Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.   —1 Thessalonians 5:11

Moving overseas, there were many new things to get used to.  Having someone to come and help me with house cleaning duties was one of them. Ibu Ning became a part of our household our first year in Indonesia. It was difficult to watch her doing the things I was used to doing in my own home.  I found myself wanting to clean up before she came, or I’d try to be busy cleaning while she was in our home. Over time, I learned enough of the language so I could communicate better with her and got to know her and her family. I began to relax and appreciate this special lady in our lives who loved us, loved our kids, cooked our food and kept our house in order while we studied language in Salatiga. It was there that my view of house help began to change.

Ibu Ning with her family and Debbie’s. Photo by Debbie Klynstra.

When we moved to Wamena I had to decide again if I would have house help or not.  Though I now had more time on my hands, I discovered other sweet benefits, besides a clean house, of having a lady come into my home one day a week. It has given me the opportunity to get to know someone from the community; I have the ability to help her family with medical problems, and the chance to help her kids attend school. Ibu Dorce blesses me by helping me with the language, letting me into her life, and making my life here a bit easier thanks to her hard work.

Ibu Dorce and her kids. Photo by Debbie Klynstra.

I love that even though Ibu Dorce and I are so different in our lifestyles, culture, and language, we still share everyday life things like raising kids, caring for our families, and being sisters in the Lord.