Study Abroad with HSU in Indonesia, May 2013

HUMA 3099 / THEO 3099 – LIFE AND CULTURE IN INDONESIA

Course Description

An exploration of the history, politics, culture, art, religions, people, and places identified with three major islands of the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago—Penang, Java, and Bali.Students will experience a home stay with an indigenous family; hike in the smallest national park in the world; investigate the “Street of Harmony” where a Confucian Temple, Islamic Mosque, Hindu Temple, and Christian Church exist peacefully in close proximity; climb on an extinct volcano; interact personally with children, adolescents, and adults in multiple settings along the way; learn to play instruments in the famous gamelan [‘percussion ensemble of various gongs, drums, and metallophones’]; visit the largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia;swim the surf in the Indian Ocean; watch silver and batik artisans at work; converse with university students at a premier Muslim university; photograph exotic animals at the nation’s largest Safari Wildlife Park; tour 8th-century Hindu and Buddhist World Heritage Sites in Central Java; study at an interfaith peace institute; learn from one of the most famous painters and mask makers of Bali; explore national monuments and museums; eat tasty Asian meals in seaside and mountainside restaurants; witness two impressive stage production, the Ramayana ballet and the musical theatre production of Bali Agung; and observe and participate in Christian ministries.

While the study will largely focus upon our travel in Penang (Malaysia) and in Jakarta, Bandung, Jogjakarta, and Den Pasar (Indonesia), pre-journey readings and films, during-the-trip journaling and interviews, and post-journey written analyses, reflections, and evaluations will make this study abroad opportunity a true learning experience.This course should particularly apply to students in the humanities, social sciences, and theology.Take it as a humanities, geography, history, political science, sociology, social work, art, leadership, or theology free elective or contract to take it as a substitute for another required course.Dr. Sellers will be happy to help you try to make either of these courses applicable to your degree plan.

MISS 3099 - MISSION WORK IN INDONESIA

Course Description

An examination of the life and work of cross-cultural missionaries, with a particular focus upon Baptist missionaries serving in Muslim cultures in Malaysia and Indonesia.Basic matters related to cross-cultural missionary life and work will be explored.Autobiographies of two missionaries—a Protestant woman serving with her family in Africa and a Roman Catholic single man serving in Bangladesh—will provide benchmarks for evaluating missionaries met along the journey.On-site interviews and analyses of the philosophy and methodology of five Baptist missionary couples serving in Malaysia and Indonesia will be a primary focus.Students also will project what their own approach to cross-cultural missions might look like if one day in the future they were involved in an international ministry.

Course Particulars

Professor: Dr. Rob Sellers, Connally Professor of Missions, Professor of Theology in Logsdon
Trip Co-Leader: Mrs. Janie Sellers: along with her husband, Mrs. Sellers has spent almost 25 years living and working in Indonesia; both are fluent in the Indonesian language
Dates for this Study Abroad Program: Saturday evening, May 11 – Monday morning, June 3
Point of Departure and Return: the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Projected Cost: $3600, includes international air travel, local travel by “planes, trains, and automobiles” (minus Steve Martin), all hotels, meals, entrances, and fees; does not include passport, tourist visa to enter Indonesia ($25), inoculations, incidentals, bottled drinking water, souvenirs, required texts and class tuition for 3 or 6 hours; there will bea Study Abroad scholarship to cover a major portion of the cost of the trip
Payment Schedule: initial $1,000 payment to secure flights (February), two subsequent payment deadlines (March and April); the full amount to be paid by May 1
Registration: At the time of May Term class registration (although you need to talk to Dr. Sellers beforehand for more information (Logsdon Office 162, telephone 670-1592)
Initial Interest Meeting: Thursday, November 15, 4:30 p.m., Logsdon 183; in the Spring, registered travelers will have one or more pre-trip meetings