Indonesia - Part 3: Apryanto (Part 2)

Apryanto Visit - Part 2

After visiting Apryanto's home, we loaded up for a trip to the mall.

 There were 11 of us crammed into an 8 passenger van, so it was quite a ride...not to mention the fact that the roads (as seen above) were barely wide enough for one car...let alone a huge van.

Apryanto had never been to the mall, nor had he ever eaten at a food court.  Allowing him to choose the restaurant would be like allowing me to choose a taxidermist.  He chose A&W, and Phil and I treated 11 people to a fried chicken, rice, and root beer lunch.  It was only $32 to feed the gang, but it was an experience we will never forget.  We learned that rice MUST accompany every meal in order to be deemed a meal. 

After lunch, we took Apryanto (and his mother and sister) shopping.  This was, by far, the most powerful part of the day.  They are not used to shopping in a superstore, and they were visibly overwhelmed as they walked up and down the large aisles full of luxuries they had never seen.

We kept telling them to get what they needed, but they (namely Apryanto's mother) were so tentative to put anything in the cart.  There was a striking moment that I WILL NEVER FORGET, and that was when they were staring at the rice...which as I mentioned is an absolute staple in their culture.  They typically buy a small bag (probably 2 kg.), from a vendor within their little village, and it is just enough to get them through the week.  The store carried big bags (10 kg.), bigger bags (15 kg.) and HUGE sacks (20kg. - which is close to 50 lbs).  Without anything spoken, my husband and the translator picked up the 20 kg. sack and put it in the cart.  Her entire demeanor changed, and the translator told us, "That just changed their lives."

 In addition to the staples that filled the cart (rice, oil, noodles, soap, etc.), we figured that there should be some special treats as well.  We walked the kids down the candy aisle, and they immediately transformed into playful kids without a worry in the world.  Oh...the power of some bubble gum and chips. :)

The cart was full and spirits were high!  We spent $70 on groceries that will last them nearly TWO MONTHS.  When is the last time that you made it out of the store with a full cart for $70?  We spend nearly that much just filling up our van with gasoline, and that is TWO MONTHS rent for Apryanto's family. 

We were humbled, humbled, humbled!!!!

Lots of smiles after a successful shopping trip.

JOY!

Enjoying some bubble gum while waiting for our ride.

As we were waiting for our driver to come back, Phil noticed that Apryanto's flip-flop had a broken thong.  It's pretty impossible to walk around with broken flip-flops, so Phil suggested that we head back into the mall to buy him some new shoes.

My Grandpa Hahn started the tradition of buying shoes for the whole family, and it was a special outing once a year.  My parents have carried on the tradition, and we still anxiously await our new pair of shoes every year.  So, we let Apryanto, his sister, and his mom pick out a new pair of shoes.  For $11 total, the three of them had brand new sandals and a spring in their step!

It was incredibly special when Phil turned to me and said, "We are carrying on the tradition."  To add to the sentiment, it was on March 22nd...
my Grandpa Hahn's birthday!

 Our last stop of the day was spending time at school with Apryanto.  We were VERY impressed to watch a classroom full of 6-7 year olds open their Bibles and read scripture together.  They knew exactly how to navigate to James 1:17 and read,
"Every good and perfect gift is from above."

 I showed them where Florida was and how far we traveled to get there.

We had snack time with the class, and I sampled the "some kind of bean and ginger soup."

Phil immediately gave me a look that screamed, "Do not eat another bite.  You are pregnant, and we have no idea how that was prepared." 

 He proceeded to eat the rest of my bowl, and let's just say that he took one for the team.  He had "Indo Belly" for the next five days, and that meant that we could never be more than a couple minutes from a bathroom.  Poor guy! 

Apryanto's Class

The Compassion and school staff

For just $38 a month (approximately $1.25 a day...less than it costs to buy one 20 oz. soda), we are able to partner with Compassion International and give this little boy a chance.  Compassion believes in helping children go from just surviving to THRIVING!  We saw the impact.  We witnessed the effects of our sponsorship. 
We believe in this ministry!

If you have any questions about Compassion International, let us know!  If you're considering sponsorship, we highly encourage you to PICK A COUNTRY THAT YOU MIGHT VISIT SOMEDAY.  You can make a difference!!!