10 Reasons to Visit Us in East Timor

We know how much everyone likes to go on summer vacations and right about now you’re probably starting to plan your destination. Right now you’re probably thinking that something tropical would be great – anywhere that isn’t FREEZING! Well my friends, we have just the place for you! Here we will present 10 pieces of overwhelming evidence that will convince you that East Timor is the perfect vacation destination.

10. Breathtaking landscapes –

You have the ocean and mountains within a few hours of each other. In the same day you can go hiking in the cool mountains and drive down to the beach for a relaxing picnic. You’ve seen our pictures – East Timor has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Brendan took this picture while we were driving to Baucau – look at how blue the water is!!!

9. Appreciate everything a little more –

I’ve also thought that living life with an attitude of being able to be easily amused is the way to go, but here it happens without effort. Things are a little hotter here, it’s a little harder to find familiar food, and not everything is ready for you at the touch of a button. But when you do get to that spot in the shade on the beach with a cold Sprite in your hands, it means more to you than it ever would at home. Life here is a little less comfortable, a little more hardcore, and you appreciate everything a little more.

8. Experience the thrill of climbing coconut trees –

Like an extreme sport itself, coconut tree-climbing is a physical challenge only for the most daring. Shallow notches have been cut in the tree to make climbing easier (although the locals can do it without the notches). So using the notches as hand and footholds you can make your way to the top to claim your prize. But the trick is to get the coconut you have to carry a machete with you on your climb to knock it down. But this advanced level of coconut climbing is not recommended until you’ve completed a few machete-free climbs first.

Here Brendan shows the locals how to climb a coconut tree.

7. Party with the Sisters –

These ladies know how to party! Having spent New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and many other celebrations with them we can say that from personal experience. And how they live it up for God has attracted so many young women that they recently celebrated forming a new province because there were too many Sisters to handle! And it was a party – a church service with beautiful singing and hundreds of local people and then a party with the Prime Minister and more of the local people. There was feasting and singing and traditional and modern Timorese dance presentations and the grand finale with the Sisters dancing like crazy in the middle of the floor. Hanging out with them is joy for us!

Being here, they have helped us remember what a party life is, and in particular, being a Catholic Christian. Literally every week there is a party for something – remembering the life of special saint, like Saint Bakhita, some great achievement at the school or among the Canossian Sisters, St. Valentine’s Day, and special events in the church year…these are just some examples from the past two weeks. It’s amazing!

6. FREE Swimming Excitement –

I’ve met a few people whose dream was to go to South Africa and swim with the Great White sharks. Well, for those people, there are thrills here that are just as dangerous and for free.

So for those adventurous few we recommend swimming with Timor’s mascot, the crocodile. Where the rivers meet the sea the crocodiles like to hang out and catch the brightly-colored fish. But they aren’t opposed to having other visitors swim with them : )

More seriously though, crocodiles aren’t a big problem except around Los Palos on the far eastern edge of the island, although we were graced with one’s presence in Baucau. But there are lots of other marine life that attracts visitors to the island.

The scuba diving and snorkeling rival anything you would see in Florida. And currently, dolphins and whales are migrating past the island and can be seen on the ferry from Dili to Ata’uro Island, about an hour’s boat ride away. Our friend Donna, another volunteer, told us about her trip to Ata’uro with the boat ride past an amazing reef 100 meters from the shore and how she hiked up one of the hills and saw whales surfacing on their way past East Timor. If you like scuba diving, snorkeling, or just playing in the water, East Timor is the place for you.

5. Be a Celebrity –

Even in Dili, a city filled with UN peacekeeping officers and foreigners working with NGOs, children still appear shocked to see a white person. Everyone here has deep brown skin, black hair, and a very slight build. Anything out of the ordinary is definitely noticed.

“Malae” is the affectionate term that will get called to you by cute children and grandmas sitting at vegetable stands. People point and smile as you walk or drive by. For most of us here this will probably be the most public recognition we will get in our lives. It’s a little disconcerting at first, but you learn to take your brief stint with fame like a Hollywood movie star – waving and smiling back and amusing them further by trying to speak Tetum with then.

4. Meaningful Interactions –

Something that all people are looking for in life is meaningful interactions and meaningful work. When you decide to come to East Timor for any length of time we will definitely pull you in to help with some of the English classes, playing games with the 2,000 students at the Canossian school, and meeting the people in our neighborhood who have practically taken us into their families. Before coming here I wasn’t convinced how important teaching English overseas was, but I’ve been finding out that it can make a big difference and it’s one of the main things young people want.

The people are dying to speak English and we have tens of people asking for personal lessons and practice times outside of the students at school who are very enthusiastic to learn English for the most part. A few days ago, I was talking with Agust, one of the boys who lives in a home for kids with disabilities in our neighborhood. The house also has a small computer lab for helping the boys learn the Microsoft Office programs. He told me that the computers and English classes were “a gift from a loving God for a boy like him” because English and computer skills are both keys to getting a job here. English and computers are their chance for a relatively normal life.

So the work here is meaningful and can really make a difference. So if you need a break from your job and want some more meaningful interactions with people, fly on over : )

3. Life on the Edge –

Not only is the terrain beautiful, it is a little rough. During Christmas Break we took a trip to Suai and back to help deliver a shipment of stuff to the Canossian Sisters there. The trip was eight hours of fun!

On the way back we were thinking about how at home we pay $15 or $20 to get into an amusement park and then have one or two minutes of high-speed, gut wrenching dips, swirls, and spins. And it’s awesome!

But here we can do the same, again, for FREE! On that trip to and from Suai, we paid nothing and we got eight hours of only slightly slower up and down, side to side gut wrenching dips. Think about it : )

2. The People –

Today we had some fellow volunteers over to our house for lunch after Mass and we were all talking about our experiences here. Everyone has come to the same conclusion: the Timorese are an incredibly generous people. They don’t feel like they have much to give, but they will give you everything they have.

Last Saturday we went with Sister Aquelina to visit a couple of homes to give Eucharist to the people. One man we visited had had a stroke. The man was a good example of the generosity of the Timorese. He was happy to see us. He and his family had Australian soldiers staying in their home in recent years. He was kind and so apologetic that he had no food or anything to offer us. He told us many things that if he had he would give to us, but we assured him just letting us be here was gift enough. All of the other volunteers had similar stories and many, because they have been here longer. But the impression was the same for all – the Timorese are a very friendly, hardworking, overly generous people.

1. Their Faith -

Lately I’ve been reading the Imitation of Christ, by Fr. Thomas a Kempis – a Catholic priest who lived in the 1300s. That was long time ago, but it’s amazing how relevant it still is for today, like many sources of great spiritual wisdom (like the Bible and the writings of the early church fathers too).

Fr. Thomas a Kempis speaks a lot about humility and staying on the right track with God and spiritual growth. One line that really struck me and that I underlined was, “Associate yourself with the humble and simple, with the devout and virtuous.” And the first thing I thought of was how blessed Brendan and I are to be here with the Timorese. They truly are all of the above. They always surprise me, because even though they have had so few opportunities compared to what we have been blessed with in America, they still have the important things in life right: God, family, and care for your neighbor. It’s so easy for us to let those things slip when we are more distracted and comfortable.

Another thing that Fr. Thomas a Kempis wrote about how adversity, if you let it, can help you to grow in your faith. He said that because Jesus faced adversity to the point of death, we should not only accept it, but expect it. Adversity shows us who we are, the good and the bad. But from what I have seen and heard from them about how difficult life is, they have faced horrible tragedies that I can’t imagine facing and yet they have remained strong in faith, hope, and love.

A chapel at a house of the Salesian Brothers where they run an agricultural development project on the outskirts of Suai.

So, I know we’ve probably convinced you to come to East Timor and visit us. Just let us know when you’re coming and we’ll make room for you : ) And if you can’t make it that’s ok too. Just keep the people of East Timor and us in your prayers!

Much love,

Rachel and Brendan