Fun and food with family and friends

Thursday, November 13, 2025

It's Kirsten's last day in Bandung. Tomorrow she flies to Malaysia for the next leg of her travels. We have some fun on the main tourist street.

We're looking for travel pillows. There are many funny characters to choose from.

K orders a croissant at #MomsBakery for lunch.

I have a sourdough beef sandwich while W tries a chicken schnitzel on foccacia bread. The food is always fresh and nourishing.

We browse the galleries and street artists nearby. I like a rough sketch-like painting but leave it there.

On the way home, motorcycles buzz around the slow traffic by driving in the lane of oncoming cars.

We relax when we get home; K's knee is acting up. We hang out and before we know it, it's time to pack her suitcase into the car and head for the airport shuttle station. We hug goodbye and pray together. 

W hops into the car with her to make sure she gets off without a hitch. We usually go in the day before to stay in the city overnight when we're flying out. Traffic is unreliable; it can take from 3-8 hours to get from Bandung to Jakarta airport, 100 miles/160 km away. Luckily, K catches an earlier shuttle which leaves minutes after her arrival.

The trip is bumpy: she's on the bucking bronco flyover, a poorly constructed part of the highway. While it is level side to side, the paving droops between supports so that the neck is yanked up and down every few seconds. The driver stops for the usual rest break so passengers can use the toilet and eat snacks. Finally she checks in to the airport hotel for a good night's sleep.

She's left her pastries from @MomsBakery in the car - W enjoys them and shares the rum balls.

W and I are on a Zoom call from 10-11PM. International meetings are a vital part of our work but they're disruptive to rest. It takes a long time to fall asleep.

Friday

K catches her flight without any problems. She is thankful when a porter walks her from the hotel to the check-in desk. Our friend Tabitha picks her up from the airport and takes her to the hotel.

W and I hang some paper globes around a few lightbulbs. W takes down the cheap drapery tracks and puts a sturdy curtain rod up in the bathroom. I clip and pleat each curtain, tying up the folds. The pleats probably won't last with day to day use but they have a good start.

W finds a sale price on ceiling tracks for the blackout curtains in the bedroom so we head to town to pick them up. Besides the tracks, we find some knobs for furniture doors.

"Old price," grumbles the owner as he hands over 35c cabinet hardware. Will we like them? If not, spending $3.50 on 10 knobs isn't too painful.

For lunch, we stop at #FatPho, a Vietnamese eatery that's moved to a new location. The owners remember us and stop by to say hello.

They've combined several eateries. Featuring Japanese, Vietnamese, and Indonesian cuisine, there's lots to choose from. The food is excellent and inexpensive.

We order a mashup of sushi, fresh spring rolls, pho (my favorite hot soup) and bun (W's preferred cold noodles.) We've enough for supper, too.

After we drop the building supplies at the Project, we head home to read, write, and nibble on homemade popcorn.

Saturday

On our walk, I spot an extension cord hanging from a tree. A bar with 4 sockets is wired into the electrical wires overhead. That provides electricity for elections, special events, and concerts in the park. An open garbage bin leans under it - which is probably collecting water. What a combo.

W hangs the drapery tracks and I wander around planning what goes where. Some glass tiles found in the yard slot perfectly into 3 wooden brackets = shelves in a bathroom. Does anyone know what this kitchen cabinet is for? The door is propped by a diagonal piece of wood. I can't figure out its purpose. We'll remove the brace and put a shelf insert inside.

I write book reviews and eat pho leftover before falling asleep. A few hours of rest make up poor sleep in the past weeks.

Sunday

There are no flowers left in our garden. So I arrive at the hall without an updated bouquet. But the three-week-old structure by Titik is on the stage. Doesn't it look like a fall bouquet with its combination of leaves and dried flowers? I pluck a few greens from the yard near the hall to fill it out. Done.

We serve with core volunteers from many countries.

After, we lunch with another international group. That's the blessing of an international community; you can befriend people from around the world.

I order oncom rice, a favorite when combined with a few tablespoons of sambal (chili sauce).

A friend tours the Project with us, praying a blessing of peace over the property and its future use. Walking home, tall flowers catch my eye. As they fade, toothlike protrusions emerge.

I fall fast asleep in the afternoon. My phone and watch were outside in the hall overnight so I had no idea what time it was but I lay awake for hours. I'm trying a new routine of no tech in the bedroom to see if sleep improves. (Last night = nope!)

Monday

I wake without any idea of time but feel rested. So I get up, flick on the light, and edit a journal article for a couple of hours. Then I check the time: 4:30 AM. Back to sleep, I guess.

Read more:

* You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. Deuteronomy 1:17

* Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

* The aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5

* All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

*But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:9

Moravian Prayer: God Almighty, we trust that the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening, but we do not always trust in the things we cannot see or feel. Help us to trust in you—the rock on which our faith depends.

God of justice, so often we take it upon ourselves to judge others by appearances, social status, or petty grievances. Help us to remember that, as your servants, our task is to love, forgive, console, and understand. Amen.

Some of this and that - and Happy Birthday, Rebekah!

Sunday, November 8, 2025

Since, W is speaking in Bogor, I'm on my own at IES Bandung. There's a great team in place and enough volunteers to pray, sing, and read together. Titik has worked her magic on the flower arrangement.

On the book table is a novel with a bookmark from one of our favourite destinations when we first moved to Bandung. Bookseller Helen has since expatriated to Australia and Reading Lights is no more - but many of us remember it fondly.

This morning is about lions - Daniel 6 (Daniel in the Lion's Den) is a great example of doing good and being hated for it. Jealousy, ambush, stalking, danger ... it's all in Daniel's story.

Kirsten and I eat *Pinetta* pizza leftovers for lunch and spicy Szechwanese *HomeGround* leftovers for supper. Between, we sit on the Porch and talk about stuff. Parcels arrive via motorcycle courier, accompanied by the shrill ring of the gate bell and barking dogs.

The air is warm, the light rain lasts for less than an hour, and the breezes are coming up the mountainsides. It's a perfect day.  W returns home in the evening.

Monday

We drop some window coverings at the project as we start our walk. The dogs LOVE the big yard, chasing birds and cats to wear off the edge of their energy. That's good for us - the three are not pulling as much on one leash. It's a sunny, breezy, and calm morning. The swish swish of brooms pushing fallen leaves hisses across the pavement, inside and outside the yard.

After a few online meetings, K and I head for Ciwalk outdoor mall. W cancels his study and joins us. We find a few niceties and a few necessities. Lunch is late because we have "things to do." It's good though: Bakmi GM, a noodle place with consistent flavors. 

We watch a strange movie in early evening - aliens landing in Bollywood? Too much for me though parts are entertaining. Every once in a while we watch a movie to see if it's good for movie night. Nah, not this one.

Tuesday

After a few walks back and forth to measure, bring tools, and confirm tasks at the project, we head for  OBC, a student food court. We meet our friends John and Grace at the Korean Language Center and around the lunch table.

They are teaching Indonesians to cook genuine Korean food to provide work.

The food is fresh and delicious.

The guys are both techies: John is developing a water purification system for Indonesians to build and sell.

We have a team meeting before dropping by the project to hang the last of the upstairs curtains. W caps off the electrical conduit with finials. The old-fashioned wallpaper matches the white sheets hung in this bedroom.

Kirsten's been a big help with decor decisions. She stands against the grey wallpaper, her red blouse helping us decide on coloured accessories for that room.

Wednesday

Irises bloom along the street where we walk the dogs. Construction on the Padma Hotel is coming along. Each morning we pass the tower crane swinging overhead. Dozens and dozens of construction workers line up beneath, ready to enter the hotel grounds for their shift.

No water entered into the Project from the street, despite a hard rain yesterday afternoon. Looks like the drainage ditch is doing its job. Garbage and leaves stack against the grate in the ditch; they've washed over from the street.

Indonesians drop plastic cups, plates, wrappers, and other trash wherever they are. It washes downhill in the rain and someone cleans after them. Each household is responsible to sweep and remove the garbage that lands in front of their place. Why not just teach people to throw things away in designated areas? We don't know. It's a cultural thing: a stunningly beautiful landscape cluttered by trash in the city, field, and forest.

The air is perfumed by a jasmine shrub. Yet our garden looks decidedly barren with dozens of plants removed. Many pots of cuttings are still her: Turkish figs, flowers, and vines. The flowerbed we created along the Porch can return to grass. The biggest trees we planted - avocados, lemons, mangos, and others - will be left for the next occupants. Those trees bring privacy; the yard cannot be overlooked by neighbours, a true luxury for occupants in this crowded city.

The new gardens are coming along, area by area. Much of the project is under tall pines and most tropical plants cannot thrive in deep shade.

In a green bathroom, I hang another set of tablecloth curtains. The room can go any shade of green and blue with blue hems on the curtains. It would be natural to put a palm or other green plant in the corner in temperate climates. Here, within weeks ants would enter the window cracks to nest in the soil and make an utter mess. No houseplants allowed!

We drive to lunch, watching an ambulance van squeeze between two lanes of traffic on a 2-lane road (no shoulders). They pass with inches to spare. How do they manage that?

Lunch is excellent - every dish is spicy. We order way too much and take it home.

We are content and happy when we've eaten. 

Outside our car window, many moms are driving their kids - school pickups? See her sweatsuit and this little guy with a warm animal cap? You'd think they'd sweat to death in 80o/25C but nope. That apparel is normal.

I completely zone on an important appointment in the evening. When I wake hours later and open my phone for the scripture reading, I spot the note from my spiritual director. Sigh. This is an hour I treasure each month. We reschedule for December.

Thursday

It's our daughter-in-love's bday, a special time to remember and pray for her. Our daughter leaves tonight for the next part of her adventurous travels. (What a joy to visit with her.)

Everything has its time and season. Talking to Mom, she says she's content and ready to die. She is slowly relinquishing her energy.

W and I miss walking in the forest if we miss a week. Our hiking friend leaves next week for 2 months. Our neighborhood walk is 5000 steps with happy dogs. A plant with fuzzy seed pods catches my eye. Nature offers one surprise after another.

For breakfast I try a new method of cooking: I wrap a frozen sausage in a wet paper towel and microwave it for a minute. I get back to it within minutes; it's hot and perfectly cooked. Who knew?

Today Christmas baking begins. We are several thousand cookies away from the goal ... good smells will be coming from the kitchen in no time. K and I sit on the Porch for a while. We chat while the birds sing and Anton plays fetch. W has written Sunday's talk so we do an initial reading and make our edits.

Read more:

*For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

* So be careful, lest you forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you and make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. Deuteronomy 4:23

* Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. Romans 1:20

Moravian Prayer: Precious Lord, too many times we reject your ways and seek comfort elsewhere. Help us remember that you are the source of everything we need. May our eyes see, and lips tell of all the great and wonderful things you have made! Amen.

Two outstanding eateries: Mediterranean and Chinese

Thursday, November 6, 2025

We pass on the hike since K is here, but in the early morning, we walk the dogs for the same number of steps in our neighborhood. No one is as strict as I am with the dogs so they've become lax in obeying basics like "sit" or "come." When they cooperate before the walk, I take a photo. The big guys walk on a single leash, which prevents Anton from bolting after every cat we pass.

Breakfast is on the Porch while cleanup is underway after movie night. We try to stay out of the way. The helpers restore the house by afternoon.

The robot vacuum we brought years ago from the States is still chugging along. While we do errands at home, it runs in the project. Whew, it's full of dust when we pick it up after a few hours. It comes home to charge up for the next round.

Then it's off to the Adventist grocer for some basics. Lunch is nearby @MikePizza.asia, without a doubt the best wood-fired pizza in the city. We eat under a canopy of grapevines that remind me of my dad's vines in our hometown.

The decor is a bit over the top but the abundance of plants tones it down.

Back home, the sky is overcast and the rooms are dark. Tea and a comfort cookie with a scripture label offer a spot of self-indulgence. Thanks, Keelee! at #QuietWatersBakery. It reminds me of how grateful we are for time at this current place = 11 years of sharing our home with travelers, new arrivals, those who serve, and friends.

Friday

After a walk, W puts up more rods and I add curtains as he goes. Mom's 1970s twin sheets come in handy and look fresh and current.

The rose apple tree is blooming and fruiting on our street.

Our jackfruit tree by the driveway is on its second round of fruit.

Masseuse Ibu Siti comes to unkink us one more time before Kirsten goes home next week. Our relaxing lunch on the Porch is fishcakes wrapped in banana leaves. Miki and F are foodies who attend movie night - they brought "favorites" for us to sample; there is enough for the whole household plus some left for tomorrow. Yum.

W's speaking elsewhere so I'm on my own on Sunday. Time to review the PPT and the talk, which is about ravaging lions, resistance and courage, and the story of a man named Daniel.

Later, I sit in the big library chair and consider how much I will miss this home, a gift from God. No staging needed - it's always ready for drop-ins.

Saturday 

The walk is cool and refreshing in the shade of the old trees. Remember the muddy gutter in front of the project?

This week, it's been cleared of rocks, garbage, and mud. A new concrete swill was poured, and the hole replaced with a hinged gate - which has rusted overnight! W sends a note to the contractor about a product that changes rust into primer for paint.

By mid-morning, the workers have paved in the grate and are starting to paint.

We pop in to see if I still like the curtain at the end of the hall. The first attempt was 8" short, beige-y, and looked silly. This is better. 

What about the orange bedroom? Weren't those 70s sheets pink? The retro orange wallpaper brings out the orange in the colorway. We run the robot vacuum in the bedrooms and continue the walk.

The dogs have settled down after running around the big yard. Exercisers, workers (see the man balancing snacks on his shoulders?), and tourists walk the loop today.

Breakfast is an old favorite from childhood = how Mom used up leftover spaghetti: bacon, spaghetti, an egg cracked on top, a tablespoon of water. It cooks with the lid on until the egg is ready. No additional spices  needed.

Creativity is low but Sunday is coming. Flower Wiz Titik is seriously gifted. Since she's gone this weekend, I flip the spent gladiolas and one dried-out mum from last week's gorgeous bouquet.

In the ruins of our garden, I find a few false-bird-of-paradise flowers and ferns. There are few blooms left in the yard. Most have been transplanted to the new place. We go from this - 

to this

to this. Good enough. PakG takes it to the hall.

I walk a second time to the project to get measurements and lose a key. Halfway home, I feel my pocket for it but it's gone. I walk back and check each space I've visited but ... nada. W walks over to see if he can find it but has no luck. We figure out it probably adhered to the magnet holder on the phone - and sure enough, we search the grass near where I pulled out my phone and there it is.

Lunch is at Homeground, one of Kirsten's new favorites. The spicy flavors of Szechwan hit the spot.

Atop the renovation at the neighbor, the workers perch on the roof, knock through the brick, and run a pipe. Typically for repairs, they do their work in an hour or two, slathering on a coat of mortar and painting the patch to match. When I check, the hole has already disappeared.

Read more:

* Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40

* Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:

all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8

* This is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what really matters, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless. Philippians 1:9-10

Moravian Prayer: Merciful God, you have always made us feel worthy, even when we examine ourselves and know that we do not measure up to your expectations. We pray for knowledge of what truly matters in our lives so that we may release the trivial. Amen.