Current Events and Updates of the Ministry

Despite my rather pretentious title, I think that it would be almost impossible for an “orang putih” (gringo) to actually become Asian when it comes to motor bikes. I did impress myself though, and I was quite proud of the loads that I carried on my bike. Still, it was nothing at all compared to what a child would be able to do here.

I have seen some awesome, and awe inspiring things done with a small bike. Most of the bikes used here are in the 100cc to 135cc range. The one that I am renting is a 135cc, and is considered to be quite a beefy machine. If you can imagine it, and if it can physically be attached to a bike, then it can be done.

My all-time favorite for sheer creativity and ingenuity goes to

the mobile pet store – actually a mobile tropical fish store. The proud owner of said store had attached a large contraption on the back of his bike and across a bar he had hung bags and bags of tropical and gold fish. Hanging off of the side of the bike were more of the same. I met him motoring merrily down the road, no doubt to his next market where he could sell his fish. His was certainly not the biggest load that I have seen, but one of the top-notch in creativity.

My hats off though to the mobile restaurants as well. These “bakso” (noodle soup) stands come complete with stove, cooking pots full of scalding soup, noodles, spice bottles and ground spices, meat balls, plates and serving utensils, etc. All of this is attached to the back of a small motor bike and 100% mobile. You, once again, see these whipping down the road everywhere. Bakso at your service.

Probably the most impressive though are the mobile hardware and toy stores. I have also seen motor bikes completely set up with household cleaning appliances – brooms, dustpans, pots and pails, etc. I don’t mean five or six – I am talking about a load that would make most pickup trucks look overloaded.

So, as I have already said, my title, although impressive, bears nothing to reality, and I don’t stand a chance against the competition.

I am in the process of moving out of Desa Abang – my volcano lake

home, to the north shore of the island. I took one load over yesterday, and did my final move-out this morning.

Incidentally, just an interesting little aside – yesterday as I was going around my volcano-crater lake (caldera) I noticed that the water over a large part of one end had a really weird light green tinge to it. It was reminiscent of an alpine lake in British Columbia which is fed by ice flows – kind of greeny-blue and strange colored. Today Nyoman mentioned the change in the color which has taken place over the past two days and said that it was probably due to gas leaking from the volcano into the water, and that there is also a sulfur smell being noted. Today, as I was on my way out of the village I met a government official who was taking pictures of the water. He seemed quite “into” what he was doing. Batur volcano is still actively smoking every day, and had its last major eruption in 1974 but some definite activity as recently as 2000, and with the mountain being shut down for climbing in 2009 due to fears of another possible eruption then. So, maybe my move from its base is fortuitous timing??

I have a cute little house that I will be renting now at a little village just west of Lovina, on the north shore of Bali. I will be helping Mama Gloria whom I spoke about in my last blog. I think that my job details will include yard work and gardening, as well as pruning trees and generally Jack-of-all-trades type stuff. We will see what comes of this. My objective is to be a servant, and to do what is needed to help her and to let the love of Jesus shine through me.

One quick observation that I will make is that I don’t think that you will hear me belly-aching any more about being cold as I was prone to do at my last place in the highlands. Since I am now in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reverse from the northern. Although Bali only has two seasons – wet and dry (currently we are in the dry season) – because of the fact that we are in the southern hemisphere in June, we are now in the coldest months here. Nyoman was telling me that next month will be the coldest time of the year. Because of the altitude where I was, it got really cold after sunset, and I used two heavy comforters doubled at night, and was often still cold. Driving motor bike in the drizzle and foggy clouds was a real bear as well.

However, I can safely say that you will not hear me mention cold here at the coast – even in June and July. It is like

stepping back into Cd. Valles, Mexico, and I feel quite at home as the heat and humidity begin to dawn on me.

Actually, speaking about feeling at home – in many ways I find that Bali has some very close similarities to Mexico in other ways as well. The village life is very similar, as is the housing and living conditions of the average person. Like Mexico as well, where there is tourism there is a bubble of “gringo-related” activity. However, as soon as you get beyond the tourism-related industry the real people live in poverty. The houses, kitchens, garbage, animals in the yards and houses, and life-style is very similar and I feel very much at home in so many ways. The little village stores are also identical. Each vendor has a very limited supply of the basics scattered at random in a tiny hole-in-the-wall, probably attached to their house.

Further, if you would change the Hindu temples and mosques for Catholic idols and shrines to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the saints, and add many, many, many more, you would also have Mexico in a weird way.

Of course, what is different is the millions of motor bikes on the roads. The road conditions and driving is the same here as in off-road Mexico. Since Theresa and my parents will most likely be reading this blog at some point, and since I don’t want my license to be revoked and my motorized freedom to be impinged upon, I won’t elaborate about the road and driving conditions here. However, let’s just say “I don’t think that we are in Kansas anymore Toto”.

Another little “fun wrinkle” to the whole driving experience was learning to drive on the “wrong” side of the road. To keep the explanations brief and to allow your imaginations to work, let me just say that my first “roundabout” or “traffic circle” could have been just a tad prettier. Old habits kick in when you need to make a snap decision as to what lane to get into when facing oncoming traffic. However, there was light traffic, and after some horn blowing, and some heart pumping excitement, I got things figured out a bit better. Now things seem quite natural, and I keep wondering what I will do when I hit America again.

Going back to what I mentioned about the many, many shrines and temples here on the “Island of the gods” – it is

almost unfathomable. As Paul so aptly stated in Athens, and which I quoted in my last blog – “All those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols”. I asked the young pastor (that I also mentioned in my last posting) how much he estimates that the average Balinese family spends of its income on religious Hindu worship and ceremonies. He estimated that something like 60% of all family income goes towards the demands of their Hindu religion. Not only are there the twice-daily offerings that need to be made for blessing which nickel-and-dime a family to death, but every household needs to have  its own family temple and shrines attached with the house. Then, each extended family unit needs a temple. Then each village area needs a much larger one. Then, each entire village needs a large temple for the village as a whole. Of course cities have many, and very elaborate ones as well. None of these temples and shrines are simple or cheap maters either, including the private, family shrines. Then, there is the family ceremonies, the village ceremonies, the ceremonies for blessings, for the keeping of vows, for blessings for births, and God forbid that a family member should die. A many-day funeral ceremony with its associated cremation will cost a family millions and millions of rupiahs to fulfill. (The basic wage for a field laborer is about 35,000 rupiahs per full day of labor – about $4.00 dollars).

Tell that to anyone who complains and chokes at giving a tithe of 10% – try 60% of all family income. The tragedy is that the Balinese are blinded by fear and tradition to their religion and to their gods and demons. I can say nothing about the Muslims or Buddhists here as I know nothing whatsoever about them. My only contacts have been Hindu – wonderful, loving, open and accepting in every way, other than that they are blind to the Truth.

Yesterday I met another young pastor at a little Christian church near where I will now be living. I will let you know what my impressions are of their little congregation after I attend on Sunday.

I suppose I had better finish my trip to my new “digs” and get settled in. I still have another half hour or so of driving with my overloaded bike to get there.

Good chatting, and thanks to all of you who do take the time to read these random thoughts as I send them off.

I still could use prayer for the speedy arrival of James’ visa. I am anxiously awaiting his arrival. Also, as I spoke of in my last post – may my life be a reflection of Jesus here in Bali in whatever form that is to take place. At the moment it will probably be with garden dirt under my finger nails.

Be blessed,

Steve

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 at 6:01 pm and is filed under VitW Blog.