In just under two weeks we’ll celebrate our 1-year anniversary of our arrival in Medan. Hard to believe it’s been a year. Also hard to believe it’s only been a year! We’ve met a lot of people in this year, and continue to meet new folks regularly which is a joy and blessing. But there… Continue reading Goodbyes
Category: Culture
Connections in Hanoi
Although I worried a week was too long for an initial visit to Hanoi, it turned out to be a very busy time! I had appointments with school staff on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus an additional counseling session with a Christian on Wednesday. The Holy Spirit put me to good use! We… Continue reading Connections in Hanoi
On to Vietnam!
As we wrap up a wonderful time of meeting with fellow workers throughout Southeast Asia, we are not yet heading home. Next up – Hanoi, Vietnam. I have the privilege of meeting with leadership and staff from Concordia International School Hanoi (CISH), one of three LCMS international schools on this side of the world. They… Continue reading On to Vietnam!
Angkor Wat
Our formal programming and gathering ended Thursday evening. The Cimas arranged an optional excursion to Angkor Wat for those interested. We obviously signed up – how often do you get an opportunity like that?!?! It would require a six hour bus trip each way, with one day of exploring Angkor Wat in between. Angkor Wat… Continue reading Angkor Wat
Time in Phnom Penh
We’re staying in the heart of Phnom Penh in one of the few hotels capable of handling a group of our size while located nearby a plethora of places to eat and things to see and do. It’s a bustling, big city. It reminds us somewhat of Medan, though the feel (as a capitol city)… Continue reading Time in Phnom Penh
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from Indonesia! We celebrated Indonesian-style – by launching fireworks on the street outside our house. The din from fireworks going off all over the place throughout the city was impressive at midnight! We pray your New Year celebration is safe and happy!
Merry Christmas!
Moving to the other side of the world necessitates choices. What to take, what to leave behind? There was no shortage of advice from people on both sides of the world about what they found invaluable or what they realized they could do without. But at the end of the day we had to decide… Continue reading Merry Christmas!
Standing Out
We’ve been in country now for nearly 11 months. I’ve learned to ignore the stares (mostly) and turned heads from locals amazed at seeing a bule (Caucasian) way out here in Medan. We have routines of a sort, places we usually go, and after a while you stop thinking about it. This is partially necessary… Continue reading Standing Out
Christmas in the Tropics
While I was gone the family was busy not just with visas but with preparations for Christmas. We were ecstatic to find out (back in September!) that Christmas decorations (including artificial Christmas trees) could be purchased in Medan. The kids were particularly excited to make the place feel a bit more festive for the Advent/Christmas… Continue reading Christmas in the Tropics
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
As I was off traveling, the family needed to renew their visas. Currently because of travel we are staying in Indonesia courtesy of Visitor on Arrival visas. These are good for 30 days from the date of entry into the country, and can be renewed once for another 30 days. While there are other, more… Continue reading Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
The Nelson Family Indonesia 