Catching up on history as we chart the future

Saturday, July 12, 2025

So good to be home! The creatures are happy to see us, though Lyong has done a marvelous job taking care of them.

When we arrived home, there was a new-to-us sofa in the entry. W helps me position it across from our existing one. Two faded black pillowcases, casualties of windows that admit tropical sunshine for the past 10 years, match the dark grey upholstery. Perfect size and color. We pop them on the couch for a more finished look.

We walk out to breakfast, admiring the fruiting shrubs that line the lanes.

At our favorite breakfast courtyard, orchids are tied to branches.

We love to sit in the open air to eat.

The server brings a pot of tea while we decide on breakfast noodles.

DrG sends over a delicious cheesecake. The delivery motorcycle, complete with little fridge, meets us at the entry to the neighborhood and hands off the treat.

It's catch-up time, but what better place to sit and work than overlooking the garden? The green is restful for screen-weary eyes.

After a day of preparation and settling back in, we walk up to Homeground Szechwan for a spicy supper.

As usual, groups are lining up for selfies.

Sunday

The Gathering is such a blessing. We rehang artwork by David, who lives in Japan with his wife Georgina and their two kids. In the short time they were with us, David produced some lasting beauty in the hall, including the mural.

IES supports Indonesian families in Berlin and Taiwan, too. The latter family joins us and Ps Kornel speaks. We host them and our team for lunch at Nara. The kids love all the animals: owls, hedgehogs, tortoises ...

They walk to the project with us to pray a blessing over those working there, as well as the renovations. A group is picnicking under the trees. What a great space.

Monday

We walk a short few blocks, taking Anton out for the first time since his tick infection. He's pulling like an alligator again. We return 20 minutes before our meetings start. That's enough time to cook a plate of crepes. W and I enjoy them at the table on the Porch.

It's our last lunchl with Vieiras, good friends and coworkers with Alice and us. They move to Panama later this week. We've watched their teens grow from little kids. Josh gives us a copy of his method book, a labor of love.

Clau passed her dissertation defense Saturday - so is now a Doctor of Architecture. Hurrah! They understand hospitality and the kindness of strangers as we do. We drop past the project with them to pray a blessing on the spaces and people who will come and go.

A door has been knocked through a wall to provide access to a room. We are amazed at how easily and quickly spaces can be amended here.

Tuesday

Our morning walk is beautiful and uneventful - the best kind.

There's a great variety of blooms today.

This two-toned plant opens little mouth-shaped pods with white "teeth" inside.

Renovations of the #PadmaHotelBandung are going full steam ahead. Construction crews are erecting temporary housing and offices in their parking lot.

It's a people day. Dyna and her two boys come in early morning to hang out on the Porch.

We need new passport pictures so over the noon hour, we head for #JonasPhoto downtown.

School pictures are not taken at the school but at a photo studio. 

Some high-schoolers pose on the staircases for selfies. Giggling and pushing, they examine the knicknacks in the shop before their teacher walks them back to school.

The team shows up in early afternoon for conversation, tea, and baked goodies. As they're leaving, a good friend from Jakarta arrives. Tirza tells us funny stories of college days with our son.

Alice joins us for a spicy Szechwan dinner at #HomeGround just up the hill. Darknss falls while we eat; the cafe windows glow as we walk back to our house.

Tirza and I discuss the utter joys of leadership as women. There can be challenges in male-dominated settings, too.

"People automatically turn to my husband with leadership questions," I tell her. "It doesn't matter that I'm actually leading the team." I've become used to it. Typically, a man - including W - doesn't even notice when it happens.

I think about the common obstacles women face as leaders. Most are called "bossy" or "demanding" when they participate equally, so they must gauge when it's safe to show up as fully present. It's distracting if we're ignored when we are responsible for charting the future and making decisions for a company or team. Sometimes it gets downright weird.

Women around the world (and across cultures) have observed to me that guys rarely notice when women are sidelined. Typically, when a man is addressed when his female team leader is also present, he jumps in with a response rather than referring the question to her. It can also be frustrating to be excluded when the boys' club heads out together, assuming a female leader won't want to join. Sigh. Human interactions are complex.

Wednesday

W and I take Anton on his first full loop with the other dogs. He's bouncy and eager but sits immediately when we stop. "Good boy."

The dogs are happy to come home and sleep off the walk.

W and I make some big decisions (plans for next summer, cabin repairs, and renovation updates) before he heads to a meeting. In the backyard, I spot massive plants against the back wall. The leaves are 3-4' (+1 meter) and the blooms are 6-8" (+15cm) long.

Tirza and I enjoy breakfast on the Porch. I make scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. Later, we walk down the hill for lunch, passing more beauty. This strange little plant catches my eye along the curb.

These contrasting colors and shapes can't be missed.

Ethnic serves a good tenderloin for $8. No rice for me today!

When they came to NU, Tirza and Kristi were the first Indonesians we'd met. We thought if every Indonesian was as nice as they were, it must be an amazing country. (It is.) Tirza shares a photo of their first autumn in Seattle, when we took them to Snoqualmie Falls.

She catches the high-speed train back to Jakarta and home in the afternoon.

There's one final meeting at 8 PM and then it's time for sleep. It's been an active and busy week and I think I need the hike tomorrow more than ever!

Read more:

* Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4

* Lord my soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. Isaiah 26:9 NIV

* But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them come, if they can save you, in your time of trouble. Jeremiah 2:28

* In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

* My beloved, flee from the worship of idols. 1 Corinthians 10:14

Moravian Prayer: Compassionate God, we often find ourselves slaves to our possessions, our money, our jobs, or our own wants, forgetting that these things are temporary. You are permanent, everlasting, and eternal. May we always remember this. 

O God, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to save us and to show us how to love and offer grace to others. In the morning, in the evening, and all day long, we are reminded of your steadfast love for us. With gratitude, we pray. Amen.