Boredom

This December marks our third Christmas in Indonesia. Three trees. Three Christmas Eves of opening presents. Three green Christmas Days. Could someone ship us a care package of snow?

Our third year also marks a change in our cultural understanding. We're past all the newness of Indonesia, and through most of the shocks of living here. The call to prayer at the mosque no longer seems to shatter our peaceful home; rather, now it seems to blend into the backdrop of evening bug symphonies, roosters crowing, and motor scooters with bad mufflers racing down our cragy street. The third year seems to be the year of boredom.

We have several new teachers this year. Interacting with them helps me to see how far we've come in our adjustment. Whereas the newbies work 16-hour days to keep up with their load, neither Mona nor I have to stress over class preparation or lesson planning. I'm teaching mostly the same classes that I have for the past two years, and reading The Scarlet Pimpernel for the third time just doesn't carry much umpf like it used to.

In reality, we're doing several new things this year. We wrote the eighth grade play, we're co-coaching JV girls' basketball, and we're more involved in our community - including a wedding that begins with a committee meeting tonight. Yet, I feel numb. Nothing feels exciting. Nothing exilerates me.

Please pray with us that we'll regain a sense of focus in our work. This school and city are ripe for the harvest. Perhaps we've just got the third-year blues.