Easter weekend - rejoice, he is risen!

Good Friday, April 7, 2023

Supper is a mash of leftovers in soup (delicious - broth, pesto gnocchi, chicken, etc.) Veronica has sent over some fresh bread - so we grill some cheese on it and slice her tomatoes on top. Fit for a king. Or at least W likes it!

Sometimes the prettiest flowers are the wild seeds. These remind me of candy canes.

Down the lane, someone has erected a tent for a celebration. With the permission of the neighborhood council, entire lanes or streets get blocked off this way for weddings, funerals, and other milestones.

As the day draws to a close, I reflect on this Lenten season. It's been a day-to-day meditation on our faith in Christ and the confidence that God has drawn us near to himself in his Son.

"There is no other name on earth whereby we may be saved," said one of the scripture writers (Acts 4:12). The security of knowing God and being known by him is wonderful. That's what Easter is all about, the highlight of the Christian calendar.

Saturday

It's a rough night's sleep so I miss my morning walk. We stroll around the corner to a friend's for a brief hello.

We're dropping off some fun Easter gifts from Miss Ruth.

Each contains a painted wooden egg, gold-wrapped chocolate eggs, and a chicken planter. Cutest thing ever! I seldom see ivy here so that will definitely go into the ground when it outgrows its planter. I submerge it in water to get the teeny-tiny ants out of the soil.

Before a visit with David and Georgina, I stroll around the garden to feed the fish in the various pots. In 2016, the garden started with a tree, pots kicked off the porch, and a garden hose laid in gentle curves. The yardman cut the grass away at the porch and buried the plants in the soil. (Wow, look at all those pots! No wonder we had no room for people on the porch.)

Slowly, the plants started to take hold (2017).

Now we beat them back weekly. There's alway something always in bloom. Today there are purple orchids, red geraniums, pink daisies, yellow somethings (like marigolds, but 9' / 3 meters tall), plus leaves that range from yellow to green to scarlet.

I've committed to cooking curried sausages and a vat of spaghetti for the Easter potluck. It's too early to start cooking in the afternoon. I'll cook when I wake up at night.

Roaming around between projects, I spot an unfinished painting, initially planned as a cave with water reflections. I'm not good enough to make the shapes and paint bend to my imagination. Sometimes a background changes from it's original intention. If I'm totally confused, I take a picture of it and mark it up digitally to find the main lines and what it wants to become instead. That's not a good line.

How about turning it upside down and trying again? This is better somehow. But the landscape changes. Could it be a house near a pond? A colored forest by a lake? A centered face, looking left with pursed lips and a cut-out neck?

Wow - do you see the many options? I'm not certain enough to touch it yet. After I see the face, I can't "un-see" it. It would require few lines and be easiest to paint, that's for sure. I'll keep looking, but that face finds me every time I check in. I hate to waste the water reflection though.

Meanwhile, the hall is being readied for tomorrow. Tables are borrowed and set up. W delivers our rattan plates with paper liners, plastic cups, and cutlery, plus recycling pails for the plastic and rattan. We have enough supplies on hand to feed over 100 people any time a crowd might come over. (I hate shopping for events;  I prefers to buy it on sale and keep it on hand for when stuff is needed = "to shop our storage.")

In the afternoon, the wind sweeps from the mountains and shakes the trees. The corrugated roofs rattle and the chimes ring. It makes me wonder how fearful the shifting of heaven and earth was, at the death and resurrection of Jesus. The thunder rolls across the valleys and past the house.

EASTER SUNDAY - HE IS RISEN INDEED!

I spend a few hours at night cooking for the potluck and then sleep another hour. A lot of last-minute things happen before the Gathering starts. W goes ito the hall an hour earlier, while I stay back to heat the food as close to time as possible. Then we wrap the hot pots in heavy towels.

W sends me a photo of the flowers at the hall: oh oh! I ordered 5 lily plants and was expecting to cover the garden pots in bright covers. Instead, we have 5 beautiful stems ... "may need some help," W writes.

Mama mia! I have 10 minutes before leaving. I find a vase, soak some oases, and take a sharp knife to our garden. Time to start chopping though there's no time to soak the flowers or ferns. I hope they last through the service.

It looks complete with the lilies, almost 3' tall (1 meter).

We've closed the gate and are on our way when we get a last-minute message from the organizers of the potluck. W runs backto the house for serving spoons, as per request. Where are the tablecloths to cover those plastic tabletops? Etc. It's a busy morning before the Gathering.

The seats fill up as we worship together.

The baptism afterward is an affirmation of faith in Christ and a joy for the whole community.

The potluck is delicious, thanks to Clau and Sayaka who organize it, the many hands that prepare the food, and those who serve it.

We thank God for his people. Easter offers the best reason to gather and celebrate our freedom as children of God. Who but God could think of a way to reconcile us to himself. He has accomplished what we never could do for for ourselves, through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son. Thanks be to God!

Read more:

*Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heavengiven to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Prayer: God, we admit we can't save ourselves with good works or perfect living. We believe that you love us, for you have provided the way back to yourself by taking our sins and failures on yourself. We commit to living for you, the way you ask us to. Help us to love others and do good in this world because of the love you have for us. In Jesus' name we ask this. Amen.

A week of remembrance and prayer

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Congratulations to our kids T and M, who have been married 15 years today.

This week is filled with the anticipation of celebrating Easter. It's never far from my thoughts. I can't wait to worship with the family of God this weekend.

W and I enjoy a date morning with our usual order: spicy noodles @NaraPark / #PinoTerrace. Yum. You really start craving the spices after a while. This fellow could use some heat. He carries 3 bags of ice to the kitchen.

Willy's birthday card arrives today. What a treat.

On the way, the cicadas are noisy and busy. This one has made his last flight to the street.

After a few meetings, W and I run errands. It's my first time at the Borma department store in months. I wander around and pick up basics - nails and screws we've used up, a snack, and kitchen supplies. I ignore the Magnum ice-cream bars, which are $5 each.

Indonesian currency is being updated.

Lunch is at Saka Bistro. I have Vietnamese pho.

W has gnocchi. Looks good.- I order one to taste and to go. ($4.25)

What a difference one plant can make. This one is set between sinks and mirrors in an otherwise minimal room, creating a warm ambiance.

Late in the afternoon, I mix up the pictures on my office wall. David's painting looks good in the middle.

Thursday

Hiking day! and it's sunny and hot. We pass this abandoned house with its multi-million-dollar view of the mountains, valleys, and cities below.

The hillsides, full of vegetable fields and pine forests, are many shades of green.

Once in a while I snap a picture of the group.

The first half is up and then we go downhill toward the cars.

In places, off-road jeeps have eroded 6-8' (+2 meters) of soil, which fills with water. We carefully walk on the original trails beside the ruts. Once there are tracks on either side. Once we have to balance on a half-meter (1.5 foot) trail between the gouges on either side. (Not my favorite part.)

Ascending, we pass a lady who has cut and heaped a huge wheelbarrow/cart full of 2m (6') long grass. That is sold or fed to livestock. Can you spot her under her blue cap? The cart finds its own way down in the rut; she needs to keep it from getting away.

Parts of the hike are paved roads with blooming trees on either side.

The valley view below shows the strata of pollution from Ramadan cooking fires and burning neighborhood garbages, as well as factory emissions. Up in the mountains, the air is clean and clear.

Lunch is at a favorite tourist destinations, a family acreage converted into multiple huts for eating. Even the young coconut containing juice is detailed.

W and I both order chicken meals komplet with soup and sides. Outstanding.

The table is extraordinary quiet. Our hike was a ramble with many stops, waiting for direction from the person with the map. We walked 5 miles (7 km+) in 3.5 hours ... we're worn out.

We're back from lunch about 3:00, with over 10,000 steps on our trackers. Time to shower, catch up with media, and rest. PakG heads down to the Starbucks for some coffee grounds - should help our roses thrive. Thanks, #StarbucksCiumbuleuit.

Good Friday

The day starts with a 2-mile walk. Though our neighborhood is on a mountain, the loop goes up and down gradually, and only slopes down precipitously at the end. If we want more of a workout, we go up the steep hill first. (Yeah, hardly ever.)

There's a 10" spider weaving the power lines together. Oh the wonders of God's world.

It's nice to talk to our daughter and my mother online. Mom is as pretty and lively as ever at 87.

Everyone but our guests was away from the house yesterday, either volunteering or taking a day off. That's rare. Today, though it is a Red Letter day (national holiday), the house is back to full. I am grateful that the floors and porch are cleaned often. Oh the dust! that blows in when your windows and doors are handmade = not sealed.

The wood, screens, and metal need constant maintenance in the hot damp tropics. As the structures wear away, anything that wants to squeeze under or through the cracks can (and does). Anything that eats wood has a snack. Every few weeks, we go through the house to look for termite frass in case we've missed a termite colony.

Mid-mornng on the Porch, Laurel watches the Good Friday service from IES Jakarta online with us. It's a moving reminder of what God has done in sending Jesus to die on the cross: his unfathomable love, his restoration of creation, and his ongoing work. Later, others also tell us how much they've enjoyed the service.

Rob and Wina (and wonderful little Ezra) drop by in the afternoon for tea, pumpkin pie, and cookies. Somehow the day has flown by with many touches of God and his people. How grateful we are. Have a blessed Good Friday, all you whose sins are forgiven!

Read more:

*He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful. Psalm 111:4

*God said, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

*[a prophecy fulfilled at the death of Jesus, 700 years later] ... But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:5-12

*Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Luke 22:19-20 [Click the link for more Good News.]

*You know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

Moravian Prayer: As faithful as the cycles of day and night, and seedtime and harvest may be, you, Lord, are even more faithful. You invite us again and again to your table as treasured guests. We give thanks, fully and freely without end, that you give yourself to us in love.

Thank you, justice-loving God. Seeing our hungry bodies and empty hearts, you give us your commandments and show us the way to live in harmony with one another. Knowing we need still more, you show us that self-sacrificing love—yours and ours—enriches your world with mercy and peace. Amen.

Vegetables fields forever

 Thursday, March 30, 2023

Somewhere between a click here and there, Thursday disappears on the website. How did that happen? It was in the initial subscription post. Oh well. Today I do my first hike since mid-February and I love it.

So do the dogs, who are clean before going off-leash into the bush. Juno's regained her post-pregnancy shape. She's a favorite with many people.

We take a group shot when we reach the first field. That's before we get sweaty and muddy.

There are steep descents through vegetable fields but few uphills, my ideal kind of trail. We stop for more pics as we come out of the woods. We post our pics in our WA group for thos members who travel or have moved. It's a vicarious pleasure to see the green woods and the people who become friends.

The view is spectacular, the company pleasant, and the weather good. There's almost no pollution because of the constant rain showers. We walk past locals who chop, weed, and harvest. The current crops include tomatoes, peppers, corn, and cucumbers. Much is left rotting in the fields.

Most farming is done by hand, often on terraces cut into the mountain slopes.

I wipe out on a slick part of the trail when my treads filled with mud and lose their grip. It's been a few years since that happened to me, but a tumble is not rare in the group, especially during rainy season. I'm undamaged but smeared with mud.

Lunch is at an organic mushroom farm. Hundreds of flies from the compost piles swarm our food. The candles blow out in the wind so we're kept busy trying to ward them off. Other than that, the food is tasty.

At home, we hop in the shower to wash off the muck. While W goes out to dinner with a care group, I edit newsletters and send off messages. Easter plans are being finalized, which means coordinating details, resources, and volunteers. A cup of peppermint tea sounds about right, along with cubes of fresh watermelon and papaya.

Friday

It's a quiet working day. Yesterday evening, I made overnight oats.

Recipe: In a cup or mug, layer 1 scoop of homemade yogurt, 2 scoops of raw oatmeal topped by a tsp of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Layer 1 scoop of homemade yogurt, one of oatmeal,  honey, and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice. Cover. 

In the morning it's blended. A no-effort breakfast in the morning, accompanied by fresh papaya or apple slices.

During a work break, I clip and move the remaining 6 dozen roses into 4 more vases - they looked squished in my first bouquets. Such abundance!

The orange ones, set in my parents' wedding vase, practically glow on the entry table. (The vase is 13" high, for scale.)

My brain and heart slow down when I do menial chores or break for hobbies or a walk.

Saturday

IbuS the masseuse comes to grind on a tight hip muscle. Ouch. "Today you are all knots," she says. Maybe, because Thursday's hike was the first in a while. Helps though.

I walk our 2 miles in these wonderful ugly New Balance sandals. Their pavement grip, ridged insole, and solid base let me do a few miles in under 19:00 each. With the dogs, we're often pausing, which takes more like 21:00. I scoot quickly on downhills; half the walk is uphill, which is slower for me.

W's ant traps are swarming - this is a 3" piece of wax paper with tiny sugar ants on it. You can't see them until they move. Last night, the bathroom counter trap was dotted with black ants. The porch trap attracts columns of large brown ants, some with eggs attached. I don't see any decrease in numbers yet. Ants. They're everywhere.

I find Tuesday's homemade mango ice cream after lunch. Someone shoved it into the freezer without a lid so part has dried up. One scoop, along with handful of peanut-butter M&Ms (brought from the USA) = a nice dessert. It leaves a pretty pattern in the cup. I cover what's left of the ice cream and shove it back in the freezer.

Today I spot the yardman's work. I asked him Wednesday if the old durian tree by the gate has fruited lately. Many of our helpers and neighbors love durian. We have the tree - might as well get some fruit.

"No fruit lately, but I'll fix it," he says. He scrapes of the bark and scores the trunk with his machete. "This will encourage it to fruit," he says. The chops and scarred bark remind me of the scars each one of us acquires, which can make us more useful to God and others if we let them.

W comes back from meetings in town. The dehumidifier buzzes in our room as I opt for a nap.

Palm Sunday

I love the weekly Gathering with IES Bandung. The people are warm and friendly and there's always Good News.

W is speaking on a topic dear to his heart. I'm taking a mini-vacation in the pews. That's a good thing: I'm wearing Austrian shoes that have been stored during the pandemic. The heels are sticky when I walk into the hall and begin disintegrating as we sit down. Alice brings my casual sandals from the office.

Titik brings a beautiful bouquet, so I even have the day off from that.

We have lunch with friends at Miss Bee. My quesadilla is excellent. 

and come home to chat with our first Indonesian "son" from movie night. What a treat to see Agus!

Monday

Today's language class is postponed until Wednesday. Before lunch, I walk a few miles with my fastest pace to date. The mason is making great progress on the stone wall.

W sits on the terrace during his morning study.

I have several meetings online, record 5 videos for April, and go for coffee with a friend. Flowers drop onto the ground from the tree beside us, big as peonies.

We share an avocado toast. Delicious.

I visit a friend before W and I walk down the hill to Ethnic for a late lunch . Their Rendang (spicy roast) is excellent.

The afternoon is equally full. Walking through my office, I spot a an A3 canvas with some blue, green, and yellow smeared on it. (Yay for old credit cards to spread color.) 

Do I have a few minutes? I use some kids' markers to outline a few branches but I don't like it.

I turn it upside down and see if I can find something to work with. Maybe ... a few marker lines later, a shape begins to emerge. I find a hardware brush, some crackle paste, three acrylic tubes (white, yellow, crimson), and smear color on top of a notebook. Looks kinda flesh -colored so maybe a face?

After 10 minutes, I've gone as far as I can go today. It's back to work!

I don't mind it when I look at it later. Maybe I'll leave it as is. My watch records over 5 miles - it's been a day with a lot of walking.

Tuesday

Language school takes a few hours after the morning walk. At 11, W and I walk down the hill for an early lunch at OBC, a student food court. That, with prayers for passing young people, rounds out the morning.

My yakisoba is excellent, very spicy and a bit sweet. The breaded chicken is crisp and hot.

I visit a friend while W goes shopping. When he comes back, we walk up the hill again. Back to work! By late afternoon, we're a bit peckish. I make some soup and modify my mom's recipe for cucumber salad. 1/2 Miracle Whip, 1/2 sour cream, salt and pepper turn into 1/2 homemade yoghurt and 1/2 W's preferred mayonnaise. Still delicious.

W does paperwork for the organization; I check the Easter talks from past years in preparation for the coming week. By early evening, the next batch of homemade yogurt is ready. I scoop it into a jar and put it in the fridge.

Read more:

*Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1

On the Day of Pentecost the people said, “We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:11

Moravian Prayer: Holy Spirit, on Pentecost, you demonstrated your desire to bring together all nations. Yet we humans seem intent on growing divisions and hate. May we, who bear the name of Jesus, so live that we show the world your love for all and your desire for harmony among people. Amen.