Looks for pics in this post too...
1. How are you?
I am doing well - God is good, and I'm learning new things every day.
2. Have you had any more health problems?
Well, there's tummy trouble about once weekly, but I can't even remember that stuff anymore. One thing though, is that the recent moving back and forth between Medan and Nias has left me unsettled and unable to sleep well.
3. Did you get your staff?
Rosa, my office assistant comes tomorrow morning. Other than that, no. We have had a big shuffle of expat staff in Indonesia, with several not renewing contracts. This means the "key staff" in the pipleine for me have been re-routed to other areas, and I may even lose Jacqueline and/or Rosa during the crunch period of December. Conversely, they may lose me for a while...there are some possibilities, and Rosa and i will be working on recruitment this week to come.
4. Did you get your supplies?
The shipment of timber donated by UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) has been delayed, and should arrive two weeks late in the beginning of December. My other materials will arrive on Thursday, unless my warehouse is not ready by then.
5. Did you get your translator?
Well, Rosa is Niassan by birth, but has lived in Medan a long time and is really rusty, so no. however, her ability to help in indonesian will be appreciated.
6. Did you get your office?
The office is in the warehouse, which is slated to have a roof on thursday. the location is excellent, the design quite nice, but the rain delays are only manageable because of the timber delays. Pictures will be posted before the end of the week.
7. Did you get your new house?
Not yet. once the warehouse has a roof we'll start the house. pictures of the ground to come soon.
8. Where are you staying now?
We are renting rooms in a quasi-hotel/resort. The rate for rooms has gone up 500% (sorry for that layman math, all numbers buffs) since the influx of foreigners. Our rooms have no running water between 9 and 5, no A/C, and frequent power outages. This is for more than $20 USD per night. That used to be the price of the best hotels on the island. Fortunately, our rooms are in a singe-story, cleaned room with great linens and a locking door. They 
are shaded so often cool enough with a fan, and are quite attractive. Here's a picture of my old hotel - a dive that cost $10 per night, which included AC, but no running water or toilets, just a hole in the floor. I was in the room over the front door, so at least I had an "earthquake escape".
This is the inside of the Hotel Gomo. Cleanliness was not a priority.
9. How big is Nias?
From http://www.niasisland.com: Nias Island lies on latitude 10 30' north and longitude 970 98' east. It covers an areas of 5,625 km2 which is mostly lowland area of ± 800 m above sea level.
It is the biggest in a group of islands on this side of Sumatera that is part of the province of Sumatera Utara. This area consists of 131 islands and Nias Island is the biggest. The population in this area is about 639,675 people (including Malay, Batak, and Chinese). Nias has a very unique culture and nature which is far different from other areas in North Sumatra. This is because of its separate and remote location from the rest of Sumatra.
10. What church do you attend?
When in Medan, a new church started English services a few weeks ago, called Bethel Church Indonesia. It is a charismatic evangelical Bible-based church which I visit when in town. In Nias, there are no English services available. There is a church about 100 metres from our current residence, which I plan to visit next week. I have been in Nias only two weekends so far. We are also looking at the possiblilty of starting English services here as well.
11. What NGO's are there?
The total number is impossible to tell, but notably present in Nias are World Vision, Red Cross, Church World Aid, Catholic Relief Services and several UN-based agencies (like UNICEF, UNHCR).
12.Who are you working with?
Besides the above-mentioned agreement with UNHCR, we are currently developing an agreement with HELP from Germany, to build windows and doors at their carpentry training facility.
12. Now you don't have a big city with Mc Donalds etc. What is your food like?
First, I ate at McD's three times in nine months in Medan, A&W a few more. Here there are no chains, but there is great local fresh grilled fish with rice, and a Nias specialty is roast pork (not available in many parts of Indonesia). Breakfast is homemade banana bread or donuts, or noodle soup, a habit I acquired in Vietnam, and Jacqueline in China. Lunch and supper are either meat and rice, or fried noodles, or stirfried rice. Here's a photo of Jacqueline with a great plate of boiled pork rind.13.
What is the largest city in Nias? Where are you in relation to it, and the surrounds?As you can see on the map I posted last week, Gunung Sitoli is the largest city in Nias, and we are currently 5 km. south of the city center, with our new site 1 km. north, near the harbour. You can click on the map to open a larger image, as with all the pictures included in my blog.
14. What are the houses that you are in charge of going to be like? Size? rooms? structure?
Here's the design of our house:
Finally, from John:
15. Do you have a map of Indonesia? Yes, here it is.
Sumatera is the large island on the far left, and Nias is the tiny island underneath the "Pe" of Pekanbaru.
Until next time, Chris
