Working in paradise

Monday, February 26, 2024 (Lent Day 11)

We spend part of the day helping organize the conference and part of it enjoying the island. We check out the fabric store on a street of textiles after walking through the traditional market. 

These old batik stamps (metal) were used to hand-press wax resists onto cotton and silk. Then the cloth would be dyed various colors. Now most fabrics are printed by machines.

We criss-cross the highway where this statue straddles the underpass. It can be a hair-raising step of faith to broach traffic. 

Lunch and supper are near the hotel for taste as well as convenience. This salad platter makes a wonderful supper for W and me as we meet the organizers of the conference to discuss the schedule. Since there's a Hindu festival on Wednesday, many places we'd planned to take attendees are closed. So plans have to change. 

These leaders are flexible: they serve in Mongolia, Romania, Taiwan, Thailand, Katmandu, and elsewhere. None are in their countries of origin.

Tuesday (Lent Day 12)

We are so tired that we sleep until 7, waking to bright sunshine. The river below sparkles with light.

W and I walk to Kuta beach and back (a few miles). The beach is littered with plastic, swept ashore by the currents. It is deserted: so much trash means you can't swim or fish in the ocean.

Many grand projects have been abandoned and many shops did not survive the pandemic. However, traffic has begun to flow again and tourists are beginning to return.

It's not unusual to step off the sidewalk into busy traffic. This may be due to obstructions (like this tree and 4 poles plus a wall) or bus stops (typically 1 meter high with a ramp up on one side and stairs down the other, placed smack in the middle of the walkway) or walls jutting out so that the sidewalk is less than 30cm (10") wide. Up and down we go.

The conference begins with dinner at the International Conference Center near the hotel. We are given an introduction to the schedule, pray together, and talk at our tables. David, the leader of MICN who spent the weekend with us in Bandung, reminds us of our common purpose.

Wednesday (Lent Day 13)

It's a full day, including a morning session led by Don Butera (New Tribes Bali). There's lively discussion afterward. 

W and I are not hungry for lunch so retire to our room for a short nap. The group rides to a Hindu temple ground. Bali is full of portals and statues and littered with trays of offerings to various gods. The visitors exclaim at the plethora of religious symbols at the entrances to homes and offices.

The view from the top of the cliffs is spectacular.

We are warned that the monkeys are vicious thieves. Despite all cautions, they steal several pairs of glasses off the faces of walkers, including from someone in our group. I loan him my reading glasses - the monkeys have pulled out one lens and torn the frame of his glasses to bits.

On our way back, most of the group walks along the shore to dinner in Sanur.

We're back at the hotel before 8:00 p.m., sweaty from the 90+% humidity and heat. The air-con in the van is minimal and it's been 88o (31oC) - and hotter in the sun.

Thursday (Lent Day 14)

When the sessions are done, 2 vans take us to Ubud, a hilly city north of the conference center. We eat lunch there and explore the arts and crafts of Indonesian workers.

For the Hindu festival, streets are hung with decorative poles. The event is about appeasing ancestors and chasing away evil spirits.

Temples and statues are everywhere.

Children march the streets banging drums and chimes.

At the side of the road, there's a typical tangle of wires.

But the beauty God makes is untarnished.

Late in the evening, we eat supper with colleagues at Nuri's, enjoying ribs and vegetables together.

We're ready for sleep when we get back to the hotel. The conference gathers global workers who lead international churches for a time of encouragement, reflection, and mentorship. Thanks be to God.

Read more:

*In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to the mountains?” Psalm 11:1

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. Hebrews 10:35 NKJV

Moravian Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for your living word, which guides us through life. Your word is a lamp for our feet. Help us to be aware of your voice and listen. Give us the confidence to know which way to go, as you shine the light in our darkness. Amen.

Fly away! owls and others

Friday, February 23, 2024 (Lent Day 9)

W is up early: 1:00 a.m with jet lag so he's ready for a walk at 6:30 - why, half his day is already over! Many walkers and neighbors welcome him back with a hello and wave.

We breakfast at Nara. The owls are being returned from their time in the sun. One after another, they fly happily to their perches. The handler drops their leash but they still feel the weight and don't escape. I wonder how many times that's true of us as well: we're not actually tied down but the weight of what we carry prevents us from flying free.

We stock up on food at the local grocers and drop by friends' house on the way home. They're away so we miss them but their helper comes to the gate.

Saturday (Lent Day 10)

It's my turn to do flowers for the hall - 12 little table arrangements: ferns trimmed from our wall combined with flowers from last week's big bouquet.

Breakfast with friends? Sure. W's regular group has studied together most Saturdays for the last 9 years. They used to meet every week at Waorung Ethnic but like most of us, they now meet online. I have my favorite rice oncom with peanuts and spicy meat on the side.

It's nice to eat breakfast together and catch up on their families and lives.

After, W and I walk down the hill and catch Kiki, Veronica, and Troy for a quick update. I've put my Tiffany heart bracelet back on again, a reminder to pray for many who need a healing touch from God.

We cross the street to the walk-in clinic - W has some spots on his hand that he wants to check out.

We run into the owner of Ethnic there, too. Medical care is quite casual - W walks out with a $10 bill for the doctor's visit, skin salve, and meds. (On top of our +$1000/mo mandatory American medical insurance, we pay local insurance: $10/mo, which gets us excellent local care.)

The little shop along the road is barbecuing chicken sate on skewers. They're 7c each - the catch is that they may be reusing the wooden skewers. We have to check that!

W's off to town shortly after lunch. He brings David home from the train station in time for supper at #NaraPark. David tries a local soup that's W's favorite. We chat and then it's off to sleep.

Sunday

I check for assignments coming in from the Singapore school. One student has submitted an early paper. It's too perfect to have him write it alone. With AI, Grammarly, and other tools, even those with poor English can "write well." I'll run everything through a plagiarism program before giving a grade. 

The porch garden is bursting with color after all the rainy nights.

David and I eat at Miss Bee Providor before walking around the corner to the international church. W's been setting up; we pray in the prayer room before the Gathering. David presents the global vision of MICN.

W and I speak together on the sometimes-painful consequences of doing good works: healing in this case. In Acts 4, the followers of Jesus are beaten and threatened by the religious authorities, rather than being commended for doing good deeds in Jesus' name.

"What seems better to you?" the apostles ask those persecuting them. "Obeying people or God?" And off they go to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus again.

We have an uneventful trip to Halim Airport in Jakarta. The airport in Bandung has been reclaimed by the military, with civilians shifted a few hours away to a modern new terminal with hardly any flights. There's no point in going from there and according to friends, it remains mostly empty. Why not shift the military out of the center of town to a new airport and serve the civilian population from their center (5 million people)? Unfortunately, decision-makers didn't ask potential passengers for feedback.

So Halim it is - a bit over 2 hours away. It's on the east side of Jakarta far from the main airport. Small and uncrowded, we have to come back out of security again to find the lounge, which has a few boxed items for lunch. Not exciting but the second trip through security is equally uneventful and quick. 

It's a smooth flight to Bali for a conference. The weather is cool (for Bali) and it's rained. We reach our hotel 8 hours after leaving the Gathering in Bandung. 

The Hindu statues are lit in the roundabouts.

Supper at the mall nearby is ok: udon noodles in curry. The addition of peppers gives it a little zip.

"Mom Rosemary, is that you?" a voice calls out as we walk toward the hotel. It's Rea, who joined movie night at our place years ago. She's been working in Bali for 5 years. It's a treat to meet the young people we've grown to love, all over Asia.

Monday (Lent Day 11)

We wake early despite the hour-ahead time zone. Planning continues between the organizers after W and I head out for breakfast. It will be a day of exploring and rest on an overcast day. It's not supposed to rain until afternoon.

Read more:

*Son of man, say to the Israelites, "This is what you are saying: 'Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?"

"As surely as I live," declares the Sovereign Lord, "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live." Ezekiel 33:10-11

*Turn! Turn from your evil ways! I will do more good to you than ever before. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 36:11

*Paul wrote: I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Romans 15:29

Moravian Prayer: God Almighty, you never get tired of keeping us safe or providing for us. You are never tired of doing more than what we ask of you. Give us more strength to do good for you, too. Amen.

What would we do without a chocolate fix once in a while?

Monday, February 19, 2024 (Lent Day 5)

I have time for one loop walk with all 3 dogs as the sun is coming up. They come running when I mention "let's walk" and sit so I can put on their leashes. I wish I matched their enthusiasm!

We peek in as we pass the Padma Hotel. The foyer is lit up for Valentines Day and Chinese New Year.

3 calls and a few text exchanges = making connections, answering questions, and praying with people. It's not a good sign when I'm craving chocolate by 9:00 a.m.

The day of editing, reading, and snacking quickly flies by. I've snagged some nuts, dried apricots, and chocolate chips from the freezer. (The nuts quickly go rancid if left out in the heat.)

The scent of 8 gardenias wafts across the room from a glass votive holder. More flowers bloom on the shrub but I restrict myself to 2 a day ... and they last for days. Perfection in perfume.

Tuesday (Lent Day 6) 

It's an early morning, up at 3:00 and in meetings by 5:30. I skip the walk since I'll walk to the team meeting later, 1 km away. At least that's the intention. It doesn't happen.

When you have staff, whether in business or the home, you have to plan what needs doing. Most routines need no instruction. But today, we're hoping for south-USA-style biscuits, using the simplest recipe. I stress that the butter must be cold (taken from the freezer since it warms quickly in the 80-85o F/25-30oC kitchen) and cut into the flour until the pieces are pea-sized. 

Baking is full of adjustments, regardless of the recipe we're attempting. Ingredients are not the same quality. Besides adjusting for altitude, we can't even find some familiar ingredients. For example, there's no buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 c milk. However, here, white vinegar is 20%strength, not 5-6% like in the USA, so we'll add 1/2 tsp instead.

"Pat it into shape, don't beat or stir beyond wetting the ingredients." Let's see what happens! Looks good, and as expected, the butter melts into the dough almost as soon as it's cut into the flour. I make beef gravy with the "Better Than Broth" brought from Costco USA. Apparently I'm hungry for a familiar taste ... a flaky biscuit. We have guests coming for lunch. 

The biscuits are not a bad first attempt. I cut them into bite-sized pieces. They need more flavor so next time maybe we'll add onion and herbs or cheese. And a bigger pinch of salt.

W is on his first return flight with one gratis hour of T-mobile internet, which he quickly uses up. WA and other text service are continuous. It's a 48 hour trip door to door, due to a 23-hr layover in Seoul.

The yardman is cutting things down this week. He turns complete shade around the fruit trees to sunny access. The mangosteen needs pruning so it will bear again and the mango tree has been shaded for a few years = no mangos. The former neighbor said it had a reputation for "the sweetest and best mangos!" We've never tasted one. And mangos are my favorite fruit.

The IES team meets on the Porch in early afternoon, enjoying cookies and tea with our small group activities.

"Are those papaya flowers?" someone asks, looking at the white blooms beside the Porch. (Papayas either have fruit or flowers, not both.) "Cooked with guava leaves and pork belly, they are less bitter." Our help is Muslim and doesn't eat pork, so the cook won't have to prepare pork. We do eat the flowers.

Want some flowers? "Sure!" I grab a rain poncho for the yardman, who climbs the ladder in the pouring rain to pluck a big plastic bag's worth. Our friend snags some guava leaves from the tree beside the Porch and is set for supper.

Wednesday (Lent Day 7)

On the morning walk with 3 dogs on one leash, I spot a 6-pack of dogs exiting a gate ahead. Gypsy has the Gentle Leader on; he sees them but doesn't react fiercely. We give them a long lead and make it home without incident.

Today the yardman culls masses of self-seeding ferns that threaten to overwhelm everything else on the green wall. The fronds are 4-5' long (1.5 m). He tucks the stems into a bucket of water. I'll cut them to size for little Round Table bouquets this weekend. (The wall before and after, below)

Three goats are hard at work in the field next door. Their cheery "neheheheheheh" echoes throughout the day. The canary sings its heart out as I eat part of a cookie from #QuietWatersBakery, chocolate infused with coffee. SOOOO good.

I check for submitted assignments from last month's class. Empty grading folders. That's ok: I'm starting work on the next class I'll be teaching. It's scheduled for a classroom in the Philippines, though it may also be hybrid; online and in person.

W arrives home late at night after the final flight from Seoul to Jakarta and a shuttle ride to Bandung. The last bit is the most hair-raising part of our travels.

He brings chocolates to tide us over in the months ahead. What a guy!

Thursday (Lent Day 8)

We all go hiking on dirt paths between the tea plantations,

and tramp overgrown trails in the forest. The track is sometimes a mere dip in the grass. We've done this many times; dog and human stride confidently forward. We feel for slick moss-covered rocks and poke our hiking sticks in when it gets really slippery.

The dogs, running ahead, clear away ground creatures but there are big spider webs at face level. ugh. The destination is a detour from the usual path to a waterfall. The palms are dripping with long strands of cherry-like pods on the way down.

The dogs go for a swim. (W's photo)

We spot a little shelter - made of bamboo and palm fronds - with live electrical cables coming from it and stretching across the fields. See the power box inside, on the back wall? I guess this is the power station for the farmers.

It's always nice to get the dogs into the car after a hike. They may be wet, muddy, and full of grass seeds but they are very happy. As are we. It was a hot and sunny walk today.

Our shoes are filthy and we usually bring a second pair to go out for lunch. Today I had these old Daiso house-slippers on when I got in the car. I guess I'll leave my sneakers on.

The old-fashioned clay teapot at Tizi's keeps the tea hot. W and I are not really impressed with the schnitzel we order, but the setting is pleasant enough.

This typical ratio of motorcycles to cars waits at the last stoplight before home!

Read more:

*Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. Psalm 25:8

*Let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy. Psalm 68:3

*His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Matthe2 25:21

Moravian Prayer: Great and awesome God, the kind of joy you bring into our lives makes us want to always lift you up in praise. Help us not to lose that disposition, but to use it to always worship and serve you with joyful exuberance. Amen.