Greetings from Sulawesi!

 2015 Ocean Training of The Frontiers is being held for two weeks at Bondae Bondae in Ruaor, West Sulawesi. Most Aceh staff are joining in this training so we want to share the weekly news from here.

 We left 3R at 4 am to go to Makassar via Jakarta. After we arrived in Makassar, it was 3:30 pm.  When we met Br. Song from Korea, it was 4:30 pm. So almost a day passed. However we could get a nice shelter at the home of Ami who has picked us up at the airport. Brother Song prepared photos for the people whom he would meet soon. He departed to Lankawi Island the next morning. The place for the ocean training is west Sulawesi. But the reason to visit Lankawi Island was that people started sailing from Ruaor to Lankawi then dismantled the sail there. On the other hand, people who sailed from Lankawi ended at Ruaor. So these two places became important places for us. As expected just after we arrived, Mustang’s family had prepared a barbecue with a magnificent fish catch. We gave the gift –pictures and something else- to them and returned back to Makassar at 2:30 am.

 We had breakfast at Ami’s home and then moved to Ruaor. The bus was scary since it was driven too fast, so we arrived earlier then we had planned. In Ruaor, villagers welcomed us. Brother Song gave them photos for keeping memories from last year. The scene of delivering gifts from heart seemed to confirm our friendship. We were not strangers anymore.

 The next day, we brought out our boat to assemble. The process of moving and attaching parts on the boat was helped by the villagers. Some cleaned the body; some repaired the paret –long logs attached on the sides of the boat to make balance-, some helped connecting paret to the body… Even if they didn’t have enough time, people just visited us to show their hospitality. Given the situation, it was clear that we were accepted as a part of them.

After all the hard work was completed, we shared some food. We were proud to look at our Sandek – the name of our boat. In the afternoon, we prepared for sailing the next day. And we visited Majene downtown for a while. We stopped at some friends’ house to deliver photos which were taken last year.

The next morning, we were waiting for the tide. But it was delayed too much, and also we had to visit the police station to inform them about our visiting. (In Indonesia, all foreigners must inform to the police.) Early the next morning, we went to the beach again with all our sailing equipments. But this time, all day long it rained. No one came to the beach. Again the next day, villagers might feel sorry looking at us, so they came to the beach in the early morning and helped to move our Sandek to the beach. Finally we could sail on that day.

Brother Song taught us how to steer and showed us how to control the sail (Won, Romi, Leo, Sahaja). We, one by one, tried to follow him. We all are fine, but Won has a headache and Leo has had diarrhea for three days. Both are not serious so they could join the activities. But I’m worrying that they could be exhausted soon.

Prayer requests:

1. Pray that we could complete our ocean training safely.

2. Pray that we could build wise and good relationships with people in Ruaor.