No Place Like Home

I'm scheduled to leave for home in a couple days. I probably won't be there for even two weeks before I head overseas again, but I will definitely enjoy that time with my family!

This travel and work overseas is interesting, but I miss my wife, kids, dog, and...my grill. The food here is awesome, but there is little variety. It is like eating in your favorite Chinese restaurant, breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day! It is good food, really good, but too much of a good thing is, ummmm, not so good. I want to grill some meat, I plan to do that when I get home.

The picture is the view from the plane on the way here. I hope to see that view on the way back, soon. Being away like this makes me love and appreciate my family much more.

Contrast

Here is an interesting shot showing some of the natural beauty in Batam, Indonesia. I've been here for a few weeks now and what strikes me is the contrast. The contrast between the natural beauty that surrounds the city, the not-so-beautiful living conditions of most of the inhabitants of the island, and the living conditions of most of us in the USA. When I see kids playing in the dirt outside a make-shift home just inches off the busy street traffic I am reminded of just how amazingly blessed we are in the United States. Every day I see families of four, sometimes including a toddler and a baby, all riding one motorcycle through the congested streets. Everyone should have a few trips to these types of places to remind them of just how blessed we are. The photos tell a little of the story.


















I'm proud to be an American, but ashamed at how many times I take God's blessings for granted.

The Glamour of Overseas Projects

Okay, let me begin by stating that this is just a random blog entry, it is a bit gross, and really has nothing to do with anything-except maybe cultural differences, and how I take my blessings for granted.

I travel a lot for my business. I have been to Brazil, China, Africa, Norway, Scotland, Singapore, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia. Though I am very grateful to have seen so many parts of the world and the people there, it is not as glamorous as it sounds.

I'm in Indonesia right now, working by day in a fabrication yard. Luckily I get to stay in a nice hotel at night. The working conditions are not all that great. Our "office" is a steel storage box with four desks, a couple electrical outlets, and an airconditioning unit (praise the Lord for that). We seem to have a contest to see who can fit the most adapters and plugs into an outlet. See photo. Those are my clients in the scene.

All that is not really a big deal, I've worked and lived under much worse conditions. My stress comes from...the "restroom facility." They don't use toilet paper here, but they use their bare left hand and a water squirty thing like we Westerners have on our kitchen sink. So, EVERYTHING in the bathroom is covered with water, and you have to bring your own toilet paper (BYOTP) if you don't want to use your bare hand and squirty thing to clean off. That is so disgusting to me. Think about it.

I was dreading using that "restroom facility" but I'm here 10 hours a day for several weeks, so it was inevitable. I gathered tissue paper from our "office" and went to the "facility." After wiping down the water-soaked seat I began figuring out how to handle the next step. We wear coveralls here, and it is quite a trick to keep that big bundle of clothing from touching the near walls or the floor which is covered with "mud," cigarette butts and "water." I assume that it is only mud and water.

I got through all that, and was very happy to learn that the toilet did flush. I was so glad they had a sink, because I really, really wanted to wash my hands and leave without touching anything. I turned the faucet knob, it turned freely in both directions, but no water ever came out. I really wanted to wash my hands, so I reluctantly picked up the squirty thing off the floor, using only two fingers to minimize contact. I hoped the nozzle would reach the sink, because even though the floor was a mess, I didn't want to add to it. I stretched the hose out, but it was short by about 3 inches. I went ahead and washed my hands with the squirty thing, just letting the water splatter onto the floor, my boots, etc. Someone started banging on the door so I had to finish quickly.

I released the handle on the squirty thing, but it kept on spraying a full stream of water. I started tapping on it, shaking it, pulling on the lever, but it just kept spraying-everywhere. Now I was standing in about 1/4 inch of water and I am sure it was pouring out the "facility" under the door. I was getting frantic now, I had no way to stop the water flow. Shake, tap, pull..."snap." The handle broke off in my hand. A knock on the door again. Water still shooting from the nozzle. I wanted to just drop it and run out, but with someone waiting to get in, they would know that I broke the only thing they can use to "clean off." I was really frantic now, and was getting pretty wet! I saw that a small piece of wire was stuck in the plunger (the plunger is pushed in by the lever). It was holding the plunger in. I grabbed the lever off the floor (yuk) and started pushing and poking and finally "click" the wire came free, the plunger popped out and the water flow finally stopped. Whew! Crisis over.

I quickly unlatched the door and gave it a brisk tug to open it, because it seemed to be stuck. I broke the lower hinge right off the door. "Great" I thought, "I've nearly destroyed their only restroom facility, they are going to be mad at me!" I stepped out of the "facility" and was happy that no one was impatiently waiting, I guess they gave up. The next day when I visited the "facility" I saw a brand new squirty thing was installed, the hinge was fixed, and that the water faucet at the sink could now produce a steady stream of water (about the diameter of a pencil lead) so I could now wash my hands at the sink.

I had my perspective shift a bit about the hardship of working under these conditions today. A young man came into our office bringing us boxes of bottled water and fruit juice. Later I saw that he is also the one in charge of maintaining the restroom facility. He has no left hand.

Its the people, stupid

It is something most people understand from birth, but not me. I was wired to get things done, "things" were my focus. I design things I plan things I do things I accomplish things I fix things, you get the point. I am comfortable with that, but I have started realizing lately that though I was doing and taking care of some important "things" I was missing out on the higher priority-people. I know that most reading this are thinking DUH! everyone knows that people are "our most important resource." That, by the way was one of the buzz phrases used at one of the corporations I worked at, they implemented their focus on people about as well as I have. Which is to say, poorly. Anyway, God has recently shifted my heart. Though I am still far from where I should be, I have turned the corner.

Today me, my client and a couple coworkers went snorkeling on a small island off the Island of Batam. We landed on the island and I saw this awesome photo opportunity-a grounded boat perched precariously on the sand. I walked over to the boat and started taking photos. In the background I heard this chattering, just some background noise. As I got up from taking the photos I realized I had walked by a group of young ladies who were there on some sort of field trip (so I guess). They were all looking at me and giggling and trying to get my attention-they wanted me to photograph them. It startled me that I could be so oblivious to people because I was so focused on...an abandoned boat. I felt like a goof. Anyway, you can see the photos. Maybe next trip I will notice the people first, then the boat, otherwise I will have once again "missed the boat."

Just the Beginning

Here is the start of my thoughts and notes about my journey through life, striving to find my purpose, and serve God. A key in my understanding of this life here on earth is found in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The name of my company, "DGW" stands for "Doing Good Works." This name hit me while hearing a sermon at our church, where the pastor referenced this verse.

I'm not doing this because I think anyone out there is all that interested in my journey, but more to keep track of the journey. Who knows? Maybe someone will benefit from my ramblings, struggles, revelations and so forth. Time will tell.
RayJ