Canada Day, American Indep Day, and a working week

Tuesday, July 2, 2019
We shopped yesterday for movie night. I don't have room in the freezer so I wrap the frozen food in a big towel and blanket and leave it on the counter - it has to last 2 nights, until I cook on Wednesday morning. (It's still kind of frozen when I unwrap it on Wednesday morning.)

The most fun guests come to stay overnight. Anna will stay until Thursday, but Tirza and Mathieu are only staying one night. They're in time to have lunch with our team.

After, we sit on the porch while I grill them for questions to interview prospective interns. They are so helpful! And they're fun besides. They head to the Young Adults dinner at Vieira's in the evening and let themselves into the house when they get back. I spend some time learning emotion words in Indonesian.

Wednesday
I cook from 6-10am. Our guests rest upstairs. I can't believe how fast the cooking goes - we'll have 3 kinds of meats, pasta, potatoes in the slow cooker that will be mashed later, spinach in cream, and other goodies for the movie night crowd.

Then the day is ours. We eat lunch at Kalpa Tree and walk around the neighborhood.

There's a blaze of color all around - after rainy season, the trees burst into flower. The brightest are at the entry to the neighborhood cemetery, where all the graves are aligned with Mecca.

Suddenly, it's time for dinner-and-a-movie night.

We have about 70 over for the very American movie Field of Dreams. That leads to all kinds of conversations afterwards. The porch empties about 11pm.

Two of our Jakarta guests leave for the train station after supper. There's nothing as relaxing as a train ride - the view of the forests, the tea plantations, and of hundreds of motorcycles waiting at the crossing while we buzz by? All good. Unless it's night time. Then it's just nice not to have traffic weaving in and out and lights of various brightness.

Thursday
It's America's day (Independence) - and lots of friends post greetings. The differences between the American and Canadian cultures come through this week, along with pictures of families celebrating. Canadians post warm wishes and hopes for relaxation. Americans post patriotic notes and fireworks.

We head for the hills, walking through rice fields above the city with a group of 14 Internationals, including a few Americans who are missing the red, white, and blue (and fireworks). A man is  walking out of the forest with 20' long (6 meter) bamboo trunks on his shoulders - we let him pass on the trail. 

 Coffee is drying on tarps in the sunshine - it grows well in our volcanic soil. We examine a bag of fresh-picked berries. They're ready for roasting.

In the jungle trail on the way back, an enormous stand of bamboo has fallen across the path. So we duck under.

There are a few iffy bridges along the way but no one falls in today.

On the way home, we pass a mini-gas station - an umbrella shades the single portable gas pump from the 80o sunlight.

We're not back at the house until almost 5pm. There's a traffic jam most of the way. We pause for a yogurt bar after a 3pm lunch at the Mandarin, a Chinese-style restaurant in Lembang (the city north of Bandung).

Our last guest has to catch the 7pm train. She quickly packs up, heads to the station, and is on her way to Jakarta. No time even to shower.

Friday and Saturday
Friday is office day - with a variety of guests stopping by. One set is from a local frozen chicken processing company - they want us to buy from them for movie night. "We'll taste it - and if it's good, it's a deal," I tell them. It's good. The price is competitive. And they deliver. Woohoo.

Saturday morning, W goes from one meeting to another in town. After he returns, I redo the bulletin board at the International Church - W comes along to drag the supplies for me. What a guy.

Sunday
As usual, we speak together. After, W hosts a theology class and I sit in with the digital media team as they sort through options. They're so smart - and funny as they joke and work together. Ivo's doing a great job leading the team.

Fatimah joins Aris and us for lunch - it's nice to have restaurants all around. It's also often cheaper to go out than to cook. When we get home, we prep the week ahead. W texts the group processing our visa. We get a call back - they have forgotten that our paperwork expires Tuesday. What now? We'll find out tomorrow. (Below, the beautiful waterfall that was our Thursday destination.)

Monday
After a 7-9 meeting with a dear colleague and friend, I feel an urgency to work. The study on the porch is not for me this morning. When I feel this strongly about not participating, I pay attention.

Instead, I listen in from my home office. I spend the morning sorting the week ahead - I write a few weeks of program inserts, send emails, write agendas for meetings, and WA requests. I catch up on Sunday and set up the whole week.

Why on earth? Mine is not to question why. Internally I hear, "Just do as you're told." So I do.

Mid-afternoon, we get a call. We have to be in Jakarta to take visa photos tomorrow at 10am. With the uncertainty of traffic, we'll leave at 5am. Ah ... that's why I had to do a few days' work today.

First, before nightfall, we meet up with dear Jakarta friends who lived at our place in Seattle for a few years, between them. They're staying overnight at a hotel on the next hill over.

Their daughters are adorable - and brave, jumping into the adult pool without hesitation and experimenting with the spray of the fountains in the center of the kiddy pool. We eat an indifferent supper poolside and chat. They're doing well. We are delighted.

When we get home, we toss a few things into our carry-ons and are ready for sleep before 8pm. The alarm is set for 4am tomorrow.

Tuesday
Sleep is restless. I listen to whole books of scripture during the night hours. W reads as well. And finally the alarm ring. We get moving, on our way into the "big city" shortly after 5am.

Traffic is great - until it isn't. The traffic jams up with construction and vehicles weaving in and out as they plunge or waddle into our lane. I have a headache most of the day, whether from fumes or from stress, I can't tell.

We're near the imigrasi office around 9, so we walk down the street to find breakfast. I need the restroom when we reach the restaurant. I go into the room with the "TOILET" sign on the door. The staff eyes each other - and grimace. Why? Oh oh, what's that?

About 20 frozen ducks are partly submerged in a huge bucket of water (which I doubt is drinking water, since the hose from city water - with a reservoir for toilet flushing - is nearby.) I step around the blood and melting ice dripping toward the trough where the toilet overflow drains.

I wash my hands in the sink near the entry, and sit down at the table to eat. "You have to see what I just saw," I tell W - who goes to see what's what.

Maybe the chicken for my chicken soup was thawing in the bathroom yesterday. I'm glad I didn't order duck this morning. The food is tasty.

We've been here 5 years - we have no change in appetite, although we are amused. Life here is full of surprises - one of them is that we don't even have a tremor in our tummies after eating the hot sambal (salsa) and breakfast.

Imigrasi is quick and efficient. Photos done, we walk past huge leaves that edge the sidewalk and hop back in the car. We're headed for the center of town. Our sister organization has their Tuesday staff meeting just like we do - but ours is happening without us in Bandung. We catch up with old friends and new around the lunch table.

I need a few items from IKEA so the driver takes us almost an hour across town. After battling the traffic coming in, we decide to stay in the city overnight. I have to work anyway - it doesn't make sense to get home late tonight, work at home tomorrow, only to return to the Jakarta airport Thursday. That means potentially 10 extra hours in the car, back and forth. No thanks.

We pass a couple taking home a picture frame or mirror. Good thing they're not speeding - she's holding the frame in her hands behind the driver, feet relaxed and dangling. She'd get blown right off the back of the bike with a gust of wind.

We give our driver the option of a sleepover in Jakarta or heading home to Bandung. He has to pick us and our guests up at the airport Thursday. He chooses to drive home alone. (He'll park the car in our driveway, if all goes well, about 10pm.)

W asks if I want to walk to the nearby malls. Nope. He heads out to browse for snacks while I write and get some work done before an early night's sleep.

Read more:
*Thus says the Lord, “Seek me and live.” Amos 5:4 

*While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light. John 12:36

Moravian Prayer: Dear Lord, give us opportunities to seek you. Put us in situations where we must lean on you, for this is when we can and will be filled with your light. Let us shine your light brightly for others to see. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It's been 5 years already ... how is that possible?

Sunday, June 30, 2019
Waldemar speaks at BIC in the morning. We have an open house at the office after, inviting the community to drop by any time.

Lunch is with a friend. Another dear family invites us to share their table in the crowded restaurant. They leave first, and pick up our lunch as a pleasant surprise. Thanks!

Monday - FIVE YEARS IN INDONESIA and Happy Canada Day
I can't believe it when I wake. 5 years ago today, we arrived in Indonesia. We had no idea what to expect, but didn't think it would be this interesting or wonderful. We love the people, enjoy good food, and the weather's practically perfect (80s in the day, high 60s at night.)

I take time to thank God for his goodness. He's allowed us to meet so many interesting neighbors and new friends, hear amazing new music (like the angklung band below), and see beautiful art that showcases the skills and cultures of Indonesia.

After I put out a tray of cookies for the study, I'm off to the office. I missed our 7am meeting last week. It's good to be back. I'm always refreshed by conversation and prayer with this special friend.

I have a long to-do list for the day. I get through 3 of 6 most important must-dos. That's a good start, anyway. I can do the rest tomorrow (she says, optimistically.)

Meanwhile, the helper is working her monthly rotation at a preschool clinic. So Waldemar makes tea for the group on the porch and leads the study. I walk back home at 11, where the group surprises us with a dense chocolatey cake from Dago Bakery. They celebrate our anniversary with us. How lovely!

I work a few more hours at the office before we go to town. Today's the day we buy groceries for movie night. We hit two wholesalers for meat and vegetables and are home before 5.

In the evening, I finish writing the talk for next Sunday. We'll do our first read-through for the team tomorrow. It's been a busy weekend; W is asleep by 8 but it takes me longer.

Read more:
*Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

*Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:1-5 NIV

*Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. James 3:13

Moravian Prayer: Lord of all, we ask you to search us. Search our hearts and minds, and give us wisdom to follow the path you have set before us. We sing of your goodness and feel your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

So many extras: feels like an extreme ride

Sunday, June 21, 2019

Our neighborhood walks are smoky - if you have asthma, you're in trouble here. Leaves and garbage are swept and burned at the roadside every morning.

Otherwise, the flowers are blooming and after rainy season, every tree is bursting with new leaves and color. Even the neighborhood gazebo is being overrun with plants. 

 At BIC, W and I speak about Solomon.The kids are in the auditorium for Family Month. However, the children's director is sick. She texts a half-hour before the morning starts for me. I grab a few plastic animals from our kid-gift drawer and ready a kid talk. Only two youngsters show up. They're game but their English isn't strong enough to participate as hoped. No worries - but

• Another last-minute cancellation (the slide doesn't get removed from the PPT = awkward)
• Someone else is leaving town so we have a farewell prayer for her
• The media team needs a script edit when I duck into the office. Ok, done
• And something else unexpected happens, but from the distance of a week I can't remember it ... It was a full Sunday morning, for sure.

A friend texts at 3:30 - can they come at 4 to talk? I don't see the message until 4. No worries, they were already at the gate. I'm in full zone-out mode so W takes her question.

Monday and Tuesday
It's study day again, led by Nina. I'm happy to see everyone. After, I spend some time in the office Monday afternoon.

We have our team meeting on Tuesday and a bunch come back to the house with us for lunch. Writing, planning, catching up on the teams and their work - it's a pleasure to see everyone using their gifts to bless others.

We have to pick up a few things at Borma (Indonesia's Woolworths). The groundskeeper needs new boots for $4, too.

Tuesday afternoon, W stays home while the groomers come - they love using our American clippers. Gypsy snarls and W ties her up. Meanwhile, Cocoa is a jewel - she loves to be groomed.

And she's so happy when she's done, she's like a bouncy ball.

 

Wednesday
W and I have a date day - starting with breakfast @Pino Terrace. It's yummy, just over $1 for chicken chowder in a biscuit, and a short walk from the house.

The groundkeepers are pounding new "lawn" into place with a brick - the low-lying area is a soggy mess that washes out with big rainfalls.

We head back home. I wait while W does a bit of work. It's our Sabbath so we're on the way to town before 11. What a hot dry day. We walk up and down an empty street in Chinatown.

Trees are not cut down here. They tower into the sky. At root level, they break up curbs and paving goes around them.

We're following directions from locals. We loop around and around the neighborhood, passing the same shops (10,000 plus steps and 6.5 miles).

Finally we find the streets we want. I find fabric I like for upholstering the porch furniture, which is shredded by sunshine and a plethora of guests.

What? I have to buy a 100 meter roll of each? No thanks! At the egg store,  motorcyclists pick up a stack of cartons and deliver them to the shops. 

I'm looking for a clay teapot for the Chinese tea a friend brought. I find 2: a good Chinese one for $13 and a local set with tray and 3 cups for $6. There are also baskets galore.

I happen on a baking store. A kg of cocoa is Rp125.000 (under $9). We're out of cocoa, but I'm not in the mood for another splurge. I leave the shop owner our bread recipe and he gives us a discount for the few items we buy.

When we get home, I soak the clay pots and cups in boiling water like WuJin taught me, rinse them, and fill them with water to hydrate for a few hours. Then we dry them overnight.

Thursday
It's our first walk in the hills in ages. I love it - but skip one steep side trail to save my knees. A friend from BIC joins us - what fun to introduce her to the wild woods across the valley from her house. "I've seen this trail so many times, but never been here," she says. (She's lived on the opposite slope for 20 years.)

Lunch is at an overlook on the side of the valley. Beautiful.

Three pickup trucks full of wedding guests drive by. Old and young are in wedding finery - I try to imagine my mom and mother-in-law dressing up and hopping into the back of a pickup on these cratered roads. Nope - too much of a stretch for my imagination.

We have time for a quick shower to wash the dust and sweat off, before a guest comes to sit on the porch for a few hours. I have enough in me to make a quick and simple supper before relaxing with a book and an episode of a Korean drama.

Friday
It's an early morning at the office. The vines along the way are beautiful.

I get a message, "Can we come by?" Fathima, a grad student who came to movie night 2 years ago, brings 2 friends to the BIC office. They're in charge of a linguistics and 4.0 technology conference at a major university.

The organizers just found out that their Australian keynote speaker is not coming: he's sick - is there any chance that I could do a 90 minute session tomorrow morning? WHAAAT? They're a bit desperate: they're expecting 180 guests, national and international lecturers, doctoral and grad students. Oh boy.

I feel a release in my heart - ok, I'll try. I take notes as we talk. I don't really know what the conference is about - I can't read the Indonesian description. Our assistant Sanny reads the conference manual later and explains a bit more before the office closes for the day. I ask my friends to pray for success. Have I ever done this kind of a lecture at such short notice before? Nope. Anything can happen.

A young couple takes us for lunch. They're working out details for their wedding: W will marry them in October.

While they check out nearby wedding venues, I head back to the office to work on the talk, based on the notes and our conversation. And then it's home, a quick supper, and early-to-bed, hoping for a miracle.

Saturday
I wake after 2am. By 5:30, my talk and PowerPoint are done. I've read the lecture through once, so I lay the clothes I'll wear on the chair, fill my bag with a computer, cable, timer, etc. I'll be ready to go when I get up.

I go back to sleep for an hour. W hands off a thumb drive for my PPT. Apparently MACs are not working on the screen at the university. They had trouble last night. Ok. Thumb drive it is.

At 7:30, the dogs start yapping. Someone is already at the gate.  I fine-tune a few things on my presentation and get dressed. I text Fathima, "Please tell them wait for me. " They said they'd send a driver at 8:00 to pick me up.

I grab a few chocolate chip cookies and make a thermos of tea. No time for breakfast. I'm out the door at 8, but not a minute earlier, computer bag in hand.

The driver and a grad student drive me to UPI on the next hill. We arrive a few minutes after 8:30 when the greetings and other formalities are over. The linguistic department is already assembled.

I'm ushered to the front row where one of the professors waits, along with a table full of water, tea, and snacks. There's an extended introduction (15 minutes) before the moderator and I take our seats on the platform. The enormous gong is struck with a red paddle (oh that lovely rumbly vibration!) and we're in session.

The lecture goes well - the faces are friendly. Participants are engaged, interested, and have fun with a hands-on activity - conceptulizing a children's counting app based on local language and traditions.

Afterward, the moderator translates the Q&A. Many come up to say how much they enjoyed it and take pictures. It's fun to see how everyone crowds in - I get one pic on my phone, when accepting the thank you plaque. (Picture taking is a 10-15 minute finale in any conference.) The professor/moderator says he got a lot of ideas for his own class, which makes me even happier. I'm home before noon.

There's something about saying YES to the impossible or implausibe that is deeply satisfying. This time, I felt covered in prayers. I didn't feel nervous or anxious, but more anticipation to see the ways God intended to bless this time and the people who were gathered. I came home with a smile.

When has that last happened to you?

Read more:
*Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad? Job 2:10

*Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress. Psalm 31:9

*Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

*Jesus said, “But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid.” Luke 12:7

*Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 

Moravian Prayer: Help us, O Savior, in times of trouble and trials, to know that you are fully aware of every aspect of our lives. Help us, Holy Spirit, to trust in our heavenly parent who is full of compassion and mercy. Help us to walk by faith, surrounded by perfect peace, knowing that God is taking care of us through every need, storm, or situation. 

By your example, Redeemer, show us, during times of our persecution and trials, how to accept God’s will and purpose in our lives. Assist us to remember that all things will work for good to those who put their trust in you. Give us the grace to say at all times, “Your will be done!” Amen.

A few things you may not see elsewhere ...

Nothing particularly special happening this week - been writing and planning, but that's normal stuff. I send a "New Normal" pic and paragraph each week. Send me your email if you want it. 

Here are a few things from that collection that you might not see in your part of the world:

Hey, look out above! And you, BEHAVE or else.

Recycling pickup from a grocer: just pack that cardboard up high - crawl as high as you can to fasten the boxes down.

Horses sharing traffic with everyone else

Kids walking a 1' ledge around a former 3' deep pond - their parents are eating at the restaurant nearby

More kids - this time riding in the back of a pickup on the main street

And a chess set with local puppet characters as chessmen

It's not the life we had for 50+ years, but we love it here. Every day is interesting.

Read more:

*Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:1-4

*I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. Jeremiah 30:19

*Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” Matthew 13:33

Moravian Prayer: Heavenly Lord, may your grace continue to grow in our hearts and change us from the inside out. May the gospel message transform our lives and exert its influence on the world around us. May our lifestyle always reflect God’s glory, that through our testimonies, his kingdom will be extended as others believe in him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Perfect weather

Hurrah - people are coming back from their family holidays. It's time for Community Dinners to restart. And the weather is perfect - most days have a bit of overcast. It's mostly sunny but not too hot - in fact the nights are cold (68oF/20 C). I wear a sweater or long sleeves most of the time.

As we're out running errands, I just have to snap a pic of the guys cruising by - "safety first"? Maybe more like, "safety last." The traffic is not fast, but still ...

Monday, June 15, 2019
It's a long day after a full weekend. In the morning, the guys cut a few tall branches off the moringa tree. We strip the leaves and set them out too dry.

Tuesday
My first meeting is online at 6:30. I woke up at 2am and started to write the last part of Sunday's talk.  We have to present it to our team today at 9am. I'm not done until 5:30. I'm up again at 6:15. But my host is not online until almost 7. I have a cup of tea and clear emails while I wait.

By 9, we're at the office for the second meeting. It's good to hear what people are doing - everyone's active and working hard. We come home for nasi goring (fried rice, an indonesian staple). The yardman has picked melinjo berries and leaves, which get boiled.

The nanka (jackfruit) tree has a few big fruits, too. Some trees boast dozens of big ovals overhead (pic below). You don't want to stand under a tree when the fruit breaks loose!

The helper strips off the prickly skin, wrapping her hands in newspaper to avoid the sticky sap that can be used as "white glue". It can be very difficult to get off, even with oil and soap. She cooks up an enormous pot of Sunda-style jackfruit curry. (Vegans would love the stuff - it tastes like pulled pork.) Ripe, jackfruit is eaten as a fruit. Before that, it tastes more like a vegetable.

W has afternoon and evening meetings - three more today. While I finish my writing, he is out and about.

Wednesday
It's date day, even if it's just a date with myself. While W works at home, I go to Rumah Doa (prayer house).The retreat center is completely empty except for me today. It's not quiet since the gardeners are hard at work.

I pull on my down jacket and socks (baby it's cold outside when I arrive - 66o or 19. Brrr.). I get out my pen, and put on some orchestral music to block the sound of the hedge trimmers.

I spend some hours there: thinking, praying, and finalizing the calendar of "Stories of the Bible,"  topics for the international church through Christmas. It's strange to plan Advent topics (Hope, Love, Joy, Peace) but satisfying to post them for the leadership teams later in the day.

Lunch is a disappointment: Eatalia has been replaced by a greasy food shop that says it's like a pizza (fillings) but has a deep-fried breading around it. I am too tired to find another place - so I try it. Not my taste. W loves fatty foods and might enjoy it.

I make a quick stop at Daiso, which has shrunk from a big store in the mall to a little strip-mall shop. I find what I need and am home before 3. As soon as W finishes his edits for Sunday, I can make the PPT - that's always the last chore before the final rehearsal of our presentation.

In the afternoon, I drain the two fishbowls on the porch. W refills them with fresh filtered water. No filter or heater is needed in these fishbowls - what a far cry from the fiddly saltwater aquariums I used to have.

I go fishing in the neighbor's pond. I need a few more fish in our fishbowls on the porch. Usually, we have fewer fish after a few months - this time it was almost half a year. Then I walk over to restock from Jez's overflow. The beta has been swimming around in there for more than a year. Seems happy.

The red platys are abundant. I also catch a male green swordtail under one of the lily pads. The little frogs who live in the pond jump out of the way of the net.

Read more:
*The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Now I have put my words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9

*Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24

*But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom. Luke 21:14-15

Moravian Prayer: Lord, often we are not bold in our witness or we are afraid in sharing our testimony, so we remain silent. Encourage us to speak without fear and dwell in your word and presence each day. May we trust you to teach us to speak with grace and wisdom, that the good news may be proclaimed wherever you lead us. Amen.