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| All kinds of kids' shoes |
Sunday afternoon we walk across town “the other way” about
2.5 miles. It feels good to be walking up and down the hills after
a sedentary week. Borma is a super-department store that carries supplies from
food to canary seed to clothing to tools to car parts in its warren of
buildings, in the chaos of its shelves. Our granddaughter Miss K has chosen
shoes from 4 photo options. Oh look! there are also adorable peep-peep shoes
that can be locators on her little brother while they drive his parents crazy.
In the evening, the helper’s husband says he won’t be
working on the roof in the morning. His mother-in-law is very badly off. We
tell him not to worry (he’s working for the landlord anyway.) And we activate a
prayer line for Ibu A’s mom.
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| Fording the streets of Jakarta |
Monday, February 9
We start for Jakarta just after 5am. WAZE is a great app but
it takes us “faster” through the streets beside the direct toll road. The
reason there’s no traffic on the side streets is … water. The neighborhoods are flooding as rain continues to pound
the city. In some areas we drive through 2’ deep swirls that race down alleys,
tug bicycle and motorcycle wheels, and grab at the feet of people wading along.
Few cars are venturing where WAZE takes us. We pray for safety. (Later we see
pics of cars up to their windows in water.)
The trip takes 5 hours. The parking attendant rushes over
with his umbrella as we walk to the front door of the hotel. We missed the
first half but still feel it’s worthwhile.
Bill Hybel (Chicago) is the speaker, taking Q&A from the
group of pastors, including IESJakarta staff. Questions range from
administration to staffing to organization and vision. He is whisked to the
airport as soon as he’s done, while attendees enjoy a leisurely lunch.
We want to know at our table: “What’s your biggest
takeaway?” The responses review what we heard and fill in gaps of what we
missed. Dave K has the best team and
they are engaged and moving forward in their areas of expertise. We’re grateful
to be part of their vision.
We’re back on the road about 3. Where are our passports? The
assistant arranging our exit visas is flooded at the immigration office: he
can’t get them to us. We are almost to Bandung when he calls, asking where we
are. We’re too far to turn back, unless he can’t deliver them. He will
hand-deliver in the morning, he promises. Good. We must fly to Singapore (exit
the country) on Wednesday.
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| Dutch legacy: beautiful train bridges along the highway |
We get permission to move ahead on leasing the neighbor’s
house. The termite frass in the current living room and garage is increasing. With the roof open for repairs, the entire wing is leaking water. Time to say goodbye. We tried.
W forwards the earnest money for the
new place and gets a note that it’s been received.
Tuesday
Before we head to the tutor, Ibu A and Pak Engep come to the
door. She falls into my arms weeping. Her mom has passed away. Before she asks
for the day off, I tell her we will pay this day but she must go home to her
family. And Thursday will be paid as well. Not to worry. (If helpers don’t
come, they don’t get paid. And every amount helps the family. Pak and Ibu have
17 grandkids living together or nearby.)
The tutor subsidizes two hours of conversation with ginger
tea, steamed and fried casava (think amazing French fries), and two kinds of
loaf cake. We nibble and share a slice of cake. It all tastes so good.
Dr W and I walk to the arisan
meeting in the neighborhood. About 40 women contribute $10 each for lunch and a
shared money pool. I drew that amount on my first visit in December, so feel
obligated to come back for each meeting. (I have to pay back my winnings, after
all.) On our way into the ballroom, we get a snack pack (water and three
treats, sweet and salty) as well as steamed bananas and peanuts. I don’t touch
my snacks. There’s a meal coming and I just had “French fry” cassava and cake!
The faces are becoming familiar. There are hand-swipes
followed by fingers tipped upward as well as two-cheek hugs from those who are
better acquainted. Lots of smiles and twinkling eyes – this culture is gracious
and friendly to outsiders.
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| Mango salad |
And the food is wonderful. Three tables: noodle soup with
traditional broth, tofu goring and shiu mei dumplings on another, and the
central table with nasi goring (fried rice), chicken, and pickled vegetables.
My stomach has been churning occasionally but otherwise happy for a few weeks,
probably acclimating to local food. It all tastes delicious.
The speaker is a young-ish man with a white cap. He lectures
in an amusing and engaging way = how to be happy when you are old and sick. The
ladies chuckle later. “He expected women who are in their 80s but we are still
young and healthy.” The similarities with Christianity are many: God is loving
and observes us, we are all sinful, good works are a good thing, and heaven and
hell await us when we die. It’s good to prepare for heaven.
The differences are striking. A Christian has the security
of sins forgiven and erased because God Himself satisfies His perfect justice.
The speaker instead encourages women to earn merit and offset their sins by
good works, cheerfully bearing God’s “test” of sickness, and living each day to
the full. It sounds like a scary way to live.
It makes me think of asking a righteous judge to ignore a
thief because he’s stolen less times than he’s been kind or helped someone
cross the street. And how can you know when God’ merit scales tilt in your
favor? You take your chances when you die.
Everyone takes home the leftovers in their snack box. I have
added a banana to mine. W meets Dr W and me as we walk home. The passports have
arrived with Pak T so W is driving to pick them up at the station. Dr W invites
me in though both of us are ready for a nap. I refuse but she tempts me with
the coconut water her helper makes. She also supplies me with chocolate treats
her sister has brought. Oh yum. W stops in at McDonalds for a Big Mac and so
we’re about even.
I need the afternoon to decompress from so much Bahasa Indonesia
(language) and culture learning. We wait for Dr W’s carpenter to come over to
price the painting and repairs in our new place.
It’s almost dark when we walk through the neighborhood and
down the steep alley to Ibu A’s. We have a card and gift for the family. We
haven’t packed yet and have other chores tonight so we don’t stay long. I have
to stop twice on the hike up the hill; it’s really steep. But it feels
fantastic to be moving.
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| Pretty airplanes |
Wednesday
I always forget how steep the 1km. hike is up to the main
street. We get on the first angkot before
8am. Our fellow passengers worry that we’ll miss our connection and point out where we hop out for the airport bus. We have to walk to the next street
for the second angkot .W’s app had a more direct route and a short-cut. But our fellow travelers have a certain way they know and insist on our taking it. We
still have to walk a few long blocks once we get off the second bus. Good thing
we travel light: one carry-on, two totes.
The Air Asia plane is delayed two hours in Bandung. Good.
Take care of whatever the problem is, please. The attendants wear cute red
hoodies over skirts or trousers. It feels
cold, after all. 70oF (21oC) Brrr. I slip my scarf on, unused to the cool
temp. Singapore will be hot (90oF/33oC) and humid so we are dressed lightly.
The plane is cold: there are fewer of us in capris and blouses than women
dressed in headscarves, full length skirts and trousers with closed-toed shoes.
A lot of passengers wear winter or fall coats.
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| The year of the goat: almost Chinese New Year |
“Hot grrrrreen tea?” asks the flight attendant. Love those
rolled Indonesian Rs.
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