From sunshine at the beach to afternoon rain at home

Last week, we took a break in Bali, a 2-hour flight away. We don't usually "need" or take holidays since we live in a place that feels like a tropical adventure every day. But we were long overdue for time away.

The beach weather was wonderful most of the week, refreshing our souls and unwinding our bodies after wrapping up the last season. The beauty of Easter, the power of the resurrection, and the joy of our salvation lifted our spirits.

On the last morning's walk, I stubbed my toe, which bruised almost to mid-foot. That put a damper on plans to run around on our final day.

We flew to Jogja overnight, which lies mid-island (Java). The art and pottery made there are beautiful. Some reminded me of Mexican painted pottery.

 I found a ceramic plate and a lamp base. Both will be shipped to us (for $4.50). The final leg home was on the train, a long .... journey that landed us in our own city. (It's one way to skip the hair-raising shuttle from Jakarta airport.) The greens were green outside the train window.

Parts of Java are very mountainous, with rice paddies carved into the slopes.

Little sheds dot the fields.

Some paddies are on the edges of villages.

As rice grains are harvested, the stalks are tied in bundles that are removed when they dry up.

Many rivers run through the island, making irrigation a simple diversion into the rice fields.

We pulled into Bandung shortly after sunset at 6PM.

PakG was waiting at the station. It was raining so we were happy we didn't have to flag down a taxi. PakG pointed out some trees that fell in last week's tornado and the heavy rainfall that swept across the hill last Friday.

A big tree pulled out of the ground directly across the street from the Project where we live. It toppled into the lane of our old neighborhood, missing the houses on either side - including ours. Its branches snagged the gates on both sides and blocked the neighborhood's entrance. That's a great concern with so many elderly living there.  Everyone worked together to get the trees cut up and the branches off the road and fences.

We were thankful for God's protection on everyone! 3 blocks away, a huge tree decimated the fence, roof, and walls of a coffee shop and crushed a car. Since no one insures their property, the loss is borne by the owner.

"Very unusual. I've never seen anything like it," PakG said. Near his place, he watched a landslide happen. Though he shouted "Landslide" at the neighbors, no one would come out of their house. The locals were terrified because of the wind: it sounded like a freight truck coming their way. 

Wednesday
We're home! How wonderful to wake in our own beds. We missed the drama of the weather here, but the yardman comes to help tidy up what is left after PakG and others cleaned the yard and driveway, raking away leaves, dragging fallen branches, and unplugging drains.

After a walk, IbuSusi drops by to say hello and share cookies and tea. She lives next door to our former house. She remembers when the Project was an unfenced lot with a small house on it. "The kids used to play ball in the field." When someone bought it, he fenced it off and built his big house on it. After he died, the Project fell into ruin, sitting empty for a decade.

How we miss our LIPI neighbors! They are the kindest, most gracious people. I invite her back, telling her to bring a few more women along next time. We'll have tea together.

It's good to have Ramadan and the heavy travel season over for another 11 1/2 months. Muslims around us are eating again. The fasting month is hard on everyone. Energy is low; people are hungry and thirsty by nightfall. 

For lunch, IbuS cooks rice plus chicken minced into vegetables. W and I head to the grocer for fresh produce. At a nearby clothing outlet, he exchanges a gifted batik shirt (2XL) for one that fits.

Fresh-baked bread is my supper. I top it with Lisa's NZ chocolate-nut blend. Yum. We stashed the remainder of a birthday treat (chocolate cake from #Mom'sBakery) into the freezer before we left for Bali. We couldn't take it along but it was too good to waste. The cake has frozen brick-solid but thaws quickly in the 80o (26C) room.

We hear the hiss of water hitting the leaves across the yard and watch as the rain sweeps in. I hang some rooted sweet potatoes on the lips of the big vases holding tropical fish. Let's see if they will keep the unfiltered water clean. Since tropical fish are naturally happy in this weather, we don't bother with a heater. Snails and rain overflow keep the water mostly clear and fresh. Solar fountains aerate the water with a 6-8" spray.

Read more:
* You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5

* How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! Psalm 84:1

* [Jesus told his disciples] In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14:2

* The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26

* So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Moravian Prayer: Resting Savior, we mourn your death. In spirit—we visit your resting place and remember your suffering. We thank you that our grief is not like the disciples’ grief, for we know what comes on Easter morning.

Finally, God of life, after long, dark days, you make the sun rise once more, for the Son has risen. Our lives are changed. Our hope is reborn. Now thank we all our God! Amen.

Getting old is kinda fun

Friday, March 27, 2026

We're planning new things for the season ahead. We love these friends and coworkers, Yoel and Ester. Time together is a great blessing to us. We have lunch at #MissBeeProvidore .

Of course I have to try something new: barbecue chicken, anyone? Pretty good.

We come back to the Project to visit on the porch overlooking the garden. It's relaxing: we pull out Keelee's birthday-candle cookies, plus maple leaf cookies and toffee chocolate from Trader Joes. It's a pleasure to pray together over people we care for and work we are passionate about.

They gift us with the most beautiful handmade ulos, fabric woven in North Sumatra. It's just what this corner needs. W and I left the chairs from games night since we have another event coming up soon.

I wake an hour before midnight and get up to write what I remember in my last hour of being 60-something. God's faithfulness runs through every line. When I've struggled, he's been good and very patient. 

I cross into the new day, writing hopes for the next decade. This pretty much describes it all.

Saturday = 70X around the sun
W brings out gifts. It's a delight to open a calendar featuring grandkids! (Oh Melissa, where did you have time to bring that joy to my heart?) and some Forte teas.

He hands me 2 flat packages. Kirsten has assembled a photo/message book -> twice. The first company couldn't get the photos sorted online so gave K a refund. She recreated and edited it using another firm so W could bring it back in person. Surprise: the first company fixed things and sent a good copy ... now I have two different books, with some editions to the original.

I saw the post on a second FB account when K asked for participation. And then I put it out of my mind. So it's a complete surprise to me, too! I tuck it away to read when my mind is less busy. (When I do, I am overwhelmed. I shake my head and wish I were the person described in it. Lord have mercy!)

Tabitha calls from Malaysia. She's been dear to us since she was a youth leader years ago. We met while we taught in Singapore and Malaysia. She knows good food. We anticipate seeing her on the rare occasions we make it to Kuala Lumpur. It's wonderful to catch up and get a sense of how to pray for each other in the coming months.

Sunday
It's our final weekend of leading people we love SO much. The volunteers are ready to serve.

#TitikBadudu's flowers bring such joy. "The orchid is for you," she explains. Can't wait to enjoy it on the Porch.

This week she has made 2 bouquets.

Plus a mound of roses and lilies from our "big sister, " IES Jakarta. My heart is full.

They pray for us. 

We pray for them by team and over the entire Family.

A birthday cake is waiting at the potluck. The Filipina teachers bring me a plate of their special cooking, which is good because so many want to chat that we don't get to the buffet.

There's also a cone of yellow rice called nasi kuning, surrounded by delicious sides. I'm told how to cut it and then that I need to feed it to a loved one (W of course). Half the onlookers moan, "Ah, like a wedding!" Smiles.

Angie has assembled a memory book of our time at IES Bandung, with community notes and photos, plus her creative artwork. Wow! That's a treasure I'm not going to rush through.

After many Auf Wiedersehen's, PakTota and his family drop us off at the shuttle station, from where we head to some much-needed rest.

Read more:
* Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant. Psalm 86:16

* Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. John 16:23

Moravian Prayer: Your promises, loving God, are never-ending. You give us strength, wisdom, and courage. You are as compassionate as a loving parent when we fail. You are above all, gracious and merciful as we seek to do your will. Thank you. Amen.

Celebrating "There's nothing like family" -- birth relatives and beyond

Tuesday, March 24, 2024 - Happy birthday, Jonathan!

We're cheering our son on his birthday, as he celebrates with friends in a cabin up north. Brrr. Sounds cold. W and I pray for him together. 

We walk 2 loops with the dogs, who are well-behaved this morning. They get dog-popsicles when we get back = broth frozen around little pieces of baked yams and kibble. Those take a while to eat, though the tropical heat melts them quickly. It's enough of an effort that the dogs rest rather than running wild around the yard.

We've had sunshine most days last week so the flowers are out.

On a tall shrub by the Padma Hotel, pinecone-sized bulbs are erupting into bloom, a few ruffly petals opening each day.

For breakfast, I was going to scramble some eggs. Seeing the eggs on the counter, I decide on crepes. I reach for flour and other ingredients that are close at hand, totally skipping the melted butter. No worries - there's still the butter/oil combo in the fridge to grease the pan, from making crepes last week. With a few small saucepans on the stove burners, it's a quick process. 

We sit on the porch. They taste good rolled up with various stuffings, savory or sweet.

The rendang (spicy coconut beef - vegan style) pairs especially well with the egg-y pancakes.

The dictionary article gets a final edit and goes off! at last. The music is loud outside today; there's a celebration at the assistant governor's place. While they party, we keep working on the Project. W is assembling beds - and I have to decide where they go in the room. A trusty paper grid clarifies the fit. The little piece is the ladder of the IKEA Tuffinge loft bed we picked up last year from an exiting expat. We'll put a desk, chairs, and lamp under it.

We're settle back on the Porch, the wind kicking up and rustling the leaves of the + 60'/20-meter trees in the backyard. After a lunch of hot cross buns and sausage, I munch on kale chips. It was my first attempt at making them in the air fryer - easy and tasty for when I crave salt. I made 7 chocolate-and-sweet potato mousse servings the other day, so we have half of one as well.

Today gives us a taste of what is to come since there's no team meeting. We moved the final team dinner to another day. Suddenly, we have an extra afternoon to work on the checklist. I'm mostly ready for the weekend and the coming week. What is relaxing for me? I set aside some novels and a few non-fiction books for our break.

After lunch the grid turns to reality.

We hang pictures (more art!) and put tables and chairs out on the balcony. The 24"/60cm treefrog photos look cheery and fun with nature art between the triptych. (Directly beside each other, the red bug-eyes felt menacing rather than humorous.) The busy wallpaper helps blend them in, too.

The chairs get tucked under the tables to minimize rain and sun damage. The tables are IKEA wood with a 24"/60cm floor tile on top. One task at a time, the Project is getting done.

Wednesday
It's a big undertaking to host a big group. Because many young people are away from their families, we create space for them to hang out with friends, family-style: it's many people from everywhere. A few live in the city - the others study or work here, far from home. W and I start the day with a walk, enjoying the blooms emerging at the end of rainy season. 

W puts up some hangers that have sat under the steps for 3 months. (Our daughter suggests coloring the squares to make it less boring.) We set out chairs and tables, make sure the buffet supplies are ready, and relax for a few hours.

Today, Della cooks for the Games Night. Everyone loves her food. I set out banana bread and cookies. A few people bring snacks to share.

Our movie tech is not yet ready, but about 50 people start arriving at 5pm. We eat and hang out.

Most games were left behind by previous guests.

There are board games, puzzle games, and card games.

I get a Chinese calligraphy lesson from Mikey. "Top to bottom, left to right," he instructs, holding the wet brush tip down.

There's room at the Project, outside on the porches and inside in the dining and living areas. Groups form and reform.

Near the end, Della does most of the cleanup. The guests take home a bunch of DVDs from a boxful. "Take more," we beg them, but they leave us a dozen.

I finish the dishes but the dish sanitizer is not heating. I stack cups and trays and dry a bunch of bowls by hand.

Thursday
After a walk, W takes the dish-dryer apart. He pulls 4 cicaks (lizards) from the heating element and suddenly it works again. He puts them on the side porch - I want to take them along to let the grandkids admire them. Nope - the dogs have eaten them by the time I finish cleaning.

Our team lunch offers time to share what we have seen and appreciated about each member. Della orders fish soup and spots a green worm on her fresh parsley. It falls to bottom of the bowl before she captures it. She fishes around with a spoon and chopsticks but can't find it. She checks every spoonful as she lifts it to her mouth, to make she's not eating the caterpillar. Whaaaat?! (We would send it back but she assures us that most Indonesians will just put it aside.)

After dessert (banana bread, chocolate mousse, and Keelee's birthday cookies), we go around the circle to speak aloud what we have learned. I write down the comments for each person: in the heat of the moment, it is easy to forget or overlook what someone cherishes about you. I'll send the affirmations from the group to each person.

These leaders have grown in every way - spiritually, theologically, mentally, in leadership, and as a family of brothers and sisters.

Hanny is sister to everyone. After Herbert eats a hot pepper, she leans over and scrapes away all the pepper from his plate. "Just eat the meat," she tells him. Makes me laugh.

We pray together at the end. Finally, we take a team photo before we wave goodbye. W and I walk up the hill to home while the others wait for their rides.

One more walk with Juno and Anton, before we call it a day. This bush has several colors of blooms. So pretty.

Read more:

* “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-14

* You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Psalm 40:5

* And [the lame man] stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:12

Moravian Prayer: Loving Savior, when doubts arise, remind us of your mighty works and unfailing promises. Like John the Baptist, we seek assurance in times of uncertainty— help us to trust that you are the one who brings healing, restoration, and salvation. Open our hearts to recognize your presence and follow your ways. May we live as messengers of your truth, preparing the way for others to know you. Amen.

A few days on the messy side

Saturday, March 21, 2024

We have major leaf drops during dry seasons. It looks like autumn but feels like summer. Perfect.

Sometimes we can't believe we are sitting outside in March, eating in the shade of a tree (because otherwise it's too warm.) We cross the street to #Nanny's Pavilon.

I order pasta, chicken, mushrooms, and pesto for $4.25. "Welcome home," shouts the chef from the open kitchen. They've delivered meals across the street to our house when guests have ordered from them.

The strip lights W installed yesterday have bonded to the shelf. They're just the right brightness - without shadows - to see everything I need at my desk. I'll be able to sew without constantly adjusting lights or pulling fabric around table lamps.

Before Christmas, we hired someone to do some lettering at IES Bandung. That didn't work out; he never came. So today I take a 1" (2.2cm) construction brush and a can of oil paint to free-write the words. I step back between letters since I haven't bothered with lines or a size template. Are the words evenly spaced? Sort of. It looks like a Grade 1 printing lesson.

These four words define our mission at IES Bandung. I reach for the highest letters from a stepstool, and the lowest ones are just above my head. I debate if there needs to be a "We ... " at the top.  I would need a tall ladder to go higher. Also, does it need that comma after "Grow?" I left off the Oxford comma because I was spacing from right to left ; would it crowd the ampersand? 

I decide, nope to the pronoun and the comma, and we pack up. I take a quick photo so that I can adjust and correct it next week if it bothers me enough. 

I brought a raincoat along after W said, "You're not painting in that, are you?" looking at my regular clothes. "You know you're going to be full of paint." I usually am, but painting letters? It's not like I'm painting a whole wall. There's not even a drop on me. The raincoat stays in the bag.

W tosses the paintbrush away and lifts a few drops off the floor from the first letters. I had to adjust the amount of paint for the slope of the brush since I was painting from underneath.

I ghost-write a letter for a leadership team and send it off, set out things for tomorrow, and call it a day.

Sunday
It's our final "ordinary" Sunday as IC leaders. 

We take it all in: the prayer before the Gathering, the time of worship, the scripture readings, the talk, the baptism ... It is a precious time to remember how blessed we have been to serve with these people. Our last week will be a celebration of our time together.

Titik's flowers take my breath away again.

The bouquet makes our whole place look better.

We enjoy a good lunch at Homeground, sneak-paid by Kyle, brother of Kylie (who was baptized). On the walk after, we spot these beautiful flowers opening at the side of the road.

W and I putter at home, and before we know it, it's nighttime.

Monday
I don't get a call through to Mom but Kirsten and I talk for a long time. Then I get to meet with Kim online. So lifegiving...

At 8AM, I return to editing my article. My, this has dragged on, been revised and procrastinated -- but it is finally done. I'll leave it to percolate overnight, give it one more look, and send it off. First, the third refill of my tea mug. Thinking makes me thirsty.

I write a FutureMe letter (to be read in a year) about current events. It also looks back at the goodness of God over the past years. I don't want to forget his faithfulness. Ever.

Anna sends over the MOST delicious hot cross buns from #MomsBakery, which we enjoy for lunch and supper.

In late afternoon, we take all the canines for a walk. Most Muslims here are terrified of dogs. Not these 4! They pet the dogs and ask where we're going. "For a walk," we say. They tell us they are walking the dogs with us. I ask them to get their mom's permission. "No worries, we may come with you," they gleefully shout. 

Accompanied by shrieking and jubilant voices all the way, they alternate #1, #2, #3, and #4 walkers. I point out little landmarks where they can trade places. They pass it along or gaily laugh as they drop the leash so the next person has to scramble and pounce on it before the old dogs get away.  Little rascals. What fun. They smell the gardenia blooms with us and make appropriate noises: mmmmmm, enak.

"Can we walk Anton, too?" (Um, nope - though he is so distracted by their hopping, petting, and shouting that he misses two chances to lunge at a cat.) We laugh at the kids' antics. It takes us over an hour to do the 30-minute loop. Several of the kids are learning English here on Saturdays so they shout their 1, 2, 3 ... up to 10. The program is paused for the end of Ramadan but resumes in April.

It's 5:30 before we come in the gate. The dogs will sleep well tonight. They are worn out when we get home. I write the monthly newsletter to partners, finish writing, and then W and I gratefully prepare for a good night's rest.

Read more:

* When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 8:10

* Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. Jeremiah 23:3

* [Jesus said,} I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

* Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

Moravian Prayer: God of the beginning and of the end, you hold every part of our lives in your hands. Wherever we are on our walk of life, we dedicate it to your service. We place our trust in you and you alone. 

In Lent, we reflect on your love for us, eternal Caregiver. You have given so much to our lives and continue to provide daily for our existence. We pause now and say, “Thank you.” Amen.