The Nelson Family Indonesia

Living overseas as an expat and minority of a larger culture and nation means you think about things you wouldn’t at home. How’s that for the understatement of the decade?! 🙂

For one thing you tend to notice other expats, others who obviously (or less-obviously) are not native to the local culture. Those relationships become important because despite many other differences, you share the commonality of living as foreigners and visitors in another country and culture. In some places in the world that’s not so big a deal because there are many such foreigners. But in a place like Medan, it’s a big deal.

As the third-largest city in Indonesia Medan is not a mecca for international tourism or business on the scale of Jakarta or even Bali (which is much smaller than Medan but far better known). Foreigners in Medan turn heads. All the time. After almost 16 months here we’ve grown a bit more accustomed to it but sometimes we’re surprised that people are still staring at us. As such you appreciate the relationships you build with locals as well as foreigners in part because through relationship they quit seeing you as an anomaly or a curiosity and simply see you.

Gena is building some great relationships this year through a group of expat women gathering monthly to share recipes from their native countries and cultures. They take turns making or demonstrating the dish and then everyone gets to sample. And those that aren’t presenting still bring something to contribute so there’s plenty to much on.

Many of the ladies are with consulates here in Medan and come from all over the world (India, Myanmar, USA, Columbia, Brazil, Austria, Malaysia, to name a few). Others are here on business or their husbands are here on business of one sort or another. But they love the opportunity to celebrate their otherness while having a good excuse to get a taste of home from time to time.

This month Gena was asked to do share a recipe and specifically something Latino in nature. She opted for something our family has enjoyed making a few times over the years, horchata. Horchata is a delicious, creamy, sweet and slightly spiced (cinnamon) drink made by soaking and then blending white rice and mixing it (sometimes) with some form of milk. Since some of the ladies are vegetarian Gena opted for almond milk.

It was, not surprisingly, well-received. And what’s more, Gena learned a trick in the process. One of the ladies helped her strain out the starch residue in the drink through cheesecloth. She then mixed the starch with cheese and flour and some seasonings to make savory fried fritters.

Please pray for Gena as she interacts with this group that she might share the love of Christ in word and action as she gets to know the ladies better and builds deeper relationships.