HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM (Happy 66th Anniversary, too) and some creative flares

Lots on the move this week. Where oh where is the part-time executive assistant I'm praying for? Been wondering how to spend the next 6 months or 2 years? Seriously, is anyone out there with great administrative and leadership skills who would dive into this crazy adventure with us? Give us 6 months or a year or two of your life. There's lots to see and do in our wonderful city!

This week the flower arrangement fades quickly so I arrange a bit of humor on a tray in our entry. I need a smile. I haven't been sleeping deeply during the first bit of the week; my arm's sore enough to wake me up every time I turn.

An artist and friend, Lucky, has made a journal for me - I love it! W brings it home from their meeting. I spend a few happy hours at my desk with the journal, tea, and a candle - oh, and a favorite fountain pen.

Saturday, August 3, 2019 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to the best mom ever.
I call my beautiful mother, who celebrated her birthday "yesterday." Different time zones mean I'm calling her a day late, our time. So glad to connect across the world - what a privilege to have modern technology, though it's not as warm as a hug in person. Grandkids and great-grandkids are staying at her house this week.

Let's just say this: I'm in my early 60s and I don't know how she keeps up with everyone! She's still managing a household. Her garden is productive, too. A true lover of people, peacemaker, and my role model - that's my mom. (Sorry, Pop, I keep trying to be more like mom, sweet and thoughtful. But what a fierce, kind, and wonderful combination to have you both as parents, even when I'm wired more like you.)

SO, let me just jump ahead in the week for this event - Thursday is the 66th anniversary for my folks. Can you believe it? What kids our age have the privilege that both godly and loving parents are around to offer prayers and wisdom to them?

Though my mom and dad are slowing down, they still love each other and our extended family. They have a lot of friends around them who are in the same boat. They remember the good old days but living fully in the present. Love you two - so blessed by God with great parents and advisors!

Sunday
The talk is on Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Every time God acts or gives instructions, Jonah is sullen, unhappy, or headed in another direction. What a guy. The scriptures don't whitewash its participants - I recognize some of his reluctance in myself at times. Do you?

It's our last week in the long narrow layout at the Bandung International Church. After the Gathering, we hang around a Community Table, a feast of snacks and conversation. While W teaches a Theology 101 class, a bunch of volunteers pick up the chairs and re-set them into a circular view. Someone young looks up from their phone and says, "Oh, we're going from portrait to landscape. I get it."

We have lunch with Jon and Joy at Bumi. They're happily considering their next serve.(They're government and business consultants - we're thrilled to have them around.

***It's fun to see how many of us get near retirement and decide to contribute globally to the peace and well-being of others, instead of dropping out of service. 

How about giving a few months or a few years? If you want to know more about ways you might be able to serve with us, please email me at myfirstname.mylastname@gmail.com (Note - you'll have to fill in my names. Subject line: SERVE Indonesia.***

Monday
The week is in full swing. The study on the porch is over by 11 but people hang around. I tackle the weekend's wrap-up and plan for the coming week.

Tuesday through Friday
Meetings, artists, and technicians in full swing - that's such a fun combination. We go for lunch with friends and talk through some future possibilities. The hall is full of people looking and drilling and cutting ...  even the media "snake" gets moved into place.

The facilities manager is taking the toilets back to the bare walls. The pounding of mallets (crashing the tiles off the walls) and other rackets are sweet music into the next season.

Our helpers and driver spend all day Friday at Green Gate, the former school that hosts us with the utmost of grace and generosity. The workers scrub corners, windows, floors, walls, and toilets. They evict spiders and ants from hidden corners. They vacuum the old rugs where the drum kit usually sits.  The drums are moved to storage - we'll loan them out to our young drummers, who are learning their craft. We need electric drums for the new smaller stage.

We toss about 20 throw pillows (from movie nights) onto the rugs and steps of the old stage. I wonder who will use them. Clau volunteers to be the stage "sound police"for Sunday, if kids and teens get chatting away. (In a concrete hall, I've been wondering who we could ask for that. Hurrah for observant volunteers.)

The chairs, moved while the media team lays out their equipments, are moved again by architect Clau, who knows spaces. She takes a white-board marker and dots the floor tiles. She's marking aisle seats at the right front chair leg. We'll evaluate how people are using the space - of course, we expect attendees to move and adjust the chairs for their comfort for a few weeks.

W's under the weather for a few days. He doesn't like to be fussed over so I mostly leave him alone. He pampers me nonetheless, moving and picking up things that I'm not able to do yet.

Wednesday, we head into the hills and Gracia Spa for our date day - these hot spring pools are clean and quiet, and almost empty midweek.

I wait for my swollen hand to turn yellow from black and blue. After a week of healing, I go to see the rehab doctor on Thursday - he takes ultrasounds of my shoulder, which is still SOOO sore (torn muscle, it turns out.) "Don't move it much for 8 weeks until it heals," he advises. haha Hope he's joking.

He does a few laser treatments on hand and shoulder, has the therapist ice them twice, and does a mechanical massage (pop pop pop) on my shoulder and neck.He hands me a pack of 6 big pain patches. "You can't buy these. They're a bit stronger than usual here." Ok. I turn down a prescription for anti-inflammatory drugs, though.

When I refuse the pills, he adds another round of patches. "You'll have to get help changing them morning and evening if you're not willing to take anti-inflammatories. But," he adds with a wink, "how will the pharmacy industry survive if people are like you?"

True. It costs USD42.50, including the appointment. And the pain patches are really helpful.

Saturday

W heads to town for 3 appointments, as usual. While he's out, the new seamstress come by with W's travel trousers, 2 blouses, and a pant-skirt combo for me.

Some lucky local will enjoy it though. This weekend is joyfully celebrating the Feast of Sacrifice (Eid al Adha), commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. Goats are tied on every corner. They'll be sacrificed by families and neighbors. One of the oddest things I see is two guys riding a motorcycle with a goat comfortably tucked between them - he's a pet for the family until the ritual sacrifice. The skin, horns, and other parts will be auctioned off after the goat is butchered.

Saturday morning, the kids are practicing a local dance in the hall. Afterward, a young man and his Christian family come to the house just before noon. He's getting baptized soon. My heart cheers.

The seamstress comes late because of terrible traffic in town - it takes her an extra hour. She brings beautifully-sewn trousers for W and a cool batik outfit that is waaaaay! too small for me.

Midweek, she sent a note asking if to measure from the jeans I sent along or the measurements she took. Here's a typical misunderstanding: I write back, "Use the jean measurement plus add 1-2cm at the side," thinking about the jean fabric I sent. Nope. (Jeans stretch out over years of use, that's the right measurement.) However, she was talking about the colorful non-stretch cotton batik I fell in love with a few weeks ago. The new "spant" (what would I call it?) is about 3" too tight. REALLY a different size. Oh oh.

A skirt would have been a better idea - she sewed a trouser in the back with a skirt flap overlay in the front. I'm too round for any bright floral "bottom" (which I know from years of trying stuff on.) But oh well.... I thought I'd give it a try. Haha. "Massive" fail - on my body, not because of her skills.

The evening is Community Dinner Bandung. It's a fun group of about 30. Our autumn theme is the uniqueness of how God created each one of us. This time it's about our backgrounds.

We use recycled materials to create fun "new things" - God makes all things new.

One group does origami stars with their "dreams and hopes," makes a boat and a funny tinseled "person" to sail the ship - it's the most creative idea for launching into the next weeks.

The food Della cooks is very tasty - chicken rendang (spices), vegetables, rice steamed in leaves, and perkadel, deep-fried crumbs around a mash of potatoes and veggies. The sambal is hot and delicious. (1 tsp for a meal keeps the mouth sizzling. Yum.)

We're home about 8pm. The students and young professionals are out until midnight. Of course.

Read more:

(Original story here is Genesis 22; the Koran has a slightly different version.)

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altarthere and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Prayer: Dear God, you who are both Creator and Lord of all, bless your people around the world today and in the coming weeks. Let us embrace your love, serve you with all our hearts, and joyfully celebrate your Presence around us. Thank you for caring for us, for providing all we need, and for loving us more than we can grasp. Amen.