This is our home in Medan. Pictured on the right is Cheryl Ferry who lived here previously. Behind the gate is Ibu (Mrs.) Nana our land lord.
On May 14th we moved into Medan. The day was packed end to end with a flurry of activity. Here’s what it looked like:
4:30 Wake up in Singapore, get the girls ready, finish packing, and check out of hotel.
5:00 Get in a cab and head to the airport.
5:40 Retrieve 180 kg of baggage from the airport luggage storage, check into flight.
6:00 Grab breakfast and chase the inexplicably energetic girls around the airport.
6:50 Arrive at gate.
7:15 Board the plane. Traveling with young children gets you to the front of the line!
7:40 Depart Singapore (gain an hour because of the time zone change)
8:00 Land in Medan, go through immigration, collect baggage, explain to immigration and customs officer why we have so much stuff for just four of us.
8:30 Meet Pastor Aladdin, load luggage into the car, depart the airport, and head for home.
10:00 Arrive at our new home in Medan, unload luggage, talk with land lords, hire house help, take a short break. The house is a bustle of activity as workers are doing some general repairs outside the house.
11:00 Head to the local super market to pick up essentials: dishes, utensils, and food. Head to local Indomaret (like a 7-11) and pay the power bill.
13:00 Arrive back at the house. Prepare a quick lunch (PB&J, bananas, frozen peas).
13:30 Matthew goes with Pastor Aladdin to sign up for internet services. Kali and the girls stay home to rest and start unpacking the girls’ toys.
15:00 Matthew and Aladdin return home and share a coke and conversation. Pastor Aladdin returns to his family.
16:00 Begin attempting to order food for dinner. The internet service provider arrives to install internet.
16:40 Successfully order food for dinner. The internet service provider leaves without installing internet and will return tomorrow. (But he didn’t)
17:15 Dinner arrives. A&W with an Indonesian twist. Matthew’s burger had red cabbage, mayo, pineapple, and beef bacon. It came with a free side of chicken and rice. Kali ordered a mango chicken taco which came in something like a big green pita. The girls had chicken tenders. We all enjoyed some root beer.
6:00 Workers and house help leave. We have the house to ourselves.
7:00 We have family devotions and prayers and put the girls to bed.
7:30 We begin to unpack.
9:30 We sit down and reflect on the day.