The kids and I were invited to spend Chinese New Year with a very lovely family from church that lives part of the year in Samarinda, Kalimantan. We flew out of Jakarta on February 8 - Della's third birthday - and then boarded a twelve passenger plane from Balikpapan to Samarinda. While a bit nerve-wracking, it was a great way to see the beautiful landscape of Borneo.
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The weekend was packed with celebrating Della's birthday and Chinese New Year! Highlights of our visit included a trip to the local wet market, where the meat is butchered right in front of you. (As if that wasn't gross enough, a bird pooped on my head!) We enjoyed the trip up the Mahakam River and the interesting scenery, especially the grand and ornate mosques. We stopped at a coal mine, a fish hatchery, a museum displaying a deceased crocodile that had eaten someone, and a royal palace!
I think our favorite "touristy" thing was seeing the native people, the Dayaks, performing their tribal dances for us in a traditional long house. Yes, of course, Della and Mary were also main attractions that day, but we are getting used to it. The Dayaks charge money to get your picture taken with them and I think I might have to start doing the same. I could be a millionaire already!
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Let me try and share a really cool story with you about the Dayaks and The Christian and Missionary Alliance Church (CMA.) The CMA was the first mission group into Borneo and during WWII, many of the missionaries and Dayak people died at the hand of the enemy. But during this time, there are many stories of sacrifice and heroism. Read "The Airmen and The Headhunters" for an amazing account of one such story.
Jim, his mother, and his grandmother have all grown up in the CMA church and are familiar with many missionaries that have served in Borneo with the Dayak tribes. Because of this heritage, Jim felt a curious connection to the people of Borneo when he visited last Easter. When the kids and I visited the Dayak Pampang (village), of course souvenirs were purchased. The Dayaks are known for their bead work and Anna was attracted to a beautiful Bible cover, hand beaded with a pitcher, a cross, and a chalice on the front and the word "Alkitab" (Bible in Indonesian) on the side. When we were home in Jakarta and Jim saw the Bible cover he asked who had made it. He was amazed to see that the cover had the symbol of the CMA on it (unbeknownst to me) and that the connection between the two groups was still alive and strong. We can't wait to bring it to the states to show Jim's mom and grandmother. Forgive me, this just really touched our hearts!
I look forward to sharing a lot more stories and photos with many of you when we are back visiting in a couple of months!
