a “double blessing,” more theft, more night-time visiting and eating, heavier traffic during the Idul Fitri time, and a heightened sense of religion.
With Christmas coming up, we will prepare to receive our neighbors at our house to reciprocate with food, tea, coffee and other snackies. Usually our neighbors and friends will begin coming over to “mampir” or “singgah” or “drop in for a visit” a couple days before Christmas until a couple days after Christmas. The “shoe will be on the other foot” and we will offer our friends food to eat while we visit with them and don’t eat! We will also go visit our Christian friends and take food gifts and other gifts to them.
To the Beach…
Since we didn’t travel away during the Idul Fitri Holidays, we chose to take some time a couple of weekends ago and drove to a small beach town on the Indian Ocean in East Java for a four-day weekend. I rode my motorbike as usual with Kurt while Anna drove the girls in the van; it’s about a four-hour drive away. We went with another family and enjoyed the quietness of the little beach/fishing town along with playing games, playing in the ocean, visiting with our Indonesian friends who run a “young coconut drink stand,” and enjoying freshly bar-b-qued tuna and other fish. Our Indonesian friends also manage an old boat that their Captain friend takes out for five-day fishing trips. They bar-b-que the freshly-caught fish right in front of us and we all eat together! What a feast! Anna even taught some local Indonesian friends how to play one of our favorite board games Settlers of Cataan. The cost of a 2-person beach bungalow with no a/c, just $7.50 per night! Yes, come join us! 
Another Outreach Trip for Paula…
Paula was recently invited to go on another “outreach” trip to a neighboring island. 
She had to wear a head-covering to blend in and show respect to the people and she was able to teach English and do “fun and games” with the local boys and girls. She came back excited about this, another opportunity to minister here in Indonesia.
The Other Kids…
We have been praying about things for Katie and Grace to do to keep from being so bored. Since they are not in the international school, they are not included and oftentimes not allowed to do certain school activities. The hardest blow was not being able to join the basketball team for the past two years after starting and playing Girl’s Varsity! They do “hang out” with local Indonesian teens, though, which is both a good thing and also has its downside, i.e. hanging out at night! 
However, after prompting from a coworker and Anna Marie, they are starting a “Pie Business.” That’s right, they take pie orders and bake them for sale! The business is just starting out and they are trying different recipes while Anna investigates legalities. There is also a carnival at the international school December 5th and they will have a booth to sell pies and advertise their new business! Please pray that the business will flourish and that they will learn about businesses and economics through the process! The girls also continue to play guitar and Katie writes more songs after home schooling.
Kurt continues to skate board, although he just sprained his foot so is “laid up.” Please pray for a quick recovery as he tends to “worry” bout how long it will take to heal, is it permanent, …etc. I am also taking opportunities to teach him basketball as he is interested and he joins me for exercise swimming twice a week at a local pool. Paula continues to enjoy all sorts of friends all ages as well as her animals which include her big dog, cat and 2 new kittens, rabbits, a monkey (yes, a real monkey!), hamsters and other various critters. She is often found sleeping with the dog, cat and monkey all in perfect harmony!
Elections and the Economy…
We felt so distant during our recent U.S. elections, but were able to follow much on the CNN news. Here, most Indonesians like Obama because he spent part of his early growing-up years in Jakarta and they associate with his middle name Hussein. So since Obama won, the climate here is peaceful as most all Indonesians were happy with the election results!
Thank you so much for your faithfulness in supporting us through the years. Even in hard financial times, most of you are staying true to your commitment to support us and we are so grateful and know that God will continue to bless you for your sacrifices. We recently lost support from one of our faithful churches as they face economic difficulties and are cutting back financially in various areas.
Prayer Requests:
1. For our new president and government in this transition time. That there would be a movement in our government to look to God for wisdom and include God in decisions.
2. For wisdom in raising teenage daughters. That they would find productive activities to keep them busy. Not being in the international school makes it difficult in this area. For their pie business that it would flourish.
3. For direction for Katie who graduates from high school home schooling May of next year. We are looking into options for her to study here at the local Indonesian university for her first year.
4. For strength and wisdom for Anna Marie as she home schools all four children.
5. For finances for Paula to attend the international school after Christmas break.
6. Wisdom for John as he encourages our new missionaries to learn Indonesian and helps those that are struggling.
7. For relationships with our Indonesian friends and ministry opportunities.
8. For finances for a new computer as our desktop computer is failing! We are looking to replace it with a laptop as John travels a lot and uses it for culture and language filing as he teaches our families.
Praises:
1. For new families still being granted visas to come here. We are welcoming 6 new missionaries (one couple and four single girls) this week!
2. For generally good health. My eyesight has been good and I’ve enjoyed bicycling and swimming for exercise. We’d like to get to Jakarta during Christmas break and hopefully Anna can get a physical and doctor appointment. Paula and possibly Grace may have to get braces as well.
3. For faithful people praying and giving.
4. For God’s provisions in Paula’s recent ministry trip.
5. For the privilege of serving God overseas.
6. For email and the ease of communicating with friends and relatives and family back home!
7. Anna has recently joined Face Book on the Internet and is reconnecting with lots of old friends! This has made correspondence easier for her!
8. Being in a country where we can do outdoors activities year-round! This has been good for John’s eyes and health as he must exercise to maintain health and our area is great for bicycling, swimming, hiking and other healthy pursuits! Come on over and climb a volcano with us!
We have so much to be thankful for! Thanks again for putting up with us and our slow correspondence, for your prayers, for your support and interest in our lives. Please drop us a line and let us know how you’re doing!
Web Page: http://www.ntm.org/john_weeks/
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