Nature and nurture

Thursday, October 22, 2026
W and I are glad to be back in the mountains. It's a time for reflection in nature, exercise, and friendship. Theme parks and attractions are a big deal in the Bandung area. This mural stretches the length of a courtyard.

Outside, it's a bit castle-like.

We walk through the parking lot to the forest, skidding on deep heaps dry leaves covering the dusty trail. Dirt bikes have carved out the center of the path. Flags line the track for a recent mountain bike race. I dig in my hiking poles to keep from wiping out.

We pass a cobbled shelter, the color of the dogs and the decaying bamboo fronds.

It's a good walk, with sunshine and enough wind to cool the skin. We take a picture in the shade of the "selfie tree" as usual, documenting who walked when. The dogs - 8 canines to 7 walkers! - are happy to run around but hot inside their furry hides. 

They find the one stream crossing and splash around to cool off.

Evva stops to treat them. Of course they love her homemade goodies. We stop several times to give them water. 

We emerge into the tea fields, with spectacular views.

W has the driver park at a grocer and we walk past the police station to lunch, where parking is limited. The police symbol is a black tiget.

W is hungry for Chinese food at #Mandarin in Lembang. It's an easy-going group.

The food is always delicious.

We clean up and get to work in the afternoon. Lew treats us to supper at #WarungEthnic before he heads back to Jakarta tomorrow. He shows us a new trend in cakes: the top layer of frosting and greetings burns off to expose an edible photo underneath. What?!

Alice is a good companion at the table. She takes note of the cake, since she sometimes orders for her organization's special events.

Friday
We take our usual walk. Yesterday I started training Bruno to sit when we stop. He does pretty well for the second day. He vies with Anton for "smartest dog ever." And stubbornest. Those 2 go hand in hand.

He checks in on me as I make pizza dough in the working kitchen. "Well, hello to you too."

The morning perch is refreshing as usual.

Breakfast is fresh pineapple, papaya, and mango, besides porridge and chia in blueberry juice.

An Emily Dickinson poem catches my eye, encouragement for me and curious friends and coworkers.

The staff has started Christmas baking so we're out of flour, sugar, eggs, and more. Off to the store we go for 2 full carts of baking supplies.

I make soup and bake breadbuns for lunch - so good, sitting on the Porch. Bruno the new dog lies down after I tell him to "leave it" (chicken soup on the table!), though I go out of sight to watch him. Of course he gets a treat for that.

The book group meets at the usual cafe. The questions are good: first, "What do you remember about being 9 years old?" Our experiences are varied. We agree that when the norm was husband, wife, and children, we were safer. Most of us grew up not fearing harm from neighbors, going in and out of unlocked doors, and playing up and down the block with friends without hovering parents.

Second, Marji asks, "Did you - or do you - have a trusted close confidant and friend?" I love the stories. On my end, Uncle Erich and Auntie Molly were my alternate parents and beloved family. In my 30s, 40s, and still now, the WPPRs (a group of 4 women) became sounding boards, accountability partners, and then dear friends. The Mastermind I've been part of for a decade is my pack of leaders, friends, and counselors. I've been very lucky - blessed! - to have such relationships. I could name others who I trust and stay in touch with.

We're discussing Ann Patchett's Whistler. She's a wonderful storyteller but the subject matter is wearying for me: a gay man marries a divorced woman with 2 kids, there's another divorce, before a reunion decades later.

Most media now promotes gender experiments and alternatives to two-gender committed marriage. Can we not have good stories about challenges, relationships, and life crises within traditional families? Surely not every modern tale has to revolve around dysfunctional mothers, stepfamilies, gay couples, multiple partners ... 

The star of the get-together is Fluffy, Amy's dog, who just had a checkup at the vet. She sits calmly on Amy's lap the whole time. So cute!

W's efforts with the pizza oven are much better. The taste of burned crust lingers from last time. I figured out an easy dough recipe so the crust is improved. (W used to spend a half-week on dough. I am happy for him to make the crust, but I'm not interested in such lengthy experiments. If it works in a day, let's play.)

Saturday
W twists his knee on the first loop of the morning walk; we're home sooner than expected. How do people play tennis in this heat? Bumi Sangkuriang is hosting a tournament.

I make breakfast and set out treats for the volunteers who teach English today. After W's therapy with Sayaka, we call former students for an hour-long conversation about life and service.

W and I have leftovers for lunch. Luckily, IbuS made extra food for PakG's lunch, which I heat up. (No inside staff on weekends.) Pak G has a full Saturday, helping the volunteers set up the rooms and carport for afternoon learning and fun. He translates as we sort out an unpleasant surprise midway through the sessions.

The verbal altercation between two volunteers reminds us of the high value of harmony among the Sundanese people who consider Bandung their capitol city. Calm voices, respectful feedback through a third party, and settling disagreements quietly and privately are culturally appropriate.

Sunday
5 years ago, we were sitting on the GG porch, recording talks for Sunday. How times have changed! Thankful that COVID is over, aren't you?

The dogs are bouncy and restless on the walk. The weather is good after rain overnight. The leaves are washed clean. The air is fresher.

We have a leisurely breakfast of eggs, fruit, and cinnamon buns. I check on friends and reply to messages before we head to the Gathering.

Read more:
* It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

* The LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places. Isaiah 58:11

* [Jesus taught his disciples to pray:] Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

* I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me. John 10:14

* Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:13-16

* Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:29-5:2

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, you are our daily bread. Allow us to feast and live on your word and your truth each and every day of our lives, until you call us into the heavenly place above. We pray in our Savior’s name. 

Good Shepherd, you made us and we are yours. You know us and you call us by name. Help us to know you so that we may assist you in bringing your lost sheep home. Amen.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes not.

Monday, October 19, 2026
It's our day off. My first morning meeting starts as soon as we return from the walk. By the time I'm off the call, the yardman and the helper have arrived. With guests and the children's language classes coming and going, there's a lot of maintenance. W and I sigh with relief as others clean the Project inside and out.

PakG helps W figure out why the electrical payments have stopped working. An electricity meter is mounted outside the side door. Every few weeks, W presses some buttons to transfer money to the electricity company to keep the lights on.

The meter isn't working and needs rebooting or replacing. The guys figure it out. PakG is a big help with systems; he understands English well enough to know what we need. He makes calls to the utility companies in Indonesian when we have questions about keeping the Project up and running.

I chat with our daughter before she goes to bed on the other side of the planet. We're happy to hear that one of our sons has safely arrived in his new Canadian home. (He moved from Germany over the weekend.) May God give him favor, good work, and make him a blessing to others.

Tidying and moving things around, I come across the handbag I wore on the weekend. It's a relic of 1970s tourism to East Africa. Mom brought it home and used it regularly but she kept her things in pristine condition. So it's like new.

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At the grocer for eggs, I find ripe mangoes and other fruit. Fresh tempeh has just been delivered: it's still warm. We don't like it, but the Project staff will have it for lunch tomorrow. W and I share my leftover pizza from yesterday, topped with the shredded chicken I froze a few weeks ago. Not bad.

Tuesday
We walk before having breakfast at #NaraPark. The servers wonder why we haven't been in for a while. "W needs to eat low oil, sugar, and salt," we explain. That's hardly on a restaurant menu. Ah, they understand.

The food is excellent. "Do you have a different chef today?" I ask.

Yes, the head chef is training someone - no wonder the same recipes taste exceptional. They've put a mahjong table in one area for the clients' pleasure.

At our table, someone has punctured the leaves with their fingernails.

The big job at the Project is baking Christmas cookies. The helpers work in the main kitchen, rolling small balls of chocolate and chocolate chip dough onto cookie sheets. They baked a few hundred cookies weeks ago which have already been consumed by various guests and volunteers. They work all day, pulling pan after pan out of the ovens.

"Can you imagine if the Project had only one kitchen?" we say to each other. (Their response: "NO!")

In the serving kitchen, I reconfigure the Sunday arrangement. The pink roses have faded beyond resuscitation. While I'm at it, I mix 2 batches of yeast dough, one for pizza crust (into the fridge it goes overnight), and the other for cinnamon rolls. There's no recipe; we're just giving it a try. How hard can it be?

I dive into statistics (tabulating 300 survey responses) for a book in progress. I promised myself last week that I'd work on the book for at least an hour a day after putting it off for 2 years. I'm in the middle of studying when W reminds me that I have an appointment at 10AM. Oh yeah! My hour is up. I close everything down and walk up the hill.

The other person isn't there for the biweekly meeting. I sent the name, pin, and link for the coffee shop because we're exploring places nearby. Each week is at a different place. She's nowhere in sight. I text: "Where are you?"

"I'm already here, in the back, away from the street noise," she texts.

Nope. There's no street noise where we are supposed to meet. Turns out, she's 3 km and a half-hour away at a completely different place. I clear emails and messages until she arrives, then show her how to use a map link with the motorcycle taxi.

My hot chocolate is very good at #KopiEyang. Apparently Eyang means a great-grandmother in Indonesian. That's my new word of the day.

On the way home, 2 men dangle off the side of a high-rise, from several cables secured at the top of the building. They're repairing the sagging balconies. Eeek ... that's not a job I'd sign up for.

I'm home in time for lunch. Yesterday for supper, W ate the sushi I bought at Toko Setiabudi. I eat mine today, thawing breadbuns and chicken for his lunch. Thinking up what another person wants to eat is a part-time job in itself. To think I did this 3X a day while homeschooling 4 young kids and teaching music? (Parents have an amazing capacity. I watch the stay-at-home person with awe.)

It's back to stats, with a pause while the cinnamon rolls rise. I have no idea what I'm doing, not having baked cinnamon rolls before. My mom's were delicately rolled out, paper-thin, and delicious. I need more practise, that's for sure. Mine taste amazing, though they're ugly (so who cares).

I'd forgotten what the Cattleya orchid looked like. But today it's blooming and showing off.

Wednesday
The Mastermind meets at 5-7:30AM. It's a privilege to examine life and service with other leaders. They suggest that I take a photo of what's in our fridge and let AI whip up a weekly menu to take that off my plate. What a good idea, among other discussions.

W and I walk the dogs afterwards. They're relaxed and happy, staying together without pulling or bumping each other. Cinnamon rolls, hard-boiled eggs, mango slices, and chia pudding make an easy and delicious breakfast.

The sun and wind are strong all morning. "Watch out for sunstroke and dehydration," warns the weather bureau. I do my part by steeping green tea leaves from a tin someone brought from China. I sit in the shade, drinking tea steeped once, twice, and a third time while working on statistics.

We've had several requests to restart pizza nights. During COVID, people hung out on the Porch at our old place on Saturday nights. W invested in a pizza oven, made pizza dough, and baked the pizzas. I set up the serving items, set the tables, and prepped toppings so everyone could customize a pizza. We cleaned up together.

It worked because we didn't have to get up early the next morning. Sunday talks were prerecorded and posted. We sat on the Porch in pyjamas, eating whatever I cooked: pancakes or French toast, while interacting online. I guess it's similar now; we show up at the Gathering and enjoy it without any obligation. Except we have to get out of our PJs and we can't eat pancakes while we listen - hehe!

I get the pizza dough from the fridge and smack it down a few times to develop gluten. While I make the sauce and get the meat ready, IbuS chops the vegetables and grates the cheese. Oh oh, can't forget the olives. I dice those last.

W digs out his pizza oven and tools. He waits for the dough to warm and rise, rolls it out, and bakes the pizzas after we top them. Oh oh. What a mess! The dough is still too wet, sticking to the paddle. It clumps and burns inside the oven, too. Live and learn. No biggie.

I toss the jumble reclaimed from the oven into a wok to bake it more thoroughly. The toppings and cheese taste good! Afterward, I store my leftovers in the freezer. I'll rebake them when I'm hungry for good flavor.

W scrapes charred bits and fallen toppings off the base of the pizza oven before cleaning the paddle and Silpat mat. He prefers to clean his tools, while I leave cleanup to the staff. (They cook and clean up after their lunch anyway.)

After a bit more work on my documents, I respond to a student email and call it good.

Read more:
* Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:1-6

* Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Psalm 96:2

* In this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:9

* He [Jesus] was teaching and said, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’” Mark 11:17

Moravian Prayer: Lord God of hosts, make our churches and homes be houses of prayer. As we offer you our prayers and praises, may we prosper in faith, hope, and love. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

The smell of apples and cinnamon

Friday, October 16, 2026
We're 2 months from final Christmas preparations. How is that possible?

After an event (like movie night on Wednesday), we expect life to be quieter and calmer. Yesterday's hike refreshed us; we are grateful for good health and are happy walkers. Today I have 3 items on the calendar, besides resetting the house. First, I pull apart Titik's Sunday arrangement to make 5 smaller ones.

Live flowers are a great pleasure. I lay the drooping snapdragons on a tray, immersed in water. Will their heads revive like roses do? (They do.)

Before Lew leaves for home, We debrief on his work for his dissertation this week. At 10, it's a joy to speak to our NZ friends, Lisa and John Bottomly. How I have missed teatime with Lisa!

Saturday
The morning sun comes up and shines on the gardens.

I joke with some friends that everything looks better with a poodle or two in it. When we're outside, they're nearby.

The fence seems to be working: the dogs stay out of the flowerbeds, even though the panels are not yet fastened to the posts.

On our walk past the local garbage dump, we spot a flock of chickens.

Some really beautiful roosters and hens root through garbage bags. They keep the bugs in check, too.

There are dead things on the road. This lizard met its end yesterday.

On the other hand, the neighbor's roses are coming along well.

The #PadmaHotelBandung's gardenia hedge has several new blooms.

I call Mom and we pray together. What a blessing to see her sweet face, even online.

I sit outside with a volunteer who arrives an hour early for the English program. A student paper has been on my desk for a week so I finally grade it and send it off with comments to the university. I work my way through Ann Patchett's latest book to prepare for the book club meeting next week.

The dogs are tied up outside my office, snoozing while the kids play and sing on the other side of the property. None of our creatures is anxious; with routines and knowing what to expect, they act relaxed and secure, no matter who comes over or how much noise happens.

Sunday

The walk is simple and straightforward at 6AM. The dogs are happy to be out, as are we. A closer look at some ordinary scenes astonishes me. This flower is usually tightly curled as it falls from the tall trees overhead. Look at the exquisite center!

The palm berries look like hollies, another reminder that Christmas is coming.

Martin speaks at the Gathering, about love and peaceful existance with those who intend to harm or distract from God's calling.

We take a young family out for lunch at Maxis. Their little guy enjoys running around the football-field-sized courtyard.

By the time we get home, Chandra has dropped off Titik's bouquet, a mix of roses, greens, and purples.

It's beautiful on the serving counter.

MId-afternoon, I am in the mood for ... what? not bread. not cookies. We have Granny Smith apples in the fridge, so why not? I toss ingredients into a bowl and bake the dough in a dozen cupcake liners. A half-hour later, we have apple muffins. Yumm.

W sets up the projector so we can watch a recommended movie Song Sung Blue. I dislike musicals (this is one) and it's about a former generation's music. Our movie night crowd wouldn't understand it or enjoy it.

Oh well. W is always looking for next month's film. Our own kids often refer the movies that young adults respond to. "Dad, have you watched ...?"

Read more:
* Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. Job 11:7-9

* O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things. Isaiah 25:1

* Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” Judges 8:23

* Thomas answered [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28

* For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14

Moriavian Prayer: Lord and God, help us to have faith in you. Even though we can’t see you, allow our unbelief to be vanquished by your glory and might. We pray in the name of our crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.