Goodbye, hello, and catching up

Saturday, May 24, 2025

After the dawn walk, I'm hungry for pancakes. But when I start cooking, I decide on crepes. All the batter needs is more milk. I heat 3 little frying pans and before long, dozens of crepes are heaped on the serving dish.

Jenn and Adam L have been here for the past week-and-a-half. I invite them down but they had a big supper last night and decline ... until they smell the crepes. We have a nice breakfast together. Then we wander over to a nearby house to pray for God's favor. The dogs romp through the yard while we imagine what the future may hold.

The flowers for Round Table Sunday are bright and cheery. The garden is fluttering with yellow and purple blooms but I am in a red mood when I roam the flowerbeds. I ram the few flowers I find between maidenhead fern fronds. PakG takes 12 bud vases to the hall and helps Alice's team with tomorrow's setup.

And just like that, before noon our friends wave goodbye. It's been a pleasure having them with us - a time of healing and joy. They take the shuttle to the Jakarta airport, heading to a vacation in the islands tomorrow.

All the dogs get groomed by 2 guys who arrive on their motorcycle, complete with their gear. We probably couldn't afford to have poodles in the States. The duo charges 1/10 the USA price (1/20 for Anton) to clean and clip the dogs. A bonus is that we don't have to go to the groomers; they come to us.

Bailey gets a weird "helmet head" cut so I take him into my office and cut a round cap with a Teflon scrapbooking scissor.

Better. While I'm in the mood, I cut 1-3" off my own hair to neaten it up. (But I use salon scissors on my own head.)

Talman drops by in late afternoon. He was a faithful movie night "son-of-the-heart" before he moved to live and work in Turkey. He's back for a short visit. We're delighted when he makes time for us.

Jenn and Adam arrive safely at the Jakarta airport and check out the new Grand Anara Hotel. It looks good. Thank you, God, for traveling mercies.

Sunday

Mom and I talk at 4:30 a.m. and my rib is still aching from Friday's wipeout. W takes Anton and Juno for the early morning walk. It's the first walk I've missed since A arrived a month ago.

Anton is a happy boy with his new haircut. He loves the fenced yard and probably knows every inch by now. He plays endless games of "fetch" and plows down plants and pots to find the ball, no matter how long it takes. Oh oh - our garden is becoming a wreck; I'm an indifferent thrower and the ball often rolls into the flower beds.

There's a good team serving together today at IES Bandung.

My heart is immersed in the generosity of God and his love for his creation. How good he is to all of us. He invites each person out of the kingdom of darkness into his glorious kingdom of light. I am sometimes overcome by wonder at his goodness and patience.

W orders Mike Pizza for lunch. I sit outside and admire the green garden; it's nature's reward for the past few weeks of overcast skies and rain. It's unusual to have such a long stretch without sunshine most of the day, less like Bandung and more like Chilliwack where we grew up.

We put away our Sunday gear and change out of our Sunday clothes. Then we unpack the dozen bud vases from the hall and spread the flowers around the room. Something in them smells wonderful.

Last week's bouquet is still going strong in the entry.

I love reading on the Porch when there's time to rest. The serene setting soothes the busy mind. An endless "fetch" game keeps the energetic youngster occupied. We're debating whether the nickname acquired by chewing flip-flops will stick: Monster. He's big and active enough to pull it off.

I come inside when I'm in danger of being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Their larvae thrive in the wet pockets of the garden bromeliads and ferns. We sign an agreement for the future of our work. It is the result of 4 years of questions and negotiations.

Monday

The newsletter for next month takes shape in the early morning hours.  Might as well write while things are quiet. This week we need to finish several major projects, in addition to our normal schedule. 

W checks if he has a meeting this morning. While I wait for him, I color my hair with a DIY kit from the USA. We can't buy "blond" color here most of the time. (Not doing a color change, just roughing its texture for more body.)

There are many ways to survive if you're creative. One popular option is to rent a costume and ask for money along the streets. This guy is on the bandwagon.

Tract housing is the most common building style in the neighboring city of KBP, where we're headed. We have a few bedding options to check out and W picks up some storage baskets. 

It's wonderful to hug Claudia's neck - and have lunch with Josh. Catching up on what our friends are doing provides direction for prayer and connects the hearts.

IKEA has nothing for us in the AS-IS section, which is our first go-to when we get in the door.

Back home, the fridge is full. W's baskets corral some odd-shaped bags of food.

IbuS has changed the linens in the guest room and set up for the next arrivals, whoever that will be. We have food packages left from a previous order so there's no cooking today.

Tuesday

After a 3-mile walk, we make some calls and get to work. Today the helpers have a marathon of baking. First comes 7 loaves o fbanana bread - thanks for the sweet bananas, Veronica! They bake 5 pumpkin pies with the little pumpkins we got last week at the fruit stand. They send lunch to a friend along with some loaves ... the whole yard and the house smell of fresh-baked goods.

We need eggs, butter, and vegetables so it's off to the store. Two American young adults must be "fresh off the boat." Standing on the store steps, they look only at their peers, chatter and laugh loudly! and seem unaware of anything but themselves. Passersby avoid eye contact, though a smile and "good morning" are a normal greeting.

We send lunch downhill to our friends. V sent up bananas; we return the favor with banana bread. The team comes over to discuss our work over tea, fresh pumpkin pie, and banana bread. What would we do without IbuS and IbuA?! They leave mid-afternoon but I freeze a counter-ful of baking after it cools down.

Wednesday

Walk. Call the son with a birthday? He's a wonderful man with a good family. He'll be busy with them when his birthday rolls around on his side of the world. 

Our prayers for blessing are that our kids - including Timothy - are blessed = so they can bless others with streams of the Living Water that Jesus promised his followers.

Anton's in a mood! He prances, dances, and riles up Juno, a true feat of energy.

Back home, I heat up yesterday's leftover tea and hit the desk for more editing. This book is a slog: the topic is generally covered in the introduction so the rest is details and case studies. My mind slides around the words and ideas. I remove repetitions and clarify a few things but they could have published it without my help. (Yes, it will be better with help.) The hoya flowers smell heavenly on the Porch.

W and I read through Sunday's talk (his writing this week) and head out the door for lunch. We skipped our date breakfast today to talk to our moms and get to work. We both need a break by midday. Look at this unassuming little bloom. I love finding things like this when we walk.

The yardman had typhoid fever for the past weeks but he's back on the job. The lawn-ish plants have grown in his absence. The weed-whacker drones on and on; we go inside and close the doors to focus on work. Outdoor maintenance is a must-do chore if you don't want snakes and other critters migrating into the house.

Read more:

*Only you know the human heart. 1 Kings 8:39

*Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.

Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart

    —they do no wrong but follow his ways.

You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. Psalm 119:1-8

*When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” John 1:47-48

Moravian Prayer: Omniscient Lord, God, and Spiritus, creator of each of us, we are yours by your will if not our own. Give increase to our leanings to find you and to be found by you. May we be kind. Amen.

Dinner-and-a-Movie weeks are the best

Monday, April 14, 2025

Oh a new week! I miss our walk because meetings start at 5:30 AM and run through mid-morning. The Sunday bouquet, standing on the Porch overnight, comes inside as soon as I clear last week's grasses from the entry table.

I'm on my third 16 oz (470 ml) mug of tea by the time I start editing. Three projects came in last week; I only got halfway through them on the weekend. I wait all morning for W to finish his study so we can run errands. But he wraps up late, and then he can't come along. Why?

There's no water available in the house when I want to use the kitchen washbasin. W calls the plumber while PakG and I fill pails and pails from an outside faucet. We have guests coming and going all week. What if we have no water for days? Better to be safe than sorry.

W pauses the invitation to this week's movie night until the plumber comes and tells us what's happening. He diagnoses what's wrong, gets the replacement part, and has the water flowing again for about $20. Whew. The movie invitation goes out and the list fills up quickly.

I have to make a pickup near IKEA. W and I talked about buying a half-dozen stools (@$3) and some IKEA tote bags (@60c). We schlep all kinds of things to events and people borrow items - those sturdy totes are just right. But it's not worth an extra trip.

Since I'm a block away, I pop in, eat a quick lunch, and check out the "As Is" section.

It's worth a cruise through the "rooms" for new ideas. I like how they spray-painted white paper lamps to look like planets in a kids' room.

One more stop on the way home at the grocers nets us vegetables, eggs, fruits, and salads for movie night. Unpacked and put away = a tidy kitchen. Good.

Dinner is quiet. I make creamy pasta but we have to pick out the papaya flowers. Whew - that's too bitter even for me. The dogs enjoy our leftovers though. A music store employee shows up at the gate and takes the bass amp in for repair. The rest of the evening is peaceful. Thanks be to God.

Tuesday

It's a 5:30 AM start again. After some meetings, we enjoy breakfast with W's study group at Ethnic. On the walk down the lane, a lady is climbing onto a motorcycle. She's probably taking her kids to school. From grandpas and grandmas to infants, that's the usual mode of transport.

The study group meets weekly and started in person. As the lecturers' families grew and COVID hit, they moved to online meetings. Thus in-person meetings are a special treat and a priority for each person. I leave after breakfast - I have work to do ...

In the garden, the daylilies bloom bright yellow against the hedges.

Wednesday - April Movie Night.

Who knew that our wedding gift from Uncle Erich would be used for so many years? "This the best cookware I could find. Be careful with them," said my Auntie M.

they gave the same set to a cousin who married 2 years earlier. Aunti M cautioned us to keep them from burning or getting ruined - and demonstrated how to clean the stainless steel. I followed her advice and they're in good shape. (We've replaced one pot knob since I got them.)

I smile every time I think of Uncle Erich and Auntie Molly. He's frail in health, and she's been gone for 20 years, but I've used those pots almost daily ever since W and I married on a September day, over 47 years ago.

"Don't take your good stuff along overseas; leave it here," Mom urged me. "You never know if you have to leave it behind."

But we live in Indonesia. Every hard-working or beautiful item we enjoyed in Seattle is also a blessing here. This morning I thank God for all the people who have invested their love, prayers, and other resources in us. [If that's you ... THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.]

I brought the set of heavy-bottomed cooking pots with us six years ago. Today, as every month, the biggest is used to make spaghetti sauce. The smaller ones heat up sweet and sour sauce or other goodies.

We couldn't find spinach anywhere, and creamed spinach is a favorite. (And a way for this mom to get veggies into the young adults.) Otherwise, it's the regular menu of sausage, chicken, meatballs, eggs, spaghetti, rice, potatoes, salad, cheese balls (Thanks, Claudia and Ibu Sumi!) - and desserts at intermission. 

The whole house smells of cooking. (Below, the last of five sets of chicken trays). I'm ready to be done.

W and I leave the house for lunch. There's a new pasta place at the end of the lane. W likes his "drenched in sauce" lasagne. 

I order oil-saturated chicken and mushroom fettuccini. There's one mushroom in it, cut into pieces. It would be easier to eat if they didn't cut the noodles so short. Oh well. On movie day, I am not hungry for anything in our kitchen and don't have much of an appetite.

A young girl sitting nearby is delighted when the servers sing "Happy Birthday!" and hand her a chocolate pancake and a balloon flower.

Mid-afternoon, the clouds roll over and the sky darkens. The projectors and screens are up; tech is in place and running smoothly. The furniture is rearranged. W and I walk to the hall to pick up cookies from the office fridge. Oh oh, the varieties are gone and only chocolate is left. (Hope our guests like chocolate!) We end up with a wide variety of desserts because guests bring treats to share.

It's a wonderful time together - the rain holds off, the house and Porch fill up (+70 people), and the mood is warm.

The crowd devours the food.

"The line stretches out the door!" exclaims one participant. Yes it does, both for supper and for dessert at intermission.

We love the mix of young and old. Tonight we represent 15 nations. Everyone is gone before 11:00 PM and we fall into bed at 11:30.

Thursday

Our backpacks are packed with a raincoat, small change, and drinking water. Sunglass and a wide-brimmed hat is ready. We're out the door at 7:15 AM. What a good hike, up and down wet rocks, slippery trails, and wading a few shallow creeks. We're soaked, muddy, and content. After last night's heavy rains, the water churns through mountain canyons and cascades over 4 waterfalls.

The scale and beauty of nature's power is stunning.

We're missing our fearless leader Veronica, who attends to family matters. The six dogs run back and forth. They don't splash in the water because the current is too strong, but they steal a sip along the trail now and then.

Most bamboo bridges have been repaired and a few have new handrails. YAY! Some bridges are still iffy - our old dogs have done this many times so they're confident. The younger dogs are getting the hang of crossing. Sometimes on narrow ledges or cracked bridges, they are leashed and pulled across to safety.

The old Dutch irrigation systems still work.

The last part of the walk is a challenge. In places, we balance on narrow or medium width metal or plastic irrigation pipes. Many have leaks that spray water on the trail or us. We make a few stops where the pipes are broken and spurting gallons of water. We're wet already but it's nice to clean the clumps of mud off our shoes and socks.

When we reach the cars, we pull off drenched trail shoes, rubbing the gunk off our calves with the back of a wet sock. W and I bring flip flops as post-hike footwear.

Today the food at Saka Bistro is excellent. It's Ernesto's last hike in Indonesia - he's off to France next week so we all treat him. I order basil gnocchi. Yum.

W has fried chicken and rice.

At home, the helpers have restored the living room, washed and put away the dishes, and ironed clothes. WOW - thank you, Ibu A and Ibu S. For us, a hot shower is first on the agenda. Then it's back to work with our feet propped up.

Read more:

*Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 118:4

*You shall not cheat one another, but you shall fear your God. Leviticus 25:17

*Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

Moravian Prayer: Blessed Jesus, majestic and humble, you stir our hearts with divine love. Your sacrifice is immeasurable. Your triumphs ring pure. Grant us the courage to enter Jerusalem with you and bear our crosses each day. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Lent begins

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Lent is a very special season for me. I didn't grow up with it. In fact, I didn't pay attention to the word until I was working on my masters degree.

That season was difficult: our daughter was in full flair with rheumatoid arthritis. Our kids were in their teens and moving into adulthood. I taught music and volunteered to train small group leaders while leading a study group myself. W was away at work most of the time. So it was busy. And hard.

The days seemed to crawl but the years were flying by. I was exhausted, with no prayers of my own, So I sought refuge in the traditional prayers of the Church. I spent a semester praying the Catholic liturgy, then another with the Orthodox prayer book. Many days I knelt down and prayed Puritan prayers of petition and confession.

I discovered Lent, a pause in the Christian calendar. Lent meant 40 days of meditation on the life, suffering, and death of Jesus. With my heart broken and my spirit hanging on by a thread, I plunged into contemplation.

Yet I've never been religious about my practice of Lent.

By that, I mean it's not an obligation. I don't consider it appeasement or an appeal to God's mercy. It's not a righteous duty carried out to balance my sins. Jesus has already paid the price in full, so I live in his forgiveness and his righteousness.

Each year, I find my relationship with God has deepened. I feel his love and care pervading every part of my being. And I love him more. I want to please him.

So this year at Lent, I'm picking at my keyboard again, challenging myself to new understandings of who God is and why he wants a relationship with us. I want to be open to his goodness, his justice, and his unlimited imagination in saving the world.

Lenten Blog, Day 1: God beyond our Imagination 

Paul the apostle admits: The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God's power to us who are being saved. It is written [in Isaiah 29:14]: "I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart."

Smart people scoff at the cross. They find it folly and an offense to human reason. Why would God come among us? And why grow up in an obscure village in the middle of the Roman Empire? Why would he allow with religious leaders to question and defame him. Why would he be killed in a brutal way, with his followers abandoning him in his time of need?

I don't know. What I do know is that God understands all the parts of human life because of it. 

God's plans are enough for me - and for you as we live in that mystery. I don't have to understand what He's doing or how he lays out the future. He doesn't answer to me.

So Lent begins. I start the annual journey of blogging about my faith and confidence in God's provision. I don't understand it. Don't grasp it fully. But I believe what God says is true and that my faith shapes how I live as a follower of Jesus. (unknown source for images)

Still Wednesday. After 4 meetings, the morning is almost gone. I pray, write, and wonder what to cook for lunch. Turns out that leftover tacos are a perfect choice. W goes to an afternoon men's group. Titik's flowers continue to open as I work from home.

Thursday

There's no hike scheduled so we loop around the neighborhood for 3.5 miles (5 km). I step into the uneven side of the road to exercise ankles, knees, and hips the way a hike does. Nah, it's not the same.

W captures a beetle on the street in exquisite detail.

How wonderfully the world has been made.

Even the smallest things are crafted so meticulously that Jesus said, "King Solomon in his splendid robes wasn't dressed as well as the grass of the field that is here today and gone tomorrow."

In contrast, the manmade flower boards don't seem to be fading. I take a closer look: ah, the florets are made of sponge foam and will be part of the garbage dump soon.

Many continue to "bloom" in front of the residence of the new assistant governor.

We haven't been to #NaraPark for over a month. It's well-maintained, with a young man "sweeping" every leaf from the lawn as we eat breakfast. I'm craving their spicy noodles.

What are the little green heads on the plants along the terrace?

A closer look reveals tiny flowers, almost invisible until you stop to see.

Building has resumed on the community center used for preschool medical care. The upstairs wall has been framed atop the old first floor. Every few months, an influx of energy (or money?) brings progress to the project, which has been going for over a year.

I reply to texts and emails, make calls, and take notes from Blinkist book summaries. They have some recent additions on leadership and caring for others.

How about sauerkraut for lunch today? It's rather fun to cook "old-home" recipes that are on autopilot from another life. To a homemade base from Hela, we add potatoes, sausage, and seasonings. As the sauerkraut bakes, smells from the toaster oven remind us of a German household. Meanwhile, the helpers use the main ovens for cookies.

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Reflecting on the beginning of John's gospel, I'm filled with wonder again.

Lenten Blog, Day 2: The startling appearance of God

Dinner is a new recipe: butter rice and mushroom saté, with an apple on the side. We watch a movie this month instead of reading a book for the book club. The movie is called The Life of a Gaucho. (Wrong movie, I discover at the Friday book group.)

Friday

Walk. The fig tree is starting to droop with fruit again.

I make crepes for breakfast. Then edits! What a privilege to read what others research, learning from their work. First up is a seminar on healthy relationships and building trust in the workplace. I pause occasionally to "visit" the room photo on my desktop and rest my eyes on the green garden.

I check the progress of a dissertation and write a Lenten post about John the Baptist.

Lenten Day 3: The surprising messenger

We eat lunch before W and I pick up basics at the grocer. Varieties of dates are on display: those are eaten at the end of the day to break the Muslim fast.

PakG loads the dogs in the car and takes them for a walk while the Bandung Book Group meets for a lively discussion of a Hallmark movie: Journey from 1995. The cafe staff won't open shop until 3:00 though the women just want to order coffee. By the time they are served, I have to leave - with my thermos of tea intact. (It would have been rude to drink while they were waiting.)

We have fresh-baked mayo biscuits for supper. So easy, so good! (Stir together 1 c milk, 2 c flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 4 tbsp mayonnaise; bake in greased cupcake tin @350o for 15 min.) While the biscuits bake, I sauté mushrooms with onions and spices. Yum.

By the time we clean up, it's night. The rain falls in force, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling over the mountains for hours.

"This rainy season is lasting longer than usual," we said about the same time last year.

Read more:

*Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me. Isaiah 46:9

*“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” said the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8

Moravian Prayer: Eternal God, as we mark the beginning of our global church, we know that our faith history is but a moment in your creation. Yet you give us each these moments to blossom and live abundant lives. Let it be so! Amen.