Lessons From Indonesia: I Wrote a Book (Sort Of)

Indonesia road final

Hi, friends.

(Yes, I’m posting in the afternoon, which seems to be a new trend. But I’m sharing the following anyway because…well, because the morning was early once upon a time.) πŸ˜‰

Well, here we are. Bright and early…and I do mean EARLY…on this Monday morning. And today is the day I begin this journey of sharing my Indonesia stories.

Feel free to do cartwheels…that is, if you feel so inclined at this early hour.

To begin, I need to apologize for a couple of things. First, it’s early. Early. (Have I mentioned that yet this morning?) I had to stumble blindly to the coffee maker because it was that. early. and my eyes? Well, they just refused to open. I’m not exactly sure what words are going to be written this early, and I’m not sure I can be held entirely responsible for them, either. πŸ˜‰

Also, so many of you were crazy-sweet last week and expressed how excited you were to read my stories on Mondays. *total blush* Bless y’all from the bottom of my heart.

Today won’t exactly be a story, which is also why I sort of feel like I should have written a disclaimer. The actual stories will start next week. This morning, I’m just telling you a little bit about why I wrote the book, which I know isn’t nearly as fascinating as the time I was almost swept away by raging flood waters or the first time I tried durian and just about threw up the entire contents of my stomach on the side of the road.

Clearly at least the drama part is in my favor this morning. πŸ˜‰

So when I look at the calendar and see 2015, it feels surreal that my husband and I are looking at being back in the U.S. almost five years. It truthfully seems like those years have flown, and there’s a part of me that wonders if we’ve been gone too long for me to tell my stories.

Is anyone going to care anymore?

Not gonna lie…that particular thought has crossed my mind many, many times.

There have been so many times in the last two years, especially, that I dreamed of seeing my book of Indo stories on a shelf, all printed, with the most beautiful cover the world has ever seen. I wanted it all so badly.Β 

And I will even confess that there is a tiny pinch in my heart over sharing them here instead of continuing to pursue publishing.

But it goes back to telling the stories and how much I just want to do that. I don’t so much care about making any money from this blog or even from the book…I never really did. That’s just not me. It may be you, and that is totally fine, and I will even jump up and down and cheer for you when it’s not quite so early in the morning. It’s simply not what God wants for me…and I’ll take that. :)

Over the next year, I’m going to be giving you glimpses into the life we had while living in Indonesia. These stories are told from the heart of a woman who loved her time there. It wasn’t all sunshine and daisies…in fact, many days it was more like rainstorms and cockroaches…but there was so much good. Yes, there were hard days, and I’ll talk about those, too.

But I want to remember our years there…forever. And this is my way of documenting it all. Just like I write here about life and what God is teaching me in this particular season, the book I wrote is very much the same…it’s just from a different time in life. A different place. Different circumstances.

Sharing it with you all is sort of my God-sized Dream all thrown out here in the open for everyone to read…but I think it’s time. And I jokingly said to a friend that in a year, I’m going to have a lot of fun writing a blog post titled, The Year I Wrote a Book in Public.

Hmmmm. πŸ˜‰

So thank you…for being here. For reading. For laughing with me. For letting a tear drip here or there.

Here’s to a year of stories and lessons from a time in my life that still means the world.

I hope you enjoy it all.

Photo Credit: Florian Kreitmair

Sig

Comments

  1. Looking forward to hearing more! xoxo

  2. Excited to read more…these stories you have shared thus far have always been wonderful!

  3. I look forward to reading more. What truly struck me >> “Here’s to a year of stories and lessons from a time in my life that still means the world.” Aren’t those just the very best stories that forever stick in the heart & mind of a reader! Cannot wait to read about these stories!

  4. Mondays will be good. I love dramatic!
    Let’s share stories and java again real soon!

  5. Yippee Mel! Looking forward to reading bits of your story. I also understand the tinge of sadness of letting go and changing gears. So hard to do, huh? But something life has required of me as well. Good for you for still writing. πŸ˜‰ I’d love to say I’m going to write in public soon but truth is I don’t know where to begin and still feel so broken even though God has held me. I’m coming to realize even though I want healing that it might be that what I long for is itself a longing for God, and the eternal home. Anyway, blessings on you, friend. I hope someday we can share coffee. πŸ˜‰

    • I hope that someday too, my friend…since the first time I “met” you through our written words, I’ve felt like the two of us would have so much to talk about. Let’s pray that it will happen someday! Sending love, prayers, and hugs…email anytime, k? I mean that. :)

  6. this is awesome. I cannot wait to be apart of your God sized dream. I am so proud of you and I hang on every word you write. And I have been home from Nepal 4 years also..w e really are soul sisters. And I cannot wait to read about the first time you tried duran! :)

    • Ok, we just need to have coffee in real life…we have way too many stories that need to be shared with only a table separating us! Thanks for being here, friend…love you! :)

  7. Can’t wait to read more!! Glad you are back to regularly writing :)

  8. Lynda-Sue says:

    Greetings Mel,
    Glory to God! This is going to be so exciting! Looking forward to reading more! Have a Greater Day!! Lynda-Sue

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