New friends meet and "family" returns

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - Movie Night, finally

Help arrives at 3:00 to cook rice, cut salad and fruit, and bake cheese balls. Last movie night, we skipped the cheese balls. It was funny to hear the many complaints: "Where are the cheese balls? We love those!" 

IbuS learned to bake the Brazilian recipe from Claudia. She and IbuA are loved by the students for their friendliness and hospitality. The rest of the food  is heated up after this morning's cooking marathon.

The students and young professionals are excited to be back, though W and I can't figure out how they hear about movie night. Word of mouth? It's only the fourth movie night of 2024. By now, we'd usually be on #8 or #9. Instead, movie night has been bumped by travels, flu, and teaching. There's only so much we can jam into the calendar.

We're reminded why we love this evening. The movie is Thelma and the questions are about limits on who we are. W checks the movie for language, violence, and sexual content since few modern Western movies are appropriate in this culture.

Before we run the movie, we ask them to consider: "How are you limiting yourself? And in what ways are others trying to limit you?" In this grandson and grandma caper, offensive words are minimized by the mild language of the Indonesian subtitles. Whew.

Guests look forward to familiar and new food options. They go back several times to load up. For many, it's the biggest meal of the month.

It's Laurel's last movie night before she returns home to the USA. We'll miss her!

Shall we sit inside or outside?

It's good company in a safe environment. New friends and old meet in laughter and noisy conversations.

This shy crochet artist creates flowers. People are hanging out. Eating together. Doing life together. It's good. 

The house is filled to capacity even with the least-even number of countries-of-origin: 7 nations. Where are our Africans? And Turkmenistan is the only -stan country today? With unrest in many places, it's harder for foreign students to take advantage of Indonesia's generous government scholarships.

Bella met us as a student years ago. She brings her baby (one year old next week!) and her husband so we can stay in touch. Sigit, we prayed for you for years, that Bella would find her true love. And here you are. We love this young family.

Our last guests depart at 11:00 p.m. We shower, fall into bed, read a while, and thank God for these lovely younger-s who hang out with each other and us.

Thursday

What a good hike, short at 5 km but with a lot of ups and downs. We start a half hour early as the weather is warming up. Dry season is cooler without night-time cloud cover. Once the rains start, we have a warmer start to the day. In wet season the sun comes out after a rainy night so it can be cooking-hot and humid. Luckily, it's often breezy in the mountains of Bandung.

We're detoxed by the beauty of nature, even after a short night's rest. It's a forest and meadow walk, mostly shaded. 

Water droplets are still evaporating from the moss-covered pines.

We find pods with a cotton-like fiber inside.

Lichens and mushrooms cling to bark and decaying branches. These are massive (10"/20cm) above our heads.

Even plain brown mushrooms on a fallen tree have pretty rippled striping.

A few trunks are covered in white fungi.

There's wild ginger.

The grass is twice as tall as we are. No using a lawnmower for it. The stalks are chopped by farmers wielding machetes, bundled, and hauled out on backs or motorcycles to feed livestock.

In some sections the trail is more visible than in others. The trail hugs the side of the mountain for a while. We stick close to the upper bank as mini-landslides take the mud downhill from under our feet. The dogs run ahead, the clatter of their feet warning snakes and other creatures away.

New 4"(9cm) fiddleheads of the ferns poke up 3-4'(1-1.5m) above the ground.

A startling red 5"(12 cm) flower sits flush on the natural compost. There are no leaves in sight. Perhaps it's a bulb?

Ah, what a relief to get to the car and pull off our trainers and socks. Back into flip-flops = comfort.

It's Daniel's first Thursday hike; we met yesterday at movie night and he's come along in our car. We enjoy a Balinese-style lunch before heading home.

Sigit and Bella brought us a pretty batik for our anniversary. No use waiting to wear it; as we restore the furniture and accessories in the house, it spruces up the nook table.

This coming Sunday, IbuA marks 10 years with us. She can throw a party with her family or fund a project with her 10-year bonus. We sit together in the nook. I ask the annual questions, "Do you want to keep working here? Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

It's rare to have such valuable long-term employees. Each person who works here is greatly appreciated as God's gift. Their assistance makes it possible for us to teach, launch community projects, and lead IES teams.

There's one last meeting at 9:00 p.m. I haul out my notes but feel barely awake for the committee that is reviewing my book topic. They discuss what would be most useful to them and most supportive for cross-cultural workers. They share personal stories and offer advice on creating a survey to collect data.

They invite me to return as I make progress. I'm slowly writing the book chapters. The process? Browse the outline that sits in plain sight on my desk. I fill some pages if I feel inspired and then tuck it away until next time. 

Writing is the least difficult part of any project. Focus and energy seem the most limiting with our current obligations. I send an email reply: "Sure," as a university press asks me to edit an academic article. I'll be turning one of their dissertations into a book over the next few months, too.

Curiosity drives me. I wonder what people are thinking and experiencing. Editing is one of the easiest ways to do a deep dive into trends and ideas.

Friday

Pink cowboy hats? Well, the neighborhood exercise class seems to have a Western theme this morning as we walk by.

At #NaraParkBandung, the tortoises are strolling, eating grass as they go. They are huge.

This one apparently wants a proper breakfast.

Just a moment ago, this man was standing upright, pulling sacks of garbage onto a pickup truck at the local dump. Talk about good balance ...

W points out another deceased insect. The colors of nature are mind-boggling. God spends this much effort on bugs? Think of how much he cares for you!

Ibu A and IbuS worked tirelessly at movie night Wednesday. Yesterday they reset the furniture while we were away. Today IbuS calls in sick; a molar is infected and her whole mouth is swollen. OUCH. Get well soon.

There are only hot and wet seasons in Bandung. We're in a seasonal transition now. Last month, the old leaves were pushed off the branches by young growth. It felt like autumn as dry leaves heaped up and were swept away each day. But no chance of grey branches. The new red or bright green leaves appear within days.

When there's a seasonal change in the northern and southern hemispheres, I switch out our interiors. I'm reading about spring arriving in Australia and fall coming in Canada.

Today we go from summer greens to autumn browns by swapping pillow covers. Let's pretend we're not 6 degrees south of the equator.

Even the pillows on the "retreat chair" in our bedroom get neutral covers. The fold-out chair was a "steal" 10 years ago when we arrived. We've used it as a daybed once, as a chaise a few times ... but as a reading chair many times. The broad arms are perfect for setting down a book, a mug of tea, or a snack.

I make  lunch for everyone from leftovers and noodles, do the dishes, write for a few hours, and then call it a week's work. The house is back in place, IES Bandung hosts a guest speaker this weekend, and there's a team meeting on Sunday. Other than that, not much is going on. haha

"Don't worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own," Jesus tells his followers (Matthew 6:34). So true.

Read more:

*Maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Psalm 82:3

*In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

*May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Moravian Prayer: God, we know you are the defender of the weak and those in need. Lead us not to do them injustice but to share your love with them. As you provide for us, may we be good stewards and provide for those in need as well. Amen.