Memories made and remembered

Saturday, August 8, 2026 
73 years ago, my parents were married in an immigrant church in Winnipeg, Canada. I remember their enduring love and affection. From her teens, Mom was determined to have a marriage of sustained friendship and intimacy, unlike old couples who hardly had anything to say to each other. She and Dad kept their promise to love and cherish. We kids grew up in a loving home. Dad's been gone 5 1/2 years. We miss him like it was yesterday.

W installs a bell at the gate. Most of his purchases are made online: hardware, gear, supplies for volunteers, and even food. Delivery ranges from free to $5 or $10 for big items. Motorcycle taxis and delivery services are the main ways people and goods are transported in the city. Hiring a small pickup costs more: up to $60 for the whole day, including help from 2 strong-backed movers.

When the dogs know they're not coming on a walk, they watch us leave.

Then they scoot to the gate and wait for our return.

We go into the Padma Hotel a few blocks away. It's one of few 5-star accommodations in the city, though not expensive by Western standards. Friends of our have kids and have stayed here before. A staff member gives us a tour of the newly renovated property.

At the bottom of the hill, they're building an adventure park, whatever that is. The tour guide says, "There will be a 1 km (2/3 mile) trail," pointing to where we used to tramp through the forest.

The family pool is full, though the adults-only one has room to spare.

On the way back, we enjoy the new blooms. The leaves may be dusty in dry season but the flowers are fresh.

I do research for an upcoming book, sitting on the beautiful Project Porch. Some students email in their preferred topics for the doctoral class - approved!

I'm grateful each day to steward this space with W. The sun's out. In the cutout between kitchen and porch, the solar fountains bubble to aerate the fishponds (repurposed garden pots.) We don't need aquarium filters or artificial lighting. Rain refreshes the water, while tropical fish keep the mosquito population down.

I write a few book reviews and make chicken and vegetable wraps for lunch.

Sunday

There's a neighborhood futsal (soccer) tournament going on. 

A crowd watches young elementary boys kick the ball on the small triangle that is the park.

The trees tower overhead on the loop.

Breakfast with DrW, a neighbor in our old neighborhood, is a delight. She is an interesting professor and scientist. Plus she's just plain nice and good company. It's her first time at the Indonesian restaurant across the street. We all enjoy the food.

Mom and I trade videos through Will and Lina, who have arrived from Europe. They're sitting with her in the care home for the next 3 weeks.

This morning, our dear friend's younger brother passes away from cancer. There are no words of consolation or comfort beyond, "God's presence is with you right now. We love you."

May God sustain and hold the family in his arms. Pray with us for C and her family, would you? W and I go to the funeral home mid-afternoon, arriving home before dark. We greet family and friends, share condolences, and pass on a heaped plate of the chocolate cookies Carlos loved.

He liked kids and animals, too. He was hoping to visit with our dogs today. Instead, he's gone to be with Jesus. Who knows what delights and health he is enjoying there? Since the Bible speaks of lions and lambs getting along, there may be puppies, too.

Someone gave me a batik jacket. I tear off the tags and wear it. Batik is the formal wear of Indonesia. Afterward, we take a Grab taxi "straight home" through the hills and up our mountain.

Supper is crackers, hummus, and borscht. So good. Papaya cubes soaked in lemon juice are dessert.

Monday
The morning is cool; I need a furry sweater to ward off shivers. The weather guy says it's 74oF/23C in the city but there's no way it is that warm up on our mountain. The entries to village neighborhoods are being decorated for Indonesia's Independence Day on Aug 17.

W and I walk and talk. I know it could have been me - sitting at the funeral home if God had allowed W to have a severe stroke. We are grateful for each blessing. We pray for C's family, thank him for his goodness, and pray over neighbors and friends.

Our meetings are at 7:30 and 9:00am. I hear a scream of delight when W greets the speech therapist with "Pagi!" (good morning). She's surprised and pleased by his progress. Ps and Bs were not possible last week. He's tired when they finish the day's exercises. He mostly communicates by writing.

I spend the morning cooking. I try a new recipe: energy balls. That's a good name for them: each one takes 5 minutes of energy to make = too costly. I season vegetables, potatoes, and tempeh with a packet of green curry spices we bought in Thailand a few years ago. 

It's a HOT HOT HOT lunch - hot-spicy that is. Indonesians have separate words for "heat:" they say panas for hot temperature and pedas for hot-spicy food. They use hot peppers to season many dishes.

We are honored by an overnight visit from C's family, who are not ready to go home after the farewell service. They've brought supper along, and as night falls, we discuss the hope we have in Jesus. Scripture assures us that our salvation is paid in full at the cross and resurrection. There are no further works or obligations owed by the family to ensure God's favor. Carlos is healthy and whole: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8)."

Tuesday - today would have been Dad's 94th bday. And it's Uncle Erich's 95th.
I send a video to my favorite (and only living) uncle, living in a care home in Winnipeg. W and I eat early and walk.

When we get back, I set out a casual breakfast for our guests. I'm always surprised by God's provisions, just when we need them. There's banana bread, various buns from the funeral, and fruit plus a few choices of tea. 

After sitting on the Porch and chatting about heaven and destiny, our guests join us on a loop to get some fresh air. A little tented pickup catches our eyes, the cab barely as tall as I am. (The SUV ahead of it is about nose-height.)

On the way home, we stop for Indonesian food (Ayam Pepes Balarasa). Yum.

I put out sweet and salty snacks at home and withdraw to rest. W pops his head into the room to say he's in AFib again. (Yay for IWatches that measure such things.) He heads to the hospital's emergency room to see what's going on. He leaves me behind to say goodbye to our guests. I send a fresh banana bread along with them.

PakG takes care of the hospital paperwork. He has to leave his ID with the nurses because he uses W's credit card to pay a $250 deposit for care. W stays overnight for observation, but declines my offer to come in. His usual corner on the chaise is empty. No curious professor is reading here tonight.

Wednesday

Juno and I walk a few miles, expanding the loops because I don't know if W will be up to an evening walk. He has the presence of mind to cancel the speech therapist. With no lower-tier room open, W  has been put in a single VIP room with its own bathroom. It's not that exciting but at least it's clean.

The doctor comes by first thing. She orders blood tests and an EKG (which check out normally) before he gets visits from nurses and the pharmacist. Prayers appreciated that this gets taken care of.

Dr Hendy drops by to say hello on his way to some meetings. We pay the additional fees at administration, sign papers, and get a rundown on meds and care. PakG asks for his ID card back at the nurses' station. We are "out of jail" and home by 11AM. 

I make a beet and vegetable stew for lunch on the Porch. We drink in the midweek quiet at the Project. While the staff washes and irons bedding, our other houseguests are hard at work. The dogs bravely patrol the yard against cats and squirrels.

We reward ourselves with a tiny square of nutty homemade chocolate before it's naptime for our weary souls. Feels good after my 4.5 hours of sleep. I doubt W got much more. My dad always napped on the sofa after lunch. I've forgotten what a treat it is, though I took an afternoon nap during all the years that I was raising our kids.

Danny and George drop by the Porch for conversation, tea (with milk, since George is Scottish,) and baking.

Read more:
* Jesus spoke to the disciples and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27

* See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Isaiah 42:9

* The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world. Matthew 13:37-38

Moravian Prayer: Wise Gardener, thank you for continually sowing good and new seeds in this world. Thank you for never giving up on us, your seedlings. May we follow your example of sowing good and new things to make your world, your harvest, more abundant. We pray this in your name. Amen.

"TIMBER!"

Tuesday, August 4, 2026
For the first time in weeks, it rains. People twirl, hands out, celebrating. We send the yard man home so he doesn't get sick. Most illnesses here are attributed to masuk angin (lit. entry of wind). When there's strong wind and rain, you know the flu is about to strike.

Sadly, it's just a quick shower. Our garden is as dry as ever. We do our evening walk after supper and turn in early. W, the techie, got Ember mugs years ago on Kickstarter. They keep tea warm while we read and relax.

Wednesday
We are up and around the neighborhood before 7:30, the time for W's speech therapy. Agnes is excellent at what she does. I walk by a few times as they're hard at work. W's determined to recover his speaking skills. We know from our own kids that most don't speak until they've done a year or more of vocalizing. There's no rush.

While he's hard at work, I make myself the breakfast that W is supposed to avoid. The dogs are happy with the scrambled egg scraps. The Porch is chilly. It's always colder with a brilliant blue sky in the morning. Clouds keep the warmth in. Lucky Waldemar gets porridge for breakfast again.

A tree removal expert drops in. He'll trim up the huge palm next to the house and remove the durian tree that's been dropping the small unripe fruits on the roof. They make a big bang already, night and day.

"This kind of Durian gets huge," the man tells us. One hit would smash the roof tiles; there are dozens and dozens of durians up there. The fruit falls when it's ripe and is picked off the ground. (For export, it's picked off the tree.) Can you spot the spiky balls on the ground?

Dozens have fallen. What a shame!!! If we could have kept the tree - any way! - we would have. This feels like such a waste of fruit but dozens of 5-8kg (10-20b) "bombs" falling from 10 m (30') above the roof wouldn't have done any good.

Alice comes by to get the meat fat I'm rehoming. Stored in the fridge, it lasts indefinitely. Usually, I fry a whole Costco package of strips at one time, collecting the fat in a jar. The crispy slices can be taken one at a time from the freezer. No more of that for a while for W ...

When a friend leaves you rooting hormone and the internet talks you into the "easy rooting system," what could go wrong? The baggies with cuttings and the tip of a paper towel in water may or may not be filled with roots in a month or two. Let's see.

Lew takes us and Alice for supper at Nara Park.

Thursday

The dogs wait at the back door for their walk and then for treats. They're still spiffy from grooming yesterday. I guess it's too dry for Juno to roll in the mud the way she usually does after she's clipped and clean.

The new-to-us mattress is finally aired in the guest room, so the bedding goes on. These wonderful helpers make it possible to use the Project, whether someone drops in or stays for a day or longer.

Once the tools and leftover projects are removed, this will host guests who cannot manage the stairs to the guest wing. The quilt I dragged from its start in England, to a-work-in-progress in Seattle and Montana, to completion in Bandung? It finally finds a landing spot.

I bought a floral sheet and curtain set off Craigslist when W was finishing his doctorate at Tyndale Library in Cambridge UK. The flat sheet became the backing of the quilt. The fitted sheet and curtains are still at the cabin in Montana.

A few trees have "widow-makers" (as we called the dead limbs in Seattle) and need trimming. The one leaning dangerously over the Project roof needs attention. Four 30' (10m) branches have grown toward the sun and can't be removed in one pass. The spikey pine marks a few feet from the roofline on the other side of the Project.

The trimmer climbs up and cuts long pieces back to the trunk. He explains that if he takes off an entire branch at once, it will swing down and smash the roof. This job is not for the faint of heart or someone afraid of heights!

While the tree crew is here, a 25' (8m) branch falls on the other side of the yard (below). A similar branch broke off last week, ripping a shade cloth. These trees are old!

Luckily, no one was underneath either time to be speared by the 1 m (3') sharp breaks. 

The branches have green leaves but the tree is infested with carpenter ants as well as galls rust fungus.

Scott and Ruth arrive from Jakarta to visit and pray together. They're caring regional directors for the company. We have some Indonesian food together before they go back.

W inspects the process, marveling at the skills needed. The guys cut 3m (9') trunk sections for benches and lay them across small logs to dry. They work a long day before heading home.

They also trim the long stems from the palm tree. It's a gorgeous addition in the garden but it can be tricky to communicate instructions to Indonesian staff. Some months ago, I asked the yardman to remove the spiky stems of already-dead fronds. He cut 5 healthy fronds off the trunk instead.

Friday
It's quieter still since the staff is off to a family funeral today. Lew and I sit down to review the week's research and writing before he heads to the train station. W's Saturday study group drops by to say hi and gift him with a fruit basket.

Lunch is colorful. Most Indonesian-made meals lean toward tan, brown, and beige, unlike the rainbow (sans blue) we prefer on our plates.

The birds are happy with the leftover corn kernels as well as the wormy leaves of the bok choi. I just can't make myself cook them. I wash what I can and feed the birds the rest, along with the ends of carrots and beans.

There's another speech therapy session in midafternoon. What hard work! W's communications on paper are getting faster, too.

Read more:
* Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and glorious habitation. Where are your zeal and your might? Isaiah 63:15

* Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” John 14:18

* But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:22-23

Moravian Prayer: Wonderful Savior, you have promised to never leave nor forsake us. Your love for us has caused you to humble yourself from your heavenly throne to the dust of the earth. You also promise to raise us from the dust of the earth to the foot of your heavenly throne. May we remain ready for this miraculous transformation. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Life-giving friendships and prayers

Sunday, August 2, 2026 Happy 91st Birthday, Mom!
Mom is in frail health in a care home. Every day, we mention her in prayer along with the rest of the family. For all our lives, our mom has prayed for us daily so now it's our turn to carry her before God.

Robin arrives mid-morning for a chat, cookies, and tea. We haven't seen him in ages - so good to reconnect.

Martin and Sayaka come by after the Gathering. Sayaka is an experienced dental hygienist who's worked with stroke victims and children with disabilities. She trained and worked in Japan for years, helping restore function to tongue and facial muscles. She's a blessing: W learns a lot.

David and Georgina come by to show off their beautiful kids, Noa and Neri. They lived with us for 5 months at the old place before they moved to Japan. They're visiting his family and old ffriends, then will be on their way to see her family in Mexico. We forget to take a photo.

While Sayaka and Waldemar work together, I prepare lunch. Our friends are willing to stay for lunch, so we share a pasta salad and some cookies.

Pak Chandra drops by with this weekend's stunning bouquet, made by Ibu Titik.

Wow, this one takes my breath clean away. We share hugs before they're off to lunch with their family.

Danny drops in for a visit. He's been traveling, as have we. It's been months since we've seen each other. He brings a huge meal plus some meat-and-cheese rolls. We sit on the Porch with treats and honey-turmeric tea, talking and enjoying the company. I walk him to the gate as W rests.

Monday
It's still Mom's birthday on the other side of the world. I talk to her for the first time in ages. Sandi made her a birthday party, brought a cake, and invited family and caregivers over to the care home. Norm sends the family photos of the event, making our hearts happy for her. She tells me who was there and how things went, a big improvement over the last few days of being almost unresponsive.

A lone iris is blooming as W and I walk the dogs by. 

Here's my view of the 3 "big dogs": Gypsy the old dog is stiff but insists on trotting along. Anton (alias Monster) does very well, even passing cats. May help that I've begun to tap the side of his head when he turns to look and considers lunging. He, as well as we, miss our mountain hikes.

The speech therapist works with W while I am on a call with a friend. My brother Norm and I chat to catch up as well. I prepare a mid-morning snack for W and start making lunch before catching up on emails.

We remove the plastic wrap from a new-to-us bedspring and move it into the sunshine to air out. It was in storage for a while but never used. It came our way a few weeks ago. After being propped in the entry where visitors come and go, we move it into the guest room.

I'm ready to tackle the room's windows with a second floral layer = vintage 1980s king-sized sheets. Our stepladder is too short and the tall ladder has rungs so far apart that I hate using it. I'm doubly cautious: my step-grandpa died after a fall off the ladder while cleaning the eaves of his house.

I compromise. How about a sturdy stepstool on a sturdy table? It's the right height, has wide step-surfaces, and feels non-wobbly. Up I go.

The former white sheet already has well-spaced clips so the new topper is an easy addition. Open the clip, pull the second sheet up and in, and fold the layers into pleats from top to bottom. The doubled fabric gives heft to the curtain; it's also no longer opaque when the light's on. What a good thing that British florals are in style! That trend came in the 90s, and went in the 2000s, and is back again.

We do another walk around the neighborhood - that's 3 miles at what seems just the right temperature. When I check, it's 85oF/30C. Hmmm. Guess we're acclimated.

Orange seems to be the color of most blooms in our yard and around the walk. A flaming hedge is covered in clumps of 2"/5cm petals.

In late evening for our time zone, the August mastermind is small but helpful. We consider ways to lead and live well.

Tuesday

I thow open the curtains to my office and his shrub is blooming outside the window with 5-7"/12-15cm spires of color. So cheerful! After a walk and breakfast, the long calls with Martha and Mario are filled with friendship and hope. Together we wonder at the goodness of the God we serve, marveling at the good news He offers the world through Jesus.

The Project staff is here in full force, washing bedding, cooking, and cleaning up after a busy weekend. More guests are expected. The women cook for the others while W and I eat what I prepare.

I hear from a book agent who offers to take my books to a publisher.  I don't delete it immediately since I know the press and have reviewed books for them. I have to check if it's legitimate since we receive various such emails. Who knows. Life happens step by step when you're working in multiple directions.

How about a bonus for myself and W, who is on a low-sugar regimen? I melt some squares of dark chocolate, smash an equal amount of seeds and nuts into tiny pieces, and combine them. The mixture goes into a tray for tiny ice cubes, cooling in the fridge for a few hours. 

It's not pretty. The half-full squares easily pop out of the tray - for an almost-healthy portion of crunchy goodness. The tastes of little cheats make a big difference when you're changing your lifestyle and diet, don't they? 

"You don't need a whole chocolate bar, Hon, really." W smiles as he pops one into his mouth. Proof positive right there. Thank you, everyone who prays for us and sends notes of encouragement. We are pleased with his care and his progress, 2 weeks after the stroke that limited his speech.

Read more:
* The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9

* Although these nations that you are about to dispossess do give heed to soothsayers and diviners, as for you, the LORD your God does not permit you to do so. Deuteronomy 18:14

* Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental principles? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? Galatians 4:9

Moravian Prayer: Lord, as foreigners in a strange land, remind us to be mindful of the familiar temptations to serve the gods of false strength, security, and familiarity. Instead, help us follow your generous and compassionate leading. Amen.