A strange reversal

Koi in a local pond

A few months ago we were in Seattle and our Indonesian "kids" lived in Jakarta. Now we live in Indonesia and one of the daughters, her husband, and their beautiful baby arrived in Seattle to go to school. They live in our flat. (It was hard to see pictures of them boarding the plane. They'll be far away.)

Our Indonesian grandbaby lives down the stairs from our other 2 grandkids. How strange. I can't imagine how Jojo's and Kristi's parents felt, kissing them goodbye and sending them off for a year or two. (The kids lived with Kristi's parents so the family saw each other every day, like we did with our kids last year.)

Mothers who will miss their kids:
LIvia (Kristi's mom) and me in July

Idea: if Christ is head of His Body, the Church, he may ask the cells of that Body to move around - for his pleasure and benefit. We've exchanged countries willingly for God's purposes. Neither Kristi's family nor we would change what we've been called to do or where we've landed. I hope our kids have fun together: Kristi's like a sister to our kids since she lived with us during 2 years of college.

How many words we've learned already! Language school is in its third week. W remembers how things are put together and can puzzle out conversations. So he's answering questions while I'm still thinking, "Humh?" In learning, I'm a literalist: if it's said a different way, it's news to me. When I look at the words, it's amazing how many are already familiar. (A reality check: two-year-olds know more than we do.)

W uploads Anki, flashcards online. I've been waiting for it for a week and a half, but by the time I enter new words that I wrote down (from pages 1-4 in the text, tho we're already at p.25), I have over 140 words. Then I notice that Anki shows only 20. Have I just wasted the whole afternoon doing nothing? Argh. I'd better stop until the expert comes home. I'm getting desperate for something that works as I get further and further behind. [He finds them. Only my time spent waiting is lost. Whew.]

Before the lunch crowds hit our local food court.
W muses, "Can you believe it? This looks
like a vacation spot ... and we live here."

W's off to town again. I stay home, cleaning, setting up furniture, and checking out our new maid's work. Bu A arrived promptly (before we left this morning at 6:45) and made a wonderful chicken-rice lunch from limited ingredients in the fridge. The kitchen was spotless when she left and it looks like the mopping and other work was ok. She ironed! After she left, I set up the single beds in two guest rooms. They have no bedding, I literally set up the beds. Unless I find a deal, we'll buy bedding from IKEA, opening in a month or two in Jakarta. In most shops, a twin sheet is upwards of $50 and at IKEA it's about $20 for the same quality.

Outside, the calls to prayer ring out just before nightfall. Click here to listen to what we hear outside our house each night, recorded on our way home?

"The rain in Spain" has nothing on
an afternoon downpour in Bandung

We may have a car by the weekend. That would open up Bandung to us. Until now, we take angkots, flagging a taxi only when necessary = if we're loaded down or rushing to an appointment. Usually, W chooses a destination and finds out which little bus goes there. We rarely get off or stop along the way.

W finds a big bug in the bathroom and takes a picture before squishing it. "Would you like to see it," he asks, showing my the photo.

"No thank you. I'd rather not know." Pictures to come, whenever he uploads them :-)

Read more:
*The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! Psalm 119: 64 ESV

*The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 ESV

*Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Lord, please remove all pride from our lives. Inspire us to trust you in all of our times of need and trial, no matter how large or small. Amen.