January - where did you go?

It's been a month without blogging. That hasn't been deliberate - but it's the longest break ever. I was as tired and busy as you! The house was quiet after the Christmas decor came down - many a silent night, which I love and find renewing.

After the Christmas season ended, our daughter Kirsten arrived. She's a restful guest. It felt like I sat around for a few weeks, but when I look back, W and I were speaking each week, I read about 30 books to unwind 2019 and open 2020, wrote and sent off a chapter for an academic book, and did a few other "this and that"s. Yikes.

Here are a few pictures from January: the first Sunday, I made a floral centerpiece from our yard while the church florist was on vacation (4' tall).

All I have to do is take a scissor outside and clip away - there's so much color in the yard. I made another 3' tall bouquet for the house one weekend when a friend loaned her glorious Chinese New Years bouquet to the Gathering. (Yes, those are little oranges.)

The most stunning flowers have appeared. Here's a 2' bromeliad that rests in a crook of the guava tree. Its center fills with little periwinkle blossoms on red stalks.

Rainy season unleashes a splurge of colors on Indonesia. You should see this red hedge of flowers!

On a morning walk, I paused for a showstopper: all of these blooms and buds - yellow, pink, and reds - were on the same shrub.

Our dog Gypsy gave us a good scare by staying out overnight. Apparently he ran off when someone opened the gate; he hid from the thunder and we didn't notice until morning that he was gone, rather than hiking around the yard.

In the morning, I whistled and called for him on my way to work. I asked a few people if they'd seen him. He showed up at our gate not long after. W and I were very relieved. He's our security warning and protector - plus a good buddy.

We celebrated two Chinese New Years and one Korean New Year events - what delicious homemade food, eaten with dear friends!

Before that weekend was over, we had tea with new German friends at the Padma Hotel up the street, too.

We celebrated the baptism of Halu, a young believer in Jesus. She's returning to her homeland Japan soon.

We set up a prayer room at the international church. I've enjoyed spending time there with others each week.

Movie night was fun as always - though I didn't watch the actual movie A Quiet Place. K and W told me about it.  I cooked, served food, and avoided cluttering my brain with awful possibilities.

"It was great," everyone said. But I heard them squeal when monsters jumped out. That's not for my active imagination. Just tell me the story line.

The kitchen filled up for dinner and for dessert later on.

 And the next morning, we took down the projector and put the house back together.

Seems like we celebrated this first month of 2020 with a lot of people. Family Sunday was full of kids listening to the KidTalk by Nicole - always a treat.

CDB (Community Dinners Bandung) moved to a new place: the Central Station cafe. What such a noisy, interactive, and people-filled evening. It was a full house.

There were conversations, idea exchanges, games, and puzzles galore. Plus good coffee, according to W.

W and I ate gourmet one day, made by a friend at #Roadrunner. Alan is full of passion and experience regarding good food. He cooked what may have been one of the best burgers we've ever had. It looked just like the picture - fluffy bun, thick juicy meat, homemade sauce, and fresh veggies. Thanks, Alan.

W and I happened on a fully set up paludarium that I'd noticed in an aquarium shop last August. It was just too expensive then. This week, it was half off and prettier than ever, planted and equipped with everything you could imagine.

"How about an early birthday present?" I asked my husband, who happily takes gift suggestions.

A paudarium is a land and water tank - ours is home to a little school of neon tetras, a beta, and a few cory catfish. The waterfalls provide a soothing backdrop in the office, plus I like to watch the fogger roll little clouds over the front lip.

We met friends old and new at tables around the neighborhood. We're doing a 7 Systems diet together, but it's hard to stay on track with such good friends and food! I've shed 5 unwanted pounds in 2 weeks. Not bad.

It's wonderful to hear about good will and hard work done by the many volunteer in community care around Bandung.

Sadly, our family lost a dear cousin. I grew up with Elaine in Winnipeg - she was closest to me in age of all the cousins. She passed away from early onset Alzheimers. Elaine began to exhibit symptoms around the time I started my PhD. That's unfair, to say the least. What a terrible illness. We pray God's comfort for Garry and his family.

Now it's February. The "Happy New Year" is in full swing with its highs and lows. We kicked off the first Sunday of February (today) with a team BBQ, anchored by grillmaster Josh and assistant Dave.

Everyone pitched in for the rest of the food. The kids ran around the house and the yard. We love to celebrate together. Shared wins today included a new home and school, a pre-teen/teen startup, and other milestones. God is good.

Read more:

*The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced. Isaiah 50:7

*If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:18 

*To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying. Acts 26:22

*For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

*Christ Jesus became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30

Moravian Prayers: Dear God, let us walk beside you. May we listen for your voice and allow it to guide us to do your will. Although we may stumble and fall, we know you will be there to pick us up and brush us off. Thank you, Lord, our guide and comforter. 

God, we turn to you to lighten our way; to help us see that you are there, not only to guide, but to bring us peace. May we always turn to your wisdom when we struggle, knowing that you will not steer us wrong. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

A fresh start for 2020

Thursday, January 2, 2020
Our daughter arrives, after 54 hours on the road. We're glad to see her safe and sound. She's just in time for rambutan season. The 1" fruit inside the spiny exterior looks like a peeled grape. It tastes like a combination of grape and cherry. Delicious. The ones below are still green. When ripe, the spines will turn a deep red.

Friday

Daniel spends a whole day taking down the Christmas designs - the hall is quiet without the lights and bright colors. He hangs the two big Advent scripture scrolls on the walls of the old stage. They're beautiful.

He'll surprise us with his silhouettes on Sunday again - they provide a visual reference while we speak. (Artists are the best!)

I reset the hall at Green Gate - the chairs are put in place, the sofa comes back onto the stage, and the floor pillows and rugs go back where they belong. There will be kids reclining on them again next weekend.

Saturday
The driver is sick with cikungunya. It's a mosquito-borne illness and his kids all had it last week. Saturdays, his task is to pick up flowers for church, but the florist is on vacation - and he's at home.

We don't have a bouquet for tomorrow. What to do? I still have last week's vase filled with an oasis.

I wander into the yard to see what's blooming. Not much. I spend a few minutes of exploring and then it's time to play. What can we use for a big anchors? I note that bromeliad centers hold water. I break off 5 big bromeliads and I put a pink zinnia in the middle of each. There are only a few heliconia blooms (the big 3-4' red and yellow flowers) along the edge of the back garden. (The gardener dug them up, with permission of course, from the neighbor's driveway and planted them along the lawn.)

I cut three sprays. They're quite dramatic in a bouquet. With 2' sprigs of yellow coneflowers, 2' trimmings of dill, and 1' branches from a light-green mosquito bush, we're done.

. 

Sunday
W speaks so I have a break. I have my little notebook along as usual. This is the beginning of the year, and the office has been closed for a week-and-a-half. The admin has been out of the office, so I  worked most days - a little here, a bit more there. W's busy with visas and other details.

The lotus in the Bali bowl on the porch sends out a tall purple blossom on the porch. It is happy with its roots fed by the fish in the bowl. The pretty flower only lasts a day or two.

This is a land of spectacular beauty. Things looks ordinary in their natural setting and quite extraordinary when they're displayed out of context.

Monday
After my early meeting, K and I have a massage; my back has been very sore from sitting and hunching over books. I'm done and ready for work by mid-morning. W hosts the study on the porch.

We have an afternoon admin meeting, getting the new season underway. They give us great ideas and good feedback on what worked and what needs improvement as we move forward into 2020.

In our neighborhood, a mason is perched upstairs on a building project. His helper tosses him one brick at a time from a heap on the ground.

I'm supposed to be writing a book chapter. I have 60 pages of research for 20 pages of writing. My head isn't there yet. W and I have a chapter each in a book coming out in a few months. So I know somehow this one will write itself, too.

Bugs appear with rainy season. Today there's a "camouflage" bug on the porch and a bright spider on a post.

Tuesday
In early December, I recorded 5 videos for a Chasing Truth series - over 1200 women have signed up online to read scripture together. I get an email from the host that some listeners are distracted by the lovebirds who were chirping outside the window while I was recording.

It means a do-over. Sigh. When? I go into the office at 6:30 am to redo the first 2 videos away from our birds. But apparently why I have is not the right script. When I listen to the original videos, I realize that I have to start over. I've wasted an hour. Ugh.

The gorgeous orchid blooming on the porch lifts my spirits. It's an office day. The team meets all morning. It's great to see them again.

Oh oh. When I get home, I look for the proper script for the video redo anywhere. Neither can Waldemar, which means it doesn't exist. Where oh where did it go? Don't know. Gone Gone Gone.

Kirsten transcribes the first three video scripts. I'd do them in the morning. Thank you, sweet daughter!

Wednesday
I'm in the office early to record the videos for the third time. W calls when he's done with work and we go to breakfast at Nara. Then it's off to the office. W wants to transfer the videos to Dropbox for uploading on the other end, but they haven't taken the original videos out of the box. There's not enough capacity to upload the new stuff. I send 3 or 4 emails - and don't get a reply from head office. Sometimes the 12-hr time difference affects communication. My part is done. I'm waiting for a reply.

We meet Kirsten for lunch at #KalpaTree. Today the food is wonderful. K orders pasta. It comes with peppers and more peppers. When she's about halfway through, she asks for a takeaway box - but first she separates all the hot peppers out of the pasta. We knew there were a lot - but oh wow - they cover about a quarter of the plate. Note the white rice - it cleanses the tongue when the heat gets too much.

I order slow-cooked ribs and rice. At $6, they're the best in town. The samba (chili sauce) is spicy but very flavorful. The cone of rice is a traditional presentation.

We run into some walking buddies at Kalpa Tree. Rosa (left) returns home tomorrow to Australia. One thing about being an expat is that you meet a lot of new friends ... and then they're gone. You have to work to keep your heart open. "Happy travels, Rosa."

In late afternoon when the rain comes, the clouds darken the sky and the house begins to fall asleep. The dogs run into their crate as the thunder rolls in. Good doggies.

I'm not hungry so I skip supper. A cup of peppermint tea is good, though. W brings me a big mug full of steaming refreshment.

Read more:
*Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalm 33:22

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Moravian Prayer: Let us hold on, be strong, love faith. Trust. Walk with Christ. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The navigation between years

Sunday, December 29, 2019
The last Sunday of the year is here. W and I invite people at BIC to reflect on the year past and look ahead with purpose in the New Year.

Here are 2 handouts from the program. Download them for your own use, if it's helpful.

People take a few final selfies; the Christmas station will be dismantled this week.

Pak Danny takes a big group to Ethnic after. What great company.

I am abstaining from what looks like a delicious lunch. My stomach has been rumbling since the Potluck last Wednesday. I finally notice. The fastest way I know to digestive happiness is a 24-hr fast. (It works again.)

Monday and Tuesday

I'm in recovery mode. In the mornings after I make toast and eggs for breakfast, Tabitha and I sit on the porch. Somewhere in the day, I toddle off to my room to read or just chill out. I write 2 news editions - one for BIC and one for us. W reads them through before I send; we both miss the personal title on one (personal rather than corporate). Ugh. Oh well.

We eat some good meals this week, exploring Nara, Pino Terrace, and Miss Bee. I don't have much of an appetite and don't think W and T would like ramen, which I crave. I don't have energy to bake or cook: it's tiring to think ahead in the day to "Oh, what's for breakfast/ lunch/ supper?"

At Nara, we sit at a window open to the field below. Parents and children blow bubbles and toss styrofoam airplanes into endless loops.

On another day, we turn up early at #KalpaTree, a short walk away. They turn us away, though there's no one at the restaurant and the first reservations don't start for another half hour. I guess we could phone them from their doorstep, but we have a lot of other choices. Their loss. 

We walk a block to Miss Bee. All the servers and the manager greet us warmly, seat us, wish us a Happy New Year. They look after us well with personal and professional service.

My special consolation prize: the hot chocolate at #MissBeeProvidore  is excellent. I unwrap and throw the chocolate truffle in with the rest, and pour it over a glass of ice. Chocolate with chocolate and chocolate. Obat Juanita (women's medicine), right?

Wednesday - a quiet start to the New Year

We call people we love and talk to friends. We go for a few walks, but mostly, we're at home. Love it. I replace the red sofa cover of Christmas with a black one, and recover the cushions in black and white.

Pak Gum is repainting inside. We've had water damage, a lot of guests, and a lot of movement. The house is ready after 5 years of living. 

We move the 2 meter (6') metal panel off the nook wall. After the paint dries, it goes on a picture rail in the living room.

Tabitha helps assemble a pendant lamp that we found in IKEA's As-Is on our last visa run to Singapore. It's been sitting in a box on my desk for weeks. Since Boxing Day, I'm clearing house. I'm almost done with the desk and my office after a month of people "dumping" things from holiday events and activities. That's the last piece - poof!

Where to hang the chandelier? For $10, it seemed to say I'd find a place somewhere. Yup. The nook by the front entry is perfect. W rewires the fixture while Tabitha clicks the stiff plastic of the papers onto the end-caps of the long wires. Whew - she's young with strong hands.

We like the shadows it casts on the walls. The gardenias plucked from the garden release their scent from a black bowl under the new light.

Then she's off! Tabitha flies back to Malaysia in the evening. She's been a good guest - and is a dear friend. We're cheering her on as she goes back into her classroom tomorrow.

How awful! Our friends write that Jakarta is flooding after rain in the area overflows the rivers and drainage canals that meet in the neighborhoods before flowing out to sea. The person with a plan to fix such disasters (2 meters of water in some homes and businesses) was ousted 2 years ago and his plan jettisoned. (Jakarta Globe picture)

Many people  who protested against him are suffering, without any solution in sight. It's common for vehicles - including motorcycles - to drive through 1-2' of water in Jakarta rainy season. The water streams through the streets on the way the canals. But this extraordinary New Years rain causes additional havoc. Pray with us for displaced thousands.

We lock up the gate and house. I grab some books to read and settle in with a cup of tea.

And then I get an email: several friends have donated to the Christmas project. My heart is full of gratitude. Their generosity will bless a special-needs school and cover universal access for the BIC hall. Thanks, everyone!

Thursday

Our daughter's coming today. Can't wait to see her.

Read more:

*This assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear. 1 Samuel 17:47

*"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

*A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. James 3:18 

Moravian Prayer: God of peace, teach us your ways. Our ways lead to conflict and mistrust. Guide us to see the path forward that brings your kingdom on earth. Amen.

How do you get 2020 vision?

A lot of posts online promise magic potions and pills and exercises to improve vision. My own eyesight (near) has deteriorated precipitously the last few months. I've read so many books at night - on my phone and with reading glasses.

That's not the kind of vision I'm talking about. I'm thinking of how short-sighted we are when we live day to day without plan or purpose.

While it's good to trust God each day and NOT worry about the future, even Jesus looked ahead to his mission and to his death and resurrection. He wasn't taken by surprise. Jesus lived with purpose and trusted God to shape the details. 

Sometimes we shape the details and forget the bigger purpose.

Here are 6 ways to enjoy a purposeful year so you can look back with satisfaction in another 12 months?

• Set your heart in order. A wise proverbs says, "Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 What do you need, and what do you need to leave behind to do that?
• Set one or two goals for the whole year - what would you like to look back on ... or what would you be disappointed not to accomplish? What would give you the biggest gain? (For me, it's a return to fitness, which will ward off weariness, bring health for creative thinking, etc.)
• Set a routine of rest and keep it. We're designed for premier function with a day off each week. Have coffee with friends. Play. Sleep. Read. Or do art. What refreshes your soul?
• Set a relationship goal - do you need better connections at home, in the office, or in the community? Pick one area to work on.
• Set aside time for review - make an appointment with yourself once a week, once a month, or once a quarter. Look at 1) what you've accomplished, 2) what's in process, and 3) what's still out of reach. Celebrate or recalibrate accordingly.
• Set aside time for reflection - whether 5 minutes or 1 hour, make quiet time for yourself and God every day. You won't always have an epiphany. But slowly, you'll be drawn into the Presence and understand what God is doing in and around you.

Need something developed by a working executive admin who keeps track of many streams of projects? Here's the Big Picture Planner to help make it happen: click on the link. (It's on sale now).

Have a Happy and blessed New Year!

Read more:

*You, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. Psalm 66:10

*Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary. Isaiah 40:30-31

*I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us. Isaiah 63:7

*We know that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

*God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Moravian Prayer: When we are open to your spirit, O God, we find reservoirs of strength and power to love and to serve. Help us to not rely on our own devices, but to wait and trust in you. 

Dear Jesus, as we start another year, please guide us in ways we have yet to follow you. Even when tested, be the light on our paths and in our hearts to always remind us that you are near. Amen.

The sweet gift of friends at Christmas

Sunday, December 22, 2019
Dr Hanna and her daughter Alice are our scripture readers today. They're wearing beautiful traditional fabric: batik, sewn into modern styles.

Monday
After a Sunday focused on peace, we have our final Monday study of 2019. We're starting into our "finals" and "lasts" of the year.

Are we really this close the year's end? The study participants bring the most wonderful food for our enjoyment. First, everyone shares ideas, prayers, and observations. After, some of us take pictures around the tree before everyone scatters into the day.

While I'm in the office, W gets the Lessons and Carols stapled into Sanny's cover. Sanny and I choose readers and send out the story passages from scripture to each one. 11 people will read their parts between carols tomorrow night.

Tuesday - CHRISTMAS EVE
The team is already on break, and this is the last staff day for the office until the New Year. Tabitha flies to us from Malaysia in the morning - she's became a friend the first times we taught in Malaysia. I take the morning off - but have to get to the office to prepare for the Candlelight Service tonight.

I make a cup of tea and fire up the computer at my office desk. It's time to start the New Year's report,  but we look forward to the meeting tonight. We've invited many friends, so we'll see who shows up.

There's a lot of traffic in our quiet neighborhood - the destination restaurants don't help! In typical Indonesian fashion, cars are parked beside and into every street.

Young men direct traffic and collect the fees before a car pulls away - it might be 35c (5000 IDR) or if it's really expensive, may be up to $1 for unlimited time. It's a whole industry across the city: various people are assigned to their block and they'll collect the coins or small bills for their "boss."

The Candlelight Service is wonderful. Guests have come from various places. Many of our regulars are away. Della leads the carol singing. Along with Jun on drums and Dimas on guitar, W plays bass. I'm on piano. (It's maybe my third time since we got here.)

And after, we gather around to share treats and conversation. W and I walk home slowly after 8pm. The night is warm around us.

Wednesday. CHRISTMAS DAY: "Merry Christmas Everyone!"
It's Christmas morning! I'm cooking before 5:30am. The pasta water is put on to boil while I make the curries and other sauces. By 9:30 I'm finished with most of it. We have spinach in cream sauce, spaghetti in tomato sauce, curried sausage, and pineapple-sweetened meatballs. I hard-boil 36 eggs and sort out which dishes to use and the logistics of the White Elephant exchange. I print out the numbers and instructions for whoever will announce it. (Turns out to be me, so I don't need that.)

Our kids call to wish us Merry Christmas - what a treat, and how far away they seem. (On Boxing Day, it's cute to see my mom and her youngest great-grandchild together. There's a definite family resemblance between these two.

W puts three tables in place while Tabitha brushes out Cocoa the poodle. She also sets up the rattan plates and their liners. I decorate upstairs and down. It turns out to be a waste of time upstairs: the +60 guests cram onto the patio and crowd the main room downstairs.

We've announced that we will open the gate at 11 - but a few come an hour early. They relax on the porch while we finish preparing. About noon, W prays a blessing on the food as we start to eat. Everyone brings food - there's an abundance at the feast.

Dr H and Alice bring bakso, a traditional soup broth poured over a variety of fried foods (similar pieces to dim sum). Danny brings two boxes with a variety of chicken. Sayaka brings sushi in the shape of a Christmas tree. There are so many other dishes that the tables groan with choices.

The ones who have been here for movie night exclaim because the room setup is so different. (We reconfigure the house for movie nights.) They pose together, with us, and with their families. We meet parents and siblings of our regular friends.

Many bring white elephant gifts but we've wrapped some for those who forget. It starts to rain as we begin to open gifts. What a lot of noise. It's great fun. The gift I intend to steal goes home with a gal who leaves early - she had a good thing. haha There's another just like it - W finds it for me later, what a guy.

Instead, I steal from a 6-yr-old boy who opened his the "My Little Pony" gift with dismay and muttered a hilarious observation: "Self-sabotage!" He's happier with the "Thomas the Tank Engin"e set he snags on his second try.

Afterward, many selfies are snapped by the tree and in the yard.

The last guests leave after 4:00. The helpers stay to tidy up until almost 6:00. There's still a lot to do, but it's a good start and they carry the trash out. (The ants are back in full force with rainy season. We  take out the garbage every day.)

I put my feet up and thank God for Jesus, the reason for the season, as W snoozes beside me.

Thursday
The massage lady comes over - ah, I was looking forward to that when my back was aching yesterday! While Tabi endures/enjoys her deep-tissue massage, the helpers and I clean.

After lunch, W, T, and I are off to the ACE Hardware store. None of the post-Christmas sales are marked yet. There's no planning ahead here; gradually there will be markdowns. By the time we get back to town, everything may be picked through. "We don't know when we will do the sales," says an employee to Waldemar. There's no telling when is a "good day" to come.

It's one of the oddest things we see around here: the escalator ends with a half-flight of steps at the bottom. Not sure if there's a standard size of escalator and they're saving money, but it's not disability-friendly. It's puzzling, actually.

We spend some time browsing at a nearby indoor-outdoor mall. We're served Vietnamese food at the mall by servers in yellow floral tunics. It's an early supper, and then a quiet evening back home.

I shoot a WhatsApp to a dear neighbor regarding our annual New Years Eve neighborhood get-together. "Yes, or no?" I ask her. "Is it something enjoyable or would it be difficult?"

Our neighbors are getting older. It's more dangerous to walk through the potholes after dark ... and harder for them to get out in the evening. They're also having a few smaller parties around neighborhood. We're off the hook. No need to hold an event this year.

Friday
What a difference a day makes. Tabitha, Sumi, and I clear the Christmas ornaments out of the living room and off the porch. Everything goes back into storage - except for the bare pre-lit tree in the LR. That stays another day. We'll get our ornaments back from BIC after Sunday. They were used to dress the hall and set up a selfie station that was well-used during Advent.

Not quite sure why W moved the aquarium bowl from a side table to the side of the porch - the dogs slurp water from it. That can't be great for the fish! I stash away the little porch tree and he promises to return the fish bowl to its place tomorrow.

I make lunch while W and Gum pack the newly-washed folding tables into the back of the SUV. They take them back to Green Gate.

Oh oh. The helpers apparently took home the spaghetti from Christmas Day that I bagged up and was expecting to heat for lunch today. Oh well, I start again. W doesn't really like the pasta but Tabitha and I enjoy the smoked mushroom sauce and meatballs.

We have a glorious tropical downpour that threatens to soak all the furniture on the porch. W tosses the pillows inside the LR, out of the rain and wind. The dogs retreat to their crate in W's storage room. Alexa plays music to divert their attention from the spectacular thunder and lightning.

Tabitha, W, and I walk to Miss Bee for supper. (No soup and fresh bread tonight. Change of plans.) I'm sleepy before 7pm. The dark of night has fully arrived.

Read more:
*I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive. Jeremiah 33:8

*The angel said to Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Moravian Prayer: Loving God, you entered into human history to show us your love, to be with us, and to wash us clean. We are made new through Jesus, and we rejoice. Amen.

What do you do all day anyway?

Friday, December 20, 2019
Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? Woohoo! Two covered dishes, brought from my mom's collection, remind me how far away we are from a wintery season.

Anyone living near a coast or in the tropics knows the constant maintenance that keeps things going. We moved into this place 5 years ago. The outdoor wood has worn in sunlight and strong winds. It's been chewed by termites and peed on by civits (wild cats) and rodents. The roof leaks where the tiles have shifted. The tiles have begun to slide off and there's water damage where the eaves have pulled away. (See the V? That's supposed to be a closed right angle: it's the supporting board for the last course of roof tiles.)

Our landlord agrees to pay for repairs and W agrees to oversee them.

For the past 3 weeks, a small agile man has manipulated +30 bamboo stalks into custom scaffolding. He moves them around the roofline to access the second and third floors. (No muscled Western handymen need apply - think of their weight on those poles.)

Today, the handyman adjusts the last roof tiles, nails up a few more boards that have drooped with water weight, and sprays wood stain on the swath of ceiling over the porch. He paints the end wall where bats have tried to find a foothold or pooped as they swoop around at night. I snap a his picture through the bedroom sheers, just before he climbs down and dismantles his perch.

When he's done, the varnished wood glows. "Hopefully he hasn't sprayed on too much, because then it stays tacky," says the pessimist among us. The wood drinks in the stain - you can't leave anything unprotected for long.

On our last visa run to Singapore, we found some jingle bells in a baking shop. I string a few packs of bells onto a 10 meter (30'), 50c ribbon. (I couldn't believe the price either.) We drape them above the edge of the porch. The wind rattles them in a gentle hiss. I can't wait to hear what happens when the afternoon storm blows through.

The Spanish moss is starting to fill in, too. I unwound ten circle-frames of moss into a long line. We hung them on the edge of the porch roof. Only one neighbor overlooks us and an old guava tree provides privacy for most of the teras. The hanging moss is becoming a beautiful grey curtain in the gap.

Some people, reading the blog, may wonder if we work at all. Or what we do, since we have weekly assistance. This week, the yardman chopped down the lawn and tamed the hedge with his machete. The helpers baked 4 loaves of bread and filled 12 ancient Tupperware boxes with cookies for Tuesday's Christmas Eve service and a potluck at our place on Wednesday.

We go shopping for enough eggs (56 this week), flour and sugar (8 lbs of each), and other supplies. I supply the recipes and do ongoing demos. One morning, before help arrives at 8, I plug our old KitchenAid mixer into the power converter, and whip up batches of sugar cookie dough. It feels so good to bake; I rarely get a chance. In an hour, 6 long cylinders of dough are cooling in the fridge, ready to be rolled out, baked, and decorated while I'm at the office.

We don't let our helpers use our best appliances: they instantly burned out a new hand mixer ("Oh, you have to wait for the butter to soften?") and - to W's frustration - have torn out both ends of the wet-dry vacuum ("Oh, sorry. We've been dragging it from room to room when we clean.")

"Um, this is how to do it, please." W orders a replacement vacuum hose and I remind them to push not drag the vacuum when it's needed. They usually sweep and mop away the daily dust and dirt.

Our helpers are willing learners and good workers. I love and appreciate the two women more each year; it also feels less awkward to have them here working around me. One is here two days for special event baking and cooking. The other comes M-F. But since locals don't grow up with appliances, it requires hours of instruction and ongoing explanations before we can hand over repetitive chores.

Ask any expatriate. Those who live in small houses and apartments often do everything themselves. It's easier in the short run than constantly overseeing another person, giving instructions, and prepping supplies for someone else. In a bigger home, with people coming and going, "no help" limits either cleanliness or what we can do.

I love having help! It's an investment to teach others what we need and prefer. Yet our helper jumps in when the house floods or to make tea for a full house of visitors. She'll strip beds and irons the clean sheets. Can't complain. And I am SO grateful.

Our kids also grew up doing chores. I was never an "I have to do everything perfectly" kind of mom. My motto is "Delegate, delegate, and do what you can do best and what only you can do." It takes high energy bursts for events, deep focus for research, and corralling endless details to plan things that look simple or effortless. W and I are speaking on Sunday. The team helped plan the Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. I'll cook for a host of friends on Christmas Day. What fun! Yes there's a lot to do. But ...

The pressure or stress unwinds when I nap, make art, design things, or just drink in the beauty around us. I love the rhythm of doing, going, and resting. We listen to hours of scripture and read a lot of books - all kinds of books - not just useful ones, but playful, artsy, designer books, as well as novels.

So when you see pictures as we take pleasure in God's wonderful works and his stunning world, enjoy them with us, ok? You'd love it here. Just saying - at 8:40 a.m., the temperature is 27C (80F). Going to be a hot one today.

Read more:
*You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Psalm 30:3 

*The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:2 

Moravian Prayer: Merciful God, we thank you for the hope and future that is ours in Christ. Gracious God, we thank you for the life and freedom that is ours in Christ. Amen.