meet our next door neighbors

this is a great family. always happy and ready to help out. and you will hear this story in our next prayer letter...but for those of you who don't get that...you can read on...
they collect trash for a living and sell it
they live in a 12x9 room...that completes their house
when it rains...they get wet...along with everything else
they can't afford to send their daughter to school (nor can most indonesians as the price of gas just went up 20% here...it's a stiff price to pay when you can't even give the necessities in life...like food and clean water)
they bath in the open air behind some trees and a free standing wall
they treasure everything we throw away...it's weird to throw things away now cuz i know it's like "giving" it to her. she collects our trash for the little fee of putting her daughter through kindergarten. but now that she is entering grade one...it's a little more. of course we help and of course we want to solve all their problems but this culture prohibits us from doing too much. we have already done too much in the communities eyes around us. there is jealously going on. we must be fair to all...but it's hard when they are the most in need. if we don't...it will be dangerous for them and for us.
and its so completely hard to have this kind of life around us when we are trying to make our home "a home"...and even though we live minimally...we still have way more than they will ever dream to have...and we live next door! they come visit every day and watch sponge bob, tomand jerry (the universal cartoon cuz it has no words!) or veggie tales with the kids...they play outside all day with ours as well...i really like her. she really tries to help me out with cultural situations...like yesterday a kid fell out of a 3 story coconut tree and i asked her what we need to do. usually all the women go and visit all at once when someone is sick (or in his case...a broken leg) and the men all go and visit another time. and you bring money with you. anywhere from $1-5 to help with costs of not working and medical care. she is quick to help me cuz she knows we don't have a clue!
in the picture above of their family...this is the first time they have had their family photo. had i known...we would have done things differently but she was so cute...this is how she wanted it. so maybe this is best :D. i had asked her earlier in the day to get their family photo sometime...well she came over THAT same night with everyone bathed and in nice clothes for this special occasion. i can't wait to get it framed for their house! so...this is just one story...there are so many more...please pray for them...we love them so...