"C'mon in": the mix of cultures at movie night

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

There's nothing like dinner-and-a-movie night. It's noisy, crowded, and a mix of heritages moving back and forth, from inside the house to the Porch. 5 years ago today, we hosted the last movie night before COVID hit, with 27 countries represented. No one knew how long the pause would last. (Or that it was coming.)

It's taken a while to pick up steam again, especially between travel and teaching schedules. Many faces have changed but the joy of being together continues. (5 years ago, below)

We decide on tonight, the only Wednesday option before Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. We're dragging with jet lag but determined. W and PakG moved furniture around the living room yesterday. Today, W makes sure the projectors are working.

My part is hospitality. Cooking starts shortly after 4:00 AM, with a break to catch my breath in the afternoon. The helpers come about 3:00 PM and at night the crowd descends. Despite the drizzle that usually puts people off, the line stretches out the door. Love it!

We're watching This Beautiful Fantastic, a slow-starter of a film that unfolds scene by scene. The question is: "What assumptions do you make when you meet someone? Might a deeper connection change that?" Ok, so it's two questions.

Inside and out, the place is full and the sounds are happy. Several new friends join from the -stan countries and other places that dropped off during the pandemic.

 Our first movie night "son" Agus says goodbye as he is leaving to work on another island.

When everyone has gone, they have left behind a nice water bottle ...

and some sneakers. Apparently someone took our flip-flops and left their shoes. A fair exchange. haha

Thursday

No one's up for a hike in the mountains so W and I take the dogs on several rounds of the neighborhood. It's a 9000- or 10,000-step day by the time all is done, same as a hike but less interesting.

We walk in our door in the time it would have taken to drive to the mountains. The hedges drip with multi-colored flowers. Nice! W sends his book draft to the editor today, so the extra morning is welcome.

We clean up from movie night = washing floors and ledges, vacuuming furniture and rugs, and putting art and furniture back in place.

Some of the tablecloths need cleaning. We lift the round center off the dining table, pull out the old cloth, and slide in a new color.

W stores away the technology and mostly replaces what he "undid" (furniture and plants) in preparation for movie night. The helpers and I do the rest.

We have opposite ways of working but have learned to be content after 47 years of marriage. While W prefers to do things himself so they are done "properly," I happily delegate general and repetitive chores. I don't mind investing time to teach someone whatever doesn't require my personal engagement. Once it's offloaded,  I won't think about that chore again - the details magically happen without me.

Chacha is setting up her office so she drops by for decorating ideas. We spend an hour considering possibilities. A blank slate: utter joy for me - and she's creative enough to have great fun with it, too.

After lunch, W and I head to the grocer. We forgot to buy vegetables for the salad yesterday; we're definitely lagging. A grocery list is a lifesaver. As the food is put away, the skies darken and the wind kicks up. "Rain, rain, go away ..." I write a half-dozen book reviews and download some upcoming books.

Friday

After movie night, there's at least a minor shift in placement. As we put things 'back' they may drift to a new spot. I like to notice things in a fresh way, whether it's a plant growing along the street, a piece of art, or a holdover from our former life.

In this case, I move two Bali glass/wood pieces previously used as aquariums on the Porch. All the fish died while we were traveling so the bowls were empty when we got home. Now they're decor on the library shelf.

Bailey our older mini poodle poops on the mat outside the bedroom door and I step in it. Ugh. I don't notice until I'm several steps into the bathroom, which calls for disinfecting shoe and floor. He wasn't around for the walk this morning so perhaps he wasn't let out in time.

The phone company has cancelled our accounts so W goes to find out what they're thinking at Telcomsel customer service. He comes home in time for a late lunch. I write the Foreword for his upcoming book and he sends that off.

A contractor and his assistant arrive, offering a budget for an upcoming project. Looks hopeful. We'll pore over the details and trim items in the next week, with the help of Google Translate.

Saturday

The house is dark and quiet as we emerge into the day. We're out the door about 6:00 AM. The rain doesn't start until just after lunch but it's cool and breezy as we walk.

W hosts an online study after we come home. I make some calls, write book reviews, and prepare for tomorrow. I combine leftovers for lunch, to which W adds his beloved green Tabasco and grated parmesan cheese. Some hot red pepper powder and curry spice plus salt and pepper, jazzes up the last of the yogurt for a creamy side sauce.

Ramadan has started so there's no need to cook for PakG. (That often falls to me on Saturdays.) Those who adhere to strict Islamic rules will not eat or drink between agreed-on times of daylight. Even swallowing saliva is frowned upon.

Elders, pregnant women and children, manual laborers, and the ill are exempt from fasting. Those who find it too taxing eat or drink out of sight. Restaurants mount drop-down tarps across their windows to block out the "eaters" and make it easier on those who fast.

Read more:

*Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord or as his counselor has instructed him? ... Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:13, 28-31

*Jesus said, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

Moravian Prayer: Gentle Wind, we long to feel your presence throughout our days. We sometimes lack the faith and vision to see your works and learn your ways, yet, deep down, we sense your Spirit guiding all that surrounds us. May we never feel apart from you. In the name of the Spirit, we pray. Amen.

Contracts and recipes and cooking, anyone?

Monday, February 24, 2025

Lunch with Alan and Jani is always a pleasure. We meet at #Homeground to enjoy some Chinese-ish foods. OOOOH - it's very spicy today ... and I usually like spicy. We eat it anyway, our mouths on fire.

On the street, this black velvet butterfly has seen better days. It's too exquisite to pass without noticing though.

Bamboo loves the rain. Look at the frilly canopy overhead.

We chat with SamP about his role as liaison in new ventures. He's in Indonesia for a few weeks to connect local creators who have customizable products with  American vendors. Look at this jacket!

He has other great ideas. W is his taster for individual filters with customized coffee.

I share our contacts, sending a note to them that he may be in touch. (Most people don't like to be solicited out of the blue.)

The garden is in pinks again. Sometimes the flowers rest; sometimes everything blooms at once.

I download a dozen books to review. Last week I listened to this one: a controversial but honest look at how American values mix with Christ's call to his followers. I'm convicted and reread it to see what challenge belongs to me.

I've recommended the FutureMe app to friends and counselors for years = you write a letter to your future self and schedule it to arrive on a specific date. It's been working great to spotlight progress or regression in various areas of life.

I'm irritated when FutureMe informs me that my free account expired last May. What? Sudden warning? Um not true anyway. I wrote something in January. Now there's suddenly no access to past letters unless I buy a plan? (The letters already waiting for delivery from last year are gone. Unless I pay to get them.) Ugh.

Tuesday

W's churning through the final chapters in his book. I haven't had time or capacity to read or edit its thick theology but today's the day. First, I attend a few online meetings, pray for others, and explain the day's chores to the helpers. Today they're redoing the bedding, serving tea, and cooking lunch, in addition to general cleaning.

Someone asks if we have decorative items to sell as she opens a second office. Blankets or a cloth slung over a sofa?

A grouping of items?

Maybe some paintings? Or? (So many options! Tell me more.)

Our landlord's mom and sisters have come from Jakarta. Our neighbor and his friend  introduce us to the family and they join us for tea. They thanks us for maintaining their house in good order.  They are relieved when we give them copies of the rental contract and other paperwork they're compiling since the death of PakH a few months ago.

It's a delight to meet Ibu Wigar's lovely 87-yr-old sister, who looks just like she did. (Our neighbor Ibu Wigar asked us to live here when she moved into another family home. She has since passed away.) They are descendants in the royal line of a Sundanese king.

W joins the girls-only photo. Like IbuW, her sister is a wonderful gardener. We gather seeds from the garden for her to take along. The family offers us a complimentary stay in their Bogor rental villa either with a group or alone. What a gorgeous property! (Let's see who wants to join us.)

IbuS has made a second attempt at 3-ingredient biscuits, which we enjoy at tea with other baking. The original recipe didn't specify self-rising flour so we baked little rocks yesterday. (The dogs liked them.) As easy as it gets?

1, 2, 4 Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175C) and grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Stir together and add to muffin pan:

1 cup milk

2 cup self-rising flour (or 2 c. flour plus 4 teaspoons baking soda)

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

    3. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.

Yum. They're tasty with honey.

After the guests leave, we have lunch and I finally get to editing W's book. The afternoon and the crashes of the thunderstorm overhead have passed before I'm done. I learn a new Indonesian word for "cheer": bersorak. 

I've promised the family the photo of PakH dressed in traditional robes at our house. It's a sweet memory of a nice man and was our last snapshot together. I'm glad he asked for the picture to confirm the contract for our ongoing lease in 2019.

I hunt through my photos for an hour without luck. Then I open my blog and search for "prince." He was a princely descendent of the old Sunda kingdom. There he is. With the date established, I find the picture in my file.

Wednesday

Cooking starts at 4:15 AM. Yay for jet lag. I drink tea and tidy as I go. There are always splatters to wipe up = so much easier to remove when they're fresh. The spaghetti sauce had a moment when the heat was high ... the stove, floor, and pot are suddenly dotted with orange. Oops.

I finish all but one sauce by 7:30 so we go for a walk with the dogs. We decide not to eat at this nearby restaurant. They must have lax management: they're the only eatery whose security guys leave garbage and scraps along the street. Old rags and other debris stay on the ground for days.

The satpams sit and chat or smoke without sweeping the back parking lot or moving broken refuse. Today there's an a discarded tire as well. If the kitchen employees are as inattentive, the food won't be safe.

We meet our supervisors to account for what we've accomplished and what we plan in 2025. Another meeting lasts until mid-morning. I'm feeling peckish so W and I split leftovers from Sunday's lunch: good noodles in sweet broth.

It's time for a break; the helpers come at 3:00 PM and my cooking resumes at 4:30 PM. We can hardly wait to see our global mix of "kids" - the young adults who will show up tonight for dinner and a movie.

Read more:

*The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

*The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Proverbs 9:10-12

*God, the Lord, is my strength. Habakkuk 3:19

*So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Moravian Prayer: Our Strength and Motivation, sometimes we lose heart. We lose the fire that you set in us to blaze for you. Help us to search inside ourselves for the light that will never be dimmed. Strengthen us to be your hands and feet in the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Cheering on our volunteers

Saturday, February 22, 2025

The dogs run through the garden and knock over a tall red flower. I bring it in for the dining table. Little black seeds drop all weekend. It's fun to scoop them up and toss them into the flower border.

We're back to walking. We're also back to sunshine between warm rains. The inauguration of the assistant governor is over. The fete is held nearby over three days with many guests.

We pass dozens of flower boards sent from big businesses and important people, wishing him well and making a statement of support. Those names are recorded so they may bring favors another day.

The flowers blooming along our driveway are simpler but just as pretty.

After reading tomorrow's talk together, W and I wrap up morning chores. Our first meeting is at Tanikota, where a group is hosting a free dental clinic. Art activities keep children and moms busy while Dr Gati does the checkups. Sayaka iss the dental hygienist and event organizer. John and Joy are supporting the efforts. Feibe and other volunteers pitch in.

They give instructions about gum and tooth care. DrG teaches me something new: teeth are rotting because kids (and parents) are eating for hours at a time as they watch videos or play games on their cellphones. Having food in their mouths for so long is not healthy =>> gum rot and tooth decay. Many children have black teeth.

Clau and Leo tack up coloring pages from the group. Shoes are lined up outside the "island" of carpet and tarps where families sit together.

Robin sends over lavender plants, which PakG pots up. I take Gypsy on a second loop around the block in the afternoon. The other dogs howl to go along but I just need one easy mile to keep me awake until sundown at 6:00. I don't have energy to take them all. Besides, they've had 3 walks already!

Sunday

We've been up for hours by 7:00 AM. W drives to the hall but I hop out to shut the gate. Hmmm, why not walk? Our neighbor appear and we chat for a half-hour before I set off. It feels good to stretch my legs. Chika makes sure we snap a picture of volunteers in the prayer room before the Gathering.

Titik has done her usual "marvelous" with flowers for each table on Round Table Sunday.

Afterward, the Leadership Team hosts the annual congregational business meeting. They give financial and missions reports, encourage volunteers to participate, and pray over the congregation in closing. We announce that we will lead IES Bandung for a maximum of one more year. With that, the public search can commence for the next pastors.

Pak Tota knows a good noodle house in the city and invites a group to eat together in honor of Sam's visit from the USA and our return from abroad. Oh the taste and texture is GOOD: thick chewy noodles in spicy broth. We try a sour fruit drink (ambarella) that pairs nicely with the salt and spice of the main dish.

This old-style, 3-wheeled taxi sits across the street as we climb into Tota's car for a ride to the north end of Bandung.

We step onto the sidewalk where they turn in another direction to home, intending to call a Grab. But who gets to take such a beautiful walk on a Sunday? The weather is ideal: not too hot (74oF/23oC) and not too humid (80%). We're wearing comfy shoes, too.

We stroll a half-mile to our hill and then climb while upward, looking for a passing angkot (public passenger van). Within a mile, five chartered angkots go by, full of women and balloons (for what?!). There's no public transport in sight, which is unusual - there should have been 5 or 10 vans by now. At least that many descend the hill on the opposite side of the thoroughfare.

After 25 minutes, we leave the main street with its noise and pollution for a quieter road behind the university. We meet a movie night friend on the way.

He hails us: he'd planned to eat at a food court that isn't open. Since he's going to visit someone in our neighborhood, he follows through the lanes (jalan tikus or mouse street). My watch records 2 1/2 miles (3.5 km) to home. What a pleasant way to work off lunch without much effort.

W and I preview the film for the upcoming Movie Night.

Monday

The dogs are happy to do a loop walk first thing in the morning. Some meetings are cancelled. Some are added. Between meetings and getting over jet lag, we'll buy food, cook it, and host a dinner-and-a-movie on this final Wednesday before Ramadan = Muslim daytime fasting.

I water the Sunday bouquet by #titikbadudu and put it in the living room. It's a visual thrill of color and texture.

The baking attempt today is dinner rolls. It looks simple enough and we have a liter of mayonnaise in the fridge that has nothing to do. IbuS tackles it.

The study on the porch and online takes most of the morning.

Read more:

*Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live. Deuteronomy 16:20

*Shepherd your people with your staff. Micah 7:14

**Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

*Christ himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12

Moravian Prayer: Righteous and forgiving Savior, lead us daily on a path toward justice for all our brothers and sisters everywhere. Help us to always remember your commandment to love one another as you have loved us. 

Shepherd of souls, call us out of the sheepfold, the comfortable places of safety in our lives, that we might go out into the world with curiosity to discover the ways your love shows up. You don’t just call us to follow, you invite us to lead others to discover you in unexpected places. Amen.

Flights and happy landings

Sunday, February 16, 2025

We love Sundays. I watch Feibe online, preaching her first English sermon. Way to go! It's a blessing and pure joy to watch young leaders hone their skills.

W and I attend the morning service at BNC (Bellevue Neighborhood Church). We feel right at home: people from many nations are present. Is that the best of all worlds? being international while having a Trader Joes nearby? ha ha

Alan Ehler preaches on God's healing power. It's a beautiful affirmation of God's care. We attended BNC as students, married and went back to Canada, and then came back with our young family. Today we visit with friends we haven't seen in years. Those include two admirable young women for whom we pray regularly.

For lunch at Fang's Noodles, we order 2 dishes plus a bowl of rice. The bill gives us a bit of sticker shock. The rice we added at the last minute is $3 for half an Indonesian portion! We can feed the team in Bandung at a decent restaurant for the total.

Melissa treats us to a Chinese massage in a nearby strip mall. These guys do a good job. We feel the easing of muscles as they grind  elbows and fingers into our backs and feet.

While I write and catch up on messages in our flat, M makes supper: salmon, pineapple chicken, a crisp salad ... whew. The family eats together before we head downstairs for a hangout. The grandkids make us laugh - they're endlessly creative and funny (and fun!)

They played the bird whistles we brought from Turkey earlier. We sent them outside to run up and down the driveway as they warbled. Today they race penguin figures accompanied by a digital tune on a track from Bandung. It's equally noisy and cheerful.

T has found our favorite Malaysian tea (his and mine) on Amazon. We can't even buy this in Indonesia. (Our friend DrW brings a package each time she visits her kids there in Malaysia.)

The guys do what they usually do - hang out with devices in hand, checking info, sharing memes, and catching up.

We give Jonathan a big hug before he heads out. They'll do a "guys night" tomorrow but I'll take all the hugs I can get before he moves to Germany in a month or two. He was a special child, full of laughter and love for his siblings. Isn't it a blessing when kids grow up to be responsible and beloved adults?

Monday

M sends down a scone for breakfast. Yummy, with tea. We start to pack for home. What global workers put in their suitcases might surprise you. We focus on what we can't get abroad rather than vacation-style preparations.

We pack local gifts for others and kitchen wares (including SOS pads from the dollar store, silicone pot lids, and a wide-mouthed funnel from my old kitchen). I wrap a jar of clover honey in a recycled Amazon bag (bubble wrap) and surround it with a big bag of crackers. I got new cookie sheets for movie-night cooking marathons and some book studies.

Of course, we include monstrous TJ chocolate for baking and a few peanut-butter cups for stress relief. Chocolate may be heavy but it's as valuable as gold! With an extra suitcase, thanks to W's flyer status, we'l be stocked up for months.

I found 2 new sport tops to replace worn-out ones; they're tucked between things we don't want smashed. Tomorrow we'll add Keelee's cookies, some cheese from the freezer, and lesser items until we max out our luggage weight. We pack and repack.

Someone asks about my morning travel makeup. It's 2 minutes to done, unlike in Bandung where I add sunblock and insect repellent after washing my face. These 4 items, tucked into the front pocket of a purse, suffice for days or weeks away: a foldable hairbrush, eye liner pencil, eyebrow pencil, and lip color. (If I forget one, it's easily replaced at any makeup counter.)

When feeling ambitious, I use an eyebrow brush and Chapstick. (Hardly ever, she says. 2 minutes are long enough.)

One of our meal favorites, easily available here but not at home, is pre-made ravioli. We eat some for lunch with a tomato sauce I find in the pantry. A cup of buttermilk! (my grandpa's favorite) gentles the acidic sauce. I've never found buttermilk in Bandung, though we make a baking substitute with a tablespoon of vinegar in 1-2 c of regular milk.

We're usually tired when we get home, jumping ahead 15 hours on the clock after a few long flights. So today's the right day to catch up and write a monthly newsletter.

For supper, Melissa and the grandkids share their leftovers and ours while the guys go out together. Yummy. 

Jonathan drops by afterward to chat about his future and his calling to showing kindness in the world. We pray together and send him off with a hug. It may be a long time before we see him again.

Tuesday

It's the last day in Seattle. I call Mom and a few others to say goodbye and thanks. Breakfast and lunch are leftovers - why leave stuff in the fridge or toss it? We close up the suitcases after a shower and doing laundry. 

As we tidy up, we find boxes of forgotten items. At some point when he wholesaled tea, W ordered 20 Ingenuity pots. We have many left, even after giveaways. I put one in the suitcase and send another to a friend.

My delight today is finding Auntie Molly's cookbook. She died almost 20 years ago and her cookbook went missing. I'd agree to digitize it and looked several times through my boxes for it. Then yesterday, it was lying in front of the bookshelf ... in plain sight. Thank you, God. A bonus gift of memories. I can almost taste her food as I browse the recipes.

The old-style German cursive is familiar: she wrote me regularly from when I was a teen to young-married. Then Uncle E took over correspondence. They sent letters and postcards from their travels around the world - Singapore, South Africa, India, China ... they were world travelers each year. A few years ago, I gave him back those letters.

I scan the pages and clippings before sending the files to the extended family. Inside one pocket of the cookbook is a little green slip of paper titled Roly Poly Strudel. What?! I can't believe it. Here is the recipe I asked my mom for 2 weeks ago. Mom had forgotten baking this roll, which is filled with nuts and Turkish delight. Long ago, I guess she wrote the recipe out for her older sister. What an unexpected find. There's a BIG smile on my face.

AuntieM had a quirk of squirreling money away in hidden places. One of UncleE's requests after her funeral was that we'd let him know when money turned up. It did - in coat pockets, in corners of the house, and in other places.

Today I find $35 Canadian in $5 bills in the cookbook's pockets. It makes me laugh and warms my heart to think of the "best auntie" who loved me since I was a child. I send Uncle E a note letting him know that he has more money than he thought. Let's see how to get it back to him. [He says, "keep it!"]

In the evening, T drives us to SeaTac airport. We stay in the lounge until boarding time. I'm so relieved when W gets a whole row for the +11 hour flight ... but he insists I take it. So I sleep - 5 hours! and lots of resting time. It's incredible what a difference it makes to the body to lie down. He sleeps about the same amount of time in my seat across the aisle. Who else has such a thoughtful husband? (Not many wives, I'll wager.)

Wednesday

We "lose the day" between time zone changes to 15 hrs ahead and the Pacific dateline. Our flight leaves early in Seattle and arrives in Taiwan another hour early so it's a long 6-hr layover. We start in our regular lounge before W checks out the ChinaAir lounge. The airline gave him a pass to their lounge as a frequent flyer in their group. I tag along.

There's a beautiful greyhound bronze in the entry.

It's a quieter space, more comfy, and has good food. I avoid airplane meals this time around. The food has been ... well, mostly indifferent. Since I"m not hungry, there's no sense in shoveling down a meal because it's there.

The Asian flight attendants are a marvel. They're quick, courteous, and watching for service opportunities. It's a contrast to the rude service in the West, where there are 101 rules for what employees can and cannot do. Workers must ensure they get their breaks and tend to their own comfort with limits for serving passengers in the economy zones. American flights feel like people are "just doing my job."

Before leaving Bandung, I wrote on a half-sheet of paper: "Please let me sleep. Thanks" - with a smiley face on the side. On each flight, I stick it on the knob of the fold-down table. Except for the Delta flight from Austin, flight attendants honor that and let me rest. The China Air crew even tags my seat with a red sticker, "Call us anytime you need something." When I wake, they rush over and ask if I need a meal (late) or anything else. WOW.

Between conversations with fellow passengers, I pull a hoodie on backwards with the hood over my face. I can't sleep if there are flashing lights = people adjusting their screens, flipping on their overhead lights, and cabin lights means no rest for me. The reverse jacket is the perfect blackout solution. Plus it is furry and keeps me warm in the cold cabins. Maybe some people rest better when it's cold? I wake as soon as my fingers and toes are chilled.

Thursday

The flight touches down at 1:30 PM, on time in Jakarta. I like the green wall by the luggage retrieval.

By the time our luggage is retrieved, the first shuttle bus is booked for the harried ride to Bandung, and we get picked up by PakG, it's 7:30 PM.

Home sweet home amid the motorcycles and little kids hanging on in front of their moms ... We shrug off our winter clothes. "Hot and muggy, with rain at least once a day," reports PakG. 

As we come in the yard, two of our dogs come running. The other is nowhere to be found. I whistle and call in case Gypsy is in a corner of the garden. Then I go into the neighborhood - but no luck. He's gone. I'm too weary to worry, but I can pray. God knows every creature's path.

PakG takes his motorcycle around the hill. He finds Gypsy a half-mile (2/3 km) down the hill, leashes him, and brings him back. Whew. We're all happy he's home - he scooted out of the gate when the neighbors left it open for a while (closing their own gate inside). They chased him so he ran away, instead of letting him come back on his own. Of course, they didn't tell us what happened. Later, we find out third-hand.

"Can we leave the unpacking until tomorrow?" W asks. Sure he can. But I put things away for an hour and am done. After a shower, it feels amazing to crawl into our own clean beds - and we crash out for 8 hours.

Friday

No breakfast. I'm not hungry. Ibu Ade comes for 2 hours of pounding the stiffness out. I listen to textbooks during a massage so the time is well-spent. Today it's a new one: "Die to Live" by  . What a challenge to spiritual formation and awakening. I'm convicted and refreshed, body and soul.

W is picking up a second-hand electric converter so I go along to get out of the house. The rice fields are being harvested along the roads.

We are not sleepy but not really energetic, either. The Korean chicken place is cheap and tasty.

We walk around IKEA for steps. In our go-section "As-Is", we find blackout curtains for half-price ($75 for 6) and hang them when we get home. The room is darkened but not blacked out.

After, just as awful but less light.

I'm not hungry for supper either. And I'm not hungry at night or at breakfast. IbuS left us a home-baked bread. I'm up for 4 hours at night but the emotions and experiences pour out into my journal. Pages and pages of processing what we've seen, heard, and will pray for.

I look at the week ahead on the calendar and write it down in the "little book" in my purse. Sleep feels sweet and restful.

Saturday

W's already walked when I get up at 6:30. He has a study at 7:30 and then I write the talk for tomorr.w W and I read and edit it together before we're out the door to 2 events. One is a dental clinic hosted by volunteers where they usually teach English. Sayaka the leader trained in dental hygiene in Japan. She's a wonderful organizer of this free bonus for those who learn English at Tanikota farm.

Read more:

*I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. Psalm 40:10

*There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

*Paul wrote: We had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 1 Thessalonians 2:2

Moravian Prayer: God of the Ages, since the time of psalmist and apostles, your steadfast love and faithful presence inspired generations to live out your gospel story. Now we are the generations who hear your call to receive and share your love. Inspire and embolden us, we pray! Amen.