Thanks Mom (for my day of birth)

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 @67

I took full advantage of Sunday and Monday, the last 2 days of being 66. For the past year, I've been anticipating becoming officially "old" at 67, with some surprise. Yes, you old people - it has happened to me, too. haha Thank God for good health.

The day starts with a 2 mile walk, language school, and many calls.

The morning fog burns away by noon. What a beautiful city.

It looks like autumn on the walk: the leaves have fallen in the latest rainstorm.

Many are bright reds and yellows. It's 70-80oF (20-27oC) though, perfect "not-yet-sweater" weather.

Basic erosion control along the street: bags of dirt get heaped on each other. As the bags break down in the tropical heat and damp, the rocks and mud build up the shoulder of the road.

Language school starts with an hour of conversation about visiting the sick at home or in the hospital, Indonesian-style. I learn a lot:

• You're expected to stay 30-60 minutes for a normal visit. If you leave sooner, people may think they have offended you or you don't like them. Whew! That's a lot longer than Western hospital visitors stay. What would we talk about?
• The whole family and/or a bunch of friends may be in the sickroom. If someone has just come out of surgery or is gravely ill, you sit and talk to the other people. The patient feels loved if they are surrounded by visitors, even if it's noisy.
• Take 50-100.000 IDR ($3-6USD) along to give to the family at the hospital; it helps pay transport, parking, food, and other expenses. For home visits, bring food along.
• You'll be offered food and drink. It's optional to accept.

The other language students are much more fluent than I. Later I ask my teacher what level they are at: I'm the only one at Level 2 - the rest are more advanced. I understand many new-to-me words used in context. Still, I am relieved that I'm not just a dummy who can't keep up. Persistence, they say, and the language will become easier.

I stop for groceries on the way home. Seems like we endlessly need supplies. We buy a few goodies to share, too: spices and dates to break the Ramadan fast at nightfall.

W treats me to lunch at Cafe You, reputed to have the best rawon soup in town (= candlenut and beef broth). Indeed, it looks appetizing when it comes.

I mix it up ... deeeeelicious! Hits the spot.

W tries their sweet and sour chicken, which is neither sweet nor sour enough for him. He brings it home to add flavor and enjoys a burger instead. We order sushi takeaway for supper later on.

The brightly-colored fish near the restaurant counter catch our eyes. They move like sparkly jewels in the aquarium.

Most of the team come in person to our weekly meeting. But before business and devotions, there's cake! (Thanks, Clau.)

Ibu A has made cupcakes to go along with the homemade ice cream we churned in Sam's machine this morning. Yum.

The gift pack of healthy goodies are anticipated as evening snacks!

Laurel shares some treasures from her stash: these things are impossible to find in Bandung. Thanks, L.

When everyone leaves, I pop 1 c. store-bought Greek yogurt and 4 c. fresh milk into the bread maker (thanks to Sam again), and dial it to #16, the yogurt setting. It warms the milk for 8 hours, sits overnight, and has turned into thick, custardy, Greek goodness by morning.

In late afternoon, 80 long-stemmed roses arrive from Ruth. Wow! the bow is a golden table runner, which I spread atop a shelf.

It takes an hour to clip and arrange 3 big bouquets. This one is 36" tall.

The second one goes into my mom's wedding vase (which is 13" tall).

The last dozen roses are tucked between the staghorn ferns that are still fresh from Sunday. The house smells like a garden after rain.

We have a few bites of sushi - it feels like we've been eating all day. In the evening, I pause on the porch to thank God for friends, sweet memories, and flowers. The lights glow as dusk arrives.

A fun bonus to the day is a gift painted by David the muralist (acrylic on canvas). I tuck it between the art on my office wall. It makes me smile. C'est moi?

Wednesday 

The horses are back at the Padma Hotel. They have made a self-standing stair for the less-limber to mount the equines. 

Next to the hotel, a dump truck has dropped a load of rocks. Workers will push them down the hillside to the construction zone via a metal chute. There is no road in or to the village below where a truck can pass - motorcycles only in the jalan tikus (mouse lane). We hear the thump of the rocks hitting the parking lot and wonder how many of the concrete pavers under them can survive the assault.

As always, the garbage dump brims with interesting cast-offs. This is a typical wedding greeting, a 1X2 meter (3'X6') foam board covered with cloth or paint, foam letters, and topped with a floral arrangement. Out it goes.

We marvel at how Bailey (the mini poodle) squeezes between the legs of the two big dogs. They are in their happy spot, walking together.

W spreads his anti-ant concoction on wax paper - corn syrup and borax. Maybe we can reduce the ant population in the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, living and dining room ... oh wait! anywhere in the house that we can get rid of ants, we'd be thrilled.

Our appointments and plans are cancelled for the day so we do light work and relax. W texts between chores: "(Name) is tied up today - God must be telling us to rest." We'll take it. It's a bathtub kind of day. (Except that we have no bathtub.)

The helpers go home early, as soon as their work is done. No sense in getting soaked in a mid-afternoon downpour. The clouds blow in and we turn on the lights inside. Thunder rumbles.

Read more:

*He knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:14

*Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Psalm 48:10

*Jesus said, “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’” Matthew 10:7

*We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:10 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Great Musician, you have made us, as people created in your image, to sing. We sing because we are alive. We sing because, whatever our circumstances, life is good. We sing because, in Jesus, we have a glimpse of your kingdom. We sing because we are your people. Hallelujah! 

Giver of life, we are dust, and to dust we shall return. But we are more than dust. We give you thanks for Jesus’ promise of new life, both in our present mortal bodies and after we are again dust. Praise be to you. Amen.

Surely goodness and mercy ...

Friday, March 24, 2023

It's a morning of language study. Just before noon, a neighbor drops by to check out the garden. She and her husband are redoing their yard. Our yardman is also working for them so he'll take cuttings from our place. After a handful of clippings, he said, "cukup" (enough) and off they go.

Later, they'll get vines and ferns for a green wall similar to ours. The hiss of the cicadas is constant. It is supposed to signal the beginning and end of rainy season. We'll see.

W and I sit on the porch, finishing a lunch of leftovers. Then I'm off to language school in a new location. We drive by a house that was lived in by friends when they arrived in Bandung - what an influence they have been.

The groomers drop by to clean up all 3 dogs. Gypsy gets matted and excess hair cut off his tail and back. Juno the labradoodle gets a general clip and a bath after rolling around the yard earlier in the day. Afterward, she stands in the rain, happily cooling off, full of energy with her strong tail wagging like a flag.

She needs grooming more often than most. The guys trim the hair that droops over her eyes so she can see. Like on a poodle, the hair on her feet grows constantly, making hikes dangerous if the climb is wet and slippery or we're crossing a bamboo bridge.

W and I are revisiting the BBC TV series "No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," based on Alexander McCall-Smith's novels. It's as wonderful as we remember from 15 years ago. The scenes feel less exotic and foreign - animals crossing the road, dust and broken roads, roadside vendors ... the surroundings feel familiar to Bandung though the African culture is different.

We leave a message for our son's birthday - he's out with friends and doesn't get home until late. We miss you, Jono!

Saturday

While W leads a study, I take a 2.5 mile stroll through the neighborhoods, sans dogs. When I come back, Bailey is still fluffy white. W's off to town today and walks for miles. I'm happy doing 4 or 5 miles today, including an afternoon walk to the hall.

David completes this (A1) painting of the Lenten theme: Christ suffering for our sins, dead and raised to new life so we can live. He calls it Joy in Suffering. The accounts of Jesus' trials, death, and resurrection are recorded in the 4 books written by contemporaries of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (Click for a video and reading.)

I take a half-hour to watch a tour of a Jakarta garden. Without a doubt, this is the most spectacular tropical garden I've seen recently. I've watched it a few times. If you love gardens, this one's a bonus for you.

On FB and in news from around the northern hemisphere, gardeners are anticipating putting in their gardens. There's hardly a day when I take the daily abundance here for granted. I love the green, the lush foliage, and the unusual flowers.

I gather seeds and plants, tucking them into the garden here and there. Most pictures of people at the house include a garden backdrop, like this barbecue last year.

As the rain pelts the yard, I am thankful for a roof that doesn't leak (much), a warm place to sleep, and God's kindness in bringing us to Indonesia. 

Sunday

We're happy to participate in Round Table Sunday, a community time of discussion, food, and conversation around the tables in the hall. Today we're talking about miracles, healing, and how the proximity of Jesus allows those things to happen.

I write a few newsletters for the coming month. After W's class, we drop by a friend's. Then it's home for a lunch of favorite foods, including homemade noodles and brisket.

Monday

A quick early walk, a Zoom call, and language school. The dogs express how we feel.

In the early morning air, the clouds cover the mountain slopes. The apartment building that looms over the neighborhood disappears into the fog; the view is the same as 8 years ago when we first got heme. 

By afternoon, the hotel has reappeared.

After I get home from class, I combine half the clutter of vases from Sunday into a bouquet and set the others on the entry table.

My new favorite greens may be staghorn fern fronds. They have interesting shapes and not one is like the other.

FB brings up a photo from last decade: when we lived in Seattle, I already craved green life around the house. W enclosed the back deck to make a winter garden. It was cool enough to store produce but warm enough to bring the outdoors in with a few hardy plants.

We lunch at #NaraPark with a young couple exploring Bandung for language school and work. It starts to pour as we stand up so we catch a ride home instead of walking. I'm soaked on the walk from the car door to our house. Ah, a hot shower! Meanwhile, W runs errands and takes the pair to the language office.

In the evening, 3 international couples sit around the dinner table. All are called to serve. All are in transition, seeking direction for the next season. What a privilege it is to set the table and eat Volcano chicken together. Yum. We pray for each other and send them on their way.

Read more:

*Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Psalm 23:6

*There is no holy one like the Lord, no one besides you. 1 Samuel 2:2

*Thus says the Lord, I myself have spoken to you persistently, and you have not obeyed me. Jeremiah 35:14

*Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28

*As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct. 1 Peter 1:15

Moravian Prayer: Divine Companion, we are shaped by the company we keep. We need your company, so touch us that we may know we have been with you and have been changed.

Our Hope and Stay, on our own, we fall far short of your hopes for us. We go our own way. We live fearful lives. But when we really are open to your guidance, we know that we are blessed. Thank you. Amen.

Happy birthday, Jono, and other celebrations

This week:

It's great to resume a normal work and school schedule. I feel up and down - some days are strong and I do a couple of loops on the morning walk. On others, I have limited zip so I take it easier. I skip our mountain walk again, hoping to join next week.

Wednesday

In the afternoon, John drops by for a visit and we go down to Ehnic for an early supper. We want to make sure we're gone before sundown and the deluge of customers who will be feasting. The restaurant courtyard is beautiful.

Streetside, a mason is hard at work, covering the massive stone wall he mortared together in the past months. The owners have chosen the facing stone. Most pieces have to be cut individually and puzzled together.

A friend is eating only egg whites so offers us the egg yolks. I use 6 to cook chocolate pudding and creme brûlée. Yum.

Most neighborhoods are being cleaned and decorated for Ramadan. This little street sees a steady stream of cars and motorcycles, leading into an entire neighborhood. If you're entering or leaving with a car, you have to wait or pull back if there's other traffic: it's one lane wide.

The playground has sprouted food stalls. It's deserted during the day and bursting with life at night. Women are wakened by the mosque announcement at 3:00 a.m.: the women work harder than anyone this month. They cook for their families who must eat before sunup. 

Most people will fast food and many will fast water until the feast at sundown. More cooking ... unless you can afford to buy food. Children start fasting in elementary school. Exemptions include physical laborers, pregnant women, and the ill or elderly.

Thursday

Ramadan started yesterday. Those who are fasting are on half-energy. Usually, we don't ask our helpers to cook for us during this month. I have the freedom to cook whatever I'm in the mood for. We work our way through the freezer for ingredients like meat or fruit.

What luxury: my walk alone is quiet. The little shop/house beside the dump is still shuttered at 6 a.m. Many people will visit family or try to sleep in during the temporary schedule.

I'm generally not a fan of ayam kampung (village chicken), though it is a favorite due to having "more flavor," according to locals. We know what they eat. This flock pecks through the garbage every morning.

Small improvements, like this fish pond cemented over the street drain, are everywhere.

The hotel decor reflects a Ramadan theme.

Various flowers are in bloom. I savor each eyeful.

Only helpers and upstairs guests are in the house. Since W's on the mountain walk, the meal schedule and menu is my own. I stroll the yard now and then, enjoying the lazy pace of the fish swimming in the flower-pot ponds.

Most of the day, I sit on the porch to review language recordings. Wow. How can I forget so much? I'm not quite starting over but I couldn't use half the vocabulary if my life was at stake.

I putter when my mind rebels, doing small chores like trimming last weekend's roses.

The birds squawk and chase each other around the cage. Mating season.

Friday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONATHAN!

It's our youngest's birthday today. Though far away, we will celebrate him all day long.

We wake early and walk the dogs. Either today or yesterday was "dog day." As soon as I point the camera at Gypsy, Bailey, and Juno, they look away. They're on one leash and mostly walk well together.

I'm back to studying and reviewing, with a few calls between. At 9:00, I take a break to chop my hair into layers. I don't bother wetting it and it doesn't take much time. Later, after a shower, I'll check for unevenness. (Can't be worse than some salon cuts, right?)

A black butterfly plays nearby, with a wingspan of 7 or 8" (18 cm?). I don't enjoy butterflies in our yard; they leave behind the worms that eat our plants. The dogs sprawl on the porch beside me. The bamboo chimes clatter in the breeze. We enjoy a morning without rain.

Read more:

*Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:10-17

*You silence the roaring of the seas, the tumult of the peoples. Psalm 65:7

*I will seek the lost and I will bring back the strayed. I will bind up the injured and I will strengthen the weak. Ezekiel 34:16

*Zechariah said, “With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham the God of Israel promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve him without fear all the days of our life.” Luke 1:73-75 GNT

*Jesus said, “When the shepherd comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” Luke 15:6

*Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:7-10

Moravian Prayer: Good Shepherd, sometimes we are lost and yearn to be found. More often, we don’t even know we are lost. Help us to know the joy of being found by you.

Jesus, quiet friend, we are usually impressed by speed and noise and power. You invite us to your wild and different ways: of listening, humility, and compassion. Lead us in that way. Amen.