Merry Christmas - Jungle Style

During the months of December and January we were on the move around Indonesia! Along the way we were greeted by a collection of reunions, temples, close friends, new friends, diverse flora & fauna and cultural diversity.
To begin the blogging updates of our recent adventures we'll share with you about our Christmas celebrations while in Sentani, Papua with good friends. It's been 2 years since we last saw D & T Wisley when they came to San Diego to officiate our wedding!

Our time in Sentani was marked by sweet reunions for D as he reconnected with old friends.

Here in Papua many households and/or villages will make these Pondok Natals (Christmas shacks) at Christmas time.

More reconnecting!

One of our memorable adventures was a day trip to Lake Sentani. Everyone pulled together to make the boat operational, the food tasty and the fun huge!

Tammy & Sean pitching in...

Dave pumping things up!

Contemplating the integrity of the swinging vine on the palm tree...

YIPPEEE!!!

 Good family fun!

Merry Christmas from the kampung!

D's friend Ahky preparing for his church's Christmas pig feast!

 

The prep...

And some of the help!

After wrapping the meat and vegetables up in banana leaves, layering in red-hot rocks and wrapping it all up in grasses they let it cook for about 3 hours. This is a bakar batu (which means it is cooked with rocks).

 

Once everything is cooked the men unwrap the meat and the women begin pulling out the food and sorting it.

Even Leslie jumped in to help out!

With everyone seated in their appropriate pods, the food is distributed and we all ate together!


After sharing in the traditional Papuan Christmas celebrations, we had some good 'ol American style Christmas traditions! 
 

 Unwrapping gifts Christmas morning

Joseph sharing about Jesus' birth at church. 

  Then we went surfing!

A delicious Christmas dinner shared with good friends!

 
Feel the love!