Black paint, holidays, and new guests

Sunday, January 23, 2023 Happy Chinese New Year

We take home the Chinese New Year arrangement and have an afternoon siesta. 

Dr and IbuT pick us up near Green Gate, along with expats who were former residents of Bandung. The 10-minute drive to the dinner restaurant takes 1.5 hours. "Too bad we can't park and walk," we say. But the rain comes and there's nowhere to pull to the side. We wait with everyone else.

One couple arrives at 6pm. We get there at 7:15 but another friend comes at 7:30. She gets the prize for most arduous trip. It takes her 3 hours!!! for a 30 minute drive through horrendous traffic. It's an evening of stories, catching up, and good food.

We enjoy the "waving fish" appetizer. The skin is thin-sliced and placed atop the hot egg and noodles. It sways in the heat as though it is swimming.

I plan the schedule through October for IES Bandung: we'll examine one chapter of Matthew's gospel each week, which will take us most of the year. It's the first book of the New Testament in the Bible. What a challenge to draw out only one or two ideas! The chapters are long and many have several stories in them. We could take years and not exhaust the richness of the life of Jesus.

Tuesday

It is exam day at language school so I can move to the next (beginner) level. Ibu Etsha makes it easy and relaxing. Passed. Yay. We start the phase of telling stories, the next step of learning.

When I get home, the yard man is moving soil from the entry flower bed in preparation for moving the lesung. "It's good soil," he says. He saves it to the compost heaps of trimmings from a tropical garden.

IbuS scrubs the window that's been hidden behind the plants. She's quick: the water on the glass evaporates in minutes.

W scrapes old glue off the sides of the windows (from who knows what - construction 50 years ago?) He uses a razor blade along one edge - and then decides to do the whole window. It sparkles! before turning cloudy again. Maybe the glass is old.

It's easy to overlook local finishes or tropical decay until you move something. Then all of a sudden, glue, dirt, or rough edges are sitting in front of you. My inner "German" is happy when that's gone.

PakA is handy! The person who last painted the planters splattered white across the black base. The old paint is stained from dirt and wear. There's black paint in the shed so PakA paints the whole thing black, including the entry planters. That makes the lesung even more striking.

I suggest doing the same to the grubby porch railings so they 'disappear' into the garden. W asks me to wait a week: he has to think it over.

IbuA remembers grinding rice in a lesung in the padis (rice fields.) The women also made music for weddings and other events by hitting the empty trough with strong sticks. Listen here to the inventiveness of what wood on wood can make. Indonesians use what they have - bamboo, wood, clay, and natural paints - in their art and celebrations.

I check the upstairs bedroom at lunch: it's dusty and there are books and other things in the desk. Oops. I alert IbuS to get it ready for guests, open the doors to air out the room, and take a package of mothballs out of the drawers.

After lunch, the team meeting is online. In mid-afternoon, Roberto, Wina, and 2-yr-old Ezra arrive from the airport. (Thanks for pickup, Josh!) They unpack upstairs and start to settle in. Over a cup of tea, Josh updates us on his plans for the future before heading home to the next city.

Supper together at Nara is delicious. The sky is overcast as we walk home - it's half-rainy season. Some days we have rain. Others we don't. We're spared and make it home dry and safe despite the thunderclouds overhead.

Wednesday

We walk the mile-loop with our new guests and drop the dogs back at the house. Then W and I walk up to Nara for our date breakfast. This table, set up to barbecue in the center or hold plants (when there are no live coals) is a great idea.

We sit on the Porch to read the upcoming talk for Sunday. I make a few calls and enjoy a visit from Laurel, complete with freshly-baked cookies. In some seasons, the yard is lush with abundant greens.

At other times, the garden is full of reds, yellows, and pinks. The butterflies hover across the flowers.

This bird-of-paradise flower reminds me of old teeth when it starts to fade.

The animals are restless with the incoming storms. Gypsy puts his head and front feet on the tiles of the living room. He's not allowed inside. This is his compromise.

PakA catches the canary in its cage and trims its nails with a nail clipper. He's put the budgies in the big cage where they flit from branch to branch. The first time they were in it, they huddled together on the perches, frightened by the expansion. This time ... they make themselves at home.

W's off to a hospital visit while I edit and do other chores.

Read more:

*You in your mercy have led forth the people whom you have redeemed. Exodus 15:13

*The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

*There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Jeremiah 10:6

*No one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

*Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:18

Moravian Prayer: Lord, keep us grounded in your love and aid us in the task of building opportunities for all to abide in your grace.

Living Redeemer, your sacrifice was for all, whether we chose to recognize you or not. Keep us among those who humbly remember and live in response to such unbelievable love. Amen.