settling in.

MY FIRST FEW DAYS IN INDONESIA

Thirty hours from Wakarusa to Chicago, Tokyo to Jakarta, and Jakarta to Bandung. I was antsy to get on a plane once again and see another corner of the world. It has been over two years since I last traveled.

The reality of me traveling and doing missions on my own (outside of an organization/team) dawned on me last night. While I am not on my own in the literal sense, I am the only one experiencing Bandung for the first time. Whereas in my past travels I have had several people around me with the same emotions as me. I am seeing everything Free and Safe does with fresh eyes, I am being greeted by kids with excitement to see someone new, I am being introduced to all the lovely local ministries, and I am walking with my eyes shooting across the streets just to take in the whole city. I had to apologize on a walk with Anya for not talking enough because I just kept looking into every single building and saying "ooo that's cool", "those plants are sooo cool" or "I LOVE THAT".

It has only been four days, but every moment has been special. Jetlag has been kind to me, or maybe it is simply adrenaline... I have quickly become friends with the girls in the office at FSI. We talk about art, design, culture, faith, and how there is literally nothing but corn and cows in Indiana. If it were not for Caron and Jorge, the staff at FSI, and the many other incredible people I have already met here, I do not know if I would feel so welcomed and confident in being here.

Bandung is a beautiful place. Tropical plants and trees fill my view in every direction. Roosters crow and walk the streets, birds sing, and a monkey happily greeted me on a fence the other day. Being in the mountains, my skyline is filled with burnt orange and grey rooftops overlapping each other. The roads are alive with scooters and cars weaving in and out of each other to the sound of friendly beeps. Several times a day I hear the Muslim call to prayer from the mosques all around the city. The voices overlap each other, and I take a moment to recognize the beauty of a religion with such a sacred view of prayer.

I have learned so much already in this short amount of time and I am so appreciative of that. I do not want to take a single moment in this city for granted. I have been praying for the Lord to teach me dependency, especially in the little things. I can get so caught up in going about life, even in a ministry setting, and forget that I do not have to carry everything on my shoulders. Heck, that's super stressful, and why would anyone want to do that? I really cannot explain it but through this whole experience, I have felt an overwhelming sense of peace with every small step I take out of my comfort zone. Each of those small steps collectively has somehow got me to the top of the mountain (Indonesia).

Seeking moments in my day that answer a prayer as simple as "dependency in the little things" is what I find the most important. Yesterday I walked over to watch the girls lead singing and dancing for the kids' program. I was expecting to mostly observe and introduce myself to some kids, but they ended up encouraging me to sing along. We sang Disney karaoke and helped the kids pronounce the English words well. This was a moment when I felt a little wink from God. I really did not think something as small as me singing along to Disney karaoke could be an impactful ministry. But, as we went on, they had me speak through each line to help the kids pronounce words that were more difficult to say. I would say a line and they would speak it back and I would say "Yay! Good Job!" The more we sang the more confident in the words they became. In the end, I was told that even having someone from America teach them how to say the words can go a long way simply because it sounds like what they hear from those who are native English speakers. Even a moment as simple as this can be a moment where we see God's fingerprint.

I hope this little update was encouraging. I have really enjoyed reflecting on these last few days, especially sitting in this cute little coffee shop full of plants. Next week I will be jumping into more ministry here at FSI. I appreciate everyone who has sent encouragement and love thus far, I love hearing from you guys! If you want to message me ever, you can send me a message over on Instagram @averyweldy, WhatsApp +1(574)350-6462, or email @averyweldy19@gmail.com. I am hoping to continue sending updates through this email messenger, so keep an eye out. Later this week I hope to go on a little photography outing with some friends and test out the film camera my grandma gifted me, so there will definitely be pictures to come!

Love you, and I hope you feel the love.

Its been Avery.