Hi everyone. It has been a long time since we have written. Things have been very busy for us, but I hope to get back to writing blog posts again. This entry will be a quick one. Natalie wanted to give everyone a message. So, check out the recording below.
Keep reading for additional info…
Tags: Daniel, Daniel Hardeman, Natalie, news, Nikki, Nikki Hardeman
It is about time we put up something on here that is just plain fun. I mean, I know for some the rock climbing entry was a blast for you since you got to see my rear end in a harness…but I digress. Natalie has gotten to the point now that she enjoys the ABC show Dancing with the Stars. She has actually become a great little dancer all on her own by mimicking the actions on the show. So, I thought it would be fun to show everyone a fun clip of Natalie giving me a demonstration of her version of Dancing with the Stars. So, without further ado….I present to you, Natalie. Our own dancing star!
Hope you had fun on this one! Isn’t she cute?!
Daniel
Tags: abc, Dancing with the stars, Natalie, television, tv show
It has been a long road for us since Christmas and we have taken our time in posting something up to give us some healing time. We still have our low days, but I know that for me, there is has been a lot of positive change. More good days than bad I believe. The love and support we felt from all of you before, during and after has been uplifting and indescribable. So I wanted to share with you one of our good experiences we just had.
Those who know what we did this past weekend are aware just how insane Nikki and I may actually be. Friday through Sunday we spent out time in Sand Rock, AL camping out and going rock climbing with our 2 1/2 year old along with our close friends Jill and Rachel. It was an amazing experience and not nearly as challenging as we thought it might be. Natalie did AMAZING for her first camping trip. When we got home she told Nikki that her favorite part was the dirt. Shortly after that, she played dress up in a Cinderella outfit. I guess you could say she is a well rounded child. 
Sand Rock is one of my favorite rock climbing spots. I used to teach climbing at Camp Widjiwagan in Antioch, TN (they called me Houdini). It was one of my favorite jobs. After 2 weeks of lessons on a ropes course and a large alpine climbing tower I would take my campers on an overnight stay to Sand Rock as a reward for their hard work.
On this trip there were tons of people showing up for camping and climbing enjoying this area. We almost didn’t get a good climbing spot. But found a good starter climb for everyone. Natalie didn’t make it far, but loved trying and swinging from the rope in her new harness. The ladies did great on the first climb and seemed to be enjoying themselves. For me, this was a nice healing time. Getting back to some of my roots before I joined the corporate world and just got too busy with life.
My worry before we went was that I had lost my touch, but I was glad to know that Papi still has it! Over the past month or so I have tried to take steps to get healthier physically to help me get healthier mentally. It was rewarding to see that pay off. I was worried that my 31 yr old body wasn’t going to do more than one or two climbs…however, the extra prep time made me feel better than when I was 21 or 22 and did these climbs before.
The first day of climbing I was able to scale the rocks, setup the climbs, give proper instructions, even help some strangers with their climbs…and even complete my climbs without hurting myself or feeling sore afterwards. But the real challenge came the next day. I decided to face a climb called “Pressure Sensitive” located right next to another route called “Midget Digits.” Pressure Sensitive is considered a 5.10 climb. It is about 90-100 feet high with a slight inverse overhang part way up with most of the hand holds requiring finger tip grips. This was my test for the day. Our prior climbs were roughly 5.7-5.8 climbs. Those offer some challenges for beginners.
But this was the day for me to face my mountain. We had faced so many over the last 5 months, this was my time to step up and overcome feelings of defeat. I felt inadequate in front of this massive obstacle. After an hour or so of working my way through the first challenge, then the second, and so on all the way to the top, with several stops along the way to fight feelings of self doubt…I finally felt a sense of reward as I kissed the 2 carabineers that anchored the rope at the top. I knew what the final reward was as I turned to enjoy it. Behind me was a breathtaking view of the valley. It is one thing to walk to the edge from the road and take in this view, but I can assure you that it is a whole different experience when you come from the bottom.
This is how I have felt lately. Each day has been a challenge and each day I have to fight off feelings of doubt and sadness. But each day that I overcome another challenge, I build that confidence to get past the next one. I hope that you have enjoyed the pictures that accompany this post. I am also including a video at the bottom of Natalie enjoying swinging under Pressure Sensitive. Thank you all again for your continued support. We love you all!
Click on the Photo Album to see more of our adventure. And check out the video at the bottom of Natalie “Climbing.
Daniel (aka Houdini)
Tags: alabama, Antioch, area, beginners, Behind, Camp, campers, christmas, Cinderella, confidence, Daniel, Daniel Hardeman, Digits, dirt, feet, High, Houdini, hour, instructions, jobs, ladies, lessons, life, Midget, mountain, Natalie, Nikki, Nikki Hardeman, obstacle, Papi, Points, Pressure, Rachel, road, Rock, rock climbing, Sand, sand rock, self, Sensitive, setup, starter, strangers, Thank, valley, Widjiwagan
As I (Daniel) sit here holding the first blanket Aiden was wrapped in after birth, I can’t help but look back and reflect on how we told him goodbye. Many families in similar situations as ours do not always have time to say a proper goodbye. As difficult as it was for us to know the diagnosis so early on, it was a blessing in its own right. Having that extra time to get everything setup ahead of time helped to give us the time and the freedom to wrap our love around Aiden’s precious soul when he arrived.
Nikki and I have talked and agreed that we wanted to share with you all some of the details of the ceremony. First, I would like to give a giant thank you to Snow’s Memorial for how comfortable they made the process. In such hard times, they made it such a wonderful experience where we will not regret any detail of the service.
Prior to the service, we were given time to bring in professional photographers to create lasting memories (more on this in a future post). Snow’s also allowed multiple visits from us and family. But the amazing part was the small private service on Monday December 28th.
With the time that we had we were able to find a beautiful, peaceful location at Riverside Cemetery. I do not remember a lot of details about the service. I mainly remember the healing feeling I had. As we sat there looking at the beautiful arrangement and the picture of Nikki and me holding Aiden close and kissing his soft head, I couldn’t help but be overcome by sadness and peace at the same time. We did everything right in our situation to put Aiden to rest. The only detail at the time we were not sure of was how Natalie would react to all of this.
Prior to the service Natalie had been amazing. As everything began unfolding on that beautiful day, Natalie sat still next to Nikki. As the service continued, she began to take on another role as a healer. She got out of her seat and walked over to me. With a big grin on her face she reached up for me to hold her. Once in my lap she took several measures to assure Nikki and I were ok. I believe she saw our sadness, but knew that everything was going to be ok.
At the times that I cried, she would gently wipe my tear drops off with a tissue. Then she would lean forward and give me a sweet kiss. At other times, almost instinctively, knowing that I needed to smile would give me an Eskimo kiss and a butterfly kiss to ease my pain. during one of the prayers, she wrapped one arm around my neck, leaned to her left and pulled mommy in with the other arm giving us a strong hug with a huge smile on her face.
By that point, it was hard not to feel like everything would be ok. How sweet she was. My heart broke over those days for Nikki, for myself and for the fact that Natalie would not be able to show Aiden how wonderful and caring of a sister she would be. In those moments at the service I felt that we had given Aiden a wonderful home surrounded by love. Natalie also made sure of it.
After the service, Natalie spent a few minutes softly touching the flowers on Aiden’s casket and even pulling a small one out for herself. I kneeled down next to her and she immediately said, “These Aiden’s flowers.” I said, “Yes ma’am, they are. But it is time to say goodbye to Aiden.” She moved over and stood in front of me with a peaceful look on her face. I asked her, “Can you tell your little brother goodbye and blow him a kiss?” With no hesitation, she softly said, “Goodbye, Aiden. Luvs you.” Then reached her hand up and blew him a kiss. Without lingering, she turned and walked away as if to know it was time to go.
I reached out and brushed the flowers softly and said my goodbyes, taking one of the tiny roses and putting it in my jacket pocket. I couldn’t help but smile at what I had just witnessed with Natalie. How sweet that goodbye was. I could feel a sense of fulfillment thanks to the inner beauty of my 2yr old. And it of course, for those that know Natalie, didn’t hurt to hear her words in that sweet voice that she has. She had become the best therapy I could ever have during and after the entire service.
With peaceful love,
Daniel, Nikki, and Natalie
Tags: Aiden, Aiden John, arrangement, Cemetery, ceremony, Daniel, December, diagnosis, families, freedom, Goodbye, Goodbyes, Hardeman, healer, Memorial, memories, Natalie, Nikki, peace, photographers, Riverside, roses, situation, situations, therapy
The birth of Aiden John was one of the most beautiful moments of my (Nikki’s) life. Though he was very small, he took up an awfully big space in our hearts and in our lives. And though he never took a breath on this earth, he will forever be a part of the fabric of our lives. Little Aiden was absolutely beautiful and I will never forget the first moment I saw him and got to hold him. He had 10 little fingers and 10 little toes. He had his father’s forehead and his sister’s perfect little mouth. He also had nearly as much hair as she did when she was born.
We were so grateful to the medical staff at Central Georgia Medical Center. They took really good care of us and allowed our family time to meet baby Aiden. My favorite moments were watching Natalie with him. We let her have complete control over how close she got to him. At first, she just wanted to look at him while sitting in her Papi’s lap. Then she touched the blanket that he was wrapped in and then gave him a little tap on his nose. Then all of a sudden she wanted to hold him. It made my heart feel so warm to see her being so gentle and loving to her little brother. We had a rag that was there to dab a little Aiden’s nose because he was having a little bit of a nose bleed. As he was passed from one family member to another, the rag would easily be forgotten and fall to the floor. Every time, Natalie would pick up the rag, hand it to the person holding Aiden, and say, “That’s Aiden’s!” She was so proud to help take care of him. And I was proud of the way she loved him. I also felt so sad that I would not get to see how she would be a big sister to him. That is something that I will always wish I could have seen.
After the family left the hospital, we hung around to wait on the funeral home to come and get Aiden. Letting him go that night was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. There was no way I could prepare for it and to be honest I thought I might literally break in two as I did so. I don’t really know how we managed to do the things that we had to do that night—all I do know is that I didn’t do it by myself. I know this because I wasn’t capable of doing it by myself. Daniel and I both had someone carrying us through it, making it possible for us to take each step as we had to take.
And that is how the last five days have been. For me, they have been a blur, but I do know that there have been all kinds of people around, taking care and loving my family and me. I hope to write down some more of the things that have happened over the last several days. At first we didn’t think we would see Aiden again, but we were able to see him a couple more times and that was a wonderful gift. I will write more about all of it soon.
Though we continue to hurt deeply, we find ourselves so grateful for all of those who have helped to make this all a little more bearable. We are grateful that God has given us friends and family who can so tangibly show us God’s love and compassion. It is these gifts that have and continue to carry us through.
Thank you for your prayers and words of comfort.
Daniel, Nikki, and Natalie
Tags: Aiden, edward's syndrome, Family, Natalie, trisomy 18
Thank you so much to everyone that has written or called with a word of care, concern, and encouragement. Daniel and I feel completely surrounded by your love and prayers.
We both feel like we have been on our very own roller coaster since we received the news last Wednesday. There are so many different things for us to think about and consider. I tell Daniel that I kind of feel like I am walking through water. The energy you all are sending our way is making this new journey we find ourselves on bearable.
We were fortunate to spend this last weekend with Daniel’s family. They cared for us, played with Natalie, and gave us the opportunity to try to get some rest. We were grateful for the opportunity to rest a little better.
Tonight, we got to see Elmo and all the Sesame Street Gang at the Philips Arena with little Natalie. She really enjoyed it and for a couple of hours we were able to be completely present with her and and focused on her.
Thank you so much for your love and prayers. We covet the energy we receive from them.
With deep gratitude,
Daniel, Nikki, and Natalie
It felt like 100 degrees and humidity off the charts. Although, the soak filled shirt that I was wearing was providing sort of a cooling affect for to my upper body. As for my lower body, well, it felt like Niagara Falls flowing down the back of my…never mind, you don’t need that visual. Moving on. Let’s just say, it was a hot day. We had an incredible experience and Natalie even was a great sport about riding in a baby backpack for the first time. So let me tell you about it.
We were out with John this day to experience some villages almost 2hrs from the city to observe more of the water filtration systems that had been setup. This area could only be reached by about an hour and a half to 2hr drive and then another 15-20 minute boat ride. The strange thing that was explained to us is that most of the area that we travelled by boat would soon become land that would be covered with rice fields during the dry season. Right now though, it was completely covered in water and hard to imagine how it would ever become land. As we floated past 
some areas that had started to recede, we did notice heads popping up out of the water as people were starting to prepare their fields for planting. It was a site to see. I likened them to ninjas as many of them had their faces wrapped in clothe to protect them from the sun and they would pop up out of the water as if they were hiding. So, the next time you eat a bowl of rice, just think, it might have been grown by ninjas! Awesome!
Well, our first docking point brought us to a little fishery that John had assisted with setting up. There was a small man crouched on it crushing snails to feed to the fish through a small hole in the floor. The whole thing looked like a small bamboo house floating in the water. Netting and bamboo walls were attached to the bottom that stretched to the bed of the river to keep the fish in. We docked and John immediately hopped out and greeted the man.
Then brought Natalie out so that the man could show her how he fed the fish with the insides of the snails. Within a split second of the first handful of snails hitting the water, fish were jumping to the surface. More than we could count. Natalie immediately did the sign for fish and started grinning from ear to ear. She was mesmerized for the next 5 minutes. She stayed with John and enjoyed the show until there were no snails left to be eaten. Of course it gave Papi plenty of time to take pictures and video of his little girl and her taking in this culture experience.
From there, we were once again invited into a local’s home to eat the lunch we had brought ourselves. Same meal as the last boat ride, white rice, jack fruit, beef marinated in a spicy roasted coconut sauce of some kind, and some some cucumbers all wrapped in a banana leaf. This time however, we did not all have silverware, so 
we let Nani eat with the spoon and John, Nikki and I used our hands. This was pretty customary anyways for this type of meal. The three of us all had prior experience with this in the past and tried to teach Nani how to do it, but I think she was comfortable enough with the spoon. Of course, Natalie had plenty of experience with her hands.
After lunch is when we got to trek through the village to see about 5 or so of the water filtration systems that John had built here. It was a pretty long hike crossing over unsteady bridges and walking through muddy trails. The people of the villages sat out on their patios and stairs watching us go by as they heard that we were coming. This was their chance to see a group of Americans and catch a glimpse of Natalie and her curls. She of course is always a huge attraction. Nani killed her camera battery taking pictures of the local children and foliage, but couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. It was a fun scene to watch. Almost all the houses were built on stilts as we had seen before on our previous trip. 
It was amazing the amount of work that John had accomplished with the filtration systems during his time here. As a father myself, I could also recognize the look of deep pride that was on Nani’s face as I watched her experience the impact that her son was making on the world. You see, we all have questions about what our lives mean and what kind of impact we make before we leave. Did we prepare enough to take care of our loved ones before we die? Did we do enough to make an impact to the world? To those around us? Will we be remembered? Or will the world go on and forget about us? What kind of legacy do we carry on? These and hundreds of other questions run through each of our minds. They are difficult but valid.
As we continued to walk through this area and village, I noticed a new since of energy. Even though we were hotter than we have ever been before, we all knew we were experiencing something special. Nikki and I also knew that even though Natalie may be too young to remember anything, some of this would seep in to her subconscious. The cultural experience would become part of who she would soon become as adult. It happened to me. I may not have realized it until I was an adult, but I did finally come to realize that each experience I had as a child through now has affected me in some way. Even the ones I did not choose to experience myself. But this experience was somehow different than some of the others.
At each of the systems the villagers were proud to run to them, poor a sample of the water into a cup and show us what it looked like. Crystal clear. Then they would point out that it came from the same dark brown river we arrived on. WOW! I don’t think Houdini could pull off that magic trick. Come to think of it, it might be likened to turning water to wine, but rather turning mud to bottled water. John and Casey are definitely part of a larger vision.
As we stood at the last filtration system we were invited in to the house of the boat captain. We sat in there and all looked exhausted. However, Natalie of course found the energy to run around and show off with the rest of the kids. Me, I took pictures, but suddenly noticed something odd. A foul stench in the air. At first I dismissed it. I figured it had to do with the fact that we were in a third world country, a house on stilts in the water and there was who knows what out here in the village that was causing the smell…maybe durian lurking around the corner haunting me. 
I raised the camera for another shot…there was the smell again. It about knocked me off my feet. Nope…not durian…but it was a familiar smell. Me. wow. I know I put on my deodorant this morning. But I think this full day trip finally got the better of me.
We headed back in the boat and got back to the car. As we climbed in I immediately apologized to everyone. They said for what? I told them that they would see. Within seconds they noticed. Then John started to realize that he didn’t smell so great either, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as me. It was so bad that every time I moved, it was like a release valve for more smell that had not gotten away. But we had a lot of fun laughing about it the whole way home as we all were sweating and smelly from this incredible trip.
My point in telling you how much I smelled? Well, some may be grossed out by it. Some may not have been able to handle that type of heat to have seen past it and enjoyed that experience that we were on. I have met those people. That’s ok. For us, we smelled like a cultural experience and loved every minute of it. Because that cultural experience answered some of my earlier questions for us. We got to see the impact John and Casey have made in the lives of the people where they work. And it is HUGE! They have met the needs of so many people. And have touch so many souls in such a short period of time. Through their work there, they have also touched the lives of all of us back home with their example. As far as preparing there loved ones? I don’t think that their family could ever be more proud of them. And this doesn’t even include what they have done even before this trip. We have been prepared. We have been touched.
To be able to say that I played even a small part in planting a seed for them to get back to SE Asia years ago helps me feel like I am a step closer to answering those questions for myself. Have I done enough? I don’t know yet. But I will continue to try to smell like a cultural experience and be proud of it. Yeah, I may be more of a glory hound than John is, but he has taught me a lot more about humility over the last few years and about being comfortable doing the Lord’s work without needing attention and recognition. I still have some work to do in that area, but I’m getting there.
John and Casey, as you read this know that we are all proud of you. When you come out of this experience you are definitely going to smell a heck of a lot more than I did that day. Culturally that is…I hope. You have made more of an impact on those around you and those here at home than you will ever know. Meeting the needs of the people comes first. The Lord will touch their hearts. You will always be remembered and we look forward to see what more you will do in the future. If the things you have done so far is just the beginning, then I am speechless and awestruck, because there will be so much more to come.
To everyone else, please feel free to add comments with the following:
To finish this post, I give you a picture of Natalie at the end of the trip. I captured this picture to sum up how tired we all were after the hike. She was an incredible sport. See below for explanations of the other pictures.
(Explanation of pictures as they appear: 1. Natalie riding in the baby back pack for the first time. 2. The area behind me is the area that will eventually become rice fields. 3. The fishery mentioned in the story. 4. The old bridges that we had to cross. 5. Broad shot of the area we were hiking past. 6. Some of the water from the filtration system with the water from the river in the background that it came from. 7. Nikki and Nat with all the children that followed us to the boat captain’s house. 8. A lady from the village that is sure to benefit from the clean water. 9. Me telling Nat about our trip. 10. Nat holding John’s hand on the way home. 11. Nat worn out at the end of the trip.)
D. Hardeman
Family is family wherever you go. Whether they speak your language or not. The other day we got the distinct pleasure of meeting one of Casey’s closest friends, Helen and her family. Helen is extremely fun and has already mastered the use of the word “y’all” within only 5 minutes of practice. (I’m so glad we can make a difference over here.) She has an incredible grasp of the English language, but in our first meeting with her, she was nervous and talked at warp speed. She was much calmer the second time around. This is when we got to meet her family. And this is also where the fun began.
We were invited to Helen’s brother’s “birthday party” (we’ll come back to this), but before this event we were supposed to stop by her mother’s house for her to meet Nancy. Here it is an honor for Helen’s mother to get a chance to serve John and Casey’s mother in her home. We arrived on the main road, parked, and then had to walk down a narrow street to get to a small house with a small wooden gate, 2 motorbikes parked in the front and kids sitting on the front bench waiting to greet us. Natalie immediately pointed out the geese on the side of the house sitting under the banana tree and wanted to take off running.
As we were ushered into the small room in the front of the house we felt like giants as Helen and her family stand no more than 5ft tall or so. Or so it felt like. Nikki seem to tower over the entire family the one time we had a group picture. As we sat in the living room, we were served fried bananas and a vegetable fish fritter thing. Along with extremely sweet tea. Natalie seemed to take to the fried banana, but was quickly distracted by the fact that everyone wanted to squeeze her cheeks and touch her hair. They loved the curls in her hair.
Something that I have to fill you in on. The people here do not get their sweets from their food. Their chocolate is not overly sweet. Their other candy is not very sweet…but they do get it from there drinks instead! Their coffees, teas and other drinks have truck loads of sugar in them. Enough to make you have a sugar rush within minutes and last for a few hours. I’m telling you, your system has never had this much sugar in it. But when you finally come down from the rush, I can assure you that you have never crashed…ahem…slept so well. But that is how they get their sweets.
So, back to the visit with Helen’s family. We originally thought it would be a quick stop at this house, then another quick stop at the brother’s house then back home for dinner with another American family that works here with John and Casey. Well, that’s what we get for thinking. Right when Natalie was getting into everything and getting restless, and we were thinking about heading to our next stop, the heavens opened up the flood gates. Enough rain poured down to solve Georgia’s drought problems in one day. It sounded great on the small tin roof we were under, but we were assured that it should only last about 10 minutes. People shouldn’t really say things like that. At least 45 minutes or more later it was still pouring down hard. Once we realized it wasn’t slowing down at all, we decided we had to make a move for the car. 
Nikki walked barefoot down the narrow street as it was now flooded above our ankles. I carried Natalie through the flood waters. Talk about a fun cultural experience. We made it to the car and from there started driving to the brother’s house. On the way there the streets of the city began flooding. At one point the car stalled right in the middle of a flooded, busy street. As we got honked at from many directions John and I started to hop out of the car to start to push. Nikki hopped in the front to steer the van off the road. When John opened his door his umbrella fell out and floated away. Thinking it was gone John moaned allowed and said something about his umbrella. As I got out on the other side of the van I noticed an opportunistic young teenager who had scooped up the umbrella from John’s side who was suddenly startled to see a second giant white man standing in front of him. I reached my hand out halfway as water rushed past my legs, giving him a chance to either fess up and give me the umbrella or just walk away. Frozen and pale faced as this giant confronted him, he handed the umbrella over quickly then took off. I tossed it back in the vehicle and rushed back to help push. Getting more startled looks from the little boys that were helping push in the rain and flood waters when 2 large white men surrounded them to push this car. For them it was exciting and fun to see not only one, but 2! Wow!
Once we got back in the van, I was relieved to confirm that the umbrella that I had retrieved was in fact John’s. For a split second I had realized that I never asked John before we drove off. I was pretty sure it was ours, but in the middle of the insanity I was glad to know that I hadn’t just robbed a street kid.
Once we arrived at Helen’s brother’s house we were greeted again at the front of the house and brought in to the front of the house where it was a small living room again. There was no birthday party as we would think of in the USA. Here the birthday party is done in a way where guests are invited over and then served. Or if it is your birthday and you went out to eat, you would pay for all your friends and guests, not the other way around. So here we were. It was his birthday, but he was serving us dinner. A soup with fish dumplings and noodles, topped with crispy shrimp chips and a sweet soy sauce. And of course very sweet coffee. I also was served what I would call “fish ‘n’ chips” that were chips with nuts and actually pieces of small dried pieces of fish in them. It was a little salty, but not that bad really. The soup was also pretty good.
Natalie really made herself at home at this house. She made her way back to one of the bedrooms here and the women of the house loved to watch her get up on the bed and jump. This was one of the new games that she had learned at home and now was making her the most popular kid around. It made her hair even more appealing as the curls bounce even more.
This was an amazing family as in both homes even the men took to Natalie and loved to take her out and show her the rain. They were so gentle with her and made us feel so comfortable letting her roam around and play in their homes. The women were welcoming and constantly wanting to share their life with us. The family was more open than we were expecting and willing to be free with us. The joy in their stories and in their smiles brought such comfort and love to each visit that we didn’t feel like we were intruding on them even once. This was an Islamic family embracing a Christian family as one of their own. Taking them in and welcoming them in with open arms.
What could we take from this? Do we worry so much about our appearances and own comfort level that we forget to just open up ourselves and our own culture to those just outside our doorsteps? This family had no idea what to expect of us. They didn’t know if we would like their food yet they served us what they had, offering us their best with love and not being offended if there was something leftover when we were gone. What seemed important to them was the honor of sharing their culture and the joy that came across our faces as we shared our time with them. It was also important to them that we took the time to absorb their culture. Can we do the same with others? Even though Nikki and I are the Odd Kouple, she does try to absorb my gaming/geek culture as best she can. She may not play my games or play with all the gadgets, but she tries to understand it all. I may not attend all the conferences she goes to, but I love to absorb the knowledge and culture of her experience that she brings back to me from each of her experiences. What can you do to enhance the lives of those around you just from absorbing their culture or sharing your own? Think about it…leave your own suggestions in the comment field. That is, if you were able to read this far into the post.
D. Hardeman
One of my favorite things about traveling to other parts of the world is learning about different faith traditions and how they are practiced. Yesterday, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit a mosque and a Buddhist temple.
Our day started out at the mosque. This is a large mosque and hundreds of people come to it everyday for prayer. It is capable of holding 7500 people at one time. We were not allowed to go into the mosque because we are not Muslim, but we were allowed to walk around it and learn about it. We saw where the people washed before they went in for prayers. They wash their feet, hands, forearms, face, mouth, and the top of their heads and they wash each of these three times. After they wash, they may go inside to pray. There are different patterns for kneeling and bowing based on which time they are praying during the day and they go for prayers 5 times each day. The mosque did not have the typical look of a mosque that you might see in the states or in the Middle East. The people who built it in the 1700s used a collection of architectural design to represent the various cultures that live in the area. One of my favorite things about learning about other faith traditions is the way that it gives me pause to consider my own. I was struck by how “set apart” the Muslim tradition seems to be. They do things that cause them to visibly demonstrate their faith: they pray 5 times a day, some of the women wear the head covering, they are specific about washing before entering the mosque, and only Muslims are allowed to enter. Whatever I believe and feel about these practices put aside, I was struck by this. There are not many things I do that would cause people to automatically know that I am Christian. I occasionally wear a cross around my neck and I go to church on Sunday mornings. Other than that, most of my expressions of faith are done in private with my family. It caused me to wonder, is there value to allowing your faith to be more visible in the things that we do? Not in a pious kind of way, but in a “this is who I am” kind of way.
The Maitreya Buddha
After visiting the Mosque, we went back to the house for lunch and a rest. Then we went to the Buddhist temple. I am always so curious about Buddhism. I think because I have the hardest time understanding it. There are many wonderful things about the Buddhist way of life. They have a wonderful respect for life, they express compassion, and they seem concerned with justice and inclusivity. At the same time, I struggle to understand their desire to reach enlightenment. This particular temple honored the Maitreya Buddha, which is the Buddha of the future. This Buddha is said to bring about ultimate peace, joy, and happiness on earth. This particular temple promoted vegetarianism and believed that one of the ways we can save the world is through the practice of vegetarianism. This belief was important because it demonstrated their respect for all life. There were some lovely statues of the Buddha and you were encouraged to pray before these statues. We got to eat at a restaurant sponsored by this temple and it was wonderful food with a Chinese flare to it.
Natalie was a big hit at the temple. They allowed her to run all over and everyone wanted to pick her up, touch her curls, and pinch her cheeks. She was a wonderful sport about it all. Everyone is surprised when they find out she is not even two yet because of her size. They always say, “Her body is so big!”
John and Casey's Church
This morning, we had the wonderful opportunity to go to church with John and Casey for Easter. While I love learning about other faith traditions, there is nothing like coming home to your own even if it is in another language. The entire service was in the local language, but some how the language of faith transcends actual language barriers. As we sat there and tried to sing along to both familiar and unfamiliar tunes, I was truly moved by the emotion that was expressed by those in the room. It all felt so familiar to me. The pastor preached on the resurrection, and even though I did not understand his words, I understood the joy that came across when he expressed the truth of our faith-that even in the darkest of times, God’s love conquers all and carries us through.
Natalie is so active and she had a hard time sitting through the service today. I am so grateful to a wonderful woman who works here with John and Casey. She volunteered to watch Natalie while we experienced the service. Her young daughter helped to keep her entertained. It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy the service.
I really have felt so moved and humbled and challenged by this trip. I am reminded that my world is so small and there are so many more perspectives on life and faith and the world than my own. It is a joy to experience new ways of thinking and to be challenged to look at things in new ways.
Tonight, we got to have Easter dinner with a family who John and Casey work with here. The couple hid eggs so that Natalie and their children could have an Easter egg hunt. It was fun to watch Natalie run around, picking up eggs, and enjoying herself.
There is more to write about from today, but that will be another time. For now, I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter day and find yourself strengthened and encouraged by the good news that “Jesus is Risen!”
The Easter Egg Hunt
Tags: Asia, Buddhism, Christianity, Faith, Islam, Mosque, Religion, Temple
(For those that may be new readers to our blog, please understand that we cannot mention specifically where we are. This could potentially jeopardize the work that John and Casey do here. This also keeps us from specifically naming some of the foods or locations within the country we are in. This is why we can only say that we are in SE Asia.)
If you have been following me on Twitter you would know that yesterday we made a trip to the main river here. We had a chance to take a ride on a speed boat to visit several villages along the river. Several of these villages are home to the water filtration systems that John and Casey have been a part of building since they have been here. It was an incredible experience and wonderful time to see how they have spent their life here among the people.
By the time we reached the port village the heat of the day was already making the A/C of the car work harder than it was designed for. As soon as we pulled into the boat captain’s house where we were to leave the car, a crowd had gathered to catch a glimpse of Natalie. It seems that she has become an instant star with her curly hair. The people here also find it fascinating that she is so large for age…and they are not shy to point it out. But they love it.
From here we got to tour a medical boat designed to go up and down the river. It provides free dental and other general medical services to villages that are located on the banks of the river. There is a small fee to register on a patient’s first visit, but after that there is no further charge as long as they bring there registration card. The boat consists of two levels with the reception level on the first level along with the main medical clinic. Upstairs are bedrooms, storage rooms and a kitchen. It was a moving experience to see what could be done with so little.
Even though the boat showed signs of wear throughout the floors and walls, it still radiated with the life and love that filled each room. You could still find cups of teeth that had been pulled from the many dental visits where most patients waited too late to seek treatment. The medical rooms were full of life even as they were currently empty while the boat was docked for maintenance. As John and Casey walked us through each room and described the work that was done on this boat, we could not feel more proud to be present just to witness this work.
After the tour of the medical boat, we took off on a 15 foot speed boat to head out on our tour of the river. Surrounded by views of villages filled with houses that were raised above the water by stilts. Some made of wood, some of concrete. Some houses standing firm, while others leaning and appearing to almost fall over…but all were occupied. Some homes just floated on the water only supported by bamboo. As one piece of bamboo would go bad, it would be replaced. That brings a completely different meaning to the thought of “redoing our kitchen floors.” Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Make Over would have had a hard time with these homes.
Our main purpose of this river tour was for a chance to see the water filtration systems that John and Casey have been working on. Originally, we had hoped to get a chance to work on some ourselves, but unfortunately, that will not work out due to several circumstances. Yesterday though, we did get a chance to see 2 of the 12 systems located in places that seemed to be only reachable by boat.
The systems consist of 6 water chambers. The first holds the dirty water pumped in from the river. Then the water is filtered through 2 chambers that are filled with rocks, followed by chambers filled with sand. Finally, the water passes through a charcoal filter before it is stored in the final chamber where it is the cleanest. The water goes from a “hot chocolate” brown color to completely clear. The villagers are still told to boil the water, but some still drink it straight from the tap in this state and have not gotten sick from it.
At the second location we had the chance to stop and spend time in the home of the village leader. This was one of the houses raised above water by stilts, but also had the water filtration system attached next to it. This experience was incredible as we had the opportunity to spend time with the family who allowed us to use their home as a place for us to spread our lunch out on their floor and eat in their home even though we did not bring anything for them and they were not eating with us. It was a very humbling experience to have a picnic in the middle of someone else’s house. Granted, there was no dry land outside for us to spread out on and eat either. So, we didn’t have much of a choice. Natalie made herself right at home and once again was the star of the show with her curly hair and curious personality.
So much more happened yesterday. I can’t fit it all in right now. But as I reflect back, I realize that this has been an incredible experience just to come back and see what John and Casey have done. Even though we cannot show you their faces and give you more details about them or where they are, do know that they have made a footprint on the world. The people here have been embraced and loved by John and Casey. In the short time they have been here they have provided them with a gift that will last a lifetime and have filled us with a pride that will we cannot fully express.
As I sign off for the evening (mid day for all of you) I leave you with what else, but a cut picture of Natalie with the children of the village leader that we met. Goodnight. I hope the rest of you have a great day on the other side of the world.
D. Hardeman
You are currently browsing the archives for the Natalie category.
