Baptism and beauty

Monday, April 5, 2021

Easter Week One passes quietly. The beetle skeleton is still stuck to the leaf by the porch. I think about grabbing it as part of a floral arrangement and keep forgetting.

 

This 2' bloom reminds me of Christmas trees, fully lit. There's a whole border of these blooming nearby.

Tuesday

It's a scramble to keep things straight: we write the Sunday talk before the weekend and record it on Tuesdays. W and the media team go through it and assemble it as the week goes on.

We "attend" online on Sundays, along with the BIC community and friends around the world. It's a lot more work - sometimes it's tiring. Before Covid, we prepared all week and showed up in person for one day. Now work lasts all week. (We do admit sometimes that it's nice to eat breakfast on the porch on Sundays and not have to dress up to get out the door before 7am.)

I don't know our city at all since I never drive. So I have NO idea where anything is. W chooses our destinations and shopping near where he will run errands. He keeps his eyes on the moving digital map, knowing where he's headed.

He's encouraged me to do the same. Without an end goal in mind, it's round and round for me. Then, when we drive past something familiar - after many twists and turns, the compass points in my head are completely confused. Shops and landmarks appear or don't show up. I truly have no idea where we are.

Starting today, I ask Pak Gum to drive me to a neighborhood on the map. W stays home. Gum and I go up and down every street and I take notes of what is in that area and where things are. So that's where the main hospital is? I didn't know, though we've driven by dozens of time on the way from or to somewhere else ... and changing one-ways and temporary traffic barricades that appear and disappear don't help.

Wednesday

After W posts his theology talk on Wednesdays, we meet at Nara for breakfast. I'm often deep into work already, so maybe we'll change date day to another day of the week when both of us can meet earlier.

A kilim arrives in its multicolored splendor; it's my "senior" birthday present to myself. Until we get to IKEA for a rug underlay, it lies on top of the wool rug already there.

The cicadas continually hiss in the background, whether we are at home or at the office. One flops down by my chair (3" long) as we sit outside. It's still moving, but barely. By the time they fall to the ground, they're almost dead.

On the other hand, this 3' snake slithers across the street in front of me as I walk to the office. I have to find someone who knows snakes. I don't think it's poisonous. It has an oval-shaped head but venom glands stretch the back of a dangerous snake's head into a triangle. It's still a little bit of a surprise - and it has almost wound itself across the street by the time I snap a picture.

Ibu Sieo sends some Chinese tea over. It's fragrant and delicious though Google Translate cannot make any sense of the label.

In zoom sessions, I finish the star doodle and move on to quilting and the next shape in an art book: branches.

What do you suppose this is, below? Take a guess?

One of our friends is an artist who carves lino for block prints and works with leather. This is one of his beautiful "wallet" creations.

On another walk to the office, I spot this usual bloom, which produces a lumpy fruit that's popular in health drinks, called nona?

Wednesday we also check out some pots at the local nursery.

I'm determined to try something different every time I go into a restaurant. How else will I know what's good? These Chinese noodles at Maystar dim sum are extremely spicy and chewy. "Like," from both W and me.

Saturday

What a special time. Marie loans her pool for Misha's baptism. This walk of faith is a walk of obedience. Christian baptism signifies our identification with Christ's death and resurrection. "Buried with Christ; raised to walk in newness of life," W says as he baptists Misha. (Josh took her through a catechism earlier.)

After, we go to Baby Dutch for coffee and pancakes, and then wander across the street to order a takeaway treat from Vilo, the new gelato restaurant.

To finish off the day, we hang out together with Misha and her family on our porch.The gelato is tasty and the company is good. They're considering adopting an adult dog. Of course, our dogs are happy to have us nearby, petting them as the cool wind blows through.

Sunday

We've asked BIC's active team members over for a BBQ. Waldemar brought a Kettle grill from Singapore a few years ago and has loaned it out a few times. While washing the racks, he notices that the plastic handle has been melted. That lowers resale value but at least nothing else is damaged.

I try a new recipe from Ish our head chef: pasta and cabbage for 12. It's pretty good - and there's lots of it (made for 12). I bag it up and freeze it later, after forgetting to hand it out along with the other things that get divided.

Ish brings chicken, while Josh grills steak on our barbecue. Nothing like South American drillmasters and chefs. They know food! and it is all delicious. Alice makes desserts with strawberries and a lemon custards (oh yum) and Clau brings a homemade potato salad.

It's a comfort and lots of fun to hang out together. We can unmask on the porch in the fresh air. It's been a long while since we've been able to gather, except in small groups.

W and I are signed up for our first vaccinations this week and looking forward to getting that over with. Once people are vaccinated, we can consider reopening in person.

It's a restful evening because everything is tidied quickly. We're ready for sleep by 7:00. I can barely keep my eyes open once the sun goes down because we get up by 4am most mornings.

Monday

I'm wide awake at 3am after 8 hours of barely-interrupted sleep. I read and write until it's time to get to the office. Several meetings lie ahead. I pull out my quilt so I can focus attention on the person at the other side of the call.

Read more:

*Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent. Psalm 71:9

*Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

*Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3:14-18

*If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31

*So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, help us to hear you calling and to remember that we are yours. We fear no foe with you at hand to bless, though ills have weight, and tears their bitterness.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, your victory? We triumph still if you abide with us. Guide us to be your hands, heart, and feet in this world today. Amen.