A letter from Charlotte Blackburn in Indonesia
March 2012
Before coming to Indonesia in 2011, I and others who were preparing to leave participated in a three-week training session that focused on understanding American culture, incorporating times for prayerful reflection and discernment, preparing for culture shock, and learning the common history shared between Christianity and Islam, just to name a few of the areas covered.
Charlotte with friends from the trans-city English club
The training was certainly awesome, but one of the most fortifying things I learned from people who had served previously was that no matter what you’re originally intended to “do,” you’ll find that you often wind up doing something a little different or possibly unexpected. In other words, keep your eyes open for ways to “be” useful.
It’s been a little over a year and I’m often still trying to figure out exactly how to “be” rather than to “do” (another lesson from the training—Americans are very “do” oriented: What are you doing? What do you do? What did you do today?). It’s challenging to break this habit of determining my value based on what I “do,” so I try to “do” as much as I can and still “be” (a part of the community, a friend, a thoughtful stranger, a good person with a sense of humor).
One of my “doing” endeavors is an outgrowth of “being” some of the things I just mentioned. I currently facilitate a trans-city English club that consists of people I’ve met in other universities, in the community, and in other various places who have expressed an interest in practicing their English-speaking skills. Fully aware that I cannot handle such a task alone, I took a little time to think and, thanks to a long career in the service industry in addition to a deep appreciation for smart, goal-oriented people, a great idea was born.
a meeting of the trans-city English club
A friend had just started managing a new cafe with lots of tables, good food, and a pleasant atmosphere. I noticed that it wasn’t always as crowded as I thought it should be (based on the aforementioned attributes) and decided it would be the perfect place for many people to meet and have pleasant chats, make new friends, and practice their English speaking skills!
The first time we met, 9 people (including me) joined, and the second time? 28 people! 28 people came to talk, to share, to laugh and to learn from each other in a pleasant, comfortable, supportive environment. The third meeting we had 25 or 26 people—in the rain! (Rain here usually serves as a greater deterrent than in the United States because most people travel by motorbike.)
This is exciting for many reasons. One reason is that the people who attend create a very diverse group. The youngest may be 17 or 18 and the oldest ... well, there are a few people around my age, let’s put it like that. Some people work; some attend or have graduated from university; there are guys, girls, people from different faith traditions; and when I’m lucky, a few other native speakers show up to participate as well. The opportunity to share and to learn from each other is nothing less than amazing and it is truly beautiful to look around and see people talking, laughing and accomplishing a goal.
a meeting of the trans-city English club
Through word of mouth and Facebook, the group is growing. We’ll plan activities together and maybe specific “courses” based on what they’d like to improve on, such as pronunciation, or cultural awareness, movie night, vocabulary expansion, etc.
We meet in the evening, usually from 7 until 9-ish. The date is determined by my schedule and when it looks like we can have a good turnout. The group represents a microcosm of the diversity of this city. We are united by friendship, a common goal, and we each have an opportunity to “do” something together.
In “Discerning Your Vocation: A Study for Continuous Reflection” Rev. Victor Aloyo Jr. challenges all who feel called to think about who we are, what our gifts are, and how they can best be put to use. For my career in the hospitality industry and my love of conversation and the English language, The English Club (Jogja) provides an opportunity to make me feel that I’m “doing” just that. As the title implies, the discernment process never ends. It involves a continual assessment of what you need to “be” “doing.” It seems that those two words, together, are beginning to make more sense.
Charlotte
The 2012 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 189
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