DILI-gence

Happy (belated) New Year! January is here, which means the students and orphans have returned to Venilale and classes begin on Monday. I couldn’t be more excited to greet them-there’s only one problem…I’m not IN Venilale right now. Yes, once again, things here have NOT gone as I would have planned or anticipated. I was told late Tuesday evening that I would have to leave by mikrolet early Wednesday morning for a Visa interview in Dili (a 6 hour bus ride). I was summoned to Dili for a pointless Visa interview last month (it consisted of 2 questions: Where are you staying and what are you doing? Both of these questions were answered by the sister who accompanied me), so I was not too excited about returning again-especially since the orphans would be returning to Venilale on the same day I was leaving the village.

To make a long story short, at my meeting I was told I need to go to Bali for at least 1 day to complete the extended Visa application process. I cannot get any answers from anyone as to why this is, which has left me feeling more confused and isolated than ever. The good news is that I will be able to travel with a sister from Dili to Bali on January 14. The bad news is I will return on January 15. If I have to travel to another country, I wish I could at least explore it a little. Unfortunately, I must remain in Dili until my departure for Bali on Friday. I know it’s not the end of the world, but after waiting a month and a half for the students and orphans to return from vacation, I was eagerly anticipating their arrival this past week. This also means that I will miss my first week of teaching English at the high school. Interestingly, there is also a 23 year old Australian nurse named Caroline who is volunteering for 3 weeks in Venilale. I got to spend 1 week with her before I was unexpectedly called to Dili. It was very, very nice being able to speak English with someone, and I am disappointed that I can’t spend more time with her, too.

I’m sorry if this blog seems a little less upbeat than some of my other ones, but isn’t the purpose of a blog to share the GOOD and the BAD things that happen? Plus, often you can learn much more from bad experiences than from pleasant ones. Throughout my mission experience I have been praying for patience, obedience and trust in the Lord. My long stay here in Dili seems like the perfect time to practice these principles. At the beginning of my mission trip, I stated that I didn’t know why I was being sent to East Timor. I find my thoughts returning to a similar statement-why am I being forced to stay in Dili? This time, though, I am okay with not knowing the answer. I trust that God has a reason for my stay here. I might not feel very useful, and I certainly don’t feel like I need a break (on the contrary, I am ready and eager to start a new school year), but I am letting go of this need for answers and understanding and instead choosing to trust God and believe He knows what He is doing. He doesn’t ask for our input. He only asks for our willingness to follow Him.

So, while I still feel confused, I have also discovered a newfound sense of peace and contentment. Yes, I wish I was in Venilale, but I know everything is going to be okay. God’s in control, not me. My past 4 months here have shown me that God really does know what He’s doing. Even if I don’t understand His plan, I can trust it. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to hurt you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

So what exactly have I been doing here in Dili?

Praying, drying dishes, sweeping floors, walking around the convent, sleeping and journaling mainly.

Things here in Dili have been very slow, but I have been trying to make the most of this relaxing time before things really pick up on my return to Venilale. I am trying to make lemonade out of lemons. When I was summoned to Dili, I assumed it would be an overnight trip (as my past 3 trips here have been). I asked a few sisters how long I would be staying, but none of them knew or could give me a definitive answer. To be safe, I brought along 3 shirts, but only 1 pair of jean capris and 1 pair of blue flip flops. If I had known I would be staying longer, I would have brought exercise clothes, a skirt for Sunday mass, a comb and hair gel(I only brought a brush), a book to read or study, etc.

Fortunately, I got the chance to go to a supermarket the other day. I was looking for a skirt to wear to Sunday mass and athletic shorts (neither of which I really expected to find there), and maybe a snack or two to satisfy my sweet tooth. I was so excited to get the chance to shop in a “real” store again! I walked through every single aisle, slowly browsing over the various items for sale. I was shocked to see the prices of everything here-it was all so expensive! Generally goods here in East Timor are very cheap, but here at this store (where mostly Caucasian ambassadors and diplomats were shopping), all the prices were ridiculous! A knock-off brand of Raisin Bran cereal was $12! One of my favorites, Rice Krispies, was $9. A box of cake mix was $3, a can of Seaweed flavored Pringles was $2.50, a 12 pack of Extra gum was $2.50, chocolate bars ranged from $3.50-$5, a very small bottle of shampoo was $5, a small bottle of peanut butter was $7, and small bags of gummi candies were $3. I’ll admit, I have REALLY been craving gummi candies in my 4 months here, so I begrudgingly paid the hefty sum to get my hands on a bag of some racing car-shaped gummis. They were definitely worth the money-they were delicious!

I had fun shopping around, but I still had not found a skirt to wear to church the next day or athletic shorts to walk/lounge in. As I exited the store, I saw some huts across the street, so I headed over there. At the first hut I stopped in, the clothes for sale were heaped in huge, messy piles on tables. They also had a distinct, musty smell to them. I didn’t stay very long. After browsing through a few a huts, I came upon a place that had some nice looking ladies blouses. Upon closer inspection, I found a rack of skirts and shorts. I saw a cute just-below-the knee dark gray denim skirt that said size M. The size description was clearly not very helpful in determining if it would fit. As you can imagine, in this hut that didn’t have walls, there were certainly no dressing rooms. There was no way I could chance trying the skirt on right there in the hut. Everyone was staring at the “malae”. I wasn’t sure if the skirt would fit, but it was the best thing I had seen all day and I was feeling adventurous. I bought it anyway-I was elated to hear it was only $3! What a find! I also bought some gray athletic shorts with pink trim. They were pretty ratty looking, and probably weren’t worth the $2 I paid for them, but all in all, I think paying $5 for 2 articles of clothing is a pretty good deal!

I don’t know how long I will be in Bali (it looks like it will just be an overnight trip), but I will make sure to post all about my exciting adventures next week!