a message from singapore! (sebuah pesan dari singapura)!

She is from Iowa, United States. I met her 6 months ago on September for the first time. She is my workmate and is irreplaceable as my best part of journey at my workplace. Now, she is in Singapore for getting medication. (Best recovery, girl! I can't wait to sharing all stuffs with you!),
then she sent me this email when she was in Singapore, I feel blessed for having this incredible human being beside me!
 


"Dear Crazy, Guntaro

I appreciate you. 15 months ago when I was applying for the Fulbright ETA program, I really didn’t expect I would receive the grant, let alone would have the opportunity to meet such an amazing friend during my time in Indonesia. As someone very wise once told me, “Everything happens for a reason”. As you know, this has been a difficult past week for me. When I get overwhelmed, I must choose either to be frustrated, or to refocus myself on all the blessings in my life. This time around, I’ve decided to think of all the amazing people in my life and thank them. You were the first person I wanted to thank.

Thank you for accepting me into your Indonesian family. You were my first friend, and of course you will always be my Indonesian best friend. You are my younger brother from another mother. I appreciate your humor, and how you are always able to make even the most difficult circumstances positive. You are a “glass half full” person, and I so appreciate your ability to find joy in the midst of hardship. I also appreciate your passion for life! Some of my favorite Indonesian memories will be you laughing so hard that you are lying on the floor. Your appreciation for each day inspires me to do the same. 

Last week, I was emailing one of my professors from graduate school. She had emailed me and asked about the relationships I have made here in Indonesia. Please let me share what I wrote to her about you:

“My most amazing friend here in my co-teacher Guntar. He is one of the most phenomenal teachers I have ever known. As we all know, not all teachers are in the profession for their students, but Guntar definitely is. His love and respect for his kids is inspirational, and he is highly appreciated and regarded by teachers and students alike at our school. He is extremely spirited and we have such a fun time teaching together. His sense of humor, commitment, and positive attitude make for a dynamic combination. I look at him and I have so much hope in the future of Indonesian education. The world needs more teachers like Guntar.”

I hope this example can show you just how much I appreciate and respect you. I am so darn excited to see your life unfold. This is the beginning of your career, and there’s nowhere to go but up from here. Thank you for being patient with me, especially when we have disagreed or had some problems with students or circumstances. I always feel like I have a voice when I am with you. You appreciate my opinion, and you stand up for me when I need an ally. I will miss you like crazy when I finish here in May, but let’s not think about that now. For now, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend and co-teacher. You are easily one of my top 10 favorite people I’ve ever known in my life.

Love,
Me, Sarah

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