Breaking ground and catching a lizard

Thursday, October 29, 2026
Rudi and Paulina hike along the river with us. The gradual downhill is moderately longer than 2 loops around our neighborhood. We are enveloped by the jungle as we pass trees growing up the bank along the water. Many creatures live alongside people here.

W snaps the capture of a large lizard as we walk by.

W, an explorer, knows all the paths through the neighborhoods. That lets him choose the difficulty level for walking companions.

Indonesians make many things of natural materials. The intersections of bamboo are knotted together with synthetic cloth or ropes.

We pose across the river from the "color village," an impoverished neighborhood that is being boosted by tourism and selfie-seekers.

Our final stop is a brunch buffet at Dalaraos at the end of the trail.

We give Paulina and Rudi a quick tour through the Project. The dogs are happy; they know P&R from the hikes.

W and I finish setting the house in order. The helpers know where everything goes, vacuum and wash floors, and bake banana bread and Christmas cookies. Yes - it's that time of year when we start end-of-year baking. The freezers are almost full. Every event eases capacity as guests enjoy cookies and banana bread. IbuA's recipes hit local and foreign palates perfectly.

Friday
We do one loop with the dogs and leave them behind for the second round. Anton is dragging at the leash. We don't know if he's under the weather or stiff from sleeping wrong. The dogs are not amused when we go, watching at the gate until we return.

We liked the focaccia bread so much on Tuesday that I bake another batch. That's lunch, along with rujak (Indonesian pickled fruits), a gift from friends at Games Night. W's family pickled and ate all kinds of fruit and vegetables so he enjoys it. Our family? Not so much. Dad tolerated Mom's pickled cucumbers. I have her recipe somewhere but have never tried making it. Neither my dad nor I gravitated toward sour tastes.

After lunch, we set out to buy a few more loaf pans for baking regular and banana breads. Traffic is slow. It's graduation day at one of the best Indonesian universities. Each student can take only one or two people into the hall. Most family members sit along the sidewalks and parking lots, waiting for their graduates to finish and come outside.

We hop out of the car to walk the last blocks to the shop, passing a typical Dutch-style house. It is being converted into a shop.

Another bamboo creation is an elephant sculpture in front of the campus gates.

The flower sellers do a lot of business.

Sadly, the kitchen store is closed for 2 days to take inventory. We ride back up to the house empty-handed. The evening bonus is an impromptu call with Keelee, a dear friend and mentor. She inspires me. The late start on sleep is worth it!

Saturday
The creatures are more than ready to get up and go at 5:30AM. zzz W and I slip on shoes, head out the door, and walk the loop twice. Have a dog? You have to walk it unless you're willing to have behavior problems. Doesn't seem to matter if they're big or small; the adjustment (depending on the dog's size) isn't, "Do we walk or not walk?" but "how far?" The exercise is good for us, too.

Before 8AM, we head for the groundbreaking ceremony hosted by Jorge and Caron M. Their dream is to erect a sports court that provides jobs, serves the community, and gives neighborhood kids something to do. In a few years, most people will forget that there was ever an empty field under the high-speed train.

It's fun to watch the Marquez kids play with the shovels and move the dirt around, alongside distinguished board members and fundraisers.

We head up the hill to #HomeGround, where we haven't eaten in a while. A neighbor has planted a crown of thorns hedge, lethal if you run into the spikes. It keeps people from parking in front of his house.

The food is uniformly excellent and the service is good. We enjoy chatting with the crew. "The chicken you ordered has bones," reports the server after he checks with the kitchen.

I'm not a fan of bones in chopped chicken so he recommends a replacement. It's good with chili oil on the side. I peel off the skin as a treat for our dogs. (They love it.) The bill for our main dishes plus a plate of our favorite Szechuan green beans is about $10.

Back home, I take the bread dough from the fridge and divide it into a cupcake tin. It rises nicely, the oven is preheated, and we're ready to bake the buns. Except the pan is too wide for the oven. I scoop the dough onto a flat sheet and bake it. Still tasty. Every time I make bread dough, I experiment. Haven't done the same thing twice, but we've had at least six or seven yummy variations.

Sayaka and Martin come by for W's speech therapy. She notes that he's much improved this week.

The noise level goes up in the yard as 70-ish kids arrive for some English fun. A new volunteer shows up with a dinosaur costume. She understands kids!

I look up "how to play mahjong" since the Games Night table tried to persuade me to join them. I get the shivers and my palms start to sweat as I read the AI description. The goal is getting 4 sets and a pair? You're confined to a table with sides called East, West, South, and North for an hour or more? Lost me already, even if you start with an extra tile on the East side.

After sitting in one spot and focusing on a game, what does one have (besides a headache or an adrenaline letdown)? I don't do puzzles, either.  I'd rather read or create.

As I read, I wonder, what is all that screaming? I leave my office chair and go to find out.

With my stern teacher voice, I quell a riot of grade 1-3 boys. They are playing football in a corner of the conference room, hollering with each "goal" as the flip-flop they're kicking strikes the wall. The rest of the kids are trying to pay attention. 

"What do you come here for?" I ask them. "We love having you come, but this is for learning English. If you want to play football, stay home." They look at me with big eyes and settle down. Most of the kids love coming over. It's playtime and learning tied into friendships, plus adults who enjoy being with them.

The dinosaur is a hit with the kids as they line up for post-lesson snacks.

She hands out candy from a little orange pail. A little girl gets overexcited and throws up. The technique is perfect: she misses her dress, her face stays clean, and the mess lands right beside the drainage ditch. W sent PakG early so he cleans it up himself with a pail of water and a broom.

Della wipes the marks off the boards, which is fantastic prep for next week's sessions. The whiteboards are often left grey, dingy, and half-wiped, a pain the next time they're used.

A few volunteers stay behind for another hour to play with the dogs. Thank God, it didn't rain this afternoon, an answer to prayer for sure. It's the first day this week that hasn't been wet.

Read more:
* Samuel said to Saul, “Stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.” 1 Samuel 9:27

* For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

* Bless the LORD, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. Psalm 103:2,4

* And Jesus said to Simon and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Mark 1:17

* When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. Luke 13:12-13

Moravian Prayer: Lord Jesus, you call us just as you called Simon and Andrew to follow you. Fill us with the courage that they showed and allow us to leave behind everything that is holding us back from following you. 

Living Savior, you are with us today, and you can set us free from our ailments. Place your hands of mercy upon us and heal us so that we may stand up straight and praise you. This world is full of people who need to know you. Help us to find them and bring them to you. Amen.