Last But Not Least: Lembongan

Blue Lagoon, Ceningan island

As I sit down to type one of our final posts of the summer, I'm at a loss for words and feeling so many emotions at once.  Our final days in Uluwatu passed with the beautiful simplicity that marked all of our time here and I can now testify that you can feel nostalgia for a place before you even leave it.  

I missed it as I lived it: those final days at our favorite restaurants, waving to our summer neighbors who'd become part of our daily lives, and waking up without a big plan or agenda.  I missed the cows as we sped by them on our motorbike; I missed Jay's curly summer hair blowing in my face as he wove us through our familiar streets; I missed the dark walks home where you could see every star in the sky.  I missed Jay's big smile as he burst in from a great surf session.  I missed the wifi being unreliable and being deeply present in everything we did.  I missed the sound of the morning rooster and the unknown creature that made another special noise all summer.  I missed the joy that radiates from the people here, which is more beautiful than any of the breathtaking places we've been lucky enough to see.

View from our room at Song Lembung Huts, lembongan

When a place becomes part of you, you know you've been more than a tourist.  You've carved out a tiny piece of your life and heart to leave behind.  I think that's what it means to travel- and, for me, to live.  I hope we've spread as much love and joy as we've received.  

We jammed our suitcases full and took off to our last stop.  Last, but not least, an island half an hour from the southeast part of Bali: Nusa Lembongan.  Lembongan is commonly described as "Bali 10 years ago" and is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.  

The Song Lamgung huts sit on Coconut Bay, near the popular Mushroom Bay, and we can hear the waves crash as we fall asleep at night.  The deck of our hut is set into the cliffside and overlooks a quiet, aquamarine bay, decorated by small colorful boats and light surf. 

Yesterday, we walked about 10 miles exploring the island, crossing the bridge to the tiny sister island, Nusa Ceningan, finding secret beaches and some of the most breathtaking cliff views.  We passed through tiny villages, greeted warmly by everyone, and got lost on the same paths that eventually took us exactly where we were supposed to be.  We watched the ocean form whirlpools that sparkled and roared with the blues and greens that never look real in photos.  

We watched waves hit the cliff so hard they erupted and misted us high above.  We lay out sarongs and watched the sun drop in front of us, a ball of fire dancing through slivers of clouds and painting them cotton candy pink.  We stopped taking photos because they simply pale in comparison.  

Yellow bridge from Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan

Nusa Ceningan

Blue Lagoon, Nusa Ceningan

Secret Beach, Nusa Ceningon

Today, we explored Nusa Penida's underwater world, equally as majestic as the surface.  Our "dive monster" (as our diver master at Tamarind Divers wanted to be called) navigated us through heavy currents that basically channeled us across the most incredible coral reef walls, like astronauts flying through space.  We saw lobsters and eels, hidden in rocky crevices, big tunas, turtles, and so many colorful fish that it was hard to know where to look.  This was the clearest of all the places we've dived, and it was easy to see why Lembongan is a world renowned spot for scuba.  The locals call to each, boat to boat, laughing and smiling and endlessly joyful.

Sunset Beach, Lembongan

Waiting on sunset

There's a contentedness here, which stems from a simplicity of living in the moment- not for a big promotion, or saving for a new car, or a bigger house.  Everyone works together, and everyone is relational.  They want to know where you come from, they want to share their stories, they want you to enjoy the day as much as they are.  And that's how I know that joy is infectious, as much as stress and as much as negativity.  It is also how I know that joy is not a better job, or a nicer car, or even the next awesome trip.  

Joy is a choice and it's about people- how you treat them, how you treat yourself, and how you treat the world.  If you can respect all of those things, and appreciate them as they are, then there is joy.  It is not a place.  It is not a different day.  It is not losing 10 pounds.  It is not winning the lottery.  It is no more available on a Sunday than it is on a Monday.  It's all around you.

So that's what we're bringing back- and hopefully a bag that's under 50 pounds.    

Sunny Side Up Tropical Music Festival

Potato Head is an Awesome Venue

Blessings in Bali

It’s ironic that our first church experience was on Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the important Muslim Ramadan. Indonesia is over 87% Muslim, with Buddhism and Hinduism also prevalent: Christian and Catholic churches are scarce.  Bali has only a sprinkling of Christian churches, which is why we were shocked to see a C3 location (the name of the church we often attend in San Diego).  Like the San Diego location, this church is filled with Australians, but run by a local, Pastor Wayan, and his wife, Pastor Gayle Dwije.  The service was well worth the over an hour drive (main roads are closed on Sunday mornings, because Denpasar declared a car-free zone) and the detour we took (our driver dropped us at a large, Catholic church before collecting us and taking us to the proper location).

Entrance to C3 Bali

We were immediately greeted warmly and welcomed up a flight of stairs into a room with a small platform, and Hillsong music playing from the speakers.  Locals and a sprinkling of foreigners gathered, but all smiled and shook our hands.  The service was in English and Bahasa, half of the worship familiar songs and half in the local language. It was surreal to feel God even without knowing the words they were singing.  The joy in the room was infectious and the young worship band had everyone moving and clapping.  Pastor Wayan made a point to introduce himself before the service and when he heard that we came from C3 San Diego he told us we weren’t just visitors, we were traveling angels.  The calling we’ve heard for months was presenting itself.

The announcements showed a video clip of children at camps and the school programs that the church runs.  The impact of this church on Denpasar and the children of this community is immeasurable. After the service, Jay and I chatted with Pastor Gayle about her story and the vision for the church.  She and Pastor Wayan have been married for 21 years, and she’s been in Indonesia for 24.  They started by creating a school and then the church grew out of their home with a congregation of 1.  They’re a simply amazing couple, changing lives and communities through love and evangelism.  

This is the church we were called to, and where we will serve throughout the next two months.  They’re struggling to collect money for the rent of the new space they are trying to move into, and are taking up a miracle offering on August 6.  This is where we come in, where are all of you come in.  God spoke so clearly to us during this service that we are to help collect beyond the funds they need. $140 million rupiahs covers the rent for the entire church and school facility for the next two years: $10,500 American dollars.  

So this is where we come in, and where we’re asking you to pray about giving.  We set up this GoFundMe page to raise as much as we can towards that amount of what this church is praying for:  

www.gofundme.com/CBandJC3 

So often we are praying for the things we need; it’s a rare opportunity to be able to be the blessing that this church has been praying for.  We can fulfill the faith and hope for a place that gives boundless love.

Any money raised by August 6 will go to C3 Bali, to serve Denpasar, as the church runs countless outreach programs and schools.  They go into the slums and educate those who society has forgotten about; they run after school programs for Compassion International children who attend a government school; they run a school for children who cannot attend that program.  We were placed in this country, in this church, on this day so that we could become the blessing that they’ve been praying for.  We have two months to be that blessing, and more.  

Anything we collect will be tithed to C3 Bali in the miracle offering on August 6.  We are praying big, for the full $11,000, but are committing to $2000.  We changed the number countless times, scared of the large amount and not wanting to scare anyone off.  But we realized we came here to be scared and be challenged, to be pushed out of our comfort zones, and to give more than what we even realize we have. Please join us in being part of their miracle.  Even $5 makes a huge impact in this community and will be given and received with deepest gratitude.