they call me chayla

I just got home from a long morning of running around. On the way home I made sure to stop buy Pak Made and Ibu Anna’s house- my new friends on my street. Pak Made works as a cook in a hotel at night time, and his wife, Ibu Anna, caters food from her home, so she is always home cooking. They have 4 cows on some land across the street from their house and during the day I can usually count on Pak Made being out in the field with them. I cant tell you how blessed I am by this family! They are really one of a kind and I am so psyched to have such great people to socialize with. Pak Made is the type of Balinese man that is always shirtless, and always smiling. He’s so happy when he sees me, he shakes my hand with both of his hands, cupping my hands in between his and holding on to my hand while we talk. His wife is hilarious. She invites me over to her house, and I expect to stay long- Balinese people are the type to sit long after dinner, share some after-dinner-fruit and talk until they want to go to bed. But Ibu Anna, well most of the time when I visit, after some time she’ll tell me, “Okay now Chayla, go home, Bu Anna’s busy.” I just get such a laugh out of this. She actually did that just now before I came home.. “okay, go home now, I must work. ” hahaha I told you they invited me over to dinner the other night. Well she made me fish, rice, bakso meatballs, tempe ( a fried tofu and nut combo) and some chicken. I was freaking out at the amount of food she made me. I also have been teaching her daughter and 2 other of her friends english at my home. Its been a blast. The girls are 12 and 13 and they are not shy at all. Between me helping them with their homework, we talk about boys, and ceremony, and how excited they are about March.

March is a big month in the Balinese Hindu calendar, with lots of big ceremonies and very important spiritual days coming up. That includes Nyepi, where for one whole day in Bali, no planes fly in, no planes fly out. You cannot use electricity, you cannot eat, you cannot cook.. basically its like thanksgiving minus the food: They spend the whole day with their extended families, enjoying eachother and the simplicities of the day. I forget why they dont use power on that day, I learned it but I forgot. They day before Nyepi they make these huge statues and parade them through their village. Each village has their own parade. They say that parading them around makes the spirits within them happy, and no balinese wants an unhappy spirit. After that they burn the statues to ward away from any negative spirits, and when everything is at peace, nyepi begins. Im not sure what family im going to “Nyepi with.” Im a bit torn between Pak Made and Ibu Anna’s on my street or Edi’s family on the bukit. Its an important decision since once Nyepi begins I cant leave. Im still trying to decide!

In other news, Dewi got a job!! yOOO HOOOO! Yesterday we woke up and it was downpouring, so we made some coffee and read our bibles together. We sat on our porch with a circle of books around us, my indonesian bible, my english bible, her indo bible and her english bible, and our indo-english dictionaries. It was there that I realized, I’m leading an Indonesian into a bible study in Indonesian language. WHAT?! pretty cool. Anyway she got a new job at a restaurant in kuta and I’m stoked for her. The only thing is her new hours of work are from 5pm to 12pm starting tomorrow as shes now working at a popular restaurant in the city. I live about 15 minutes outside of the city, and I like it that way. She doesnt have a motorbike so we’re not sure how this is going to work out. Things would be much easier for her to move back to the city, but she and I, and our church, all agree thats nots whats best for her. We are trying to find someone who can sponsor a motorbike rental for her so that she can get to and from work without me having to wake up in the night to pick her up. I have spoken to my pastors and we are going to talk within my church here, but if anyone of you at home feels led to help to that, let me know. Her scooter will cost her $50 US a month. Since she only makes about $80 US a month is kind of impossible for her to do on her own. This is outside of me and the support I already have from home, but if one of you feels led, please contact me. I cannot afford it as I am making my already slim budget stretch for the two of us.

Anyway lots of great things happening around here. I just got my tattoo on my wrist touched up because there’s no surf this week. And Friday I am meeting with the marketing department at a big company and brand called Surfer Girl. They said they have heard “great things” about the work Ive been doing here. Pretty cool hey? I dont know what will come out of it but I am excited to meet more people in that sphere of influence.

Oh yeah and just in case you were wondering, this time around in Bali I have gotten a new nickname! The younger girls that know me call me Kak Chayla. (sister chayla) Edi’s little neice calls me Ibu Chayla (mrs. chayla) and even Ibu Anna calls me chayla, ( As in, “okay chayla, its time to go home.) Its like everyone in Bali had a meeting and decided to change my name and I was the only one who didnt hear about it. Pretty funny.

Pak Made and Ibu Anna and the family

messing around with Ibu Annas oldest daughter

Me and Dewi having some fun in photobooth