Christmas week! 2024 - thanks be to God

Sunday, December 22, 2024 - 4th Sunday of Advent

We enjoy time with the IES Bandung family. Though many are away, other travelers join us. We sing Christmas carols and talk about the peace of Christ that the angels proclaimed.

Titik has worked her magic with flowers.

The eldest person lights the candle of "peace" for the fourth Advent Sunday.

What a joy to be together.

Roadside, there's a star-shaped flower on a tall weed.

These little stars fall from the trees and punctuate the street.

W takes a closeup photo of one.

And pink bulbs have burst into bloom along the street.

Monday

Jane and I enjoy the morning on the Porch with tea and baked goods. Some friends have sent cakes and pastries. Jane takes along a few books for her kids to read.

We start preparing the house for Christmas Day, cleaning and paring away. We're cleaning, baking bread, and doing final shopping. We drop off our favorite curry cubes for Alice, who is cooking for her family. Breakfast sausages and curry cream are a favorite at movie nights and other events.

Our simple 4-ingredient curry recipe+water: 

1. Heat 1-2 T of oil in a medium-hot saucepan or pot. 

2. Stir-fry 1/2 chopped onion for 3 min. until it loses its color. 

3. Add a block of curry*, gradually adding a liter (4 c) of coconut cream. 

The point is to have the curry absorb the cream and onion flavors. The sauce should thicken each time.

4. Stir and sauté the curry slurry for 5 min between each addition of cream. It will be thick.

5. Once all the cream is added (about 1/2 hour?), gradually add hot water (up to 2/3 the amount of cream.) Simmer uncovered for 10-20 minutes. Should be creamy and fragrant. 

That's it. If you hate onions, go straight for 'sauté curry in coconut cream'. The sauce bubbles as soon as water is added so I sometimes make it in a soup pot.

* Hint: we make a huge batch so we combine a block of mild and a block of medium curry. It freezes well. Whisk it as you heat it up and it's like freshly-made.

There's even a Christmas aisle at Toko Setiabudi.

The garden is in fine color.

Tuesday - Christmas Eve

One last batch of cookies: these are star shapes. They make 7 batches. They're still cooling when they go home.

We're at the hall at 4:30 for carols rehearsal. I can't believe how relaxing it is to play with a band. We have a good drummer, bass, and guitar - plus Eki brings his violin. My hands do their own thing by reflex. "We didn't know you played," say many of our regulars. What? (I prefer to let others learn to play keyboard in process, so rarely play myself.) 

We go through all 11 carols before  the Candlelight service at 6:00.

It's a wonderful time of community. We read a portion of the Story from scripture, then sing a carol. 

At the end, W lights his candle from the Advent candles at the front of the hall. We pass the light around and sing Silent Night.

Alice and her crew have hot chocolate and cookies ready. People stand around and greet each other, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Wednesday - Christmas Day

W's got the water boiling in the big stockpot before I get to work at 5 AM. We never know how many people to expect (80 come, the same as last year). The sauces are done but I cook spaghetti, and bake sausages and meatballs. The women come at 9 AM to cut salad, wash dishes, and cook rice.

We decide on savories inside (kitchen) and desserts outside. The tablecloths are on, anti-fly fans are whirring, and the food gets piled on the tables. We use rattan plates with paper liners and recycle cutlery and cups.

At 11 AM, guests of every age start arriving. They're from every continent. 

The best surprise is when Herbert, our Tanzanian former team member, shows up. We didn't even know he'd returned to Indonesia! I tear up, seeing him.

How close these young people grow to us. We don't have birth family nearby, but these are children and grandkids of the heart.

As always, it's a joy to read the Story together, eat, and open gifts. I package about 30 extras for those who forget to bring a gift for the exchange. After, we put the extras away for next year.

It gets noisier and noisier! as gifts are swapped, stolen, and opened.

Every corner of the yard is full of conversation. Those who come as strangers make at least a few new friends.

After the last guests leave, W and I clean up a bit, give the helpers their Christmas bonus, and relax. Nara has sent over a feast (Beef Wellington) that makes an amazing supper. Thank you, Paulina and staff!

Thanks be to God for the wonderful gift of his Son, Jesus. This has been a month of Advent (expectancy) and celebration.

Read more: (The birth of Jesus)

*In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her  firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you 

good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2)

*I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Exodus 6:7

*And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

*See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1

Moravian Prayer: Wonderful God, we rejoice that you have called us to be your people, and we see the responsibility that calling brings. Strengthen us for the task at hand and make us worthy of this task. Amen.