Wild and wet

Thursday, June 26, 2025

I skip the hike. First, let's try out my lungs on a neighborhood walk: a double-loop (3.5 km, 2.5 miles) is the first decent walk since I came back sick from Bhutan. In a "first" for the upper hill, a commercial crane has appeared to assist in renovations at the 5-star #PadmaBandung hotel.

Anton the standard poodle stays home with me - he's put on meds and strict rest by the vet. Anton's version of rest is running to the gate to bark when someone comes and gnawing on a big ball. His gums are not as pale and his bloodwork and energy are improving. Thank you, God.

There's a bit of back-and-forth with last week's students before I hear from the hiking group. They kindly choose a restaurant nearby so I can join for lunch at #WaroengEthnic.

We drop by the hall, where a faucet has burst and soaked boxes and rugs in a children's classroom. We ask them to lift the wood furniture off the floor and replace the boxes with dry ones.

We spread the rugs open on the court and then fold and drape them over the railings to dry. Most of the rugs are old and frail. Keep or toss?

By the end of the day, I've logged +9000 steps. I am ready to hike...  as long as there aren't too many steep ascents.

Friday

We walk to the project, confirm electrical and lighting placement with the mechanic, and make a neighborhood loop with the dogs.

How about rice porridge for breakfast? Sounds good until I see eggs in the fridge door and change my mind. After 15 minutes of whisking and tipping batter around two little saucepans, there's a heaping plate of steaming crepes for W and me. How about leftovers for tomorrow? Yes!

Today's task is wrapping up Sunday preparation and planning the rest of the year's topics and speakers. Usually I schedule the year by January 1. Since it's our last year as pastors here, I left the year open to allow for shifting. Maybe someone will step in before year's end? We're willing to do whatever God brings our way.

What a lot of work, having to schedule every few months! Lesson learned. Better to build big and course-correct midstream than to continually pull up on shore to build another boat.

It's the Islamic new year. Last night there were torch parades around neighborhoods, like this one up our hill.

The book group meets at #GoodLifeCafe to discuss the current selection: The Year of Living Biblically by NY reporter A. J. Jacobs. It's a hilarious view of trying to live out ancient laws in a modern culture. 

I find myself shaking my head and chuckling at the predicaments and places Jacobs gets himself into, researching what it meant to live in Jewish and early Christian cultures of the Bible. I have been asked to offer a biblical/Christian viewpoint as an introduction.

W has heard about this cafe so he comes along and sits in the courtyard with a $2 tortilla "pizza" and a cup of coffee.

The book group meets in the lower room, where various things hang on the walls. This beetle collection is interesting.

The biggest rugs are still drying at the hall. We leave them draped over the railings. We bring one home, and there's so much dust that W vacuums the car after the driver goes home.

Saturday

I'm up at night. My brain won't let go of details in 3 or 4 directions, so why not churn through them and get back to sleep with the work finished? Except that it's time to rise and shine when I'm done. I guess today is the day for a nap.

The avocados from our tree are ripe. I have to toss about half with bruises or bugs, but what's left is delicious on IbuS's home-baked bread. We have mango yogurt and a few chocolate-covered coffee beans on the side.

We get a rain storm in the morning but the birds chirp and sing after their shower. 

W uses the air fryer to make Chicken Tikka with the chicken I marinaded overnight. I make veggies to suit.

While W goes shopping, I write the next month's newsletter. At least I try. I'm learning a new mail system.

MailChimp (formerly free) monetized to a high amount = "Sorry and goodbye." So annoying to switch after getting the MC process figured out. I'm a computer dummy and it takes a while since nothing "tech" is intuitive for me. Our kids and W are tech-whizzes - but I'm the writer. Sigh. Guess I'm stuck with it.

Read more:

*Those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. Zechariah 6:15

*All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed. Revelation 15:4

*[Jesus says] “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 

"Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!”

Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” 

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Revelation 22:12-21

Moravian Prayer: God of all nations, we lament that we often create and worship our own kingdoms and temples here on earth. Grant that we may turn our talents and energies to your service until all have heard your name! Amen.

Circulation resumes

 Sunday, June 22, 2025

When I arrive home at 4:30 AM, the dogs give us a loud and happy greeting. It takes an hour-and-a-half to fall sleep. The sun's up but we have blackout-ish curtains so I sleep 4 hours until after 10 AM. W leads the Gathering without me and I don't hear him leave.

The full-blown cold is a misery so W also goes to our friend Tota's birthday lunch without me. No one needs this crud! and it's kinder to share wishes than illness. W brings home good food from the birthday buffet. I like this rice combo, even though it has fish inside.

Paulina sends cookies and tea over, too. Her pandan (green leaf) checkerboard cookies are very cute!

I sit on the Porch, wiping my nose, drinking tall mugs of tea, and reflecting on last week's class in Bhutan.

We walk over to the house renovation in the afternoon, talking about what's needed next. Work is progressing at a quick pace. The checklist is going ahead, with items added and removed each week. We spot a 6" frog (or toad?) with red and brown bumps, making his way across a pool and take a video for our grandkids.

While I was away, PakG finished repairing the ancient pot-pond. It was a cast-off from next door - they were going to haul it away when we brought it to our yard, via 6 men straining and puffing. It was so heavy that it broke our trolley.

W says its fish have died off in the backyard bathtubs. Too bad - there were fish of all sizes swimming in about 200 gallons of water. They were in a balanced ecosystem before the pot sprang a leak.

In the meantime, the pot has been repaired 3X and painted over several times. It was so old that it kept leaking from different places, even after repair. The solar fountains circulate the water and air. Here's hoping it's back to health soon.

Monday

After a good night's sleep, I take a short walk but my lungs are too congested to be of much use. I chat with Mom and a friend online and unpack. That's already what I call a good morning. As a bonus for my weary body, Ibu Siti comes to massage the kinks out of my muscles and the lumps out of my neck.

Clau has sent over a bookshelf, which is quickly styled with items on hand. It creates an entry space in the big room by blocking the sofa area.

We go out for groceries - I'm running low on nuts and seeds. We try a new Vietnamese lunch. The hot bowl of pho (soup) hits the spot - so soothing. Can you spot the tangle of electrical and phone cables ... there's always a mashup of wires overhead.

I mix together hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflowers, blueberries, and black currents, thinking it will be my snack for the rest of the week. Except that I put the little ziplock bag beside the breadmaker without instructions to use 1/2 cup of it. When I come back, the bag is empty. The mixture has been baked into the most delicious bread. Oh well - healthy and delicious bread for sure. It has just the right amount of flavor and crunch.

Before we know it, it's early evening. Time to feed the dogs and pull back our energy.

Tuesday

I wake in time to take my cold overnight rosemary tea (thanks, Paulina! great flavor) to the Porch for an online meeting. W and I walk to an in-person meeting with the contractor. We have one more meeting after lunch before it's time to rest. I have no energy for grading or other work yet.

We get sad news: our friend's father has died. W joins other friends at the wake while I cough myself to sleep at home.

Wednesday

Feels like I'm getting back in circulation, thank God. I can't yet breathe deeply as we walk to our "weekly date" breakfast at #NaraPark up the street, but it's nice not to be sneezing. We're eating outdoors so hopefully others are safe. Our server has just recovered from the flu as well. These young people are precious to us - they take amazing care of us at each meal.

How W and I have missed this time together - it's been over a month. Anton pokes his nose through the gate to confirm that we've actually left without him. Sorry, puppy.

The huge tree near our table is "raining" tiny flowers.

God cares about the smallest things, and what detail these little florets demonstrate. I'm reminded that we and our concerns - are significant to God. "He knows your name," my mom often says. W puts down a key to show how tiny it is and takes a picture.

Back home, it's time to go review budgets, analyze options, and make a strong cup of tea so I can grade papers with some clarity. Tea on the Porch is cancelled by a weary friend and the unexpected time doesn't go to waste. I send off the last graded paper - until the final round for this class drops in a month.

We empty the 2.5 meter (7 1/2') lesung rice trough and haul it into the sunshine to dry. We found this cultural treasure beside the road and bought it off the owner a few years ago. Water for the plants has been spilled outside/beside the tarp that lines the trough. The lesung will rot if water sits in it, so no more plants!

Read more:

*The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light. Exodus 13:21

*For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. Psalm 22:28

*The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9

*Jesus said, “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf.” John 5:39

*The creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:21

*John, (writing) to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

"Look, he is coming with the clouds", and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Moravian Prayer: Holy God, may your presence go before us like a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, leading us along the way. Lord, we pray that your compassion and goodness continue to be evident in all that you have made. May we be set free from the sins of this world and experience the freedom of your glory.

May we search the scriptures with hearts open to the testimony of your son, Jesus Christ, who offers us eternal life. Amen.

Beautiful Bhutan (Part 2)

 Wednesday

It's a full day of conversation and learning. Inside. Outside our windows, the wind blows between valleys and ruffles the treetops. Every evening I come back to my room chilled, despite long sleeves, thick trousers, socks, and a fleece sweater. The meeting room is kept cold, A participant sneezes, sniffles, and coughs across the table for two days - 

will I be so lucky? My body receives his gift, as feared. Since COVID, I have no resistance to respiratory bugs. By Thursday, the cold takes hold and I'm sick through the weekend. (I pull on a fresh mask on each flight and for the shuttle bus to home. No one wants this.)

The company is wonderful. The people are a handsome mix of Himalayan heritages. Most speak English, making it easy to get around.

I'm curious about how leaders and emerging leaders view themselves and their country. Many things catch my eye. A thin white scarf is given to arrivals.

Children wear uniforms to school. Adults wear uniforms to work connected to the government or tourism. My students show up in beautifully wrapped fabrics over long-sleeved shirts or blouses. The outfit combinations are creative.

Knee-length skirts are worn only by men. A front "pocket" fold above their waist swallows their wallet, phone, and whatever else they carry. The style emerged after wars with Tibet: it was difficult to distinguish similarly-dressed warriors, so Bhutan cut their uniforms short. Men wear over-the-knee black socks to keep warm, winter and summer.

You know which restroom to enter - even without labels - as women's traditional wear is long skirts while men wear short ones.

We have good mid-morning snacks - usually some meat and some potato. I try at least one of each thing - unless someone else brings it over. Then the snack plate is FULL.

Lunch often includes fruit, a soup, and several savory dishes along with rice. The flavors are wonderful to the taste. The first day I am served a bland (Western) chicken and rice. Apparently foreigners don't like spices? I see what the others have on their plates, and from then on request the local menu - spicy (medium hot), savory, hearty, with uniquely combined seasonings. SOOO good.

Dogs are everywhere - they roam the streets or lie around on the sidewalks. At night, they wake, barking and howling in packs.

Rose-tipped feathers glint in the sunshine as doves perch on the railings.

This is my favorite view from the hotel room. I wake to this and draw the black-out curtains across it in the evening. At 23o north latitude, June daylight lasts from 5 AM to 7 PM. Streets wind beside the rivers, busy enough but without traffic jams. Bhutan's population is under 790,000 people.

Thursday

My written evaluations start before 4 AM. For great improvement, the group needs constant feedback and edits. It's an exhausting schedule this week, cramming 10 days of information into 5. By 4 PM I am almost incoherent, especially since the week began with an overnight trip. We're making progress and learning together. Hurrah.

We eat GOOD food. I like the flavor combinations. Cardamom is a common spice and they have good cucumber salads.We eat plenty during the day, even without supper.

It's raining today and the splash of cars driving by sounds comforting. I'll be grading early so better get to sleep early as well. Kirsten and I call.

Friday

It's a rough night with 4 hours of sleep - too much caffeine during the sessions, maybe? I grade as much as I can before a 7 AM breakfast. The group meets 7:30 until 1 PM when we take a group photo. I am gifted a beautiful tote and a 3D depiction of Tiger Nest. (I enjoyed the hike up there last time I was here.)

We enjoy lunch at a Chinese hot-pot restaurant. Yummy. When the meat runs out at our friends' table next to us, the two women come to over and fish through our soup for the good stuff.

A parking attendant writes the time on a blue slip of paper and places it on the windshield as cars park. When the driver returns, payment is an online transfer to the attendant listed on the slip.

We browse a PR market with local vendor. I find a mint tea and chili spice. 

The nursery's flowers are mostly imported from China.

There are several new hydrangeas varieties I haven't seen before.

The memento I'm looking for this visit is a few yards of traditional fabric. We pass a craft booth with a $100 woven table runner - that's not it! Everyone is wearing this cloth so there must be many shops that sell the bolts.

At a friend's place, we tour the huge community center under construction. Last time I was here, we walked on a gravel drive to this plot. There was only forest on both sides. Now, a neighborhood of politicians, influencers, and professionals has sprung up all around. Quite amazing what happens in 7 years!

I pull up the "before" pictures and send them as reminders of how far the project has come. We take current "during" photos of the construction. Mrs. N is the designer - and the place is stunning. Her garden nursery spreads across the lot next door.

I'm back to my room before 7 PM, too late for supper again, but in time for a hot shower to warm my icy skin.  I pour hot water into my empty water bottles to warm the sheets before I crawl in.

Saturday

I especially like the local chickpea curry with flatbreads. After breakfast at 9 AM, DrT and I chat until we hit the road to the airport around 10:30.

Where can I find that piece of beautiful weaving? That's been my only requested shopping. It is decided that we've run out of time. Can the fabric wait until W teaches in Bhutan? Surely he won't mind bringing it for me? Didn't I take pictures of fabric stacks when I visited 7 years ago? (Yes, I did - I have one photo.) I'm encouraged to show W the pattern/s I like in the picture. Hopefully he'll choose something similar. (Oh boy. Not a chance. I have to let that one wish go.)

We pass rivers and rice fields nestled in deep valleys.

Homegrown rice is costly and accounts for 20-25% of local consumption. The rest of Bhutan's rice is imported from India's northern border.

The airport contains an art galley sponsored by His Majesty. Most paintings depict Tibetan-style demons and Buddhas but some art showcases the Bhutanese love for nature and its rich cultural heritage.

Though the country is small in size and population, its history is rich and ancient. Paint adorns wooden and concrete buildings, and outlines halls and homes in bright warm designs. Most patterns, colors, and shapes - whether in art or architecture - contain religious and cultural significance.

Separation of church and state is a two-centuries-ago American ideal, based on the core value of its founders. As they were wrestling with the country's constitution, it was the era of "Enlightenment" in Europe. Europeans began to reject God's claims as creator. They placed great value what they could understand - that century's science. (Of course, what we know is constantly being rewritten so it's a slippery foundation for truth.) "Enlightenment" reduced faith to was could be observed, rather than seeking to understand - or engaging with - the original force or Creator behind natural laws.

An essential principle of Christianity is that God gives each person free will. Therefore, an underlying motivation for Christian missions is that everyone must be allowed to decide their destiny. Why? If God made humans in his image, they have a capacity for love. His lovingkindness invites us to accept his love and live in his Presence. ... Or he lets us reject him. In the latter case, we must depend on ourselves and on our works - including religious rituals of duty and appeasement.

We haven't observed the separation of religion and daily life in most places we visit. Given that free will is a historically Christian value that shaped the USA, many religions, including agnosticism and atheism, are permitted to flourish there, whereas they rarely have the same freedom elsewhere. It's a fascinating aspect of my research. (My PhD is in Intercultural Studies.)

The airport has the usual lounges with metal chairs placed in rows. But Paro airport also has small rooms along the exterior walls, furnished with sofas and armchairs. I browse the art and read in a "living room" for an hour before our gate is called.

I meet several travelers before we lift off. One young man is on a year's exploration. Chris offers to take my carry-on up the stairs for me. Sure, thank you. I pass along the name of a conservationist here, since he plans to volunteer in sustainability projects while he roams the world. Chris started this year in Italy, wandered through central Asia, and has spent the past few days in Bhutan. His next stop is Thailand. Indonesia is yet to come. Thanks for picking up on him, Sigit!

A Nepalese doctor is sitting in the window seat beside me. She's been living in Japan for the past 14 years. She takes photos as we lift off and airdrops the stunning mountain views around Paro to me.

My flights are on separate itineraries. When I reach Bangkok, I must pass through immigration and customs. Then I get a boarding pass, and check in my luggage before heading out through immigration again.

Thais are very aware of age - and solicitous. The flight attendant asks, (as did the attendant last weekend): "Oh madam, the gate is very far. Are you sure you don't want me to call a shuttle to take you there?" Nope - with so much sitting, I am more than happy to walk a bit.

I find an airport lounge near the gate and eat a healthy snack - luncheon plates only - before boarding. 

The flight is uneventful.  I'm sneezing into my mask with stabbing headaches and terrible pressure earaches during the take-offs and landings. I doze off for an hour or two. My down jacket is worn backwards with the hood pulled over my face to contain germs so I don't infect fellow travelers. They'll find out next week how successful I was, I guess.

Apparently I'm experimenting with a kosher meal. It arrives in a sealed and certified box. The main course is fish, and I'm not usually a fish-fan. It's ok and informative. I won't waste an airline's efforts or resources again. Thanks for outstanding service, Garuda Indonesia!

Sunday

We arrive in Jakarta after midnight. I only got to a small grocer next to the hotel (Friday night) where I searched for a jar of chili pickle. I have no personal souvenirs so I whiz through the "Nothing to Declare" line at customs, along with most other travelers. The customs officer scans my electronic form (filled out by W) and waves me through.

I'm chilled through and looking forward to the Jakarta warmth. But wait - it feels cold, not the usual 30+C (85-95oF). Sure enough - it's 25oC (7uoF) Brrr. I keep my undershirt and coat on. 

The half-empty shuttle bus leaves at 1:20 AM. The driver stops for a 15-minute break - Indonesians like to pull out for food or toilet breaks every hour or two. even on a short drive. This one is 160 km (100 miles). The initial WAZE estimate - without such stops and weaving through truck traffic - is that the trip should last 2:10 hours.

We arrive in Bandung at 4:15 AM. W meets me with a taxi. I feel loved and cared for, not having to think about calling a cab home. He's put a hot water bottle in the bed, too. AAAAH - my skin gradually warms up as I shower. I fall asleep at 6 AM, too tired to unpack.

Read more:

*Thus said the Lord God, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered. Isaiah 56:8

*Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

*And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14

*Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:38-39

Moravian Prayer: Eternal God, we pray for our church as a witnessing fellowship for you. As you have always been faithful to us, help us to be faithful to you, shiny as beacons of light in our communities. 

Name above all names, may your words bring joy and delight to all who hear and follow them. We pray that we also may be baptized in your name and receive the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey of faith. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.