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.