Natural perfume

Thursday, July 27, 2023

A short walk first, where we spot this run-over beauty, dropped onto the street from the tree overhead. I'm comforted by the fact that God understands every person, knows every failure, and forgives every wrong - whether we've done bad things or left good things undone.

"He knows your name," my mom reminds everyone in her circles. He loves each one of us.

This crushed flower reminds me that we don't have to be perfect to be seen and appreciated by God or others. We can leave perfection behind and enjoy life more.

During a welcome break from work, a friend shares the teras and brings over an orchid. A few blooms open overnight. The black tracery on the tongues of the flowers is stunning. Dr. Ingrid is an orchid hobbyist and expert.

Eki and friends arrive mid-afternoon after a 4.5-hour trip from their area. IbuA and IBuS make them a late lunch with Indonesian flavors. Eki's sis Lyong arrives a bit later. They stay upstairs overnight. The dogs LOVE the attention.

In the evening, W and I have 2 meetings. We check on IESB friends who have landed in Thailand. Would you pray for provision and favor for David, Georgina, and little Noa?

As usual, they're coping with unexpected adjustments in a new city, even before language school begins. Most expats can empathize. It's exhausting enough to move across your own country. These guys have made a big transition where food, culture, and expectations are new to them.

Friday

We skip the walk because breakfast is at 6:45. For two of the teachers, it's the first "western-style" breakfast of their life. (And there's no rice.) Eki requests oatmeal porridge. I add slices of apples along with IbuS's home-baked whole-grain bread, topped with kaya honey (a Singapore find).

We snap a formal picture of the handover of books.

Their van is packed with 10? bags plus a bunch of boxes. Makes me happy that the library is on its way.

They arrive safely in the new classroom. The kids will have fun starting the new semester. Anything they can't use for reading, they will use for art supplies.

DrH, our friend and colleague, had double knee replacements in late February. She walks from her housea few blocks away to drop off next month's Bandung Book Group choice. The BBG members are eclectic and educated so we read many kinds of books.

W and I go through Sunday's talk from Matthew 24 together. It was his turn to write this week, so I'm the editor. We'll switch next week. 

After an evening study group and a homemade pasta supper, we rest.

Saturday

W's home; his 3 regular meetings are cancelled. That's positive since he's not back to full energy. I walk 2 miles (a couple of neighborhood loops). Look how this beautiful shrub glows in the sunrise.

In our garden, I gather flowers and ferns for tomorrow's Round Table Sunday. PakG takes them to the hall, along with 2 donated bags of religious books. The monthly newsletters are written. After catching up on social media and messages, I watch a design vlogger (Alexandra Gater) make over little spaces. So relaxing.

I forgot to eat breakfast so I'm a little peckish an hour after eating a small bowl of lunch noodles. I spot a potato. Ah ... slice, salt, and dry it, slip it into the Daiso chip maker, and - 8 minutes later = perfect potato chips without oil. For under 150 calories, what a great snack.

I smell something fresh and sweet. This lovely orchid is blooming again on the teras. It was also a gift from Dr Ingrid that flowers all year.

Indonesian orchids might not be as flashy as some others. But they boast great variety in color and size. They grow in forests, spread on branches, and find their way to hobby gardeners. Some aficionados build shade houses just for orchids.

Meanwhile, the new arrival, a Coelogyne pandurara from Kalimantan, has opened flowers along the entire stem, releasing a delicate perfume. Scented orchids are my favorites.

Read more:

*You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. Psalm 90:8

*Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer. Isaiah 49:26

*And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

*Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20

Moravian Prayer: It is our desire to know you, Savior and Redeemer, and to become your true disciples. Make us willing to learn, we pray, so that we may grow closer to you. Strengthen us for the important work of spreading your gospel, so that all the world may know of your love.

Forgiving God, you have released us from all we owe. How glorious it is to live debt-free! Give us grace to release others in the same way, so that everyone may know the freedom of living without owing anything! Amen.

Here, fishy froggy! ... tortoise?

Monday, July 24, 2023

After a short night, online meetings start at 6:00. Well, I'm late to the first one. A roach lies on its back in the shower. I wait until W tosses it into the toilet for me. The drain flies get smashed and washed away, one by one.

By 8:00, with 2 meetings down, W and I walk to a delightful breakfast with our Indonesian "kids" and Jakarta friends - Jojo and Kristi. We love to catch up - they're entrepreneurs and fun to be around, all grown up with a family of their own.

Speaking of families, the tortoises at #NaraPark have bred. Nine 6" babies sun themselves in a dry aquarium near our table. Cute! They'll grow to be 2-3' long.

I'm happy when Jojo and Kristi take a couple of boxes of sports-themed books from the Porch stash. We offer Bibles to various friends, too.

Before noon, I replace an older fishbowl on the Porch with a new one, picked up last week at the Bali glass factory.

I trim the plants and change the water in the other Bali bowl. First, a frog has to be fished out. Ugh - I toss it into the garden. I scooped away hundreds of tadpoles during the last water change during a catch-and-destroy mission. One little black swimmer apparently evaded the net. When it's big enough to capture, it will be tossed into the garden with its mother.

IbuS grabs a broom to sweep another frog off the string of porch lights. It needs suction feet to get up there!

W and I prep for the week of meetings ahead and relax over lunch. The weekly delivery of sprouts (peas this time) arrives and we add some to our meal.

We thank God for a garden that feels as relaxing as time in Bali. The birds are tweeting up a storm, the chimes are ringing, and the wind coming over the hill cools the sun-kissed air. The fruit seller sends over a watermelon and a half-dozen mangos.

I either need to toss or dye a weird pink and black hat. It's too "granny" even for this grandma. A few years ago, my mom sent Rit Dye packages (30 years old?) along. I am gradually using them up. "Chocolate brown," today?

Into the color bath left over when the hat is done, I submerge a white shirt, stained outdoor beige pillowcases, and a tote bag. Lots of brown things, suddenly. After rinses, a soak in vinegar water, and drying, they're ironed to set the color.

W is ill again, but he's alert enough to capture another roach in the shower at night. By evening, my throat is sore and my gums ache. I cancel tomorrow's meetings - no one wants this stuff.

Tuesday

The intention is to lie low and rest. A group comes to sort books for the village library. On my end, messages about other matters fly back and forth.

I have to shop for groceries; we're out of most things after last week's trip. By the time the helpers and village volunteers leave, I'm ready for a long nap.

Wednesday

An online group study early this overcast morning, then W and I walk to breakfast at Ethnic. This charming space used to be a home. Now its quiet garden is resplendent with fountains and covered tables.

OH! look at the 8' (2.5 meter) "false bird of paradise" in bloom! It's like bamboo - a quick spreader, but in a variety I don't  have. We ask the gardener to send us some shoots the next time he prunes it back.

Instead, he walks to the flowerbed with his mattock and digs out two long stalks and roots. PakG loads them into the car and PakA plants them in the garden. Seen and done. Nice!

My rice and vegetables, covered in peanut sauce, are delicious. I pack up the crackers for the helpers.

Neighborhoods are decorating for Indonesian Independence Day (August 17). This alley is painted the colors of the Indonesian flag. (Turn it upside down and you have the Polish flag.)

As the sky clears, temperatures rise. About that time, I make a pit-stop at the hall to see what work still awaits. The worship storage room was cleared and cleaned while we were in Bali last week.

All this (below) needs to be sorted and returned (or tossed) by the music team. That way, the leaders know what "stuff" belongs to them - and where it's stashed.

But, oh yikes! I poke into one more area, the media booth. It hasn't been cleared out for years either. It looks like the first space did a few weeks ago. Look out, clutter! Here we come - well, maybe next week when we've recovered.

After morning calls to Thailand, Canada, and the USA, the day has truly begun. So much work is behind the scenes with gradual and ongoing results. We plan meetings, connections, and watch God at work. (For me, it's pure fun to see what emerges.)

Someone writes, "Do you want these books, too?" Sure why not. It looks like a simple 3-shelf rack. I send PakG to the school library, an hour away.

A seller in that city posts a commercial (rotating) cake stand for $6.50.

When I put my name down, I see that young moms in our neighborhood have purchased various kid-items from the same online yard sale. Do they want PakG to bring their things as well, since he's there?

"Sure, it would be nice if you brought ours."

In early afternoon, the carload of books arrives. Wow - those are more volumes than we thought! PakG and PakA sort them into bags. We set aside a few classic children's books for friends with little kids. The moms come by and look through the stacks. 10 bags of books will be picked up by a village school tomorrow.

The Porch fills and empties as things are sorted, retrieved, or await delivery. The flow this month has been messy, abundant, and unusual. We're watching God move things around to please himself and bless others.

Meanwhile, in the ponds, the frogs are chirping. How many do you see in the 4' (1.3m)-wide kolam below?

Read more:

*Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Isaiah 44:6

*You bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:12

*May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me for I trust in your word. Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119: 45-49

*The one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 1 John 5:18

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we will lie down in peace and rest in safety for you are our ever-present protector. Whether we are threatened by foes real or imagined, we will rest in the shadow of your wings. Nightmares have no power over us when you stand ready to scatter them away. When morning comes, we will thank you for never leaving us. Amen.

Goodbye to Bali and a good start to the week

Friday, July 21, 2023

We head to Ubud with a busload of new friends from the conference. Our destinations include a waterfall. It's a short, steep workout for the heart, down from the top and back up.

Many participants stay at the top but about half of us do the 200 uneven steps (17 flights).

It's beautiful once you get down.

A few parts have good stairs like below, but most of the trail is rough concrete poured over dirt steps (as above) so you must watch your feet as well as the view.

Just before the waterfall, there's a bamboo bridge - yay, it has a railing on one side, as the water gushes underneath.

Of course, from the bottom, you need to go back up. I run a few flights until my heart pounds, rest with deep breaths, and run again. I really don't like stairs.

On the way to the mountain city of Ubud, our driver goes in the left-most lane (the 3rd lane from the right) with 3 lanes of cars in the 2 lanes beside us.

No problem. We intend to turn right, so he drifts toward the right as we approach the traffic light.

Miraculously no one crashes in the right turn and all 4 lanes of cars/trucks/buses/motorcycles emerge into 2 lanes of orderly traffic. That's the way it's done.

The city of Ubud is a tourist destination. Below is a typical restaurant with wicker art (the balls), statues, flowers, and clean tablecloths.

W and I shop at the art market (nothing for me) and have lunch at #Locovore, an amazing hole-in-the-wall cafe. They serve water in cooling terra-cotta jugs. "Buy it at the potter, not far from here," we're told.

At the old potter's shop, he finds what we're looking for (2@$6.50). Then he returns to painting vases. This tunnel of pottery hangs at the front of his store.

Ton the sidewalk, these monkey-gods look irritated at the tangle of wires that has erupted around them.

About half of the group is unused to walking or unable to walk further. They head back to the hotel while the rest of us make one more stop.

We're looking for the origin of art glass like this.

As we leave town, the Ubud statue at the intersection looms above traffic.

 

Along the road, a men's fashion store abuts a Hindu temple. Men can wear sarongs (skirts) as normal clothing or during ceremonies as traditional dress.

There's at least one temple or heap of statues every block or two.

Some statues are wrapped in religious black&white checkered cloth.

Shops sell ornamental heads along with useful or decorative pots.

Pottery is available in all colors, shapes, and sizes.

Small heaps of discarded furniture sit along the road.

We pass shops filled with woven grasses and rattan.

Even the cracks in the walls are full of flowers.

When the bus stops, we walk a few blocks to the glass-blowing factory. Laurel poses in the entry. Wow - some tourists think this weather is hot? In the workshop, the temperature soars over 100oF (38oC).

The variety of glass vessels is astonishing. Each is blown onto a piece of wood, creating an individual shape. The wood and glass pieces are numbered to make matching them easier. Each piece of glass is individually washed by a few women sitting inside the entry. Then the duet is reassembled for shipping.

"We send a full 40' (10 meter) shipping container to the UK every month," says the factory owner.

Back on the bus, we spot kites are flying in the ocean winds. Some are so big they have to be held by 2-4 men.

I snap pictures of various shops as we drive by. 

Local craftsmen do astonishing things with wood and other natural materials.

Smaller branches are woven into animal shapes, like this life-sized herd of horses.

Some statues tell heroic stories, like this little angel (or demon?) sitting on a stone panther near the garbage can. Statues of local gods and goddesses are in progress.

Saturday

The #Merusaka hotel has been ideal for the conference. It's somewhat isolated from the city, borders the south-west beach, and lies open to the winds blowing up from an Australian winter. The temperature is cool (mid-30s/80s) most of the week.

Every corner of Bali is green and growing.

W and I take a last walk on the beach after breakfast and goodbyes.

The surfers are paddling out to the waves, flipping into the water from their surfboards, and shouting to each other.

Golden leaves are swept off the paved walkways a few times a day.

W orders a Maxim car-taxi to take us to the airport for less than $10. Perhaps the old TV show Pimp my Ride got ahold of this car, decked out in quilted black and red vinyl. The sun shines on the dash and the diamonds make me feel like I'm behind a chain-link fence.

The flight is delayed as usual but the flight back to Bandung is eventless. PakG meets us at the airport and takes us home.

It's my turn to do a flower arrangement for the hall tomorrow. Before we go inside to unpack, I grab a knife, go to the garden to chop 7 stems of blooms and 3 stems of tall greens ... and send them to the hall with PakG. By the time he's come back, I've sorted the hotel toiletries into 3 heaps and bagged his up to take home.

A dear friend from Jakarta meets us for supper at the #PadmaHotel, a few blocks from the house. The restaurant overlooks a deep valley, filled with tall blooming trees. The breeze comes over the mountains and cools us.

The sun sets over the pool and the children splashing below.

Home sweet home. We walk back and enjoy the view on our own Porch, wrapping up a full day. The dogs are ecstatic to see us, barking and jumping all over.

Sunday

It's a rough night for W and for me. I don't fall asleep until midnight. I journal what I want to remember about the past week to dismiss the churning thoughts from my mind.

W wakes after 2 a.m. We get up an hour before walking up to the hall at 7 a.m. The dogs watch us walk out the gate: they'll guard and take care of anyone who dares to enter!

Once at the hall, it takes 5 minutes to move the stems around into a 4' (1.3 meter)-tall bouquet. Some weedy vines have taken over one stem of greens. They look fine when I drape them around the vase.

Pastor Dave, the founding pastor of IES Jakarta, speaks this morning. What a treat to enjoy his words of encouragement. A few leaders join for lunch at #NaraPark afterwards.

We walk home to the Porch full of young people. One group is finishing lunch at a table. After, they sort through the boxes of library-discarded books and take home what they want. We still have 2 dozen boxes left over.

W and I finish unpacking, settle in for the afternoon, and relax.

Read more:

*You are a people holy to the Lord your God; it is you the Lord has chosen out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 14:2

For you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:5

Moravian Prayer: Light of the universe, you have chosen us to reflect your light into a darkened world. Make us shine brightly with your love for us and with our love for each other. Amen.