What Have I Done?

At 3:55 I asked myself this very question.

Having laid our head down at 1am (Jakarta time) we were awoken by morning prayers. Now, I had always imagined this to be fairly romantic in my mind. However, I would guess that there are close to four different mosques whose outside speakers are turned up to 11. Each of these mosques are attempting to outdo each other for zeal and enthusiasm. This results in nothing romantic but an awful cacophony of sound.

Further to this, it woke Triniti and Mackenzi up as well. However, it triggered a sleep walk in Connor. As I stood at our window, Connor mumbled something about an accident, was up out of bed, straight to the front door, out in to the common courtyard veranda area towards a glass door which I think leads to an external veranda/balcony. I had to dash after him to bring him back. I asked him what he was doing to which he replied , “I don’t know”.

So, I attempted to go back to sleep with this all going on. The other three are all managing. Not me. Connor complained of being cold, so I had to give him the blanket I was using as a pillow!

So it is now 4:45. These prayers are still going on. However now, there are dogs barking and birds who have awoken. What have I done?

We are staying at The Salvation Army Training College in simple accommodation, and these trainee Christian ministers of the Gospel exercise their faith in a truly foreign land. They hear these prayers each morning, this cacophony of noise. Based on what I am hearing right now, this is Orwellian almost in nature (as in the audial communication). This is not romantic. This is not a faith being engaging and personal.

It has almost stopped, almost, there are one or two more zealous fellows still attempting to outdo each other.

What I have done? We have placed ourselves on foreign soil, spiritually, emotionally and physically.  For these three days in Jakarta at least, we are indeed aliens.

As we waited for our ride to this accommodation last night, Connor remarked, “I expected it to be different, but not this different”. Connor and Mackenzi sat in the back, stunned on the ride to our accommodation as they saw Jakarta alive and bustling still at 12:30am. As they saw crazy traffic and a ute overloaded with bamboo with two children sitting in the back. Triniti, Connor, Mackenzi and I are yet to talk about the children we saw come up beside the vehicle begging or attempting to sell things. We had managed to get changed for bed and get to sleep. All too exhausted for conversation, tears or burdens.

What have I done? I have written sitting on the side of the bed I share with Connor, unable to sleep. I don’t think this city sleeps. I have joined the city!

For the record, it finished at 5:15am. What have I done?