Sunday, March 1, 2026
The flowers are a marvel. #TitikBadudu -has made two bouquets today. She recently moved to a new place. So she plucks these from her old garden, one last time.
The second arrangement is surprising - I love the geometry of leaves as well as flowers.
The screens cut out at the beginning of the Gathering. Even when they click back on, many people keep following the words on their personal screens. Today we talk about how God sends his children into the world as his ambassadors.
Since it's the first Sunday of the month, we pray over those with birthdays in March.
Several of us have lunch across the street from KHouse, enjoying the pasta at #NannyPavillon. The guys tour the place, admiring the art on loan from #BandungArtGallery.
When we get home, I have a closer look at the flowers.
It starts to rain in late afternoon. The dogs rest outside the open window where I read and write. There's some kind of creature under one of the terraces and another in a corner of the garden. Juno and Anton are determined to ferret it out = not the best thing for the burrowing critter or the plantings.
A few morning meetings start after the dog walk. I work for a few hours, but fall fast asleep before noon. When I wake, it's back to studies and writing.
I'm in the mood to eat ... ? I rarely cook since eating out is cheap. Weekdays, a helper makes lunches for eveyone at the place: white rice, a vegetable, and meat. (By "meat," I mean one chicken breast or 300gm/1 lb ground beef stretched for 4-6 people. We're not talking a quarter-pounder hamburger each.) We often have leftovers.
I scroll the food delivery app and see Vietnamese pho. aha. That's the taste I'm craving? Ok - the dehydrated onions and "better than broth" beef boullion from Costco (yeah, it expired some years ago, but hey, it's been in the fridge) simmer for a few hours with cardamom, cloves (from our tree), anise, fennel, and coriander seeds. Smells and tastes good, packed with noodles from the fresh pasta section at Toto Setiabudi.
"Ada paket besar, Bu." Apparently there's a big package at the front door? Wow that is big!
We take videos to make sure it's in good condition, whatever it is.
Papan tulis putih. Whiteboards = two-sided with stands, for the kids'program? Hurrah hurrah!
Alice ordered those and their stands from Jakarta; they arrived in good condition. It's typical to video the unpacking to make sure nothing has been damaged in transit. They get carried to the conference room so W can assemble them for use next weekend. Thank you, dear partners, who make such things possible! Together, we care about opening doors for kids and their futures.
With the smell of the pho broth wafting across the house, it's back to work for me! PAOC (a Canadian organization) sends stats and data for the article. Thank you, archivists Nancy and Hailey.
Diving into the rabbit trails of AI "Scholarly Data Only," the links make me wish I had months rather than weeks to complete the research. Between, I refresh my brain by writing a few book reviews.
Tuesday
I miss the walk for a meeting at 7AM. The newsletter drops. And the head of the neighborhood comes by to collect 125.000 ($8?) for monthly garbage pickup. He explains the new neighborhood RT needs to be paid 150.000 ($9?) in addition to the garbage fee. Whatever. W can sort it out later; he's working when the guy comes to the gate.
I hand over the money and say I don't understand, but it will work out. PakG explains the amount he needs to obtain an updated address change with the neighborhood council.
The orchid drips 7 spent flowers and has 25 left. This is the most heroic bloomer I've ever had.
There's always paperwork. The Indonesian government keeps close track of expats. We have documents to print out. The reliable printer is not working. I do what I can, parking my computer on the printer and plugging in, without success.
The team comes over. Daniel and Della grab some books so they can choose a study for their young adults group.
After a good walk and meetings, it's time to start editing. Things are coming together. I feel like I'm in a park when I look out the window.
PakG gets information from the neighborhood chiefs on which documents to bring along for the change of address. "New rules," he says. Of course.
W does a presentation based on his new book, which is well-received. In late morning, Hendy drops by with a coffee table that's been left with him and is not needed.
Chacha and I meet for lunch across the street at Nanny's. Her new business venture is as the point person for a Chinese sauce company. She leaves samples for W and me to try.
The pesto sauce is tasty. We wait for the downpour to subside before we leave the restaurant.
Read more:
* Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. Joshua 23:11
* I know that the LORD maintains the cause of the needy and executes justice for the poor. Psalm 140:12* You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay? Shall the thing made say of its maker, “He did not make me,” or the thing formed say of the one who formed it, “He has no understanding?” Isaiah 29:16
* Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
* For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16
* For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
* If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? James 2:15-16
* For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
Moravian Prayer: Loving God, you ask us to turn our hearts to you. Why is it so difficult to follow your statutes? Accept us in our strength and weakness as we seek to fulfill your call: love God, love neighbor, love self. In your name, we pray.
Loving Holy Spirit, like a mother tending to the various needs of her spiritual family, restore and heal us, so that we may lead others with courage and fortitude to move and change the landscape of our neighborhoods. Amen.
