Gosnell native shares Indonesia story

By Joseph Fondren

NEA Town Courier

Contributor

The Blytheville Lions Club learned incredible facts about life in Indonesia Tuesday through the words of Gosnell native Michael Davis and his wife Alithia. 

The Davises and their four girls moved to Indonesia roughly six years ago due to teaching opportunities. 

Michael, an alumnus of the Gosnell School District, was previously a teacher at Blytheville School before moving to Indonesia where he is currently a math and science teacher, while also coaching the basketball team. 

Alithia, also a former teacher at Blytheville and Manila Schools, is the learning support coordinator at Bandung Alliance Intercultural School. 

Alithia noted that special education is common in America; however, there are very few special education programs in Indonesia and Bandung is the only school with a dyslexia therapist.  

The school is the Bandung Alliance Intercultural School, which was started in 1956 because people from around the world were coming to Indonesia to learn the language but didn’t have anything for their school-aged children to do while the parents were learning the native language. Michael stated the Davis kids currently go to school there along with students from many different countries across the world. 

“Our kids get to go to school here and they get to experience culture from all over the world,” explained Michael. “So, it kind of reminds me of when the air base was (in Blytheville) and we had people coming in and out all the time that were from multiple places. So, they get to experience that.” 

According to the Davises, Indonesia is made up of about 17,000 islands, with only roughly 6,000 habitable, and is the fourth most populated country in the world behind China, India, and the United States of America. 

The Davises live on the Island of Java, which has a population of roughly 145 million people. Michael stated Java is approximately the same land size as the state of Arkansas, which has a population of 3.1 million people. The closest town to the Davies is Bandung, which has a population of 2.4 million, however, their town has 180,000 inhabitants. 

Alithilia told the Lions Club when the family first moved to Indonesia the trip from Jakarta to Bandung was roughly a 90-mile drive, however, it took the family seven hours. Due to advancement, she stated it’s now closer to between an hour and a half to two hours.

The Davies showed a picture of a house in their neighborhood and Alithia pointed out that around their house were rice fields, which Michael said is “very similar” to Blytheville. 

Some animals discussed were monkeys, which Atlihia stated,” I don’t like monkeys anymore, they used to be cute”; however, the monkeys run wild and have been known to steal items and follow people around, which had led Athilia to no longer be a “fan”. 

Michael added snakes are an issue in Indonesia showing pictures of a python being bagged up in their neighborhood and a picture of the Javan Spitting Cobra. 

According to the Davises, the average median salary in Indonesia is 100,000 Rupiah, which is USD 6.17 a day. 

Lion Dave Russell asked Alithia what the big exports in the area are. She answered palm oils, which are causing issues from fewer trees, and then java, coffee. 

The Davises added that indoor plumbing is still new to Indonesia and signs are showing how to properly use a “wet toilet”. 

The Davises added traveling for their first two years was through motorcycles before getting a car. 

Alithia added Indonesia also gets a lot of rain. 

“This was how we got around, the problem was the girls got bigger and the bike didn’t,” said Alithia. 

Pictures show pickup trucks with multiple people crowded in the bed of the truck along with motorcycles carrying animals, furniture, food, etc. on the back of them. 

The Davises stated since moving there they have tried to bring in the community and have people in their house from five continents. 

Alithia stated once a month all of the ladies come to the Davises for a “girl’s night” and Michael, added the guys needed the same thing after keeping the kids on girl’s night, so the next week once a month the guys do the same event where they “sit around, talk, eat and be silly”. 

The Davises stated being in Indonesia isn’t possible without prayers, encouragement, and donations. They also have a Facebook page and email chain where they send updates. 

To finish the presentation, Alithia said, “Terima kasih” which means “thank you”. 

Lion Joseph Fondren asked if Indonesia is similar to a third-world country. 

Michael responded, “They’d call themselves a developing country.” 

He added that he compares it to Arkansas in the 1960s. 

“It’s the 60s with Instagram and YouTube because they are all about Instagram photos and then they are on YouTube for everything.”

Alithia added they are also “very far behind” in the medical field.

Michael told the Town Courier, “Thank you so much to Pastor Terri (Brassfield) and Lions Club for letting us share about our lives in Indonesia. We love the motto: ‘We Serve’. We have seen the evidence of that passion both up close and from the other side of the planet. Thanks for all you do in the community, Lions.”