Goodbye Jakarta

It was only short-term and there were so many things that drove me crazy (no hot water in the kitchen, the rolly chairs, the lack of light in the kitchen, the washing clothes process, no oven, the ants, the mouse, the elevator waiting--especially when only 1 of the 3 was working) but that little apartment was home. It will always have a special place in our family story. 

And just like any home, there's things you love and things you don't. This view of the city was one of the things that I loved. I'll never forget those New Years Eve fireworks, or the many beautiful lightning storms that we got to watch. 

While the apartment was very small, it really was everything we needed for a short time for an amazing price. We feel really blessed that we found it. 

The gym was a huge blessing. It had a learning curve with some of the super old equipment and misfit dumbells, but I got in to a good routine and was so happy to have that me time each morning. It was also INSANELY busy in the morning, and is a pretty small room so that made for some fun times. 

These pics were taken on a Saturday afternoon when I had the gym completely to myself (which NEVER happened) and oh was it glorious. 

This pool. This is where my Jakarta heart is. This is where we went just about every single day of our Jakarta lives. This is how we got out each day. This is how we got our wiggles out. This is where Belen learned to swim! (Still so proud of her for being so brave and trying hard things). We had lots and lots of fun at this pool. SO SO grateful we had this. 

 Swimming across the deep-end like it's no big deal.  

 

 

This family saved us. They were an answer to so many prayers. They took us in to their home and took care of us as if we were family, despite the fact that they barely knew us, despite the fact that we were only going to be in Jakarta for 4 months. None of that mattered. They loved us at a time when we really needed it. We will forever be indebted to the Bells for all they did for us.

 Belen LOVED having a closet full of girl dresses at her disposal whenever we went over to their house to play.

 I got to work in nursery in our ward in Jakarta. Most Sundays it was just me and my companion and this Guatemalan sweetheart. Oh this girl had me wrapped around her finger. She was the chunkiest, snuggleiest thing ever. Miss her little toddler waddle run chasing down the cars she loved zooming across the nursery room. So grateful that I got to love her and feel of her love for me. 

Zaynab was my amazing nursery companion. I loved being friends with her while in Jakarta. She came over a few times so that her daughter could swim with my kids. I taught her how to make brownies, she shared her amazing Persian food with me, we had them over for dinner and Uno, I helped her write a talk that she was very nervous to give in English, she taught me how to pop popcorn on the stove. She is a refugee who has been here for 6 years. She has been through so much in her life, yet never complained. She is so strong. I am so grateful for everything that she taught me about patience, perseverance, and loving the Lord. 

 Sure will miss this beautiful fruit that was dirt cheap and delicious. (We found one here in Paraguay last week and it was $5.00 for one!)

 These signs in the bathrooms always made me giggle. How would one even get in that position?

 All that moped parking. This picture was on a weekday but man those places were PACKED on the weekend.

 I have not been missing the 3:30 a.m. wake up call from the mosque, but I do feel extremely grateful for the opportunity that we had to learn about the Islam religion and be so immersed in it while in Jakarta. I loved that Shae would stand on our balcony and point out and count all the mosques he could see. I love that the other day, here in Paraguay, he pointed out a building that had a dome on the top and said, "Woah! A mosque in Paraguay!"  

This was a hard time of life for me in many ways, but I am very grateful that we did it. For all the things that we learned and saw, and all the memories that we now cherish.