Lent continues - with a birthday celebration

Wednesday, May 26, 2025

After a walk that includes little Casey, we tackle calls, meetings, and emails. (He goes home tonight.) I write the Lenten posts each day.

Mid-morning, I bake an oatmeal loaf, the first attempt in a new breadmaker. W found the appliance on clearance at ACE for $23, due to missing parts, when he took our heavily-used breadmaker in for repairs. He had already ordered replacement parts for the old one but those didn't fix it. When it got to the shop, they said it needs a new motor. The repairman will install the motor for $5, incl parts = should be like new.

Turns out that the new appliance is a Cuisinart. The dough paddle and hook that were missing? Those are the replacements W ordered for the other machine and they fit perfectly. The first loaf is a little flat so we'll tweak the recipe next time.

The lunch centerpiece is the third of four American steaks gifted by W's friend. We froze the meat in Seattle; thawed it here, and W put it in his sous vide. We refroze it immediately. When we want a special meal, we thaw a steak to room temperature before it's hot-seared on a cast-iron griddle. I fry green beans, warm up sweet potatoes, and add Monday's leftovers: cheesy spaghetti to round out the meal.

"My birthday lunch for myself," I say to W. "Who in this whole country is eating steak from a Seattle butcher?" (No one.) When I find a taste I'm hungry for, the meal practically assembles itself. Ingredients show up to match the palate (just as paint shows up to match the canvas.) Meal prep for the feast takes 15 minutes.

The afternoon indulgence is a few squares of peppermint chocolate from Lisa ... we shall miss this couple when they leave Bandung.

And not just because of good New Zealand-brand chocolate!

In rainy season, the plants grow madly. Because snakes, rodents, and other wildlife inhabit overgrown areas, yard maintenance is a priority.

The yardman clips the lawn, which is knee-high in places after 4 weeks. He tried to trim it 2 weeks ago when the good "Weed-wacker" was being repaired. The cheap local string trimmer overheated within minutes so he gave up. Today he makes good progress with decent tools.

Meanwhile Anton the poodle is recovering from being neutered yesterday. He seems happy enough. His dog-walker sends a photo of him ambling around the neighborhood, wearing his post-surgery "cone of shame" so he doesn't open his stitches. He'll arrive in a few weeks, all healed up.

Thursday

It's hiking day, a short one of less than 5 km. Bailey got jumped by a big dog last week and doesn't want to go. We leave him under the Porch table to relax with the house occupants. He's happy to see us when we get home and PakG fluffs him up with a bath anyway.

The main thoroughfares to the mountains are narrow. Often a neighbor will earn extra cash by standing at one end of a one-and-a-half lane street, waving one lane of traffic through at a time.

This busy street is wider but complicated by someone balancing on a ladder. The tukang trims a long hedge with a string trimmer - about a foot under the city's electrical wires. Everyone drives around his ladder. I waited until traffic had passed to snap a photo of this main road.

The trek is through forest, tea fields, and recently planted coffee bushes.

Apparently coffee beans taste sweet when they ripen. I haven't tried one.

Some old tea fields are being torn up and replaced by coffee plants. These old tea roots hang below the shrubs, visible where roads have been cut into the 10' (3 meter) bank of soil.

There are wildflowers.

There are waterfalls.

And there are benches to sit in the shade if you decide not to go down to the waterfalls.

This little bamboo shed keeps rain off a woodpile. 

Lunch with Eva is at Mandarin: delicious. We have a few leftovers but we eat enough that only a good nap can reduce the stupor. The dogs snooze in the car and sprawl on the Porch when we get home.

The helpers are baking ginger cookies. I assemble Ramadan food packets, to be taken home today or tomorrow (depending on their last day before a week's holiday.) The staff got their THR last week, an extra month's pay mandated by the government. An employee must be paid the equivalent of a month's wages to prepare for their religious month: Muslims before Leberan (the final week of Ramadan); Christians before Christmas (though that is less enforced); and the other religions at their primary holidays. We save in advance. The added financial burden can be ruinous for businesses who are barely making payroll.

Indonesia officially recognizes 6 religious groups: Christian (Protestant), Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and animism. With official holidays for each group, salaried employees take a lot of days off - in 2025 it's 17 days (plus 10 collective leave days)! = 27 days. Those on daily wages work through holidays of other religions - they can't afford a month without pay.

My evening meeting is cancelled but I'm wide awake after a late nap. Since I can't sleep right away, it's time to evaluate the year. It's taken almost two years (August '23-March '25) to complete the Morning Pages Journal. Yesterday I finished and put it away. I bought a dozen or so journals a few years back; today the first pages are written in a new one.

Friday

It's my birthday. I start with a walk and Ibu Siti's massage at the house. Maddie and Beba drop in to pick up kefir seeds. Our visit is short but sweet.

Martin, Sayaka, and Harun come for lunch. At Christmas, we offered each team member a meal at our place. The offer is good until the end of May. It's fun when they claim the gift.

Sayaka has made salmon sushi and brings a birthday cake.

We make one last trip with PakG to Toko Setiabudi grocer. While locals are running from one relative to another ("the art of Ramadan"), we will visit with friends and howdy with neighbors.

I reset the kefir and ginger bug - the next sparkling juices are mango and coconut water. Birthday wishes come from all sides, warming my heart. A package from IbuD and Aska contains a beautiful batik blouse in my favorite colors.

A photo pops up from 16 year ago, in another thinner lifetime. My tan sweater is the base color of the batik. In the tropics, you wear more colors than you did in Seattle.

Saturday

I'm awake at 2 AM. I enjoy the silence by setting up a new notebook and listening through the book of Romans. How amazing are the God's gifts of grace, righteousness, and inner peace!

"No one is saved by keeping the law," Paul explains. "You'd have to keep every part of the law precisely, which is humanly impossible. Missing even one point incurs judgment." Yet he writes that Jesus has come and fulfilled the law. Jesus offers us his perfection and righteousness. It's mind-bogging. And an occasion for worship and gratitude this morning.

This weekend starts with Nyepi, a Hindu festival of silence. For most of Muslim Bandung, it's just another national day off. However, in Hindu Bali, most media, phones, commerce, and transportation will be shut down.

Eid al-Fitr will be Sunday or Monday, with a week off after to travel. The 30-day Ramadan fast ends with feasting and gifting. Crime is high because whoever can will return to their villages or visit family homes, hopefully with a gift to offer the family. (We lost our smartphones twice the first year. Thankfully they were recovered by friends who negotiated their ransom.)

Traffic is a snarl. Trains, buses, and taxis are full. Motorcycles clog the roads. Shops will close for the week. Restaurants may or may not have enough staff to stay open. Owners will drive their cars if their drivers leave, which can be dangerous: many only drive during this annual holiday week.

Our dogs don't mind. They patrol the yard and get fewer walks. There's more play since we're around. It's quiet until fireworks mark end of the season. There is no regulation of fireworks. It's a free-for-all that goes on during the all-night chanting at Eid - plus a few days before and after.

Our first visit to Bandung was 12 Ramadans ago. It was a magical evening, thanks to Stefano and Livia Bramono and their daughter Kristi. In that July 2014 rainstorm, we stumbled upon an art gallery and restaurant. We ate together, overlooking valleys and mountains of the city below as darkness fell. Fireworks erupted and celebrated our arrival with us.

Read more:

*To the humble the Lord shows favor. Proverbs 3:34

*The Lord said, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Joel 2:28 NIV

*A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather, the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves.” Luke 22:24-26

*Peter said, “Jesus, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear.” Acts 2:33

Moravian Prayer: Spirit of the living God, thank you for your holy presence. It is so easy to fill our lives with matters of this world. Grant us wisdom and discernment and fill our hearts and minds with renewed vision, so we can more clearly see the life to which you have called us. 

Almighty God, forgive us when we have not humbled ourselves before you and before our neighbor. Quiet our minds so we can be still and hear your voice. Inspire us to serve as we model the compassionate love of Jesus, and may our words and actions be pleasing to you. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Trust who you know

Sunday, Monday 23, 2025

I raid last week's floral arrangement and the garden for a tall bouquet for the hall. People pluck the flowers they want from the vase when the Gathering is over. These are the leftovers.

The morning is special. Afterward, many share their joy at being together yesterday for the football event. 

Guests are welcomed, people chat over snacks, and we pray over Ronnie for his birthday. Look at this cake! handmade by Dina's friend. It's his first birthday celebration ever -  and we're delighted to fuss over him before his friends take him for lunch.

Lizzie texts me. I asked last week if she has a dog to retire later this year. Our canine satpams (yard guards) are aging and we don't want to wait to introduce another dog when they're much older. (High energy = too much adjustment for an old pack of dogs.) Apparently one of her former puppies needs a new home. 

Lizzie finds out more information, the reason for rehoming, and his medical records and sends this current photo.

Then Antoni's owners and I connect. He's a beautiful black one-year-old, healthy and well-cared for. The dog is not neutered. We compare vet fees. Our Gypsy was "half-neutered" by a Bandung vet, which meant a second surgery. Getting a known and trusted vet is a priority before Antoni leaves his people and arrives here.

I call the pet taxi, due to leave March 25th. Oops they left early to avoid Ramadan traffic. The taxi-man reserves a spot for this bouncy Standard poodle on the next transport in 2 weeks.

Monday - J's birthday

Our youngest has a birthday today and gets spoiled by a kakek (an older sibling, who married WELL. She takes care of family connections. Thank you, M.) 

"Wow," says W, "we're old." Yup - claiming that honor even as we miss hugging our son's neck.

The sun shines through the clouds when we walk. It's pleasant but not hot. The vines drape over gates, fences, and trees.

Another frog that hasn't made it across the street is quickly drying out. Wouldn't he make a 3D contribution to a painting? (W says, "You've got to be kidding," and we leave it behind. haha)

A beetle skeleton catches my eye. The insect has wiggled out, leaving his old home empty and clinging to a branch.

That's not all. There's a 2" beetle on the porch. W flips it over and flicks it into the garden to carry on eating aphids.

We lunch with trusted friends who live one mountain over. Expats move across the world; ours is a fluid lifestyle. Expats leave their legacy and are sincerely missed when they're gone. 3 couples are leaving Bandung in the next months.

Our lunch friends are retiring and repatriating. The food is good, the company is warm, and the prayers are sincere. We leave satisfied.

Reading scripture, I'm puzzled by one of the teachings of Jesus and strangely warmed by his offer of himself as a spiritual feast (John 6).

Throughout Lent, I'm plowing through the gospel of John. I'm considering what it means to follow Jesus. What a mysterious and rich faith we have. If you're looking for spiritual challenges, go no further. Here's one spiritual mystery I'm pondering. (Click this link).

Little Casey comes to stay for a few days. She gets along fine with the big dogs, though we walk her on a separate leash so she doesn't get stepped on.

Tuesday

After a 6:00 AM meeting online, we walk the dogs. We pass a fun car in mint condition in our neighborhood. Remember the Bug?

I miss calling my mom but get updates from my brother. Mid-morning, Lisa drops by for tea and a final chat. She leaves mea huge bar of of NZ peppermint chocolate. Yum. She will return home to New Zealand on Thursday. How I'll miss her company.

Our team meeting is online this week. The topic is "waiting" on God for whatever he will bring our way. We're not to be demanding or impatient but settled and patient. It's good advice.

Since Sunday, Antoni's breeder Lizzie, his owners, and I have been texting back and forth. Gypsy had incomplete neuter surgery in Bandung. I am unwilling to risk the same trauma for another dog. Lizzie has an amazing and competent vet. (Read more about him here.) Antoni's owners rent a car for a long ride to Lizzie's vet instead of taking him next door to their usual clinic.

Unbelievable. Antoni has the same condition Gypsy had. I appreciate the trust A's owners offer both Lizzie and me. It could have been an expensive and unhealthy fiasco otherwise.  The vet takes care of everything under a single anesthesia and sends the pup home to recover. And then he gifts us with Lizzie's kennel discount, charging for only one surgery, on top of it all. Thank you, Dr Budi!

Sleep it off. Wake a new man, Antoni. Sort of.

W and I wrap up meetings and correspondence before the sun goes down. Feels good to finish the day.

Read more:

*Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

*I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 59:16

*Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

*"Paul told this to his friends:] "To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great." Acts 26:22

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, help us to sing aloud of your great and eternal love. Equip us, Lord, and fill us with gifts from your spirit, so that we can witness to our neighbor and make known to all, of your deep and abiding love, both now and evermore. Amen.

Kickin' it

Thursday, March 20, 2025

We have a guest coming so we walk the dogs on new paths in the neighborhood instead of hiking. We're back home before the time we normally leave for the hike. Nice - we gain a morning.

The Porch is warm - maybe 75oF/24C, with a nice breeze coming up from the valley below. The birds are chirping - they have made short work of the watermelon rinds put in their cages yesterday. We set out an extra cage to see if the now-wild lovebird will return.

Errands. They're not as frequent as meetings. But off we go this morning. We use our breadmaker each week, but it is on the frizz and needs repair. The week-whacker (used to "mow" the lawn) is also in the repair shop. Stuff wears out, just like people do.

It's a day of surprises. We take the breadmaker into Az-Ko (formerly Ace Hardware) and browse their Ramadan sale. We find a canopy, some round tables, and other items that we can lend to IES Bandung when we're not using them. 

The parking garage overlooks the city.

It might have one of the better views in Bandung, which is surrounded by mountains.

We stop at Mike Pizza for lunch. It's hard to decide which pizza is best but this is one of our favorites.

We're home and the car is unpacked before Lew arrives. We sit around the table for a supper of potatoes, sausages, eggs, and spinach. Then we talk theology and the next steps of his dissertation.

Friday

W and I admire the colors in the neighborhood as we walk. The hot pink impatiens are hot pink are a weed here, freely reseeding everywhere there's soil.

Look at these feet: a pack of boys is playing football (soccer) in their flip-flops and sandals. These boys wave hi as they wait their turn to play.

We drop the dogs off at home and pick up Lew for breakfast at #NaraPark. Paulina, owner and university professor, drops by to say hello before her meeting.

After a morning's work, Lew catches a quick lunch and heads home to Jakarta on the shuttle.

I heat up leftovers for us and read a good book, just for fun. I have several books open (non-fiction and fiction), a different one on each device. I should close those out, I guess.

I decide to bake a carrot cake. The last one had no sugar - I forgot - but was still tasty. This one uses half the recipe amount, with enough sweetness to be delicious.

After writing a referral for a scholarship, it's time to relax.

Saturday

We're off to an IES Bandung soccer/football morning. Alice brings cookies from the hall and we drive down to Carlos and Rosie's place. 

The grounds are landscaped to perfection.

What a beautiful set of apartments! From the patio, we look down on one of two courtyards.

And the pool. Oh the pool. It's so long. And clean.

Kids and adults enjoy time together.

Some children are obviously in sport programs. 

W needs something at the "nearby" mall but we have a lunch appointment so won't have time to get it later. It's not worth a separate trip next week. We decide it's quicker to walk the +3 mile (5 km) loop than driving in weekend traffic.

The route starts through the market. A college friend of Martin's comes along: it's too hot for him to play football.

We watch a mom fasten her infant's hands securely to the driver's jacket before climbing onto the seat behind him. I'd be surprised if he's one year old. Off they go!

If you get a flat tire, there's a little cart sitting in the middle of the street to pump it up.

It's sunny so it's quite hot out. W buys us 50c soft ice cream cones at Mixue to cool us down. Then off we go on our return trip.

We get back to the pitch in time to say hello again and take some photos. 

Driving home, we pick up the repaired weed-whacker. PakG drops us at Maxis for lunch with this dear family.

I choose a tasty beef satay. Then we walk home, just a few blocks away. My watch says +9500 steps, so far.

We read through tomorrow's talk, make some edits, and then catch up on mail. There's more to come tonight. We're looking forward to a special supper with friends.

Read more:

*On the day I called, you answered me; you increased my strength of soul. Psalm 138:3

*Jesus said, “For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:10

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, you are always with us. When we call out to you in our moments of distress, you hear us and lovingly lead us beside still waters. Come into our hearts and embrace us with your gentle presence. Grant us strength and courage as we share this message of your eternal and abiding love. Amen.