Please pray for Kevin

"Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have -- life itself."

-- Walter Anderson

^ Meet my superhero! It's a sweet video put together by some of Kev and I's old Chili's co-workers.. Sending out a HUGE thank you to Mandie, Matty, and Whitney for putting this together last minute!

As many of you already know, I recently returned from a heartbreaking visit to Houston, Texas to visit a friend who is terminally ill.

I met Kevin back in high school, through a former ex-boyfriend. About two weeks ago, I checked in on Kevin through Nick since Kev wasn't responding to any of my messages. Nick asked me to call him, despite it being 5 something in the morning Jakarta time. I knew it was urgent and called right away.

I can still hear those words, "Do you really wanna know?"

Yes...

"Kev texted me the other day and said, 'It's terminal bro.'"

My heart felt as though it had shattered into a million little pieces.. and I just kind of sat there. Stunned. Speechless.

Kevin?

THE KEVIN MOON?

Kevin and I on my 22nd birthday in May 2010

He's invincible! I don't get it. One of the healthiest and smartest people I know.. so good hearted, quirky, and full of love. And so young.

I was in tears. Try as he might, I could still hear Nick's voice wavering as he tried to tell me about Kev's recent trip from Vandy in Nashville, Tennessee to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. Nick informed me that him and Blake, another good friend from high school, were flying in that afternoon to visit Kev.

Before I knew it, almost 45 minutes had gone by and Nick and I reminisced about the good times with Kevin and how we thought that his surgery went well.. and that he was recovering.. and now it's suddenly stage 4? It just didn't make sense.

Kevin has a rare cancer called GIST, otherwise known as gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Basically, tumors started growing in his stomach wall years ago.. by the time it was diagnosed, the tumors had grown tremendously. He had four large tumors removed, along with his spleen, part of his stomach and liver as well as his pancreas. And yet.. the cancer attacked more ferociously than ever before. I was devastated.

Thankfully, I work at a wonderful campus that has such an understanding administration and staff who understood my need to leave last minute. I booked a ticket and flew to Houston.

I was able to leave the very next afternoon. Here are some pictures from the trip:

My plane

Support Breast Cancer Awareness

After waiting what felt like forever at the Jakarta airport, I flew into Singapore, then Moscow, and finally Houston, Texas.

Moscow was cold!

 

I wasted little time as soon as I arrived. It always seems like when you're in a rush, that's when things go slow! I quickly grabbed my bags from the baggage claim and took the first shuttle to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

I felt smelly, jet-lagged, and disgusting but my priorities lay elsewhere. Before I knew it, I was giving Kev the biggest hug.

"Hanging with Kev :) love you so much!"

Nick and I stayed by Kev's side as much as possible over the weekend, reminiscing about old times and helping him whenever he needed it.

He still has his personality, so the blunt comments were well appreciated. :)

I love that guy.

"I love you Kevin... Love you too."

Although they say his cancer is terminal.. and that he'd be lucky to make it to six months.. Nobody really knows how strong Kev really is. I believe in miracles and I am praying for him every day.

Will you?

xoxo amber


 *Update 6 Nov: Here are some sweet cards my kids made for me after I returned back to Jakarta the following Tuesday. They are so thoughtful!

Collection of cards from 3rd grade

"Hey, how is your friend, did Mr Kevin get well already? And how is your flight? What did you do over there? We hope you feel better! We miss you a lot! and we hope Mr Kevin will get well soon! and God bless you Ms. Amber! we love you Ms Amber!"

 "Dear Ms Amber We miss you a lot we hope that your friend will feel better GBU God Bless You the best theach teacher inclass"

"Dear Mrs. Ambe We miss you So much. Hows your fried Mr. Kevin his he ok? I hope you still remember us. Thanks for being a super awesome and cool teacher. Keep it up :).

"Dear Ms Amber I miss you so much Ms Amber I keep thinking about you. How was your day in USA? Hows your friend Kevin? Is he better? Please come back soon."

"Dear Ms Amber, I hope you will be right bach soon. I hope also you have a nice day in america. I hope also for your friend will feel better. God Bless You."

"Hi Ms Amber! How are you? I hope you come back soon! Did you have a good flight? Is Mr Kevin feeling better? I hope he is And I hope that he will survive the stomach cancer. We hope that you and Mr Kevin are okay."

"How was your flight? I hope the aeroplane don't crash. I'm scared if the plane crash."

This last card was given to me a week or so later from one of my 5th grade students. She made it all by herself! So many of the kids here and really, the people in general are so creative! The things they can make with so little! Anyway, this particular student was absent for almost a week due to the chicken pox (yes, in 5th grade it is normal here) .. so she gave me this card as soon as she returned. One of the sweetest cards I have ever received..

The cards reads... "Anything that just happen we pass through it, we can't go back to the first of our life. We just need to be happy and forget the things that just happen, just need to walk on your life."

In other words, let the past stay in the past. Wise words from a fifth grader. :)

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of students who genuinely care about my well being and that of my friends.. especially those who are close to my heart.

xoxo amber 

No Big Deal

So I thought I would share some pictures with you guys that I have acquired over the past five months while living in Indonesia. This place is quite interesting and now days, many unusual sights do not seem to phase me anymore. I still thought you guys might find these interesting. I like to call these.. "No Big Deal" moments.

Enjoy!

Little boys catching a ride somewhere

Construction. No helmets. No safety signs. No shoes. Just flimsy wood.

No matter how big your vehicle, you can fit

Motorbike nuzzled in between

Save gas. Pile as much as possible onto your motorbike.

Locals just hanging out beside a high way

He's not looking for food. Just crossing the road.

Family friendly transportation. Baseball caps are sufficient for young riders

Typos such as "Reccommended Phone"

Helmets. So we can be safe!

Angry Birds

*scary* Mannequins

People who pump your gas for you

Squatting

Shoplifter wanted ads

Shopping malls (this is small compared to others)

Rainbow cake -- delicious

Becak (BEH-CHAWK) Up to two people can ride up front as he transports them

Street vendor -- one of many

Tomorrow we leave for Pulau Seribu (POO-LAOW SAH-REE-BOO) aka "Thousand Islands" in the morning for a couple of days doing some biking, snorkeling, boat riding, and exploring. 

Write soon!

xoxo amber

I'm safe!

Earthquake damage in Maluku

Earthquake Details

There was no earthquake in Jakarta, since we're on the island of Java. There was one in the eastern part of Indonesia in the province of Maluku earlier this month. I had posted a short blog update but blogger decided to act funny so here I am simply editing the post.

Anyway, thanks to all of those who did for checking in! It's been quite a busy and interesting month or so abroad.. I sure have some things to share with you. (Just not tonight!)

New posts coming soon :)

• Binders full of women -- totally kidding.
• Girls' Trip (+ Eduardo) to Bandung
• Perspective taking 
• Candid shots of locals in Indonesia
• with some stories..
• My latest vocabulary improvement (and lessons learned..) in Bahasa
• Student quotes/stories/gifts :)
• I'm not smarter than a 1st grader (in Asia)
• My first personal trainer
• Appreciating the life that you have..

Me and a couple other girls are headed out tonight to an area called Kamung, which is in South Jakarta.. and it's WELL-KNOWN for its expats! Let's hope there's some attractive men. Wink Wink. ;)

Blog updates coming soon, I promise!

xoxo amber

Why do you do it?

Riding a horse up a volcano in Bandung this week :)

"'Why do you do it?' friends often ask, perplexed,
Brows raised, minds sorely vexed.
'The world out there is dangerous!
Aren't you scared? Why do this?
You need steady work, a house, two cars!
You have only a motorbike, and sleep under stars!'

Dear friend, if you must ask, you cannot know
This curiosity that drives me so.
To you it is hidden; in me rises unbidden!
But one day the world I'll have ridden
By iron steed, then perhaps this need
Will have vanished, finally vanquished!
That day will find me on deathbed,
With no regrets for the life I led.

Will you be able to say the same?
Or will you despair a life worn plain?

I will stake my Himalayan memories
Against your estate of a thousand trees.
Pit my Thai sunset
Against your private jet.
Weigh my horse rides at sunrise
To your Italian suits and ties.
I'll rejoice in friends before I go,
Not the figures of my stock portfolio.

And, amazingly, there are more like me;
They reject slavery, and are truly free.
They took the chance we all had,
And honestly it makes me sad
That you didn't.
You thought you couldn't...
What?
Live without the luxuries
Of all our modern amenities?
You choose the bonds of mortgage, but claim to be free,
Wasting a lifetime absorbed by TV.
Why watch it? but live it!
One life's all you get!
Don't put off 'til morrow and continue to borrow
The lives of strangers; 'tis the greatest of dangers
To the soul
Which grows old
Before its time.

Hercules, Columbus,
Guevara, Odysseus,
Champlain, Agamemnon,
The list goes on...
What have they in common?
Regardless man or god,
The soil of continents they trod,
Not in search of gold but adventure!
Not growing old 'cause they ventured
Far from safety; but far be it from me
To Judge

The pitiless pity us
With souls black pitted
Pray! save it for those less spirited.
For us... our horizons are unlimited.

-- James Richmond

Tangkuban perahu

xoxo amber