FishPond Grand Openning

We often feel like celebrities here.
#1: We are white.
#2: We are tall.
#3: We catch people taking pictures of us with their cell phones.
#4: We have the privilege of being a part of lots of things because our friends or others feel privileged to have us be a part. Kind of like a status symbol.
#5: We are considered very rich.

For those of you who live overseas in a place like this, you know what I am talking about... for others, these comments could be viewed prideful. As much as we don't really like to always be stared at, asked to have pictures taken with, and knowing that in reality we are poor in our home countries... it is just a fact of life.

A few Sunday's ago, we were invited to a business opening. Fishing ponds to either buy the fish you catch or to have it cooked right there and eaten is a favorite outing for Indonesians. They love coming to these type of places. :)

The guys were all added as part of the ceremony and if you think of it, it was QUITE special that having church members' in the co-op and having our pastor approved to pray at something like this is pretty amazing! A neat thing to be a part of for sure.

Lebaran 2010

We enjoyed 'mudik'ing to our pastor and wife's home area. :) This is the pastor's parents at their home.
















We visited other Indonesian friend's homes, enjoying their company and enjoying their yummy food. :)

Inch+ Praying Mantis

This little guy was on one of my plants.

A Brief Get-A-Way

Last week, Shane and I headed off to a West-Java city for Shane to attend a board meeting. I went along for the ride so Shane would travel by himself. We have not been to this city for some time now (ok... since 2002!) and I was itching to also see what it was like now.

We took public transportation to the train station and headed off by train. Here are a smidgen of pics of the view.
























































































These houses are for making bricks or the shingles for roofs.





























Covered over tobacco plants.















We enjoyed a vacant house instead of a hotel room! We had it all to ourselves. Meeting began at 9:30 so we got to sleep in! Oh, it was so nice to relax!! We will take our nuggets of down-time when the Lord blesses us with them. :)















While Shane was in meetings I headed off to find some of the renowned outlet stores and to see what they had. I bought the 2 things I needed: 2 pairs of sports socks and a pair of dress black shoes. :) I also picked up a gift for a dear friend who blessed me with a care package a few months ago. (I think she will really like what I got her! :) I can't wait for her to have it... though I won't mail it from here.)

I visited a second generation coffee factory. :) 'Aroma'















(Mr. Widya)













































































(Above beans beginning on right:
green beans from the factory already dried 2 weeks
Robusta beans dried at 'Aroma' for 5 years.
Arabika beans dried at 'Aroma' for 8 years.
Arabika beans slow roasted for 2 hours over burning rubber tree wood.)

I ended my afternoon with some lunch at this place. I loved the light fixtures!! (woks and baskets) Cool.
















































(My token food picture... )















Before I headed out of the mall, I saw this..... :) I unfortunately didn't have time to ask the difference between the 'chriopractic' here and this place. Would have been fun to hear.

Creative Idea - Gift Wappings

My good friend and pastor's wife, Ibu Triyani, brought me a birthday present wrapped in this COOL 'gift bag.' :)

I thought you might enjoy it and maybe try it out for a small, soft present. :) Mine was this cool cream colored scarf.

Birthday Bliss 2010

If you are like me you:
*LOVE YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!
*LOVE YOUR MINISTRY!!!
*Are content with a meal out because sometimes ministry can't wait because it is your birthday.

As I have gotten older... hee hee hee ...my love for enjoying my own birthdate has not lessened, however, I try not to expect much. I don't expect much because life is what it is: unexpected circumstances and daily duties. I am thankful for a wonderful husband (BLESSINGS upon blessings for THAT!) who does what he can to give me a good day within our power and personal preferences. :)

For the last few years I have been content with a meal out (nothing fancy needed...) and just to enjoy myself. This year I wanted to go for coffee at a cool little coffee shop (run by a woman and her husband to help support a safe house), eat really cheap but VERY yummy fried rice at a local little house and then head up the mountain to a hotel where we can sit by their cool pool and look out over Salatiga and it's pretty lights. That was our plan.

My friend, Sherry, from Papua graced me with a way-cool bag she crochetted that are the PERFECT colors to go with a Moi bead necklace (see pic above) made by my awesome sister-in-law, Carolyn, and got taken out for coffee by an awesome friend, Amberlynne!















Now, Shane and I were going for coffee at 2. I picked 2 because the coffee shop is right outside of the High School and it could get really packed after 2:30!! :) My friend, Amberlynne, texted (we call it smsed here) me the night before to ask if I wanted to go for coffee at 10. (We were already eating lunch with them!) Well, OF COURSE I couldn't say no!! :)

When our orders came, mine arrived in one of those cool clear plastic insulated starbucks mug with twist on lid with heavy duty straw.. know which one I mean?? Wow... my Mocha Frap with extra shot of espresso NEVER tasted so good!!! :)

Before lunch, Andrew and Amberlynne sent me on a scavenger hunt! I hunted down my next note from freezer, under pop crates, microwave, under chair, in water bottle, etc... to ending with the dryer. I had picked up a deck of 'Rook' cards in my mail box as one of the clues and finished with a package of decaff Starbucks. Ah.... the things that fill our day with happiness. :) I am a very happy camper by this point! :) {I will add that I WAS getting work done between all of these activities... hee hee hee..}

Lunch was awesome too. We tried this new beef dish.. we agreed that it definitely tasted like it should have been an Indian recipe. I will be getting a copy of it!

At 2 Shane and I met at the coffee shop again for coffee. It was really nice to sit and chat.... not something we do other than over a meal, though our computers face opposite walls in this room and we see each other fairly regularly throughout the day... of course, you all who are reading this already know Shane and I so know we don't sit around chatting often. :) hee hee hee

We planned our trip to a West Java city for a board meeting mid week next week and then parted ways again until supper. Shane had to help with a language evaluation.

I picked up yummy fried rice, like as planned, from the 'Pink Door.' I got a great lesson in Javanese. I was wishing I had my recorder. I will for sure take it next time! :) She was a wealth of words and phrases... this older mind does not learn that fast.... :)

After supper we headed up the mountain. We enjoyed the city lights and the cool breeze; heading home close to 10.

I finished off the day, chatting with 2 dear friends from Clifford Community Church, who both recently found out they have cancer. One of these dear ladies is getting pain management, looking forward to meeting Jesus soon. Her and her husband have always been huge encouragements to us (who HASN'T at CCC!! :) ) and have welcomed us into their lives. The other is being cared for by another super woman in the church. We do not have a final prognosis, but she is also getting the best care ever. These ladies love the Lord and have been a blessing to us. If you think of them today, please pray for the families of Bonnie and Marie.

I am thankful to the Lord for the amazing day he gave me yesterday. His love never fails and I often pray that when harder times fall and trials come again, that the rememberance of God's amazing goodness will not change my attitude for him - no matter come what may. We serve an awesome God NO MATTER how the world looks at our circumstances.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."

Time With Nathan...

:) It was fun having family stay with us for a month. Nathan was a super guest! Of course we always love to have guests when we are able. :)















Here are some pics of his time with us.

Having supper out.... Nasi Goreng Babi (Pork Fried Rice)












































Dessert - Roti Bakar (BBQed Bread)
We ordered chocolate and peanuts. :)


























































































Our time in Yogya...
Borobudur Temple (Budhist)



















































































































































































































































































We stayed at a hotel near the airport... kind of a gallery for a nationally known artist - Affandi.




















I havent decided if I would recommend it. It was cool, quiet and peaceful. We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast by the pool! Old building - some rooms were really modern and cool others were very traditional Indonesian. Septic/black water system was not real good... I had to plug all of the drains to keep the room from smelling yucky. Bed was good, breakfast was good... a neat experience and not bad of a price for being 5 minutes from the airport.




















































































We took 2 buses home...















Guy who helps you get on and off...




















Money collector... it was Rp. 10.000 per person.. a little over a dollar for each bus.




















Ware-seller...