Daughter and flower edition

Monday/Tuesday, May 4/5, 2026

W and I take the shuttle to the Jakarta airport. He checks me in and heads back to Bandung. Nice guy!

The trip through Taiwan and Seattle is uneventful. I post my sign over the screen on the plane: "Thanks for letting me sleep." That way, I don't have to refuse food and drink over and over on long flights. 

In Seattle, I go through immigration and customs, tossing my suitcase back on the conveyor belt to be checked through to Texas. A hotel shuttle takes me to a clean warm Sleep Inn, where I get a 4 hours of sleep. 

Kim comes for me at 5AM (what a friend!) We stop at Denny's where I order a seniors (small) breakfast. It is enormous, served on 2 dinner plates: 2 huge pancakes, bacon, sausages, and eggs. Since I haven't eaten since Taiwan (22 hours earlier), I eat as much as I can, leaving 2/3 of the pancakes on the plate. Kim drops me at the airport and heads for work.

After a slight delay, travel resumes. Daughter Kirsten picks me up at the other end.

We eat a delicious Ghanan stuffed bread, find my sunglasses in a discount shop, and head for her house. I arrange grocery flowers as K gets 3 calls from the hospital changing her surgery time from noon to 9AM, then to 7AM. Whew. We're getting up early tomorrow (3:30AM).

She confirms the time with the callers and sends a confirmation message to admissions. After watching a home-reno episode, we head for sleep. We get 4 1/2 hours of sleep zzz.

Wednesday
We're at surgery registration at 4:45AM, sitting for 1 1/2 hours before K goes to the desk to ask what's going on. They explain that surgery is delayed until just before noon because "we couldn't get through yesterday to confirm your 7AM surgery time. So you'll be in at 11 or 11:30 this morning, provided the person before you has no complications."

What? 3 calls and a message aren't enough? It's a hospital mix-up in internal communication. K talks to the surgeon, who reschedules her.

In Pre-Op, she's smart, informed, and articulate with the nurses and doctors. She gets finished and is in surgery by 10. Meanwhile, I'm jet-lagged and tired. Typically for USA public places, there's nowhere to stretch out. I edit a friend's book, sitting in the cafeteria. And then lay my head down for a half hour ... zzz. The surgeon says it's a successful surgery. 

K is discharged in mid-afternoon. And then she starts walking around her place. What! The nerve-blockers help with pain. We are both astonished at how well she's getting around. Alissia, an overnight helper, comes for 8 hours. She's a delight: caring, helpful, intuitive, gentle. 

Thursday
Along the walk are many wildflowers. Texas is known for wildflowers since Lady Bird Johnson, a former governor's wife, made them a feature of her state in the 1960s.

The colors are vibrant.

This shrub is a heap of texture in purples and greens.

I make breakfast before connecting with friends and those concerned with Kirsten. We read comments sent by well-wishers aloud. What a beautiful gathering of prayers and kindness. 

We both like renovation and home shows, so we watch an episode just for fun. I'm surprised by the ads: pharmaceuticals, lawyers, credit cards, and insurance. After lunch, we crash into a nap. Both of us sleep for an hour and a half and wake feeling refreshed.

Kirsten is a creative foodie. She combines chickpeas, Parmesan tapenade, spices, and peppers. We crisp a lamb sausage from a butcher on the way back from the airport, and try some couscous. It's such joy to be with someone I like so much, and to know she's our daughter makes it even better. It's hard to make close friends in Indonesia. Language is a barrier, as is the constant motion of expats who come for a season. Not many live close enough in our city or the next for casual visits and coffee time.

I'm hoping to reset jetlag - Bandung is exactly opposite (night or day) on the clock. I'm getting to know K's neighborhood on my walks. 

An HOA (housing council) is a scary thing, regulating many aspects of how neighours relate to each other and keep their yards and houses. For example, this one allows specific blue- and grey-toned paint colors for houses, with a few exceptions. Dogs are leashed and walked and all poop is picked up, not a bad thing! with so many around.

Friday
It's another rough, short night: sleep lasts 2:40. I finally give up at 6:30, after being up since 1:00. Time to head out for another walk, me thinks.

Read more:
*With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back; I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path where they shall not stumble, for I have become a father to Israel. Jeremiah 31:9

* In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Hebrews 5:7

Moravian Prayer: Loving Shepherd, you lead us with mercy and hear our cries. Even in our sorrow, you guide us beside still waters; in our struggles, you walk beside us. Help us trust your presence and rest in your care, now and always. Amen.

Discussions, downpours, and decisions

Thursday, April 30, 2026 

The amaryllis bulbs have erupted in glorious reds, which they do at least twice a year.

There's always something blooming in the border.

Despite applying insect repellent morning and night, I get bitten during afternoon tea on the Porch with friends. 

Kirsten says yes to the pineapple cookies DrW brings over at teatime. These are a Bandung specialty that I've never seen in the USA. I put them into the suitcase.

Lew's been researching his dissertation but it's time to take a break at suppertime. We walk up the block to #MissBeeProvidore. I eat a few pieces of pizza before the server packs the rest into a takeaway box. Evening is not my hungry time of day although the pizza is delicious.

We put the Project and ourselves to bed amid a downpour. What a privilege to have a dry place to sleep.

Friday - Happy birthday, Melissa!
After walking, we call family to wish Melissa a wonderful day. It's another public holiday so PakG is taking the day off. Happily, there are taxi apps galore. We won't buy another car after this one ages out. Calling a cab is quick, cheap, and painless.

Our first stop is the hospital to pray for Carlos and his family. Our hearts go out to him as he endures tests and infusions. The nurses scurry in and out, quietly monitoring and changing IVs. He's not permitted to eat the cookies we bring; his sis says she'll freeze them at home for when he's discharged.

We catch an Uber to town from there. This is typical of the sidewalks in Bandung (below). Some office workers carry umbrellas against the sunny weather. A motorcyclist zips across from the other side of the divided street, cruises for a half-block on the sidewalk, and turns into the minimart parking lot. The traffic watchwords are flex and flow. Or hati-hati (be careful).

W and I are on a lunch date since we'll be apart for a month. We have wanted to go to #AlJezeera for Arabic food since last year but never found time.

The food is plentiful and good, with more takeaway boxes coming home with us.

As we work, Anton looks in on us. He tracks us around the Project and notes when we're in the office. Nope, too busy to come out and play right now.

There's no avoiding it any longer. I start to pack. Usually that includes a devotional (this time, Puritan-era prayers) and art supplies.

Saturday
I get out 3 little saucepans to make crepes. Lew joins us outside for breakfast on the Porch. We alternate savory: lamb heated in yogurt, with fresh dill from the garden; and sweet: jam or mashed papaya with whipped cream.

(Crepe recipe for 12 small crepes: 1 c flour, 1 3/4 c milk, 1 tsp bk powder/salt/sugar, 1 T melted butter. Mix, then roll 2-3 T of batter into a hot greased saucepan. Cook over high heat until the top is no longer glossy or white. Tip onto a serving plate. For ease and speed, use several saucepans at once.)

Lew leaves at 10AM to catch the shuttle to Jakarta. After we tidy up and complete morning chores and connections, I "almost finish" packing. Then the kids come for English classes. They sure love their tutors, including this group.

W and I catch up on emails, delete old Google Drive files, update our info, and walk. This enormous leaf (130cm/4') lands street-side. You wouldn't want to get whacked by one of those falling on your head.

The stone countertop is sealed and the 24-hour soak-in is over. The dark tiles across the "island" base are removed and replaced with tiles matching the counters. With that, the serving kitchen is completed.

What's that? Three packages arrive, a complete surprise. Heart friends from a Leadership Mastermind have sent us a plant stand and potted plants to celebrate our past season with IES Bandung. Thanks for making those arrangements, Tirza!

Before long, W has it unpacked. The gift settles at one end of the side porch.

I check with our daughter - she has dinner plans with a friend from her small group. Inside, Titik's orchid continues to bloom as we prepare to attend a Saturday service.

Sunday
It's a quiet morning, with a walk and breakfast at #WaerungEthnic. One of the things we love is that Ethnic has fresh flowers, not silk. Look at these roses!

We choose a secluded corner in the back. W checks that my travel apps and data are updated and accessible.

On the way home, tiny flowers on a shrub beside the street catch our attention. W has been working on the pool, which we'd like to use for exercise classes. The sun was out and it was very hot in early morning. Since then, it clouded over and there's a brisk wind. I'm chilled before I reach the water, sliding down the slope into the water of the "deep end" (which is all that will be filled, due to safety issues). Gasp. Oh it's c-c-cold! A hot bath afterwards gets rid of my shivers.

There's a downpour around noon. We indulge in leftovers from Thursday's lunch. We eat outside overlooking the garden, tossing a piece here or there to the dogs who wait on the sidewalk beside our table. Tasks for the weeks ahead are sketched out for the helpers.

When did travel get so complicated? Decisions need to be made about what to take or leave. Devices are rebooted for stability. Chargers and cables, gear and travel pillows, gifts and more must be stowed before morning comes. I'm tired out with all the choices by mid-afternoon.

Read more:
* [God says,] Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:18-21

* Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Jeremiah 4:3

* And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Moravian Prayer: You are the God who calls us to witness. Lord, thank you for those you have called to lead our churches’ ministries. Thank you that you have given all of us gifts of witness. May our response to your call be a fervent ‘Yes.’ Amen.

Studies, teacups, and scones

Sunday, April 26, 2026

We have a late lunch at Ethnic. I love the plants their gardener chooses. These delicate red roots hang from a tree near our table.

This "false bird of paradise" looks like a suspended bird (beak to the left) and catches my eye.

Anton is an athletic squirrel-chaser, patiently watching or jumping around at the base of trees, hoping the critter will come down to him. The squirrels love to tease, jumping from branch to branch overhead.

Monday

After a morning filled with usual work and calls, Ps Lew arrives from Jakarta to research his dissertation. We have a late lunch at Maxis and catch up.

We get a package of black beans. Oh, those are for the bean toss game, after the last batch of beans moulded after being left outside. Maybe the Saturday kids will have fun with it. I sew a half-dozen bean bags. The dogs are getting used to their snuffle mats, from whence they try to extract treats.

W hangs a picture in the bathroom. I'm happy it's off my bookshelf, where it's gathered dust for 3 months while I decided where to put it. The old green tiles have many spackled holes. W drills out one, puts in an anchor, and screws in the support for the picture frame.

The afternoon rains arrive as usual, filling the pots with tropical fish.

Tuesday
The day floats by with walks, work, and cooking. To use up the leftover black beans, I make soup for a filling mid-afternoon meal. It's wet enough outside that mushrooms are sprouting around the tree stumps.

After Lew spends the day researching, we sit down with his outline to map out the next steps. The side porch table lights up as dusk and night arrive.

Wednesday
Veronica joins us for a morning hike with the 2 big dogs, Anton and Juno. The other two are getting too old to leap and bounce around the uneven paths.

It's hot today so we drink constantly. The forest section trail has been chopped clear of overhanging branches. Sometimes W brings a machete to clear this particular one. No need today. At times, the path is barely visible due to undergrowth.

Impatiens, which used to be my first spring garden buy (2@$1 at Fred Meyer), grow wild here. Can you see the trail? We count on the dogs to run ahead and chase away snakes.

All kinds of wildflowers line the trail. I count 6 white types, including this tassled beauty.

A red tassel hangs from a shrub nearby.

God flings lavish beauty on the path.

Many kinds of bananas grow wild or are planted between other crops. Finger-length sweet fruit is ripening above its flower.

The flower on another tree is 2' (65cm) long.

Just around the corner hangs a long bunch similar to the Dole bananas of Western supermarkets. Each clump is called a "hand." There are at least 5 hands of bananas on this stalk. They ripen from the top down, following the flower down the stem. When the flower drops off, that's the limit of bananas.

The decades-old tea bushes are being replaced by new coffee plantations to suit the export market. Coffee shops have been popping up in every neighborhood over the past 5 years, too.

During the past weeks of storms, trees have blown over or snapped off. Someone has trimmed them to allow motorcycles and farm workers to get to their fields.

Leftover pizza is lunch.

Thursday
We leave Anton at home because he refuses to sit when we reach the gate. We left Gypsy behind a few days ago. Since then, he sits promptly to be taken on the walk. They're no dummies. Just stubborn sometimes.

If the dogs are not in the mood to mind the simple routine, they can be wild things on the walk. Sometimes they're so nutty that they lunge for this or that instead of walking calmly. So ... the test - almost always positive - is that they sit at the gate and follow us onto the street.

Some friends come for tea in the afternoon. Don't fuss," they tell me in advance. Tea is a good excuse to set a pretty table and relax with others. Most of our good dishes are in Seattle. Whatever we bring here will be left behind. 

It's a treat to use the "Canada Maple Leaf" Royal Albert bone china, even if only once or twice a year.

IbuS bakes bread; I make scones (a disappointment), sandwiches, and mousse. We wash guest dishes being used for the first time since our move 4 months ago. Life is pretty casual so I miss the feminine hospitality we had with American friends. Tablecloths, china dishes, silver trays, and flowers? Mostly a memory.

Few people here have fancy teacups, cutlery, or hostess trays. When the book group met in homes, the good serving dishes came out. The past few years as we've aged, we usually meet in the cafe of a member's relative. It's nice to be together in the little cafe basement, even without that homey ambiance.

It's raining by the time everyone leaves. The helpers tidy up and say goodbye for the time being. Tomorrow is a public holiday. Next week I'll be traveling, though W will stay home.

Read more:
* Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love with those who love you and keep your commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. Daniel 9:4-5

* Let your work be manifest to your servants and your glorious power to their children. Psalm 90:16

* Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. Luke 12:27

* Jesus said, “Anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37

Moravian Prayer: We praise you, God of creation. Wrap yourself in the worship of all you have made. Amplify the bird’s song and the waterfall’s roar as they declare your power. Give us words of praise to tell of your work in our lives.

Merciful God, sometimes it seems that we can never stop sinning. But we hear the joyful news that you never stop forgiving—and healing. We are a gathering of redeemed sinners. May we always remember to sing songs of thanksgiving for your mercy. Amen.

Stone, sunshine, and a sloth

Thursday, April 23, 2026

The kitchen island was functional: 4 discount-shop floor tiles topped two tables. The tables were sourced from a library that was remodeling. Today, two men come with slabs propped along the wall of a shop earlier this week. A slab rather than tiles is better.

The tiles almost fit, if you don't mind 2" (5cm) of bare wood on each side. And if you don't care about a few chipped corners.

The two new pieces cover with a few inches to spare. The stone is bookended, which is a bonus. I saw the color I liked at the shop, at about the right size, and didn't bother to check whether the slabs matched. (The tiles readied me to accept imperfections and almost-there decor, I guess. hehe) The travertine needs to be sealed before we put food on it. No acid foods allowed! on the surface, ever. Let's see how long that lasts.

When we first saw that corner of the room, it looked like the photo below. It's come a long way as a serving kitchen. The contractor cemented floor tiles from the same bundle over broken tile countertops and around a big stained ceramic sink.

My decor philosophy is that if you stay true to your mind's eye, you can refine the vision with whatever comes your way. The outcome may not be exact, especially if your budget is "small, but can we spend still less?" Mostly, it turns out even better than the original plan.

The serving kitchen has turned out well. It's useful for food preparation or when big groups come over. (Below, last Wednesday, 80-ish people scooped up desserts during the intermission at movie night.)

Tipping is not common but W gives a little extra so the stone delivery men can buy themselves a meal or coffee. We send the stone guys off to their next site with pieces of IbuS's banana bread. They sit down on the driveway porch to eat it.

They're almost done when the mirror delivery guys come in. We offer the second pair a roasted sweet potato each. The guys know each other and compare their food bonuses. (Makes us all laugh.)

W mounts the mirror in the Project apartment. It becomes a reflective window wall. The office is on the dark side of the building so every bit of natural light helps.

I'm hanging pictures in the bathroom, hoping to be done with Command strips. Though we wait an hour for the strips to adhere, one of the pictures crashes off the wall. It had extra strips on the back, too. Oh well. The frame breaks in pieces but the glass is intact.

I connect with a few people. Our loop walk before sundown takes us past 10,000 steps. Somehow we're tired, though it feels like we haven't done much today. The backyard of the Project glows a goodnight as we put the dogs to bed.

Friday

After a walk, W and I have breakfast at #NaraPark. Near us, a young Caucasian family is eating. It's rare enough to have white foreigners around that we say hi before we leave. It turns out that we know many of the same people in Bandung and Bali. Their kids roam the yard and exclaim in delight as they discover the tortoises, lizards, hedgehogs, fish, and owls spread out between the eateries.

It's a full day. We finish tidying from movie night.

The entry is ready to welcome the next guests.

The edge of the sink is grouted, which should make it easier to clean.

The afternoon fills with setting up English Tanikota3 tomorrow, besides regular work. Before sundown, we take a final walk. We turn through our old neighborhood. How odd not to be part of the streets and the community, though the Project sits beside its entry. I like the creative privacy wall on someone's balcony but can't imagine what lizards, roaches, or termites may be living in the sticks.

We planted grapevines from a friend in a dry corner of the backyard. At each tiny cluster of leaves, a handful of grapes is ripening.

The streetlight and entry sign into the neighborhood were crushed by a falling tree 3 weeks ago. They are still bent and lying across our fence. I ask a distinguished neighbor to check with their RT (council chairperson) when they can get it fixed.

"When the rains end," says PakRT. It hasn't rained for 2 nights. So maybe soon? Our own repairs must wait for their light and sign to be moved out of the way. (They fix it Saturday, tomorrow.)

Some people have pets like we do: birds, fish, dogs or cats. This neighbor has Javanese spotted deer, a big sloth, and meerkats.

Saturday

It's a sunny morning with a crisp breeze ruffling the leaves overhead as we walk. Cicadas thrum each morning at the end of the rainy season. Our 10' (3m) hedge is constantly surprising us with new plants, which need trimming or removing.

W heads back into the Project pool, splashing around his big chemistry experiment. The plumber has come and gone many times over the last half-year, trying to figure out the water supply and other issues. The pool cavity was left green and full of critters for a decade. Half-drained, it looked like this last June.

When the crew scrubbed and emptied the pool, we found out it is 4m (12') deep. There's no way we can fill it to the top or leave the old diving board = too dangerous with the constant stream of guests at the Project. We were informed that 1.2 meters is the ideal depth for hosting exercise classes. Hopefully it is workable soon.

The English study volunteers and kids show up mid-afternoon. The sun is hot at noon but clouds blow over to cool down the air. The chirping of children and the steady voices of tutors are a pleasant addition to the tinging of the windchimes.

W puts the whiteboard back to where he wants it stored.

We attend a Saturday service, a wonderful way to complete the week. The speaker closes with, "Raise your hands if you need patience in relationships, including marriage." I raise both hands. Poor W - I'm not always a patient person.

Sunday
The Sunday market opens early. We haven't gone for 8 years, since we started working onsite for the Sunday Gathering, starting at 7am. Today we squeeze through the crowds to see what's available. Fruit, vegetables, plastic key chains and toys, stationery and school supplies, builder and garden tools, kitchen pots and utensils - it's all here.

There's a plethora of plants and pets: some chicks are painted wild colors. When you choose your chick/s or duck/s, the seller pops it/them into a plastic bag.

There are rabbits, rats, birds, and lizards.

The tropical fish arrive in tubs. The seller scoops them out of the net by hand and puts them in plastic bags, where they'll hang until sold.

Someone has creatively painted empty snail shells and is selling them with hermit crabs inside.

There's a choochoo train for kiddies to ride in someone's front driveway.

The vegetables are fresh but we don't know what they're sprayed with. Roundup herbicide is common.

W buys a salty peanut-topped pancake for each of us.

The seller flips batter into cast-iron pans that sit over a wood fire. The baking process is quick once the lid is on.

A mosque edges the street.

One of the difficulties in cramped communities is garbage disposal.

This huge wad of steaming black rice has been dumped onto a table-top tarp. An older lady breaks it into small-bag sections to be eaten now or taken home.

Raw chicken lies in partial shade. The seller has a sharp cleaver, with which he chops whatever pieces the buyers ask for.

There's a women's aerobics class in the park triangle down the block.

With great contentment, we thank God for the communities of faith meeting this weekend all around the world. We also pray for peace and the Presence over our neighbors and all we meet.

Read more:
* Know, then, in your heart that, as a parent disciplines a child, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Deuteronomy 8:5

* But you [oh God] are the same, and your years have no end. Psalm 102:27

* All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

*To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 25

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, we believe that you are the way, the truth, and the life. We are determined to walk in your way and hold to your truth. How else can we have your life within us? Draw us close to you. 

Eternal God, sometimes the scriptures become our prayers. “You are the same, and your years have no end.” The same is true of your love, your promises, and your presence. When life’s uncertainties frighten us, we are thankful that you are our unmoving foundation. Amen.