Well the title really says it all, but there’s big changes coming for me and my family this autumn. We’re moving to Bandung, Indonesia to work at a hospital for the Salvation Army there. That statement may cause some questions to arise in your head. Let me see if I can foresee them?
Why?
There’s three big answers to that question and they come in chronological order. On my first date with Elin (8 years ago now, my wife since 6 years) she told me that she wanted to work abroad. In a “developing country”. That’s her life long dream and the reason she’s decided to become a nurse in the first place. Now the opportunity has come to fulfill that dream - and I get to be part of it!
Secondly: I have the Salvation Army to thank for so many things. Things that I use in my everyday life at work and other places. It’s due to the Salvation Army that I got public speaking training since I was five. Due to the Salvation Army I have learned how to teach from an early age. I’ve been a leader in different groups I’ve been part in since I was 16. But mostly I have a faith that I’ve always can rely on and support me in rough times (technically that’s not the Salvation Army - that’s God… but they are closely related to me). All these things has been given to me just because I’m part of this amazing, world wide organization. For free. And I’ve had a great time doing it.
If I can pay back by trying to do good for people that needs help, in God and the Salvation Army’s name - I’ll happily do that.
Finally: take a look around yourself and everything that most of us have. We own so much, we live relatively easy lives, we struggle very little. But there’s people in the other end of that scale. Maybe, just maybe I can be involved in helping some of them.
So… I’ll do this for God and Elin. And the Salvation Army. And me - it’s probably the adventure of an lifetime.
When?
Soon. September actually. After about 4 years of applications and holding back due to newly-borns, kid diseases and bad timing the time has now come. The final decision was made this Thursday and they want us to come as soon as we can. With visas, vaccinations and fixing stuff with the apartment and work and other things that’ll be in september.
What?
We’ll be working (both of us) for a Salvation Army hospital in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Elin will be a “Human Resources Development Consultant for Hospital” and I’m a “Project and Facilities consultant for Hospital Foundation”. It’s a project for three years.
I have been doing contracting work for about 18 years now. I know that a work title and description doesn’t mean that much until you get to do it in practices. We’ll see how it plays out. I’m confident that my Lean and Kanban competence will come into good use.
How?
We’re moving. All five of us. We’re brining a nanny from Sweden to stay with us the first six months or so and then fix the childcare situation when we have settled in there.
The Salvation Army have set us up with a house five minutes walk from where we’ll work.
We will be employed by the Salvation Army Indonesia as project officers and hence get Indonesian salaries. Which I feel is great since that forces us to be part of the Indonesian culture, live like them, eat their food, shop in their shops and do Indonesian stuff all around.
Are you stupid?
I’m writing a book. I have a career that is bringing me to awesome assignments and I work for Aptitud (that’s both a great bunch of guys and a very cool company that will rock the contracting world of Stockholm… for starters). I play in Vasa Band at the height of that bands history, both musically and spiritually. The Vasa Corps, my church, is the best place I’ve been to and I love to go there. I have great friends and a fantastic family around me.
I know all this. Just this autumn I wrote this post that underlines all this. And still we have decided to go.
There’s never a great time to leave everything (for a couple of years), but this time is not worse that others. Also - I firmly believe that God will look after not only us, but you too. Yes, even you that doesn’t believe in Him (He believes in you, you see…). We’re taking a step in faith and trust that this will come out ok on all parts.
Career-wise this might not be the best move. But I’m sure that will be ok too. The IT-scene in those part of the world is awesome, I’m told. Maybe they haven’t heard about kanban. I’ll might be able to sell a copy of Kanban In Action or give a talk or two.
Have you thought about X?
No. I’m pretty sure we haven’t. You cannot go on a trip like this and expect that you will know everything before you leave. So we have nailed the big ones:
- We know where we will be staying
- We know that we’ll have work
- We know that the kids are taken care of
- We know that we’ll be part of a Salvation Army Corps in Bandung
We’re looking into:
- Subletting our apartment
- Where to store our stuff during our stay (the Salvation Army will help us)
If you think we have missed any major things please let me know. If you think of a lot of details - keep them to yourselves. We have A LOT of details in our head daily. And most of them is not crucial for leaving or not, once you think hard about it.
Will you still be around?
You can reach me on @marcusoftnet on twitter, marcusoftnet as my gmail account too and marcushammarberg at Skype.
We’re hoping to set up another blog with photos and stuff as we land. Now I need to plan, pack and finish the book.