Sunday Sessions

Our first full day in West Timor - Sunday. We were up bright and early because church starts at 7:30am. It's just so hot later on in the day that to start later would mean that everyone absolutely roasts! We left our homestay at about 7:15 am - much later than I am used to! You Launceston people would know how late I like to come to church so this was a little bit of a stretch!! But it's light very early and the roosters, animals and bells that call to prayer certainly prevent you from sleeping in. With the heat added to that the only thing stopping you from getting up is feeling a bit tired. So it's 'get over it and get up!' The first service is held - Pastor Ed preached. Quite the mission since he only found out at 11:00pm the night before that he was preaching as the other Pastor was sick. After first service there's a little break for chatting, having a drink and sharing a snack pack. Everyone in church receives a pack with rice and a few other things - you'd be too hungry to concentrate on the second service otherwise! Once break is over, it's second service straight after - it would be waaaaay too hot to come back in the afternoon for a second service! Then it's a short chat in the church yard before heading home for a much needed coffee!!

 I love going to church in Timor - the singing is just so beautiful and I love hearing God's Word preached in another language. I was surprised how much I understood. Those years of Indonesian at uni must be filed in my brain somewhere! Here you see the team enjoying their snack pack. A few people were punished by the heat of the sambal! Quite humourous for me as I don't mind the heat. 

The church from the back - where we all sat. The consistory room is behind the pink curtain.

The view straight out the church door. All windows and doors are open to promote as much air flow as possible! 

Side view of the church building. We helped concrete the floor way back in 2005. It's pretty cool to see all of the changes that have happened since then. I wouldn't have recognised the place!

Olym- our trusty driver! He took us everywhere :) It took us about a week to figure out his name - we had Olin, Olive, Olen before we found out all of these were wrong!

Sunday games - learning mancala.

Later in the afternoon, when the intensity of the sun had gone away, we walked with all of the New Hope family through the rice fields down to the beach for a swim and some games. 

Along the edges of the rice paddies.

Stunning rice fields. The green is just so beautiful!

Some people working in the paddies. I love the hat! Sure would have been a hot job!

Sunset at the beach. Divine!

God's stunning creation. Ever changing. Always new things to discover!

Last glimpses of sun. 

The boys playing a game of soccer! Sure became very competitive.

Leon in action.

Antonio. He loved the camera and seeing his photo on my camera screen. 

With Antonio, Ferdi and Ronaldo (I think it's Ronaldo....!)

Ferdi - the cutest little boy which such a gorgeous smile! They loved posing with my sunnies :)

Bento. A hilarious kid!! Here he is eating tamarind which he'd collected off the tree at New Hope. He's bound to be an entrepreneur - he sold his (broken) shoes to the man at the store so he could buy some lollies!! He sure was the winner in that deal :)