Cheer and Chinese food

Friday: August 1:

One of the things I love most about moving to Indonesia is the eternal summer. The thought of 3 months of summer has always made me feel desperate. Even summer is squeezed by rainy or cool days between spring, fall, and winter, as the calendar flips from month to month. No longer. In spite of it being dry season, we hear rain on the roof many nights. During the day, an occasional ocean breeze sweeps through Jakarta and cools the moisture from our skin. Other times it’s just plain hot. Lovely.

In the morning, we catch a ride to IES (church) to watch a recording session and catch up with the staff. Pastor Dave’s recording all day, but we break for lunch after 2. Mario and Daniela are amazing at finding food. (We haven’t yet figured out the protocol for bringing something for the staff shared meals.) 

Fast food delivery: KFC (even McDonalds delivers like this)

We’re on our way out of the foyer when Gigi tempts us back for apple crisp and ice cream. I am so not hungry (didn’t we just eat?) but W loves fruit pastry. The taste is totally worth the 40 steps up to the offices again! along with the million-layer traditional cake we’ve been munching on since VBS two weeks ago. Here everyone walks the stairs, ignoring the elevator. No wonder they’re trimmer than we are back home.

At 4, we hop Bus Blok M for a jaunt to see what’s what at Glodok. W finds a tech mall that’s mostly closed, so we walk by and he’ll return. By 6:30pm, we’re ready for supper at Sun City, where we had dim sum another day. It’s not far from the bus stop, but we can’t find the entry. We end up being waved to a service elevator and coming out beside a garbage truck on Floor 5. It’s a quick walk through the parking lot to Sun City, a whole different world = Chinese elegance. Above us, three 8’ wide crystal chandeliers hang in gilded ceiling nooks. Over the balconies, 2-3’ crystal lamps droop from rounded gold domes.

We are the second table seated in a restaurant with 70+ tables. It doesn't start to fill up until after 8pm. Our server puts the napkins on our laps and hovers at table’s edge. He refills our jasmine tea the moment we’re down ½ inch. He adjusts the table #62 sign. And the minute food is ready, a person comes out from the kitchen and hands it to the waiter. We decide on steamed rice and 2 dishes: first, crisp Szechwan chicken on teeny skewers = toothpicks that are bites of hot (temperature) hot (spicy) deliciousness. And second, a mushroom/port noodle combo. Oh yum to both. We have leftovers for another day.

When I put rice in my luncheon-sized plate, the waiter rushes over with a separate rice bowl. Oops. He sweeps away a used plate and bring a clean one the instant our plates are cleared of food. It’s slightly strange to have someone watch us eat. Good thing we’re not self-conscious. I wonder if he's hungry and pray provision on him and his family.

When we're done, we walk outside. We come down another elevator and don’t know what side of the street we've landed. So we make a guess and end up going around a big block (dark put populated), past neighbors sitting on the curbs and smoking or talking, past little food vendor carts, and past dark houses. Definitely not a tourist destination at night. We keep turning corners until we end up on the main street again. A gal points us to the next bus station, within a city block or two. W’s happy: he's walked a new neighborhood and gets to see what’s around a newly discovered bus stop. He notes how safe things feel and how friendly people are. A man shook his finger in embarrassment earlier in the day, when his little daughter looks up in surprise and exclaims, “Bule!” (foreigner). We smile and say, Yia (yes).  The occasional person glowers at us, but they might do so to their neighbors as well.

Beautiful music: a traditional group in the mall

We hop the bus for one more stop: the Senaya malls. We’re not in the mood for much, though W finds the tea shop he spotted on our Jakarta first mall trip. He buys a teapot (IngenuiTea type, that drips tea out the bottom when placed on a cup.) A music group of traditional flute, guitar, drum, and violin-ish plays in center court. W snaps pictures, while I enjoy the music. An enormous lantern hangs overhead.

A 20' lantern overhead in the mall, with a big screen in the middle

We’re happy to catch a taxi. The driver has no clue where he’s taking us and makes a U-turn which makes it obvious. He stops so W can hop in the front seat with GoogleMaps to steer us home before 10pm. I get a pop-up on my phone: "You have no events tomorrow." Hurrah! When has that been the case?

In the night, I read enews from Seattle friends when I wake to turn on YouVersion Bible reader. As usual, we have things to pray for and things to thank God for.

Saturday:

Every morning we wake up grateful for being able to be sent here because of supporters and friends. Once more, THANK YOU. (Can you understand our love and appreciation?) 

Our daughter emails and calls with a practical question. She has decisions regarding flat rental. She’s not accustomed to being yelled at or having her stuck wrecked by roomies, so it's time for a change. We pray God’s protection and provision with her. All is well that is under God’s control.

Today’s typically the day we go to service at IES Central.  We leave the flat with the pastor's family in his car by 11:30 and are working online in the office by 1. W catches a nap in the conference room while I write. Then we walk to the mall to rack up some steps and move a bit before service.

The next topic or focus at IES is about moving toward belief, whether one is already a Christ-follower or thinking about it. The talk is a good summary of how we reconcile suffering with a Good God, think about scripture, and how we can be compassionate and kind to others while believing Jesus is the true way to God. 

We're so hungry that the food courts in the nearby mall seem overwhelming. We cross the skybridge to the next building and get only as far as the restaurant next door. For the first time here, I order a burger - and the Tee 9 chef more than fulfills my expectations. It's excellent beef, perfectly prepared, with crispy-outside-and-hot-inside fries to match. "The only problem with air-conditioning is that the fries cool off quickly," W notices.

We catch a taxi home - and the driver asks if it's okay to take the newly-opened ring road. He knows where he's going, unlike others we've gone with. He tells W, "I can find, don't trust GoogleEarth." He's right. It's faster by 15 minutes and the route our friends usually drive, but the fare (based on milage not time) is double going through town. 

"Next time," W says "we'll know to sit in traffic as usual." Travel with him is an ongoing adventure. We're in the door before 9pm, but he's asleep before I call my mom at 10pm for her 79th birthday.

Mom's out on her second walk of the morning (first with Dad; second with her neighbor). Dad and my niece are preparing a surprise breakfast when I call the second time. The power blinks out in the flat, so I check the phone when it goes back on ... and the light blinks that there's an incoming call. The ringer is turned off for the night, but I pick up. My mother! sitting in her comfy chair, enjoying the breakfast surprise, complete with a cup of coffee. Life is good. We feel far away but happy to be part of a loving family across the ocean.

Bus rides and bedsheets

Tuesday, July 29:
We took the Transjakarta bus to Glodok Monday (separate bus lane is like a carpool lane, with bus stations in the middle of the street, separating traffic directions). The busses have women-only parts of the car. Often a female attendant will shoo the men to the back. Young boys can stay with their mothers, but when they reach puberty, guys sit in the back. The other job of the attendant is to see that pregnant women, mothers with young kids, and seniors sit down. She'll move a young gal out of her seat as needed. Children often take up seats beside their moms, though. It must not be considered polite to give an adult the seat.

A big sign on a seemingly deserted building,
except for a sizable grocery store
in the basement.

We see our first accident Monday; a bus has rear-ended a car. We pray for travelers headed to Eid. They stand on the side of the freeway, talking on their cellphones. Women tuck children around them and keep them out of the moving lanes.

A ramen-lover's dream aisle at Giant Express

W and I walk about 2 miles to Giant Express for groceries. We eat at a restaurant along the way - chicken noodle soup for me; W orders fried chicken and also gets smoked quail eggs, rice, skewered liver and mushrooms. He forgets that side dishes are charged for if eaten and cost nothing if they're still on the table when we're done. With ice tea, our meal is about $4.

Good food: $2 chicken dinner

It's not a good idea for me to shop when I'm full. I can't think of a thing I want to eat. I'm amazed by the aisle of "slimming teas." (If it were true, we'd all be emaciated.) W loads up on snacks. Laden with groceries, we catch a taxi home for $2.

Wednesday:
We call Mom K to say hi for her wedding anniversary. We especially remember W's dad on this day each year.

We walk to the Transjakarta busline, starting around noon (1 hour walk). We've learned to tack 60-100% onto the time estimates of GoogleEarth. I'm trying new flip-flops which blister my feet. In the heat, the bandages keep lifting from my skin. We stop at a little Pharma Generic (generic pharmacy) in the neighborhood. Two young gals sit outside, chatting to each other and texting. They rush into the shop as we approach and sell us two kinds of medical tape: 75c and 35c. Feet fixed. Off we go.

We turn the corner on our walk: across from houses, a carnival sits at
the edge of a garbage dump, complete with smoldering fires,
grazing goats, and a muddy drainage canal.

On the bus, an old lady insists I take her seat. Maybe Indonesians can't tell our age, just as we're not sure how old they are. I'm glad though. She gets off the next stop but the bus ricochets off railway tracks and potholes as we criss-cross the city. W notes, "It has no shocks." In one area, it bucks up and down like a bronco. People smile at our astonishment as they are tossed around, hands locked on the metal poles and hand grips.

We're the only Caucasians on the 5 bus lines we take. There's not a brown head among us passengers, never mind blonds. We take lines #8, 1, and 12 going to the mall, waiting for the last bus connection for over an hour. On the #12, we start talking with 3 siblings who speak good English. The oldest, Eric, is in university in Jogja. He mentions that they are Christians, and he's met our coworker Jamie Kemp (Chi Alpha) at his university. His face lights up: Jamie has a great reputation among the students, he tells us.

We're at the mall by 2:45, after almost 3 hours of travel. There's a salon inside the door and my nails are splitting. I need a manicure and polish. The gal speaks a bit more English than I do Indonesian, so in my notebook, I draw a nail and a dotted line that's the shape I want cut. She has a used emory board and clippers that don't look sterilized. I pray for safety. She tells me she's a Christian and has a baby but no husband. She lives with her mom and they're from Medan. An hour later, I have a soft polish on my nails. (It partly wipes off two nails during our mall visit.) \

W thinks the bed in the principle suite of Bandung is one size; I'm sure it's a size smaller. So we buy 2 bigger sets of the white bedsheets. I can tuck in the extra 20cm on one side. Each bedset comes with 5 pieces: 2 pillowcases, 2 bolsters, and a fitted sheet. Buying is a hilarious process: four young employees try to figure out if "100% Sateen Jacquard" means the fabric is cotton. (Feels like the other cotton set.) I take my chances.

You can't buy flat sheets here, according to a previous heads-up from women living here. I brought 3 or 4 flat sheets from home to sew our duvet covers once we're settled in. (Duvet covers here are $50-$200 in good cotton.)

Supper is donar kababs for me; a lamb burger for W. His burger looks normal but the "bun" is 2 pieces of deep-fried flatbread.

It's 8pm by the time we walk back to the bus. I see my first rat on our walk, 9" of glossy black with a long pink tail. W teases that it had pink bows in its ears. Well, it was pretty. (But not that pretty.)

We can't figure out what bus to take. After reading the signs and checking W's map, we sit in an empty bus for 10 minutes, then almost hop aboard a bus that stops nearby. The driver and passengers wave us off. "Go there," they say, pointing to the terminal where we arrived for the mall. It's confusing: we'll be leaving in the same direction in which we came.

"This is correct, but Bus #10 takes 1 hour waiting," says a young couple passing their baby from him to her and back while standing in the terminal. They're on their way home home from Eid celebrations and family time. Apparently this route - whose bus took 1 hour to show up on the way here - is notorious for having hardly any busses. With so many people riding, it's a marvel of un-planning. We wait. And chat with the  couple.

I'm really tired, so W promises to choose another method of transport if the bus doesn't come in 10 minutes. We get distracted by our IPhones and have been waiting 15 minutes when the bus stops at our terminal. On the bus music mix, a soloist sings a cover of Adele's "We could have had it all". W and I almost lose it, remembering how my brother told us at Christmas (in Switzerland) that it was the favorite solo choice of girls in the reform school where he teaches. "There's a fiiiyer, burning in my heart..." The song goes on and on.

En route, Livia sends a happy message via WhatsApp (a free texting system). The realtor will send us a lease contract if we are serious about the house. We text back: YES, we're serious. Please send it! But would someone in the IES office be willing to read the two-year contract and help us transfer the down payment? She texts, "Sure" and sends initial directions.

So it looks like we'll live in our first choice, a home where we can host guests and perhaps start small groups. It's within a mile's walk of the language school. That's no small deal; on our last visit, it took over an hour to drive the few miles from downtown to our hotel in that neighborhood.

A comfy chair or 2 for the living room?

At our homeward-bound Jakarta transfer, it's only a 10 minute wait for the Blok M bus. A 23c ticket lets us ride the busses from one end of Jakarta to the other. If we transfer without leaving the stations, we could ride all day. Wow.

At Block M, the station is closing. It's 10pm, dark, and our feet are tired. W's carrying the linens. (Did I mention that we also bought 4 towels and 4 hand towels, besides the sheet sets?) Another family - 3 cute kids and their parents - point us to the exit through deserted corridors. We catch a taxi and are in our door by 10:35pm. Shower. Computer. Phone calls. Sleep by 1am.

Thursday:
I can't believe how time is flying. When we arrived, we didn't know what the days would hold. We had no job in Jakarta. We're in Jakarta until we sign our visas on August 3 (Tuesday). Meanwhile, we've been at VBS, enjoyed 2 churches, and begun to learn the language. When language runs out, I draw in my dot notebook (dots instead of lines; thanks Kim) to communicate.

After a breakfast of muesli and relaxing morning, we walk - only 45 minutes - to the mall (PIM) and have lunch there. Strangely to us, at restaurants, whenever a plate of food is done, the server brings it over. We've not once had everyone eating at the same time.

Our task is to purchase Korean futons that will be guest mattresses, 2 pillows, and washcloths to match yesterday's towels. W chooses a wet-dry vacuum cleaner at the ACE hardware and then we schlep everything to a taxi. We're home by 4:30pm.

Semi-automatic washing machine: put clothes and soap in
left. Turn faucet to "wash" and turn the dial to desired wash minutes.
*Unhook hose at side to drain. Turn faucet on again to fill tub to rinse.
Put on second cycle (rinse). Drain.*
[OR skip *to *, take out first load, rinse/spin, and add second load
to wash water on left. In that case, start with a white load and
move to darker, of course.] Take the clean clothes out, put them in the
right side spin tub, flip faucet on "spin", rinsing by letting clean water
run a few seconds over the spinning clothes. Turn off faucet.
Repeat turn on and off faucet on spin cycle, repeat, drain.
Lift the spun clothes out and hang to dry. Easy, eh?

Laundry time: I wash, spin out, and hang 5 loads of clothing and new bedding. In a few hours, the blouses and shirts are dry. The sheets and towels are still a bit damp. W zips through the house with the new vacuum, while I cook spaghetti, using up groceries bought the first week. We eat at 8, make some calls, write some emails, and W's asleep by 10. I'm still fiddling with the blog at midnight.

Is this spiritual work? We have time to think and pray for those around us. We lost a great friend early this morning: Pastor Erwin Rohde slipped into eternity. We last saw him in June, on our way home from our MT cabin. His home-going reminded us today that we are called to offer others hope and a relationship with God. And we're praying for his family.

Read more:
*In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying. Psalm 77:2 ESV

*Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

*Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 ESV

*You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14,16 ESV

*But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Holy Comforter, you know our hearts and you know our needs. We invite you into our hearts and into our lives again today. Walk with us. Amen.

Eid comes and goes

Sunday, July 27:
Mario is preaching in NE Jakarta. We enjoy the morning service, held in a theater. We have a good lunch together in the mall and visit ACE Hardware and a few furnishing stores. We're gathering information on supplies for next month's move to Bandung, and also learning about culture. We look at the shop displays for what people are buying. Here's what was on sale in the girls' section:

Traffic is fierce: 8 million people are deserting Jakarta for their villages and family reunions. Drivers have gone home to their family celebrations, so a lot of tentative car owners are driving: "annual drivers" as they're known here. It's raining in various suburbs, which doesn't help. After a brief visit to a church friend's place, Mario and Daniella take us all the way through the city and home.

On the way, we stop at Fat Straw for bubble tea. Oh yum. Another favorite spot acquired. Good thing we won't be living in Jakarta: there's way too much food here. Though we hear that Bandung is even better... (or worse?)

We know we're acclimating because of little things: I actually flip the light switch correctly to turn off a room light. When the switch is closest to the wall at the top, it's off. So you press the bottom to turn on the light. (It's opposite to what we're used to, turning lights on by flipping a switch up.)

Guess: is it on or off? (Hint: opposite to N. America)

Monday:
W makes rice porridge for breakfast in the new cooker. Recipe: 8c water to 1c rice, cooked 1 hour. I stir in a broth cube and we drop hot sauce and Bango (thick soy) on top in our bowls. As usual I can't finish. We're losing weight by eating well and getting good exercise.

Our plans for lunch fall through, so we have a relaxing morning. That is, it fills up with doing laundry, cleaning the flat, and computer chores. We talk to family and friends on the phone and find out one of our sons has a new job. Hurrah! for answered prayer.

W and I walk to the mall after noon, the nearer one this time @40 minutes. I wipe out again in a mud patch at the side of the street. I'm wearing the same flip-flops (Flojos) as the last time I fell. Note to self: they apparently have zero traction walking on leaves (Singapore) or if it's wet (today).

W has wet wipes in his bag with which I can scrub muck off a foot and shoe. The knee of my trousers have to wait until I get to the bathroom in the mall. Unfortunately, it's a classy bathroom with the bidet built into the toilet, rather than a side hose. I clumsily wash my shoe, my food, and my trousers over the toilet, trying not to spray beyond the toilet. When I leave, I dry the toilet seat and the attendant mops the water drops off the floor.

Baby loves dessert! Jojo, Kristi, and Kamille

We find the first food court and have lunch at 3. Then we go to a few shops. W gets sore feet when he stands: when he's in motion he's fine. Hard for him to pause to look at things, but he manages. We're starting to get an idea of prices of appliances (vacuum cleaner, bottled water holder, etc.) We're thirsty, so stop at Sour Sally's for a tea and mango juice.

4 of a kind: the beautiful Bramono women

Bramonos pick us up for supper from the mall. It's Livia's birthday tomorrow, so we celebrate at a Hawaiian theme restaurant (excellent menu, thanks Mario). Rain is pouring down as we set off for desert at a Chinese place, 3 doors away. Mario orders for us: warm herbal jelly that looks scary but tastes great.

Hot dessert: herbal jelly, red beans
and everything above. Yum.

The other deserts look and taste interesting too, but they're cold. The air con wicks away the rain from our clothing within minutes. 

Beans, green tea ice cream, and jelly,
plus - well, I don't know!

Traffic is light on the newly opened ring road: we're home from north to south Jakarta within a half-hour. Almost miraculous. And 10pm when we walk in the door. Our bedding is still damp so we toss it in the dryer. An hour later, barely damp. Good. Bed. Sleep.

Tuesday:

I get my time zones mixed up on a phone call with my Seattle friend Willy. Our accountability group is doing our first Hangout on Monday, so we want to work out the kinks out before then. We have our same home phone number (Seattle) so Willy and I figure things out as we go.

W and I are gathering information from various places in town so that's the plan for the day. Like yesterday, many shops will be closed. The security guard offers to hail a taxi after he opens the gate but we decide to walk again.

Read more:

*God, turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your custom toward those who love your name. Psalm 119:132 ESV

*Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 10:2 ESV

*Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Luke 19:8 ESV

*Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:45-46 ESV

*Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us... Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Moravian Prayer:  Lord, you have given us eyes to see and ears to hear. You have also called us to be your hands and to do work that is not always easy. Strengthen us for the work you would have us do. 

O loving Lord, let us know righteousness and not evil. Today let us consider the ways we can give, forgive, and set things right in our own lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The gitty nitty

Thursday (July 11, not posted earlier)
We walk back to the places we shopped yesterday, hoping they've found my wallet. No luck. I probably left it in the cab and we didn't snap a photo-receipt since we were on our own. So, unless the cabbie wants to return it, he got an IPhone, a wallet with a bit of cash and two cancelled credit cards ... and a handwritten address where he can give it back. W says he'll pick up a cheap camera-phone for now.

Heated by our walk, I hop into the pool for a half-swim (20 laps), before making supper from scratch: Beef rendang and noodles.

Beef rendang

M drops by for a short visit and takes Waldemar across the street where the taxi dropped us, to ask the market owner if he has - by any chance -  the wallet. It's unlikely, we're told. Ramadan ends in a feast where gifts are exchanged. So the month is an opportunity for gathering things, by whatever means, for generosity to family and friends at Eid. The taxi driver would feel a lucky man, scoring from a bule's (foreigner's) carelessness.


It's a choppy night's rest. W's tired early; I fall asleep about 7:30. At 10pm, nap time's over! I'm wide awake until 2:30am. At 6:30, my body says, "Enough lying around. Get up," and up I go.

It's been easier to acclimate to a new time zone when we've had strict teaching schedules. If we have to be in the classroom early in the morning, we're tired by evening and sleep well. This time we've had a looser schedule which hasn't helped us flip our days and nights as quickly.

Friday:
We're at the church at 9am to help with VBA (VBS). The theme is the Israelite exodus. I'm assigned with 3 other helpers to a small group of kids, "the tribe of Reuben." (There are 12 groups.) We start by singing with everyone, then retire to our tent to learn a scripture verse. The morning is filled with games, snacks, and crafts. W takes pictures of the activities.

Partway through the morning, Livia hands me our Indonesian grandbaby, sweet Kamille. The baby is a hit with the kids, who joke that we "found a baby in the desert." Kamille chews a piece of flatbread in the "Tent of Moses" while we listen to the Bible story, smiles at the kids, and delights us all. The kids measure her toes ("the length of my thumbnail!") and exclaim over her round eyes and hair barrette.

Sweet Kamille

Lunch at church is nasi goreng, Indonesian fried rice. Very tasty. B's driver drops their family off for their meeting in the mall on our way back home. We'd planned to go to Chinatown, but W's got the tummy blues today. Maybe tomorrow.

So let's talk about toilets, another cultural curiosity wherever we go. We've encountered some squatting toilets here, but used few of them. Sewers are overloaded with such a massive population so you can't flush tissue.

Instead, beside the Western-style "thrones" at church, malls, and our flat is a hose inside (bidet) or a hose beside the toilet. It's for washing - from the back forwards. If there is no hose, there will be a water bucket and scoop. Drying tissue (toilet paper or kleenex) is tossed into the garbage beside the toilet, damp not stinky (maybe more than you want to know.)

Squat toilet: feet to the side please

[Note: July 27. In the house we're looking at, there are 2 Western and 1 squat toilets. So when you visit, you can try either.]

Saturday special

The breeze drifts in the sliding door of our hotel room, bringing fresh air up the mountainside. We love the beauty around us. Our breakfast is on a patio overlooking a pool. It feels too cool in the mornings and evenings for a swim, so we enjoy the view. Stefano is preaching tomorrow, so we pray God's peace and rest on him as he prepares.

Breakfast view

In mid-morning, Livia takes us to meet the realtor; we want to negotiate a lease for the first house we viewed in the Ciumbuleuit area in the north end of Bandung. It's an old-style home with separate guest and service wings, 2 lounges that we could use for small group meetings, 2 offices, and a garage. It's been sitting empty for a year in a quiet gated neighborhood. It's in the upper end of our budget, but alternatives in the same price range are 2-3 bed/1 bath apartments in noisy neighborhoods at the bottom of the hill, near the universities.

Could you pray with us? The roof needs repair and the house must be cleaned before we'd move in. Our target date is early August, in time for language school. We hope God has saved the house for us; it looks like an ideal place to birth a faith community of business people and students. We make an offer for a 1-year renewable lease.

The commute home is as bad as the commute to Bandung. The 120 miles from Jakarta took 5 hours on Thursday; today it takes 5.5 hours to drive back. No wonder our friends exclaimed last summer when we drove there in 1.5 hours and back in 2 hours, including rest stops.

BTW: On our way out of town Thursday, Livia gets a call. The purchaser of my IPhone contacts her: what code shall he use to unlock the phone, please? We talk the whole weekend, letting him know we'll be in touch when we're back in Jakarta. We're willing to buy it back for the price he gave the taxi driver. And would he please contact the seller to see if he has my driver's license and wallet? Thank you very much.

It's an "impossible" answer to prayer to hear from the buyer. We were told to write it off as a loss when I forgot it in the taxi last week. But you have been praying, and in answer, it looks like God may give it back, which would be truly miraculous.

From one moment to the next, the favor of God amazes us. We're walking through each day, hour by hour, to see what He will do. We could not earn the favor or opportunities that are emerging through your prayers and support and the kindness of the IES Jakarta team, especially the Bramonos. THANK YOU all.

Missions meet and retreat

The muezzin is chanting prayers through the loudspeakers on the mosque's towers. Five times a day, the call to ritual prayers echo off buildings and hillsides. Some chanters are better than others and just when I think they're through, they start up again. So far, it's been over a half hour. (How different would Western nations be if we had been called to pray that often?)

Mosque in Lombok

"What you have to understand about Indonesia is that it's all about religion. At its core sits religion. At the heat of tradition and culture? Religion." So says an expat who's been working here for years.

We've had several wonderful days at the mission retreat. The island itself is lovely, though locals take the beauty for granted, like everywhere else. Yesterday, someone negotiated a good rate for a group of 27 to take a boat to the reef for snorkeling. (I was thinking aquariums might classified as cruelty to animals as see the waves sweep through the corals and the fish darting in and out. I've killed my share of marine life back in Seattle.) GORGEOUS zooanthids and sea anemones bloom under us as we paddle by. Fishes we see only in aquariums swim under our feet.

Our return trip is bumpy. We're between two islands when the wind whips up and it takes us nearly a half-hour to get to the shore. The waves are high and the old wooden boat leaps and plunges through them. Some of us get soaked and everyone is damp.  The boat with its crew of  heads back immediately and we are left on the shore without transport. One of our gals speaks with fellows in a little shop. Apparently the vans are on the way. Sure enough, they soon appear and drive us 20 minutes along the coastline, back to the hotel by 1:30pm so parents can pick up their kids from children's activities. The second contingent arrives in the late afternoon.

I take a quick swim before we eat supper by the pool. It takes an hour from the time we sit down to when we get our food. Four tables of guests are equally late to our meeting. "We're on island time, so don't worry," says one missionary. And sure enough, service starts an hour late.

Coworkers from the NWMN

The worship and talks have been excellent. I am so aware of the prayers supporting us at home: God's presence is very near. We begin with songs and prayers, watch a short missions video on ministry issues, and hear from a speaker. Then it's snack and chat time before bed.

This morning we took pictures of the entire Indonesian group. The NWMN people stayed behind for a group shot: there are 14 of us (one absent from photos). The country is SO big. Only China, India, and the USA have more people.

 

Top 4 countries: world population

It's hard to imagine this handful of people having an impact, but various ones tell us how God is reaching out through us. Without the home churches and friends, none of us could be here or do what we do.

Friday:
We fly home in early afternoon after a 1-hr. taxi ride from the Sengigi hotel to the airport. It's an uneventful (if late-starting) flight. Below us, the islands carve the ocean boundaries. A huge yacht churns a temporary white swath across the blue sea between tankers and freighters in port. The anchored ships line up in parallel formation, bow to stern swept in the same direction by the currents and winds.

Near Bandung, the clouds pile up. It may be raining in the city, which is known for precipitation and a moderate climate. So far we love the weather in Indonesia, where theoretically it's dry season. Residents of Jakarta and elsewhere tell us nothing is predictable; the weather patterns are constantly shifting. It's rained many days since we arrived.

A rainbow arches over the countryside near Bandung. I usually have a middle or aisle seat, and so being able to look out reminds me that God is overseeing our journey. He knows every step of the way and every part of what lies ahead.

Indonesian rainbox

Our evening is relaxing. We unpack again. We set the flat in order. We catch up (W with students, I online) and then fall asleep.

Saturday:
W finds some household outlet stores, so that's built into the agenda for exploring Jakarta today. The malls are modern, with a few surprises, like the Boeing store with the front of a jetliner protruding. People pose for pictures as we did the first time we walked by.

W at the Boeing store

Every day brings some new thing our way. A few practical things we learn this week:

• Yellow rice is an appropriate gift to take when knocking on a neighbor's door for the first time. 
• Our eyes have adjusted again to "driving on the left side."
• We might need changes of clothes multiple times a day, depending on an office climate (air conditioning - take a scarf or sweater), an outside walk (dress lightly - natural fibers, no synthetics), and "normal" wear (natural fibers, lightweight clothes, be prepared for cold taxis, hot transitions, and everything between). 
• Water hardness and quality has as much to do with hair texture and cooperation as do cleansing products.
• We are the most privileged of people. Many have not yet heard Good News and many live in dire poverty. We don't take for granted our good health or staying in a clean hotel with likeminded God-fearers. We feel God's presence and care all around us.

Read more:

*Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:6-9 NIV

*It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. Psalm 112:5 ESV

*Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Proverbs 24:11-12 NIV

*Jesus said, “Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” Matthew 25:45 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Lord, today let us remember those who may be hurt by our actions or our inactions. Let us be conscious of all our decisions and the unseen effects on our brothers and sisters. Help us to be aware and awake. Amen.

Getting ready to move

Our friends from Jakarta, Pastors Stefano and Livia, took us on a 3-day fact-finding trip to Bandung. Our tasks in the next few weeks are to:

1. sign up for language school
2. find housing
3. experience the setting and people, praying grace and favor on them - and that we feel at home in this new city.

Rice bowl, leaves line the basket

We wonder if some of the best food in the world is made in Bandung. Over the three days, we especially enjoy Maxis and Roma Enak Enak, blown away with tasty menus. When the bill comes, we are astonished: we four eat for the expected price of two. 

Deeeelicious fish

Saturday:

We eat breakfast on the second floor, overlooking the hotel pool. It's shaded in early morning and I'm a warm-water swimmer. (They were doing maintenance on it when we arrived so the pool has just opened.) Two little boys splash into the pool from a Little Tykes slide. They stand at the top of the slide, jump over the sides into the water, and dive to the bottom of the 3.5 depth. 

Trying to imagine this breakfast view in the USA: no lifeguard,
no safety rails on the Little Tykes playspace...

The realtor and friend come by again at 10. We go to House #1, take a lot of pictures, and ask a lot of questions. 

Pastor Livia on the front porch

"What about the furniture?" I ask. There are multiple shelf units, 2 or 3 beds, lots of occasional tables, a dining set, and two living room ensembles.

"Come for supper" - a kitchen and dining area

"Think of the furniture as a bonus," smiles the realtor.

I ask him to check if the owner would be willing to let us live in it for a week and then remove the parts of the "bonus" that we didn't need? Could they clean before we get in? It has already been cleaned once, we're told.

A place for company - entry / living room 1

When we look up at the high ceilings, a 6" lizard sits near the top. 

Can you spot the lizard?

"That's what the spots are on the sofa," says the realtor. (Oh, lizard poop. Where's the vacuum? We can take care of that in a jiffy.) Livia says we don't chase out those lizards: they eat mosquitoes and other bugs. Yay, a house lizard - a good sign. And the kitchen is open to the garage, which has vent slats open to the outdoors. Couldn't keep lizards out if we tried, I guess.

Back yard shade

Perhaps these things can be negotiated, the realtor says. We make an offer for a year-long lease but haven't heard back by Tuesday (today). Please pray with us; perhaps this is the place to begin.

In town, we eat another great lunch. Then it's a long drive back to Jakarta: 5.5 hours ... and S & L are still miles from their own place when they drop us off about 8pm. Pastor S has to preach in the morning, too. We pray together over the services tomorrow and the accomplishments of the weekend. We are grateful for the generous attention of the IES Jakarta church and our friends during this transition.

Classic BMW motorcycle in the hotel lobby

At 11:30pm, we get a text. Our visa is partially finished. We need to hand over our passports tomorrow in church and appear in person to sign the visa next week. Whaaaaat? Don't we need the passports to get on the flight to Lombok tomorrow? We partially repack our suitcase for the next retreat - and fall into bed after midnight. God - and Indonesians in the know - will have to sort things out.

Sunday:

Pastor Dave's family lives down the hall from where we're staying. They are back from a trip to the States and offer us a ride to church at 8. PD (as he's called here) introduces us to the congregation and asks people with Bandung connections to consider a one-week-a-month commitment (for three months) to bring local friends and family to the service, once we open. The meeting is refreshing and inspirational. Between services, we walk quickly to a nearby mall and find the moneychanger to exchange funds for the retreat.

We're told not to worry: we can use color photocopies of the passport and passport sticker (temporary visa), with a letter from the church explaining why we don't have our passports in hand. Pastor Stefano writes the letters, makes color copies, and sends us off in good shape. (What would we do without him?!)

We have to finish packing so we go back home in a taxi. We get caught in a jam a kilometer from home, so jump out and walk the rest of the way. We set off for the airport at 2pm to make sure we get on the 6:15 flight. The driver is the first woman cabbie we've met here. She heads to the toll ring road and gets us to the airport in good time. We have supper in a local-style restaurant before meeting coworkers at the Starbucks. 

It's an uneventful flight but W's luggage takes a half hour to unload. Our fellow travelers wait patiently before we all catch the shuttles to the hotel, an hour away. It's 11pm by the time we reach the Sheridan and later still when we settle into sleep.

Monday:

We miss our granddaughter's third birthday. It does our hearts good to look at new Facebook pictures of her and her little brother.

It's a full day in Lombok. What a glorious setting upon awaking. The palms wave outside the balcony, with the ocean beyond them. The breakfast buffet includes several counters of international dishes. I eat lightly: the conference schedule includes snacks as well as meals.

The welcomes are warm all around as coworkers from across Indonesia meet. It's clear that the field is united in purpose. I have a quick swim before our afternoon business session, which is conducted efficiently. W and I watch and listen. Diverse personalities and ministries are encouraged; differences of opinion are aired without criticism. Participation in the evening worship session is enthusiastic and wholehearted, led by Pastor Gigi Kenney and her sister, Chelley Rody.

The beautiful pool in the evening

Tuesday:

Over breakfast, the SE Asia Area Director Bill his wife Kim, and Pastor Dave (and daughter Isabella) help us understand procedures and expectations. We need permission to travel, submit receipts a certain way, and should consult on anything we have questions about. The field committee will discuss particulars as they come up. We're grateful for mentorship - and offers of friendship - early on. 

The morning business meeting concludes this year's business agenda. The field committee has been expanded to 3 men and 1 woman. At the lunch buffet. Katie sits with us and shares her heart for Community Development. She's interning this year at IES Jakarta, learning by working with their staff. At 23, her heart has been captured by Indonesia, so we will be praying that she continues to find direction and make an impact. Please include her in your prayers, too.

We go back to the room and nap. Then I have to write. Thank you, everyone. It takes a while to get the internet connection, so most of the afternoon and early evening are gone by the time I'm done.

God's peace to you - and loving prayers from Lombok, for all that you need for life and to carry out the mission of God.