Cleaning and praying

Horses in raincoats. Part of a Bandung traffic jam.

Wednesday, March 4

W and I have been busy beavers (yup, we're Canadians) since our move last weekend. We've had language tutoring and practiced what we learned while running errands around town. Inbetween, we've swept, mopped, unpacked, repacked, replaced, unpacked again. Around us, the aging grey walls are being painted, shelves are put into place, and floors and counters scrubbed. We've razored off the Miss Kitty hooks and hung our washcloth and dishtowels on plain white ones.

Cassava before and after:
raw and steamed deliciousness

In the evening I flip the light on in the kitchen and pour myself a cup of tea. Out pops a lizard from inside the storage bag where the tea is waiting for a cabinet. EEEk. When I rinse my cup, another lizard darts across the sink and up the wall. Eeek X 2. I'm not a lizard fan but I'm grateful that they eat other small critters.

Thursday

The handyman shows up at 8am. It's painting day again today. However, his wife - our helper is ill: we pray God's healing and comfort for her.

A big roach says hi this morning, resting on the shower curtain that I pull across the rooftop laundry area. During storms, the curtain keeps the rain from pelting the clothes as they dry. Otherwise provides shade so the upstairs doesn't overheat. Many rooms are screened but not closed off to the air: a mini-oven like the partly-enclosed laundry warms up the interior rooms quickly through the open slats.

The mess that is moving day

Every home has a personality. This one is more secluded from the street but it feels friendlier and more open inside. As a bonus, we don't have to yell between most rooms: the last house had small doors and many concrete walls so we had to be in the same room to hear each other.

W's happy. His passport arrives at the embassy so he'll pick it up in time to fly to Seattle with me. 

He had three meetings with friends already this week and will have another tonight. We've encountered many wonderful people in Bandung, but I'm missing my friend Dr W from across the street. We'll pass each other in the sky on different airplanes and see each other back in Bandung in a month or two.

We Skype with one of our supporting organizations mid-morning. It's wonderful to see Blake's face, a former piano student and W's university student. 

The call to prayer resounds through the neighborhoods as I write. We ask God's love and his favor on our neighbors, our friends, our city. May God bless Bandung.