Castles, late books, and expats galore

Sunday, October 20, 2024

We get no sabbath, which we miss. Today continues yesterday's discussions about potential security issues for those who live abroad.

I pluck some greens off a tree and put them on the table to unknot my mind as we review potential dangers.

We enjoy lunches with other expats and make new connections. People who live globally have interesting stories.

One day we eat wonderful Chinese food. Another day we try a Peruvian restaurant housed in a classic Springfield building. We eat leftovers from each place for at least one or two more meals. The bill is normally $30-40 for the two of us. We keenly feel the sticker shock; we'd feed a small group for that back home.

Look at this tin ceiling and the old chandelier.

The wood carvings on the old bar are intact.

We walk back to training and spot a wasp nest forming in a painted doorway. Most Midwest construction is brick, unlike the wood used on the West Coast. Despite attempts at revitalization, few shops and restaurants are open Sunday or Monday.

For another lunch, we eat Dutch crepes served with smoked sausage, potatoes, raisins, and bananas. I take a picture so I can replicate the unusual mix when we get home.

The rose bushes along the parking lot are fragrant in the hot afternoon sunshine.

By the time we're headed back to the hotel, it's often dark.

W is curious about Bucky's, a midwest "thing." So we go in one day after work.

Its shelves carry high-calorie snacks and ranch-style souvenirs. In the center, some guys are barbecuing beef and chopping it for sandwiches. They make a noisy production of yelling at each other and slamming down the knife. Must be a boy thing.

Want the Western look? You may find it here. We leave empty-handed.

Tuesday

We fly to Seattle late Monday night after a final day about practical risk management. We unlock the door to our flat and haul in our luggage after 1:30 a.m., toss in a load of laundry, and fall asleep after 2:00.

We wake up this morning in our own beds, eat breakfast, and open the mail. My book series arrived while we were gone, too late to take along for those who asked for a copy. (We forgot to order them before we came - too much to do back then?) I'll stash them until our next visit.

It's a chore and pre-packing day. I start to refill a bottle from the tap in the laundry room and forget about it, flooding the floor. Mopping up the dust accumulating in the corners over time is an unexpected win! hehe We toss wet carpets and towels into the washing machine.

W has caught a cold as usual after travel. I avoid close proximity for a day or two. I don't want it! We prepare for Sunday's talk and sort through books.

The guys brought a bookshelf from upstairs into my basement office. The grandkids carry down loads as I take them off the upper shelves.  I'm deciding what to keep, rehome, or toss. The books make me smile: they contain memories of what I've learned, seen, and absorbed on their pages. I make a few giveaway piles and shelve the rest.

Kirsten is sorting her photos and finds a pic my Dad sent to our kids years ago. He included this tagline: Wow! Too bad you didn't know her sooner (= me as a little girl.) Lucky for them: I was a tomboyish whirlwind in pretty dresses, thanks to Mom. Looks like that day, Dad was preparing for summer by putting away the storm windows.

The younger grandkids sleep over tonight. They fall asleep quickly and without fuss. Good kiddos! (or Good Parents!) Their older sister is at orchestra practice and their older brother is browsing a book we bought at Windsor Castle (think: real knight armor, castle photos, and turrets.)

Wednesday

Sleepover is a success. The kids and W are sick so I sleep on my office sofa. I hear the hacking and coughing a few times in the night. (I'm trying to prevent getting ill as I have one more chance to see my mom who is very frail. That's this weekend.)

We empty two bookshelves from upstairs. The kids run down our books as I pull them off the shelves. What a boost! If I had to run them down, it would take a lot longer. I shelve mine of put them in giveaway bags.

The kids pile W's books and magazines in heaps before I get downstairs. Unfortunately, his office is completely full; when I come down, they've stacked his books in my office until he gets to them.

The kids head up to lunch, which their mom made before heading out to work. (She's amazing.) I tidy up, remake the sofa bed, and cook lunch for us: an omelet and a chopped salad. W is "under the weather" so he takes a shower and preps the PPT for Sunday's talk before resting.

I clear my books and W gets to his after a few days. The library card catalog is still going strong; art and office supplies are easy to find.

Read more:

*You are my witnesses, says the Lord. Isaiah 43:10

*Jesus said [to his followers], “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

Moravian Prayer: Lord, you said you are the vine, and we are the branches. You ask us to carry your message and share it with those we encounter. At times, the mission is arduous, but your grace and our faith in you is constant. Be with us. Amen.

God's loving-kindness and generosity

 Friday, June 14, 2024

I had a few in-person meetings yesterday. Today continues with the same, so we walk first thing.

Then I check the newly-built 20' (+6 meters) grape trellis. The yardman planted THREE grapevines, one at each intersection. My dad's single grapevine spanned 40' (+14 m) and was heavy even after being pruned each year to one main branch.

"No worries," PakAD says when I protest. Apparently he hasn't grown grapes before. Grapes grow year-round here, without a winter rest. Yikes. He'll have to cut these vines back a few times a year and brace the trellis as soon as they take off.

At lunch, W and PakG arrive with our SUV jammed full of books. "I thought we agreed not to get more books," says W. Sigh. So did I.

2 chameleons rustle beside the Porch where we eat lunch. Can you spot them? Look for their 2' (600cm) tail, their skinny feet, or crested heads.

"Careful, don't get too close. They bite!" say our helpers. Juno doesn't care. She waits for them to dangle within reach but walks away when W shouts at her to "Leave it!" We don't want her to get bitten. She's fascinated by wild things in the yard and brings us gifts when she catches them.

An hour behind the guys is the moving van heaped with furniture, games, classroom items, maps, and ... more books. 

What? More books are wedged between shelves in the truck. These latest +50 bags are our final batch, I hope. Who will take them? W and I spend a few hours sorting piles and categories.

I've drawn up a map again for the shelves we are keeping. Since the house assimilated 11 shelves last week, I need precise measurements and creative placement. Where does it go? Here is one before and after set, with the old under the new.

We swipe everything off the buffet/dresser before putting the new shelf in place. Its measurements are exactly the same as the shelf below.

Another shelf corrals clutter under the kitchen cabinets.

The guys wrestle 5 round tables and seven shelves off the truck so it's ready for the next load. Two shelves have been purchased by a helper. We put them aside for now.

It takes all 4 guys to put the "beast" of shelves in place. The glass cabinets have locks and keys. Not sure when that will be useful. "A bonus," someone pipes up.

Another bonus? a rocking chair that will go to a charity for unwed moms and local adoptions, or to the church nursery.

The first person to show up takes classroom items, books, and maps.

A teacher sorts through teaching manuals. Many of the university students don't have access to materials that are common in the West so these discards are a godsend.

The two movers agree to extra trips that take them all day. "Will you drop off shelves for MrM at his school?" Ok - they take his load from the next city to across town. "Then bring IbuA's table and shelves here, pls."

"Could you load up the tables for the hall with a table and shelves for the helpers?" By the truck's fourth trip, it is late afternoon. W adds $6-30 per load, depending on how far the destination.  That includes 2 wiry movers.

A friend asks for novels and action books. We fill two huge bags for pickup tomorrow. Everything settles into the house. W picks up a supper pizza on his walk home from the last trip to the hall. What a guy! We're worn out.

Saturday 

After our morning walk, co-lecturer Gail meets me online about an upcoming class. She appreciates this season of choosing work that she enjoys. At our age, we no longer feel the obligation to agree to every request.

W and I call our moms, read through the Sunday talk, and W loads up our car with books for the hall. We'll give away as much as we can on Sunday and have the admin display a new load each week ... until the books are gone. W has meetings in town until afternoon.

The motorcycle taxi comes for our friend's 2 bags while Melvi selects books for herself and her friends. PakG offloads the books at the hall and delivers a final load of 15 bags to a new library on the next hill. Everything but MrM's pile is spoken for. What an answer to prayer! Stuff comes. It goes. Thanks be to God.

W eats downtown while my lunch is vegetarian leftovers. Yum.

The thunder rumbles in, midafternoon. I find a few expensive textbooks in the stacks. What provision!

There are a few books our kids loved, too. We'll pack them for the next trip to the grandkids.

Sunday: Father's Day

We display books on the table outside the hall, free for the taking. W has written the Father's Day talk, which includes how much his dad meant to him. I celebrate my dad all day, thanking God for healthy and loving parents. And I remember my "second dad" who shared a birthdate with my father. I still love my dear Uncle Erich in his 90s.

At lunch, we celebrate Shibli and Herbert who are graduating. Except that both of them have made plans elsewhere. We split their two "Congratulations!" cakes among the team after a nice lunch without them. 

We send pictures of each family's portion to the missing guys. We are thrilled to have Alice back as well after an extended time away.

W and I feel at home in the little library space; we eat most meals at its just-right table beside the kitchen.

Della and Daniel take Titik's beautiful bouquet home - they'll celebrate their daughter's grad this week.

A young friend comes by for her English charity school. She thins MrM's load with her items. Afterward, W and I work on typical Sunday afternoon stuff. While he's editing sound from the morning video, I'm planning the week ahead. (Our day of rest is Thursday.)

Monday - feast of Abraham

All night long, the chants and readings from the Koran are broadcast across the city. Not many people sleep since mosque speakers are turned to high volume for the special broadcasts. We walk at sunup and pass a cow tied to a business gate. This cow has no idea what's ahead. 

A little further, goats and cattle are tied up. They'll be ritually slaughtered in commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. The Bible says it was Isaac. (Click here to read the original story.) The Koran doesn't specify which son so Arab culture has adapted the story to their ancestor Ishmael.

Groups of Muslims are headed for the neighborhood meeting place. When the ritual butchers have divided the animals, the piece each family (or group of families) has purchased is taken home for cooking. It's a much-anticipated feast and a government red-letter day (holiday) for all.

W and I pray, "May God find those who are seeking him." We pray for peace and favor over those who are celebrating.

Followers of Jesus have the assurance that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He foreshadowed the sacrifice of his Son in the willingness of Abraham to offer his own son to God. Now, since the death of Jesus on our behalf, our debt is paid in full. What hope! What joy! And what confidence we have in our Savior and his salvation.

Read more (about the joy of serving the God of Abraham today):

*[Joshua told the people of Israel:] Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14-15

*We know that Christ was raised from the dead and will never die again. Death doesn’t control him anymore. When he died, he died once and for all time. He did this to break the power of sin. Now that he lives, he lives in the power of God. In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead as far as sin is concerned. Now you believe in Christ Jesus. So consider yourselves to be alive as far as God is concerned. Romans 6:9-11

*For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 

*My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

Prayer: Generous Creator, what kindness and love you have shown us. What we could never accomplish by striving for a perfect righteous life, you did by sending your son Jesus. You apply his perfect obedience and righteousness to us. We have become your children because we have accepted your loving sacrifice and forgiveness. All praise, honor, and glory belong to you, One God, now and forever. Amen.

Roses, shoes, and books galore

This stunning bouquet greets me as I head outside to work and edit. It was brought to the GG hall after Friday's 70th birthday party for Chandra's sister. 3 colors of roses ...

Friday, June 7, 2024

When the high school library remodels and sells solid wood shelves for $7-10, you say, "Sure. Send some our way." Mr. RM writes me: "This is your stack so far." (The tallest are 6'/2m high.) He'll have more for us next week.

Once we have an answer to last week's proposal, we'll know which shelves stay with us and which belong elsewhere. IES Bandung got two ($20 for both) for a new village library, too. It's fun to participate in God's blessings, isn't it?

The truck with our shelves, a desk, and two huge rugs hits a downpour a mile (15 minutes) from our house. The movers pull over, jump out, and drape everything with a tarp. At our place, they sit with a cup of tea and some cookies until the deluge subsides.

I map our shelves, sizes, and where they should be placed. They're heavy wood, so we don't want to be moving them unless we have to. IbuS helps me shift the dining table and the nook furniture so that the shelves will fit. The movers place everything according to the instructions.

I gather books from around the main room and call it a day.

We put the dogs to bed and turn in for an early night - but it takes me a while to fall asleep.

Saturday

My big morning job after the walk is looking through the +90 bags of books that arrived with the shelves. "At the school, the students helped us take them from the hall to the car," says PakG. "It went really quickly with many hands."

Today, I'm on my own. I cut open and sift through every bag, placing them further along the wall of the house to keep them sorted. I find a few things that people are looking for. Most of the haul stays in the bags. 3 teachers from another city are coming to get the books tonight and sleeping over. They can have as much as fits into their car.

The other thing on my list is making a bouquet for Sunday. This is the wreckage left when I'm through with last week's beautiful arrangement.

It's not that interesting. So I'm relieved when Titik writes that she has lots of flowers to grace the hall tomorrow. (That's the gorgeous bouquet above.) Mine stays at home.

The book group meets on the other hill mid-morning. We read and discussed Lincoln Highway by Amos Towles together - and PakG and I return home to get Waldemar. This tree's root system is spotted along the street.

W and I are off to Boromeus Hospital to get the 2.5-week-old stitches removed. "You're healthy and all is well," according to the doc. We had some skin flaps removed and checked - they're benign. Apparently I'm allergic to the bandages - so that's what was so itchy! My neck and back are inflamed.

"Take your bandages off tomorrow." The doc wants us to apply cream morning and evening for 3 months to prevent scars. We couldn't remember to take the antibiotics. Hopefully we're better with the salve. But why bother?

"Who cares about scars at our age?" I ask her. She insists that the scars can become itchy and hard. They'll be difficult to remove later. Whatever. W asks for the prescription and orders online for 1/10 of the cost at the hospital pharmacy.

I gather books from around the house for the library nook to fill up the shelves. I leave 2 long shelves of Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys/Tom Swift and the Readers Digest Condensed Books upstairs for now.

Eki and friends arrive at 6:00 p.m. as the sun is setting. W orders in a meal. The guys will sort and pack the bags of books between now and when they leave tomorrow. What a chore - and what a reward for their school.

Sunday

Eki likes oatmeal. I usually make it for breakfast when he's staying over but his friends are less impressed.  The three strong young-uns hoist the heavy rugs up to the second floor to storage. I have to remember to check that these old Tupperware containers are completely closed; the ants find any crevice into food supplies.

We're out the door at 7:00 a.m. and the van full of books are on their way to Tasik at 8:00. Three small piles are left but Frances mentions she's teaching English to kids from her kampung. Aha. That's where they'll go! At IES, we set up a table and invite people to take books as well.

Under my chair in the prayer room is this marvel: first I think it's a Christmas tree light. But ... it's the shed carcass of a bug - neon green with a red tip, empty and clean. I tuck it into my purse to show our American grandkids.

This morning we are praying for the sick and asking God to provide for other needs. We celebrate a baptism and  eat pho for lunch with Eki.

In mid-afternoon, I realize that the back of this shelf is perfect for the macrame displaced in the nook by another shelf.

The front? I dig around every box and rack to consolidate 10 years of shoes. Streets and sidewalks here are brutal to shoes: they're wet, uneven, and coarsely paved. Much of the footwear is almost but not yet ready for the bin. Since soles wear out quickly, we bring 4 or 5 pairs back every October from sale racks in the USA. Looking at this group, I don't need another pair! I can wear these out in the coming year and shop shoe sales in 2025. hehe

We meet Gerhard and Hela for supper and conversation at Bumi Sangkuriang. We pray together at the table before walking home after sunset. The air is warm and clear and the streets are damp; it rained lightly while we ate.

Monday

A few hours of calls, a check of a student's exceptional dissertation proposal, and a some chores get wedged between our walk. The cool night gives way a clear skies and the hot sun warm the air. 

It looks like a morning of scheduling and catch-up. Eki's had breakfast and heads out with a high school friend of long ago. I eat a slice of banana bread and an egg casserole. I'm not in the mood for leftover oatmeal. Maybe for supper?

Read more: (scripture and a prayer)

*O Lord, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 2 Kings 19:15

*Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Psalm 23:6

*I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8

*Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. Acts 2:46-47

*There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. Romans 10:12

Moravian Prayer: Loving Shepherd, we thank you for your tender care and the promise of future joy with you. We also thank you for the flock into which you have called us. It is good not to be alone, but to live in fellowship with other Christians with whom we can share our joys and sorrows, and experience a foretaste of the joy which will be ours in your presence. May we be sources of love and care for those around us.

Divine Creator, the universe proclaims your power and glory from the wonder of unnumbered galaxies to the most fragile of lifeforms. Despite your position above and beyond all things, you chose to enter into your creation, in Jesus Christ, to reveal yourself to humankind as one who loves us and longs to receive our love in return. We praise you for your reconciling love and yield ourselves to you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.