Java the island Part 1

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Today American celebrate the goodness and generosity of God and spend time with their families and friends. So I'm jumping ahead I'm this blogger-journal with a happy bulletin board designed by artist Angie. We are thankful for so many blessings today.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

W returns from Taiwan via Jakarta in late evening. He's tired and happy to be home. He gathers everything together for the morning, when he will speak at IESB. His series is "Can we trust the Bible?" He's a university professor, so it's thick with information worth considering. (Link to the four November 2023 sessions here.)

Sunday

We're up and out early, ready to worship God in community. In this season of saying thanks, I'm grateful for good teams who lead in many ways.

That includes Titik, who surprises us with a beautiful arrangement every second week. For those who notice the world around them, such gifts draw us into thanksgiving, too.

Lunch is with friends at #NaraPark. The team there takes good care of us with nourishing and delicious food. We leave nothing on the table, not even infused water. (Makes my heart happy to enjoy a repast so thoroughly.)

When we get home, the IESB kids and their parents are wrapping up their semi-annual potluck on the Porch. How grateful we are to share the abundance of our spaces.

Monday

We packed yesterday afternoon and are on the train to Jogja (mid-island) in the early morning.

The views on both side of the train are stunning but we're in the same seats and on the "hillside" both ways. We assumed the train would loop so we'd have both outlooks. However, the staff rotates the seating so an engine can be locked onto either end. That means we see beauty on the south both ways but not the open valleys to the north. Next time.

No worries. The rendang (spicy coconut-beef stew) is delicious and the 6-hour ride is smooth.

Java is mountainous. The many rivers provide irrigation for rice paddies.

Locals carve the terraces out by hand or break up the soil with small hand-driven gas plows. Old clothing waves off the birds who love to carry off the ripened seeds.

Rice provides abundant and cheap carbohydrates for a burgeoning population.

We arrive without incident. Once again, the number of motorcycles catches my attention. See the row of helmets and bikes on the upper parking lot? Every public parking space has a separate area where motorcycles cram side in by side. Cars park in a separate area with lines defining the narrow slots.

Vanessa picks us up at the station and takes us to the Hyatt, an unexpected (and unearned) upgrade where we'll stay 2 nights. 

The grounds include a 2km (1.4 mile) walking trail. It's flat as it winds through the grounds. We take advantage of it before breakfast.

The staff is friendly and the ladies in the foyer ask for a selfie. Batik is more patterned and less floral here.

The flower arrangements in the foyer catch the eye and my imagination.

W and I dump our bags in the room and head into the neighborhood to explore what's nearby. Look at this nifty speedster lounging in an open shop.

It's about 4oC (6-8oF) warmer here than in Bandung so we share an ice-cream cone. Think, "Indonesian DQ" - and you've nailed the flavor. However, here's it's still under 50c (7,000) for a huge waffle cone topped with a generous serving of ice milk.

The Hyatt decor makes me smile. Look at these seed pods, sprayed silver.

They're on a tree made of harvested rice stalks. Aren't people creative?!

So why are we in Jogja? It's not for a vacation. But, more about that in Java Pt 2.

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*How can a mortal be just before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand. Job 9:2-3

I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” Luke 15:18

Moravian Prayer: The grace that you have extended to us, dear God, is difficult to comprehend. Your forgiveness of our sins is so radical in a world where people still seek an eye for an eye. Thank you for setting this example, and for being our strength when it is our turn to forgive a wrong done to us. Your grace is life-giving. Amen.