We're definitely not in Bali anymore!

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Well we finally made it to Flores, 3 days after first planned. After not being able to get tickets for Wednesday as we hoped to, we then booked for Friday and when Friday came we went to the airport, checked in and found out an hour later that our flight had been cancelled so we got put up in a hotel and flew the next day. It was actually quite nice to be able to spend some time as a team praying for each other and just chilling...we even got to watch the royal wedding live! Fun fact: the next island we're going to (Lombok) is actually where Will and Kate will be having their honeymoon so may see them. The chances are they'll stick out like a sore thumb, not because they are royalty but because they are so white.

So we arrived in Flores on Saturday morning and boy was it a culture shock. If i had the option to climb back on a plane and go to Bali I would have right then and there. Everything looked so different to Bali...which people told us it would but i guess i didn't think it could look so different. Then when we entered the smallest airport i have ever been in in my life we were greeted by all these men who were tapping on the windows and trying to get our attention so that we would chose them to give us a lift to our destination. I felt like an animal in a cage. When we were picked up, fed a lot of food and then dropped off at the hotel we then prayed about who was going to share a testimony at the evening youth service and then who was going to preach on the sunday morning and evening services. I felt God asked me to give a testimony at the youth service and then preach on Sunday morning but since I was experiencing culture shock and because it was my birthday on Sunday I wasn't exactly excited at the idea. A prep talk from my leader later and more prayer and I felt so much better and the culture shock and anxiety pretty much melted away.

After being here for a few days now the culture shock has pretty much disappeared but i do still stick out like a sore thumb. I am officially the whitest person in Flores and I feel like a member of the royal family with the amount of people who stare and point at me. I thought I was the whitest person in Bali...oh no no no...Bali has many tourists and you just need to go to Kuta to be surrounded once more by white people. it's very very different from Cumbria where pretty much is white. It is quite funny to watch people take second looks because they see a white person in a car or walking down the street. I've already had one guy declare his love for me. That was pretty funny. I've also had this random old guy come over and read my palm and speak at me in Indonesian and trying to communicate through sign language. Interesting.

I celebrated my birthday on Sunday...I am now a 22 year old. Scary times! And how did i celebrate my birthday? Well as i mentioned earlier...God asked me to speak at the church service on Sunday morning....so i spoke at an Indonesian church on 'Hearing God's voice'...not exactly the traditional way of celebrating a 22nd birthday but definitely a blessing and an experience I won't be forgetting any time soon! We then went out for burgers (Indonesian burgers are definitely different to English burgers...I quite like them) and then we returned to the hotel where I napped for a bit. In the evening we went to another church service and different people from the team spoke. The next day we had a day off so we semi-celebrated the birthday of me and Shalom (the oldest member of our team and my birthday buddy) by going to a Hot Spring and boy was the water hot. Was another interesting experience to add to list! Also got to try Indonesian baked goods. Think i'll be avoiding anything chocolate looking in the future! Indonesia definitely is more about wobbly looking treats than baked things...although they do like their doughnuts and there is this thing which we have quite a lot which is sooooooo good but so bad for you due to the sheer amount of condensed milk they use!

We're only in Flores for a total of 2 weeks but there is definitely a lot we are going to be involved in. So far this Sunday looks like it's going to be our busiest day. We're going to the church in the morning, then doing prison ministry, then going to church in the evening and then recording something for local radio. Fun fun fun!!!
We're pretty much in church every evening and at each evening thing one person gives a testimony (story of how God has been good in their life) and another person gives a teaching on God. Since the team is pretty small (currently 4 students and 1 leader...although we are getting another student tomorrow who was unable to go with her team to France due to a denied visa but will most definitely bless our team in many ways) there is definitely a lot of space to practice public speaking and speak of the hope, truth, light and love which God has displayed in each of our lives both in the lecture phase which we have just completed and in our lives prior to coming to Australia. I have already given 2 testimonies (1 on how God really spoke to me through Lamentations 3;24-28ish and has continued to speak over the course of a few years and another on God's faithfulness in my life) and I have done 1 teaching. I actually really like speaking in front of the church. It takes a little time to get used to needing a translator and sometimes it can be a little nerve wracking as only a few of the congregation are expressive in their facial expressions and saying 'amen' so sometimes it can be like 'argh i hope i am not boring them'. But it's all good. God's grace is enough and He has really been helping me in many ways since I arrived in Flores. God is good.

Phew. I think you're pretty much up to date now with all the Indonesian going-ons. OOOOO i just remembered....we went around a few homes of people who go to the church that we have been attending since we've got here and we prayed for them and we saw an instant healing. My leader and I prayed for a pregnant woman who had been beaten by her neighbours when they were drunk and they had kicked and stomped on her belly and she lost a lot of blood and hadn't felt the baby move since....until we prayed and the baby started to move! How cool is that?!!!

So yer that is you officially up to date now! Hope it wasn't too long for you 😊

Love and blessings to you all! Hope you all have a fantastic week!!!
Rachel

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