Lingkupiku Dengan Sayap-Mu

Last week, my brain was full of new words, new names, new schedules, new experiences.

This week, it seems so normal, so routine, like I’ve been here forever. Not routine in the boring sense of the word—there’s never a quiet moment! It’s a “settled,” peaceful norm, of loving living here.

Speaking of peaceful norm, here is Sona with one of the cute guys that lives around here. His small presence contributes to excellent focus during homework study (not!).

The children attend different schools, and thus are on different schedules.

About 15-20 of them leave at 6am. About a dozen leave right before noon, and the rest leave at 1-1:30.

This means that at any given time, there is lots of activity, homework, chores, and adventures!

I help some of the older kids with English homework, and some of the younger ones with math homework.

When you hit fraction division problems, it’s probably time to stop doing multiplication on your fingers. So this week, I made multiplication flash cards for several kids. They’ll put forth so much effort to please me!

As they’ve learned their multiplication tables better, and fly through the flashcards, I’m learning too … to listen to fast Indonesian numbers!

This summer, a friend asked me if I knew the song “Still” and played it for me. I had never heard it, but liked it. I actually sang it the first time (in English) at a drug rehab center here in Jakarta, last June. I loved Indonesia so much, but never dreamed that I would be back seven months later, singing that beautiful song. So my new favorite song is in Indonesian …

Lingkupiku dengan sayap-Mu

Naungiku dengan kuasa-Mu.

Disaat badai bergelora

Kuakan terbang bersama-Mu,

Bapa Kau Raja atas mesta

Kutenang sbab Kau Allah ku.

Hide me now, under Your wings
Cover me, within Your mighty hand;
When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with You, above the storm,

Father, You are King over the flood.

I will be still and know You are God.