Christmas week! 2024 - thanks be to God

Sunday, December 22, 2024 - 4th Sunday of Advent

We enjoy time with the IES Bandung family. Though many are away, other travelers join us. We sing Christmas carols and talk about the peace of Christ that the angels proclaimed.

Titik has worked her magic with flowers.

The eldest person lights the candle of "peace" for the fourth Advent Sunday.

What a joy to be together.

Roadside, there's a star-shaped flower on a tall weed.

These little stars fall from the trees and punctuate the street.

W takes a closeup photo of one.

And pink bulbs have burst into bloom along the street.

Monday

Jane and I enjoy the morning on the Porch with tea and baked goods. Some friends have sent cakes and pastries. Jane takes along a few books for her kids to read.

We start preparing the house for Christmas Day, cleaning and paring away. We're cleaning, baking bread, and doing final shopping. We drop off our favorite curry cubes for Alice, who is cooking for her family. Breakfast sausages and curry cream are a favorite at movie nights and other events.

Our simple 4-ingredient curry recipe+water: 

1. Heat 1-2 T of oil in a medium-hot saucepan or pot. 

2. Stir-fry 1/2 chopped onion for 3 min. until it loses its color. 

3. Add a block of curry*, gradually adding a liter (4 c) of coconut cream. 

The point is to have the curry absorb the cream and onion flavors. The sauce should thicken each time.

4. Stir and sauté the curry slurry for 5 min between each addition of cream. It will be thick.

5. Once all the cream is added (about 1/2 hour?), gradually add hot water (up to 2/3 the amount of cream.) Simmer uncovered for 10-20 minutes. Should be creamy and fragrant. 

That's it. If you hate onions, go straight for 'sauté curry in coconut cream'. The sauce bubbles as soon as water is added so I sometimes make it in a soup pot.

* Hint: we make a huge batch so we combine a block of mild and a block of medium curry. It freezes well. Whisk it as you heat it up and it's like freshly-made.

There's even a Christmas aisle at Toko Setiabudi.

The garden is in fine color.

Tuesday - Christmas Eve

One last batch of cookies: these are star shapes. They make 7 batches. They're still cooling when they go home.

We're at the hall at 4:30 for carols rehearsal. I can't believe how relaxing it is to play with a band. We have a good drummer, bass, and guitar - plus Eki brings his violin. My hands do their own thing by reflex. "We didn't know you played," say many of our regulars. What? (I prefer to let others learn to play keyboard in process, so rarely play myself.) 

We go through all 11 carols before  the Candlelight service at 6:00.

It's a wonderful time of community. We read a portion of the Story from scripture, then sing a carol. 

At the end, W lights his candle from the Advent candles at the front of the hall. We pass the light around and sing Silent Night.

Alice and her crew have hot chocolate and cookies ready. People stand around and greet each other, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Wednesday - Christmas Day

W's got the water boiling in the big stockpot before I get to work at 5 AM. We never know how many people to expect (80 come, the same as last year). The sauces are done but I cook spaghetti, and bake sausages and meatballs. The women come at 9 AM to cut salad, wash dishes, and cook rice.

We decide on savories inside (kitchen) and desserts outside. The tablecloths are on, anti-fly fans are whirring, and the food gets piled on the tables. We use rattan plates with paper liners and recycle cutlery and cups.

At 11 AM, guests of every age start arriving. They're from every continent. 

The best surprise is when Herbert, our Tanzanian former team member, shows up. We didn't even know he'd returned to Indonesia! I tear up, seeing him.

How close these young people grow to us. We don't have birth family nearby, but these are children and grandkids of the heart.

As always, it's a joy to read the Story together, eat, and open gifts. I package about 30 extras for those who forget to bring a gift for the exchange. After, we put the extras away for next year.

It gets noisier and noisier! as gifts are swapped, stolen, and opened.

Every corner of the yard is full of conversation. Those who come as strangers make at least a few new friends.

After the last guests leave, W and I clean up a bit, give the helpers their Christmas bonus, and relax. Nara has sent over a feast (Beef Wellington) that makes an amazing supper. Thank you, Paulina and staff!

Thanks be to God for the wonderful gift of his Son, Jesus. This has been a month of Advent (expectancy) and celebration.

Read more: (The birth of Jesus)

*In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her  firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you 

good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2)

*I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Exodus 6:7

*And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

*See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1

Moravian Prayer: Wonderful God, we rejoice that you have called us to be your people, and we see the responsibility that calling brings. Strengthen us for the task at hand and make us worthy of this task. Amen.

Missing my dad's voice

Saturday, December 14, 2024

4 years ago from yesterday, my dad died. I miss him more this year than ever. I want to run ideas past him, hug his barrel chest, and hear his curt snap-back with an answer to any question we had. He was a quick and instinctive thinker who said what he thought without filtering words in case someone wanted to take offense. What a relief it was to call him for an honest opinion!

I miss his integrity. He warned me most often to be myself - to be the best self that God designed. He told me to ignore gossip and small thinking. He sure loved his family and his grandkids - and considered each of us his priceless treasures.

He said aloud what we both felt about management and gave me solid counsel: "Get the best executive admin and leave the details to that person. If you can't trust him/her with your money, your people, and your life, they're not the right fit. And when you find that person, don't let them go, no matter what others say."

He did that. He was a high trust person and a good boss who didn't hold a grudge if you failed. "Try again!" he'd say. "Failure is a lesson that cost only a blow to your pride or a chunk of your budget." He taught us that those could be recovered but you had learned something new and valuable. However, when someone betrayed or harmed others, that person was gone.

He let Mom run the home. At work, Patti ran the office. He handed her the administration, budgets, and office planning. So he worked at work and was home at home. I'd happily do the same.

In contrast, W grew up with a different level of trust. He manages our money and keeps personal things private. Because he wants things done the way he likes them, he prefers to do them himself. There's no way he'd hand the bulk of life's details to an executive assistant. However, he doesn't want fill his plate with most of the 101 details that an assistant tracks. So that stuff lands in my lap.

I'm stuck as my own executive admin, scribbling notes and sending them into the capable hands of others. "Did you get the social media up?" "Please create an announcement for the upcoming event." "Pls schedule the meeting. Check how many can attend at X:00." "Do we have resources for the volunteers?" "Can you check who is looking after ...?" It feels endless and exhausting to someone like me, who is wired to the big-picture.

I've seen leadership done and done well. And I've read that the best executive assistants love to pick up everything I'd happily drop. They run the world from behind the scenes. It's my fondest daydream to be able to sit down once a month with an executive admin to look over the quarter's budget and current calendar. I'd task that person to oversee social media, money, schedules, volunteers, resources, agendas, and more. 

I rarely have energy to cast vision or start new things. I don't mind occasional questions but wouldn't it be amazing to check off a day's meeting and tasks ... and still have capacity to think creatively about the year (or 5 years) ahead, setting something in motion (like Dad did) and letting others run it?! Dream on.

Today, my Dad would probably challenge me: "What's the matter with you? Why are you wasting your time on that?" haha I still hear his voice and feel his love.

I'd reply: "I know, Pop. I miss you, even when I can't follow your advice."

It's what it is. W and I have a satisfying life. I'm writing this on a tropical Porch overlooking a beautiful green backyard. That provides an antidote to the internal chaos of living strangely different from the way I'm wired.

Oops, hang on. Before I head out the door to that pre-meeting, let me write a quick note: "Are we covered for tomorrow's ...?"

Sunday

That morning pre-meeting pays off today. The team works together and knows their stuff. In the hall, Daniel has hung pictures of the IES family beside a tinsel tree for everyone to enjoy.

My new shoes had fit well in the stop. However, after wearing them for an hour I have blisters on my second toes. They also pinch the little toe on my left foot so hard that the pain is almost unbearable. I lift my foot every 10 minutes to release pressure. When I do, my whole foot shakes with relief.

It's a weird feeling to have no control of a foot flapping from the knee down. Hopefully no one notices. I remove my shoes during a meeting after the Gathering. And slide in with a different position afterward. Ah better - and even more relief when I take them off at home.

Our daughter shows me her solution for the ugly plastic pot under her Christmas tree: washi tape. Clever. Looks expensive and matches her coffee table!

In our yard, a clipping has rooted and is blooming in bright Christmas colors.

We walk by a mother hen with two chicks tucked under her wing. Another three peck at garbage nearby. We breathe shallowly and hiss at the chickens so they run out of the dogs' (harm's) way. For our one-mile loop, we endure a short stroll past the garbage dump before passing Bandung's 5-star hotel. (W reads their ad: "$300 instead of $600/night.") That's typical of the side-by-side contrasts in our city.

The Porch is quiet. The garden drips with rain - it's a miserable afternoon but we're under cover and the wind chimes are singing.

We eat lunch at a new place but nothing on the menu hits the spot. The ramen is warm not hot, without many noodles. My sandwich is grilled in olive oil = too much grease for me. But W like his sandwich and doesn't mind lots of oil.

The flowers from the hall are amazing as usual. We put them on the coffee table. Each week, Titik captures the beauty of the season in her arrangements.

"Flowers are hard to find," she admits. "Not much is available in flower shops right now." She supplements with plants from her own yard. What a gift of celebration she offers IES Bandung and us, week by week. When we visit hospital or others, we share the arrangement.

Monday

My friends and mentors teach me so much. Monday morning starts with calls. Work is work but the backdrop is festive when you work from home.

W and I head into town for most of the day, getting groceries for Christmas baking and events. He picks up the unrepaired weed-wacker (too broken to fix; he'll see if someone wants it for parts.) 

You know what a culture eats by what is stocked by their grocers. One entire aisle is 1-2 liter bags of cooking oils.

Another aisle is lined with ramen and other instant noodles.

When we get home, DrW has dropped off tea and cookies - she knows my favorite tea, which is only available in Malaysia.

At night, the lights glow.

Tuesday

This is my usual view on the neighborhood walk. W holds three dogs on one leash.

By the time the helpers come at 8 AM, I've relaxed by setting the table for afternoon tea.

The clotted cream is whipped, the marmalade is plated, and the butter and sugar are ready.

Today is baking day! The ingredients wait at room temperature on the counter as we pull out Christine's KitchenAid. W plugs it into the voltage adapter. There's no time to fool around with a hand mixer. I hear the familiar whir of the beater - we had a KAid in Seattle and it makes fast work of serious baking.

Today and Thursday, IbuA is making and refrigerating dough for +2000 cookies. IbuS and I will bake until all cookies are done. Angie has designed labels for the giveaway bags. Next week, Alice and crew will package the cookies for several events, making it a group project. The logistics are in place; we're praying for smooth sailing!

We confirm which guests are staying with us over Christmas and write Sunday's talk for the 4th Sunday of Advent.

The topic is PEACE. God's peace is much needed. And much appreciated. We hang the Advent ornament of the day on the tree. Each clear glass globe contains a verse and a Christmas item.

We wish you a wonderful season. There's one week left until Christmas. Please ensure you are not celebrating the birth of Jesus alone. Go to a church, meet with a group of friends, or gather with family. Make this the most special time of the year, whether it's been a year of joy or sorrow - because God is for you and his love is with you.

Read more:

*Love truth and peace. Zechariah 8:19

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Moravian Prayer: Understanding Savior, you are able to comprehend the message of our hearts, even when words fail us. We rejoice to be seen, heard, and known by you. Amen.

The Nutcracker and a feast with friends

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

JOY! It's the topic we're working on for next week's Gathering. There are moments when I laugh aloud, passing by a shelf or table. This ceramic bell brings a smile.

At sunrise, we can see the distant mountains. The night rain has cleaned the air.

We walk by the Padma Hotel with its Christmas display in the foyer.

At the beginning of the week, our entry is set in red, green and white.

Breakfast is toast and the nut butter brought from New Zealand a few months ago by my friend Lisa. I consult with a few scholars and check in with mentors before leaving the table.

We need to shop for Christmas ... and buy groceries for tomorrow's movie night. We go downtown to the wholesale specialty street. A historic building catches our eye, between concrete apartments and shops.

This little 3-wheeled pickup is loaded, waiting for the driver.

I'm happy to find the red berries I couldn't find elsewhere. I strip the long stem into 6 separate sections and weave them through the wreath on the office door.

Another wreath hangs on the kitchen door, ready to welcome tomorrow's guests.

I wrap 20 gifts for those who will forget the White Elephant gift exchange on Christmas Day. The ready-mades stack up at the back of the tree, leaving room for what others bring.

W and PakG set up the main room for movie night. We try a layout that requires less work for the guys. The furniture is left mostly intact instead of piled up in my office. IbuS rolls up the rugs; the guys bring chairs from upstairs to existing tables. Let's see if it works. We have almost 100 signed up - only 70 can come but as usual, the list sorts itself out up.

Today stays dry into the evening. Will the weather hold tomorrow? W writes the talk for Sunday and we discuss it together. We work at the quiet dining table after the helpers leave for home.

Today the women made hard-boiled eggs and baked hundreds of cookies: ginger dipped in chocolate and peanut butter. W and I replenished butter, flour, eggs, and sugar during our errands.

W orders supper: pho (soup) for me, a bun (Vietnamese sandwich) for himself. It's our comfort food on a cool dark evening.

Wednesday

At 5 AM, cooking starts, which means the food prep is done by 9. I wrap the huge pots in towels to keep them warm before setting out cutlery, trays for cookies, and tablecloths.

We pause with an early lunch at Miss Bee, which has just finished renovations. They built the first restaurant glass house in town, which has been copied many times since.

This year's color scheme is pastel.

The 5" (12cm) pods of the cocoa tree are ripening beside the staircase.

The helpers arrive at 3 PM to cut fruit and salad, cook rice, and bring supplies from storage. We start to reheat the food at 5:30. Indonesians don't care if their food is hot or lukewarm but expats do.

These two women are such a blessing. Our guests love to say hi to IbuA and Ibu S, too. By the time they go home about 10 PM, most dishes are washed and the garbage put away. They take leftovers to their families, sparing our overflowing fridge. 

Young people start arriving after 6 PM and it's a full house. Many have never seen a house decorated for Christmas or attended a Christmas party, which is fun. Various ones read a part of the Christmas story and we listen together. We pause at the middle of the film for dessert. (W nearly always finds a cliff-hanger to bring us to the break.)

Someone brings donuts, which I cut into pieces. Others bring cakes, fruit, and other treats. The rule for dessert is to limit the first round to "4 choices plus a fruit-and-yogurt," which most attendees honor. Everyone is welcome to come for seconds once the line has gone through. The sweets disappear in no time!

We combine home-baked treats with food gifts.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a story of good vs evil, of doing what is right when you don't feel like it.

On the screen in the house or on the Porch, the movie is well-received. It sparks discussion about leading change from our inner transformation. The last guests leave at 11 PM so W and I tidy a bit before falling into bed at 11:30.

Thursday

We head for the mountains at 7:30 AM. Much of today's trail is overgrown. We follow the dogs who run ahead, or the path disappears from view. We watch our feet carefully to avoid snakes or big lizards. The dogs clear the path with their 4-legged romps.

Most of the hike is shaded, which keeps the heat off our heads. It's the best decompression we could  imagine.

We pause for a picture, overlooking tea fields and volcanic mountains. The rainy season brings vibrant new growth.

Even 50' (15m) palm trees put on a show, like this one whose 4' (1.3m) "flower" mop hangs from its trunk.

Greens we used to barely keep alive as houseplants flourish in the shaded forests.

We eat at a place we haven't visited for years, saying goodbye-for-now to a few who are traveling for the holidays and "see you next week" to the rest.

The house is back in place. Oh that was easier. We'll definitely minimize moving the furniture next time. This layout worked well! We learn something each time we host an event.

Friday - W's mom's birthday

We call and wish her a happy birthday. We're thankful to have our moms!

With a few more tweaks, the house is ready for the next guests. Ruth sends gifts for us to distribute to her friends. I drop them at the hall and write everyone to pick them up Sunday. This cute birdcage lights up on the entry table.

It's time to stock up again. I make a quick trip to the supermarket - well, not that quick. Halfway down the hill,  I remember, "Oh, I need money." We turn around and are soon on our way again. We need butter and eggs to make next week's cookies!

I count the cookies in the fridges. Oh goodie ... we need another 1,400 cookies. (What?!) The women have 2 or 3 baking days left. Let's see if that happens.

This cute little Wuling parks beside our car at the grocer. The Chinese electric cars are cheap and efficient, perfect for negotiating narrow city streets. We see more and more of them in town.

I call our kids to check how their Christmas season is going. Then there is a tablecloth to track down.  "I think two tablecloths were borrowed for a potluck while you were gone in October," remembers the helper "and maybe one was returned?"

We share the hospitality items used for our own events. I occasionally rethink these loans. Getting things back can be a pain and time-waster. Stuff sometimes comes back with stains. Occasionally an item is broken or damaged by use. That's to be expected but who replaces it? Sigh. Time to get everything back for inspection before our Christmas guests come over.

There are letters and calls to check off the list, updates to write, chapters to edit, and more. It's a typical day when nothing is on the calendar but a to-do list writes itself as we go along. I edit this post and think, "JOY! it's coming up this weekend." hehe

Read more:

*Love truth and peace. Zechariah 8:19

*Your sun shall no more go down or your moon withdraw itself, for the Lord will be your everlasting light. Isaiah 60:20

*And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

*For it is the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Moravian Prayer: Light of the world, our lives are illuminated by grace. Your light goes before us, and your presence shines in all the good we do. We follow you, hoping to drive out the darkness of this earth. In your name, we pray. 

Understanding Savior, you are able to comprehend the message of our hearts, even when words fail us. We rejoice to be seen, heard, and known by you. Amen.