I hope they call me on a Mission

My Mission. I call this post "my mission" because to me, this is a mini mission. Away from home, eating weird food, talking to people outside of my comfort zone, learning how to keep busy in different ways, making negatives into positives (still working on that one) It's all relative right? I consider this a bit of a mission.  Maybe not the typical LDS mission....but a sarahfied mission.

  It is still hard for me to wrap my little (quite literal) head around LIVING abroad. It is something that I always thought I might do temporarily....for a couple of months. However, here I am with my family for two years. We arrived May 17th at 8pm. Time warped, hungry, discombobulated, and hotter than hates, we made it to our new home.

 Jakarta is the capital and largest city ofIndonesia, located on the northwest of the island of Java. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre and the most populous city not only in Indonesia but in Southeast Asia as a whole.

Jakarta is reputed notoriously for having horrible traffic,(YEP) and lack of mass rapid transport (YES) make it a day for both travelers and locals. Despite of the heavy traffic and heavy sickening pollution (what? I didn't notice the pollution.......) the city is filled with exciting nightlife (Just what I was looking for :)  ) and vibrant shopping (don't mind if I do!) areas. 

Elsie and I found the play area downstairs in our apartment building. I don't think she minds living here.

We went to several malls, and different areas to eat. 

Elsie enjoyed watching the ginormous fish in the pond. 

The first weekend here we discovered that the Hotel next to us offers a petting zoo for all residents.  I was really excited thinking of NORMAL petting zoo animals. Ex.relatively placid, herbivorous domesticated animals such as sheep, goats, rabbits, ponies etc. to safely feed and physically interact with. Well Indonesia's petting zoo thinks otherwise...

Like a wild MONKEY that wants to bite                  your finger off

Or a Blue tongued  lizard.

Or if that doesn't do it for you, pet a Python. I guess this petting zoo was more for Rich than anybody.

ok. They also provided a fun bouncy castle, pony, and arts/crafts. I told Rich he was too big though for the Pony ride.

For Isaac. *Pony/Horse Lover*

I specifically took this picture for Isaac and Ian (its ANgry BIrds!)

With May coming to an end Rich and I wanted to take Elsie somewhere fun. Somewhere you would take your 11 month old to gather stimulus, take in culture, and enjoy the *nice weather.  Where did we take her?  The Monkey Forest of course!  Where else?

Elsie's very first reaction. Very similar to mine in 2010!!!

Whatever you do, DON'T FEED the MONKEYS. I repeat DON'T FEED the MONKEYS.

Things I have learned in the first month of living abroad in INDONESIA.

1. Don't try to sterilize your own food, otherwise it will turn out like this and you won't be able to eat it.  *Ruined lettuce, potatoes, and edamame*  botched attempt "blah."

2.  Understand a quick run to the store with a child turns into a 9 hour day of pure craziness or Hell. So bring PLENTY of food and water.

3.  You become best friends with Bottled water.

4. They offer "American"shows like 

Honey I shrunk the Kids. Where has this gem been?

Yep Ninja Turtles. 

5.  Some food is cheap, some things are not.

cheap.

Not cheap.

6.  When you're sad about not living in the states your family will send you a big box of sweet treats from USA that you can't find here.

Thank YOU Mom and Marion. You know how to cheer up ANY girl :)

7. You can find BEAUTIFUL fabric for cheeeeaaap!

8.  You can find the IDAHOAN pizza at the local pizza hut. Comes with potato and Mayo! Where else could you find this.....pretty sure not even in Idaho. - probably for good reason.

9.  This is considered a park

Miss grass. Miss the smell of trees and flowers.

10.  When you have curly hair here in Indo this is what it does

It becomes a baby FROberry. LOVE

Curls for days. 

These are just the top 10 that I can currently think of. I'm sure more will come to me the longer I stay and actually think of it. There are plenty of difficult things about living abroad so far in Indo, but it has it pro's as well. It has brought me closer to my own little family and has taught me some reliance on others is not so terrible.

Chapter 3: What an Adventure

The BIG Move.

I call this chapter 3 because it has definitely been new phase in our life. We officially moved out of our beloved United States of America.

I have even provided you with a map. Orange = America and Green = Indonesia

Now show your kids and pretend like you knew where Indonesia really was.....

Through this whole process I have heard "oh what an adventure" "what an amazing experience" which  made me personally think of what those phrases really meant. 

TO me this is what it means:

“To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one's self.... And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one's self.” 
― Søren Kierkegaard

“Adventure is allowing the unexpected to happen to you. Exploration is experiencing what you have not experienced before.
― Richard Aldington

“I'm an adventurer, looking for treasure” 
― Paulo Coelho

“Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It's not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, "Let's go do that together.” 
― Bob Goof

Good or bad, I'm still not sure if "this" is an adventure. It is simply my life.
-Sarah Bindrup  You CAN quote me.


Rich, Els and I traveled by plane obviously. I was dreading the 24 hour flight with a baby. However, I truly lucked out and somehow landed a perfect baby for the flight. She was fine...the entire time. No crying spells, no throw up stories, or diaper mishaps. Just a long boring flight, which I don't mind.

Els just hanging out. Being a good little girl.

                                  

      We stopped in Seoul Korea after our first 15 hour flight for the night. Perfect stop. Beautiful place -

The flights were long. But I feel very blessed to have had such a wonderful baby and positive husband through the whole process. (diapers, bottles, formula, toys, bows, wipes, food, clothes, OH mY!) It also helps that Asians generally just LOVE babies...crying or not. Korean Air was marvelous.

King of Hearts

February 2009

Ok. So I don't have a picture to prove it but Rich made me my first dinner on my 25th Birthday. I walked in from work and he had one of my favorite little dishes already on a plate. He stated "I made this just for you!" I was thinking..that is  A LOT of work for a guy who NEVER cooks. It was my first Bday though with him, maybe he called his mom and made this whole meal for me! I didn't want to call him out if he HAD made such a nice meal.

I was excited and ate the fairly delicious alfredo, that looked somewhat like this.......

However, later that night after cleaning I spotted it. The truth, that looked like this.

It was so sweet how he misled me. JK! I laughed though and wanted to remember how he "made me" my first meal. I then confronted him later on that week.

For VALENTINES DAY we went to Idaho Falls and spent the weekend there. Rich did Make me a REAL card and made it a very special day!

Janny 09'

January was a good time. Rich and I moved into our new 1st apartment together.   We put things together like any newlywed poor couple would do. Nice handmade quilt (compliments of Mom Smith)with crusty old curtains.

I even got the urge to become more of a "homemaker" by making my first homemade Lemon Meringue PIE! It was a surprise for Rich.

 I guess I got the surprise. Rich does not, I repeat DOES NOT like Lemon Meringue Pie.  OOoops.

Aloha December!

Following our marriage, Richard had to return to Washington to complete his internship. I went back to Salt lake...to my roommates. Awkward. But Temporary. Rich returned to SLC the 2nd week in December. We then had an open house in Las Vegas at Tami's house. It was great to meet his friends and more family!

December didn't end there. Christmas 2008, our First Xmas together, we went on a Cruise to Hawaii! This was my first time to Hawaii and I was ecstatic.

Santa even visits Cruise Lines........who knew?!

Our ship. Celebrity Cruise Line December 2008

                                                                                                             

Merry Christmas!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rich(24) He made friends with all of the Indonesians so I asked them to make a special appearance and sing him Happy Birthday Indo style.

                                                                                                                                                                We were even able to visit Pearl Harbor on the Island of Oahu. (Attack on Pearl Harbor Sunday, December 7th 1941).

This was an amazing Beach. Where Obama "grew up"...............................or did he?

Snorkeling was the BEST.

 One Beautiful beach after another. Could not get enough of the warm weather, sandy beaches, and the FOOD.

 Formal night on the Cruise. We wanted to celebrate that we were still alive after making it through a treacherous night full of adventure. The day began with 620 curves of winding sickness aka the ROAD TO HANA....or Hates. We wanted to take the road all the way to a rainforest. It seemed like a great idea at the time.

I will never forget this trip as I literally thought I was going to die. After the hours of riding in the car we finally made it to the rainforest where we could hike. We were told that there was a huge waterfall at the end. The workers warned us it would be dark soon and not to go far...if at all. So what did we do? We all started out (Grandma C, Tami, Paul, Ryan (who JUST had heart surgery), Marie, and Dean, David, Katie, Alexis,  Richard and myself.  It was beautiful. The luscious green trees, the wild bamboo segments, the smells, and wild animals. Then it started raining, then pouring rainforest style. One by one people started head back. Ryan, Rich and I wanted to make it to the top. SO we kept going. Dumb...yes! It became pitch black and raining so hard you couldn't see in front of you. To make a LONG story shortER, Rich lost a shoe, Ryan got pneumonia, I cried and almost didn't make it past a river. We were lost and they had a search party headed out for us. It was dark, cold, and exhausting. After 2 or 3 hours of finding our way back down the mountain, in the dark, Rich limping on my shoulder shoeless, we FINALLY found the others. Then we headed back in the car, back to the Road to Hana, back to our ship. MADE IT! Exciting and unforgettable.

Merry Christmas 2008