OUT OF SIGHT BUT NOT OUT OF MIND

Well this picture says it all........We are all missing Miduk in our own way.  Sugar walks all over the house looking for Miduk and usually ends up in his room laying on his bed.  I feel like I hear him and see him every time I turn around.  I can still hear him in the car shouting "Mom oh my gosh did you see that?"

 Today as I blog it is 10/24/12, almost six months after Miduk left us to return to Indonesia.  I spoke with Miduk on the phone yesterday morning, and he sounded great.  We usually text or talk every week or two.  I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand Miduk when we talk on the phone-sometimes the connection is poor or there is too much background noise, but most of the time I am unable to understand his English!  I do believe that we are the only people with whom he speaks English.  He is currently in a vocational training program to learn some sewing skills, with the hope that he will become a tailor someday.  This was Miduk's chosen vocation and he tells me he likes it each time I call.  "I like it very very a lot!" he tells me.  When Miduk initially returned to his village in mid May, he spent his days playing soccer with friends, fishing, hanging out, helping his brother with the tomato gardens.  In late July his friends all went off to "college" in another village, leaving Miduk very lonely and bored.  At that point he told Linley that he had decided he wanted to learn to become a tailor.  Linley was familiar with a tailoring program designed for handicapped students that is in a village about two or three hours away from Miduk's village.  Miduk's parents gave their approval and were very eager for him to begin, although it would mean saying goodbye to him again and not seeing him for six months.  In August Miduk arrived at the school and made friends easily.  I'm pretty sure he is the youngest student there, and most likely the least handicapped.  He turned seventeen years old on September 30, and enjoyed the care package that we sent: beef jerky, soccer ball and pump, hair "jelly" which he had requested, and assorted snacks and cards.  He is also telling me that he has a girlfriend now (Maryjuliatta) who is not in the sewing program but attends "college" a couple hours away.  Now I REALLY wish I could communicate with him a little better!  :)