The end of Ramadan 2019

May 28/30, 2019
We celebrate our third child's birthday - YAY Timothy! and two days later, the birthday of Timothy's third son, Isaac. He's a cutie. At 4, Isaac shows all the curiosity and humor of his dad. Sometimes, justice is served. hehe

The rhythm of life changes during Ramadan. The helpers are weak and tired (fasting food and drink during sunshine hours). They move slowly. The women have to cook for their families - the call for preparation happens around 3am; we hear the chanting but fall asleep - they don't. They cook, then the second call is a wake-up for men and children to eat, before the call to fast and the sun rises.

People shop for "Gucci" (really?) and other new clothes - it's a time to be your best.

Our friend DrHanna cooks a spectacular meal, which we and friends enjoy at her house.

 

 Everywhere, the best of culture is on display, like the puppets below.

Our friends are traveling or celebrating with family. The last week of Ramadan is a family holiday where people go back to their hometowns, like Thanksgiving is for Americans and Christmas is for Canadians. We miss our family as others get together.

We have lots of people in and out. Studies continue - with 20 people on the porch on Monday. We have guests as usual - but also lots of regulars show up to read, learn, and chat (and eat) together.

We cancel a few meetings and have a quiet last week. By which we mean, fewer meetings. A full volume of chanting, prayers, firecrackers, and community events goes on night and day. We wear earplugs most nights and pray along for peace and blessings on those around us.

May 30-June 6
Dear longtime friends from the USA are on their way home from working India and the Philippines. IThey stay most of a week. It's a joy to have conversations and encouragement - our own company.
They take cold showers for a few days before the water system cooperates. They're troopers, used to working around the world without complaints.

The helpers are on vacation so I cook breakfast and supper. It's a change of routine and something I need to think about each evening before we sleep. We have lots of food - that's never a problem. (It's a change of pace: W mostly prefers to get his own breakfast and I usually skip mine or graze. We rarely eat a full supper when we're by ourselves, either.) W helps clean up and we eat out for lunch. Whew. No one goes hungry.

We can't go into town much with many shops and activities shuttered, but we shop outlet stores twice. Our guests find some souvenirs. W and I find a few tops ($3.50/$4 mine/$8 his. No big splurge!) It's fun to get out together. And they'll have quiet nights once they get back home, in contrast to the nights here.

We send them off Thursday for the beautiful train journey to Jakarta and the airport. They write that they arrive back in Seattle safely - tired, as expected.

June 8 - 13
A children's work leader (an American raised and working in Asia) arrives 2 days later. She's sharing resources and ideas with the children's workers. Jaimee's days fill up around our regular meetings. People want to meet her but we leave it up to her to set her schedule after we make connections for her.

We never know what to expect of our guests, especially if we're meeting them for the first time. Sometimes they leave treasures and good resources left behind. We're so grateful for materials given to our awesome children's director, Nicole (below).

Read more:
*The heavens declare the glory of God;  the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. Psalm 19:1-4

*O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Psalm 95:1

*“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:17-21

Moravian Prayer: Lord, when we gather for worship, we are aware that your Holy Spirit is with us, giving us strength to accomplish what we cannot do on our own. As we work together, we thank you for your power. Amen.