This Global Walk Outside | Day 11: Indonesia (Small Town)
Hi there, my name is Joy Elizabeth. I am originally from central Florida but now call Indonesia home. My family and I have been serving here for almost 7 years! We love loving the people of Indonesia, teaching English, raising awareness about human trafficking & exploitation, and sharing the Good News. Currently, we are on furlough in the States, but our hearts look forward to returning to Indonesia after the New Year.
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My husband and I have been married for 10 years this year, and moved to Indonesia when we were young and childless almost 7 years ago. Our first daughter, Mila was born in Florida in 2017. Our youngest daughter, Juliet, was born right here in Indonesia in 2020 during a global pandemic. It’s been an adventure becoming parents in our new host culture, but we love it!
In April 2021, we moved into a new home in our small town! There were many reasons for the move, and while I was sad to say farewell to our previous house, this new one had SO many benefits. Like a beautiful front yard & front porch! Growing up in Florida, I am used to huge backyards with playsets and swimming pools. But this little green space in our front yard is simply perfect. We love the neighborhood, the neighbors and the location.
Yards and grass can be such a rare luxury around here. Having enough consistent water pressure to keep the grass watered is definitely a problem we faced early on, but we were so drawn to this yard and this house. I love that we have a place for our girls to play, for their friends to visit and for adventures to happen. Plus, it’s a nice spot for the chickens to wander through!
While most local Indonesian families use outdoor space as well, I wouldn’t say a yard is common. Most homes in our area have an outdoor gazebo-like structure that is used for family and neighbors, but ours does not. A beautiful feature of our outdoor space is the stunning front porch.
The large overhang provides shade at all hours of the day, which is essential while living on the equator. We always keep a bench or two on this porch for sitting, entertaining, and playing. Living in Indonesia, we never know when friends or neighbors may stop over. We are so blessed to have a comfy place to sit, chat, and drink coffee and tea while enjoying a breeze! So I’m thankful for this front porch and all the welcoming we can do with it!
Along with the beautiful grass in our yard, I love our little frangipani tree. These fragrant flowers add pops of color and fragrance to our outdoor space! Just beyond our property wall, we glimpse the papaya trees and banana trees of our neighbor’s farm. The lush green gardens & farm next door is a welcome bit of nature in our world as well as perfect for childhood explorations!
Our island is so small so, we can travel from the city center, to the beaches, and even a mountain top within an hour. We have so much natural beauty around us to enjoy, both on land and in the ocean! We don’t have malls or movie theaters, large playgrounds or indoor play areas, so we often entertain ourselves outdoors with walks through our neighborhood, sunset beach picnics, or drives along the coast. We can explore waterfalls and explore vast rice fields. We love our island home and can’t wait to return!