Wow - teens are lively! and a bonus chocolate cupcake recipe

Friday/Saturday, September 7/8, 2018

The teens are here! The Youth Alpha retreat, led by Scott and Sarah, is great fun - and we all seem to be constantly eating. They don't necessarily get a lot of sleep - which seems to be a requirement for a good retreat weekend.  

For supper, we're at a burger truck down the street (the only one we know of in the city). Near our table, a little girl catches her sandal in the drain grate - it drops several feet into the dry run-off channel. Waldemar and William fish it out, using broom handles and ingenuity. The family cheers them on and is thrilled when the shoe is returned.

The teens keep talking, laughing, and learning together.

Sunday

Breakfast is French Toast and sausages. I start prep for the day at 6 - so we can eat at 7. We're intentionally building community time into our Sunday gatherings. Before we leave the house, we fill a large IKEA tote with cakes, a tablecloth (and a cloth cover to prevent pre-meeting raids on the goodies.) The kids heft it along when they arrive. . Pretty strong!

The teens talk about what they're learning in the morning service. For most, it's the first presentation they've made in a faith meeting.

Della has also made dumplings and egg rolls. They are totally yummy and appreciated. Not everyone is ready for sweets by 10:30am.

Attendees start to dismantle the floral arrangement then the meeting is done. I take home the leftover bouquet. (Thursday, when the roses have wilted, I pull them out and tuck in a few garden blooms.)

Sunday to Thursday bouquet

Once we get home and finish lunch, I fall fast asleep for a few hours. Feels so good. Then we pack our suitcase for tomorrow's working trip to another city (a 2-hr flight east, still on the island of Java).

Monday

One of our study attendees feels ill - though she's wrapped in a fleecy blanket, she says she's cold ... and going home. She ends up in hospital later. But we don't find out until the evening.

After our team meeting at noon, W and I are off to the airport for a flight to Malang. He's speaking at a college graduation and I'm along to make some connections.

Pak Hudus used to live in Bandung but now is faculty at the college. He and his family pick us up and welcome us to a delicious meal.

Curry

My perpetual favorite: noodles

Tuesday

W does a good job speaking, with Pak Hudus translating at the grad ceremony. 

He's wearing a gown loaned him by the college; I have on a batik wrap skirt and scarf - it feels very formal.

 

It's warm - maybe 85 or 90o (30sC). The students are wearing robes over their formal dresses or shirts and ties. One of the students faints away as she stands for the charge by the president to the students. A few classmates bring her a chair and sit her in it. She falls off it to the floor. 

A few faculty wives and other adults gather around; then 4 female students pick her up and walk out with her feet and hands dangling. We assume she's ok, but don't hear more.

Afterward, there are obligatory pictures - 

A photo with Pak Hudus and family

Lunch in the cafeteria mingles administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and students. The rawon soup is hearty and delicious. We especially appreciate the iced fruit and jelly dessert served afterward.

We stop by the "farmers row" outside the college, where fresh apples and ubi (sweet potatoes) hang in bunches and bags. We buy 5 kg of each: our luggage is mostly empty and the bags slide in easily.

Hadi, one of our dear "sons" from movie night, has moved to Malang this week. He's on a teaching internship at a renowned university. We meet him in the evening at Vosco Coffee (oh - what a fantastic lava cake). Yes, we have dessert first!

Then Dr Gatut (the college president) and his university-aged son Bagus take us to a traditional eatery. There are old royal coaches and antique artifacts - we have to take a picture, of course.

The place is mostly empty on a Tuesday night but apparently is packed on weekends. The food is good, the lighting dim, and ambiance relaxing. The batik tablecloth is intricate - 

Hadi gets a few more connections while we enjoy a visit. Our stomachs are full. Wonderful.

Wednesday

We're away at 5am to leave for the airport at 6. There's fruit and pastries on our bedroom dresser, so we don't even have to get breakfast. Dr Gatut drives us to the airport. The door is locked until 7am. 

There's no lounge open yet, but there's a cafe - where the rawon soup is nowhere near as tasty as what we had yesterday. I leave most of it behind and crunch down the crackers (krupuk), which I've grown to like.

The flight home is uneventful. Beautiful Indonesia unfolds below our prop plane.

We toss our suitcases in the house and head out to a meeting. By 2, we're on our way to a hospital visit with our dear friend. Look at the gift bag I found - whaaaat?! (I notice it in the parking lot. haha) Well, it's in my hand; maybe she won't notice - that's hardly a pastoral sentiment. We pray for Hela and her daughter Gabi before we head home.

A friend drops in the evening by with 3 pottery pieces made by her friend, a well-known artist. I will fill the little vase tomorrow morning.

Oh I'm so tired! But the night is interrupted by scrabbling in the ceiling. There's a mouse up there... hard at work. The helper caught a big one in a glue trap Monday night but there must be more.

Thursday

There's no walk this morning, to our relief. Using fruit from the Malang fruit stand, the helper bakes an apple pie and some chocolate Zubi cupcakes. (BONUS: the vegan recipe - found online - is posted at the end of the blog.)

We make another hospital visit - but our friend is asleep, so we leave a "little something" for her daughter and tiptoe out. The waiting room at the side of the building is empty.

The study is at our place in the evening; all of the attendees tonight live on the same hill, so there's no sense in traipsing downtown and back up. It's a warm and lively evening of discussion; Alice leads - and the conversation lasts until 21:30.

Ugh. The mouse is in our room tonight. We hear it chomping on something much of the night, but W can't find it, despite getting up a few times to look.

Friday

W pulls out the dresser and finds mouse droppings and a granola bar that fell behind the furniture. The wrapper is chewed up. We arrange to borrow a cat from one of our friends to take care of this.

By 7am, we're meeting friends at Ethnic, a local restaurant. After breakfast, they head to town and her job site. The old trees along the main streets are draped in Bandung city colors: blue, yellow, and green.

W and I walk back home and get to work. How we appreciate technology - W talks to one of his cousins, who is working on W's EU citizenship. I get to chat with my mom and dad. So grateful for a good family.

Another hospital visit. (Hela's feeling much better, thank God!) More writing and sermon prep. Then it's evening. How did that happen?

Read more:
*The Lord said, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” Exodus 23:20 NIV

*Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge. Psalm 57:1

*The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 NIV

* Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9 NIV

*The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory. 2 Timothy 4:18

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. 1 John 2:12

Moravian Prayer: God of the universe, we thank you for your constant love and care. Your saving grace reaches out to all corners of the earth. None of your children are hidden from your view. Wherever we go, there you are. Praise be to God. 

Loving and merciful Christ, refuge for our souls, what comfort we have in you. You forgive us, protect us, restore us and renew us. As we are filled to overflowing with your love and mercy, may we in turn pour out your love and mercy to others each day. In Jesus’ most precious name. Amen.

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BONUS Recipe: *Chocolate Sweet Potato Cupcakes (vegan)* Makes 14-18 cupcakes

*Puree 3/4 c cooked/canned sweet potato (or 1 large steamed one) with
1 c water
1/4 c oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 T vinigar

*Mix together 1.5 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
(opt 1/2 c oatmeal)

*Pour the wet into the dry and barely mix. Spoon into 2 greased (or paper-lined) cupcake pans. 

*Bake at 350o for 25 min. Let them sit in the cupcake pan for 5 minutes before cooling them on a wire rack ... and eating them all.