Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History by William Henry Scott The link above to Amazon is actually the previous edition of the book. The one I just finished is a 2022 reprint from his revised (and slightly updated) 1984 edition. As I travel I like to learn more about the places I… Continue reading Book Review: Prehispanic Source Materials
Category: Culture
Jeepney
One of the most distinctive memories I have from my first visit to the Philippines back in March is the Jeepneys. Most countries in Southeast Asia have a form of traditional transportation in addition to more modern taxis and buses. In Medan where we live it’s the becok, a motorcycle or bicycle-powered transport for either… Continue reading Jeepney
Philippine Journeys
I arrived in Manila yesterday afternoon. Too soon to check in to my hotel but not early enough to go out and see much. Not with the traffic in Manilla! I left my hotel this morning and boarded the bus to Baguio City where I’ll be staying for the next two weeks, teaching at the… Continue reading Philippine Journeys
Exploring and Celebrating
This past week we celebrated Gena’s birthday by visiting a part of Sumatra we haven’t been before. It’s only about 50 miles outside of Medan, but our drive to Berastagi took nearly 4.5 hours because of rain and it being only a two-lane road all the way up and down the hills. Did I mention… Continue reading Exploring and Celebrating
Reaching Out
Today was a busy day. The morning was spent at the local immigration office where Caedmon, Gena and I were fingerprinted and photographed as the final step for my Indonesian work visa. We’ll return on Tuesday afternoon of next week to pick up this new visa which will cover the three of us until next… Continue reading Reaching Out
Graduation!
Today was a special day for our family. Everyone (except Paul!) graduated from language school! Although I had to drop out after the core program (6 units of study), the rest of the family continued for the final 3 units. Their studies culminated in a 2000-word research paper and oral presentation – all in bahasa… Continue reading Graduation!
A Busy Tuesday
Normally my schedule is busiest when I’m not in Medan, but today was a welcome exception! I had a lunch meeting today with the missions executive for the Lutheran Church of Australia, Rev. Matt Anker. Rev. Anker does a lot of work in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Singapore and I’ve been hoping to meet… Continue reading A Busy Tuesday
God Provides
It wasn’t the night I expected. I awoke shortly after falling asleep, realizing something wasn’t right. After tossing and turning for a while I realized I had some sort of food poisoning, most likely. The already-short night was tragically spent mostly not in bed sleeping. By the time my driver arrived I was dressed and… Continue reading God Provides
Into the Wilderness
Today I embarked on a 7-hour drive from Medan to the southern side of Lake Toba. I’ve been invited to be the guest preacher and teacher for the GKLI, the partner Lutheran church we work with in Indonesia. Formerly my colleague, Rev. Wood, has done the honors but he and his family are currently in… Continue reading Into the Wilderness
Back to KL
Today I flew back to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore. Another good day for travel! My short visit in Singapore was fruitful in several different ways. Most importantly, I received word while in Singapore that my Indonesian work visa has arrived! This simple detail is an immense source of relief after a year or worrying and… Continue reading Back to KL
The Nelson Family Indonesia 