Those "last times"

In the last few months, we've done a lot of "last things." Our goodbyes are bittersweet; we can only be grateful for the family, friends, and comforts we've enjoyed to date. We're thankful for:

• great relationships. Those include our families: we like the people we grew up with. How rare is that? We'll miss our accountability groups, the Thursday night group, our ministry peers who hang in during opportunities and challenges, and all the guests who have come through our doors during our 30 years in Seattle.
• satisfying work. W taught his final in-person NU class on Friday, after teaching courses there for 57 semesters. He played his accordion as a final "Bad Music Friday," to the cheers of his students. I've enjoyed mentoring, connecting, teaching, and writing among peers. We've loved meeting with churches and individuals who are our prayer partners and supporters.
• professional meetings with peers. We said goodbye to hundreds of people at our final annual conference this week, in Vancouver WA. Some of them we'll never see again. They encouraged us to be wholehearted about going to Indonesia. W will miss his Friday and Saturday coffee meetings; I'll miss my Thursday peers and my writers' critique group. 
• the "friends of Indonesia" who are helping us prepare. They've given us advice and assistance with vaccines, visas, and what to pack. They're helping us prepare by talking about location, weather, and resources. And they're encouraging us with their love for the people of Indonesia.
• beautiful surroundings. This year in the remodeled basement has been a pleasure. Whenever we leave our "just enough" apartment, we walk alongside the woods behind the house. What a treat to see the seasons transform the forest, just as this last year is transforming us.

The list could be much longer. But mentioning even these few things make me happy. We are truly blessed. Truly glad for God's calling and the transition process that is separating us from the familiar can pulling us into the unknown future.

10 weeks and counting

Our first suitcase is packed. We may squeeze a few more things in, but it's pretty full. Friends of ours will take it to Singapore for our later pick-up. Needless to say, there's nothing urgent in that luggage. Art supplies, books, a few clothes, and toiletries.

The scary chickens

Honestly, seeing the ticket form in our inbox stamped "JULY 1, W and I felt a bit shell-shocked. It's real. We're going. And we're excited about it.

We're raising support until we leave - so that means a few more trips out of town. We've had such fun speaking and getting to know people. Our supporters have been enthusiastic and generous, so it's only taken 8 months for enough funds to get clearance for ticket purchase. We need a few more monthly pledges, but trust those are underway.

We're browsing books, newspapers, and movies in Bahasa Indonesia (language), trying to make sense of sounds and grammar. We plan to attend language school in Bandung this fall.

Visas and vaccines are underway. We seem to be doing everything for the last time (Easter this Sunday with family, for instance) - and so grateful for these memories-in-the-making.

We chuckled yesterday at the Asian market, seeing chicken being sold with feet on. It looked like a fowl protest, claws extended. There's a new normal coming our way - and we suspect chicken feet may be the least of our surprises.

The new taste of home ... just 3 months away

Chimichurri Tender and Lasagna at
Bisou, Bandung. (Photo by Icha Rahmanti).

We're getting excited about moving to Indonesia. We're going to language school in the fall, learning how others think by wrapping our brains around their words.

Two years ago, after writing my dissertation, there was too little brain left to remember another language. Recently, I've begun to enjoy picking out words from BBC Indonesia and reading news from the Jakarta Post.

Indonesia's population is the fourth-largest in the world. Rankings of countries by number of people: China, India, USA, ... then Indonesia. So why don't we read more news from there?

We're looking forward to the food. We love trying new dishes, whether local or locally-prepared global foods. For a taste of what's ahead for us, check out this "Hidden Eateries" page and the "Top 5 Chinese Restaurants" page. Could anyone think they wouldn't like to come along for dinner? (Think of what you'd miss!)

"Is it dangerous?" and other questions

The official city website makes Bandung look like a great place to explore. We're sure looking forward to it! Depending who you talk to, the population seems comparable to that of Washington  state and N. Idaho, crammed between active volcanos.

One of the questions we get asked often: "Is it dangerous in Bandung?" Honestly, we don't know. Lots of people live there and do fine, year after year.

Some things will be different than Seattle, like the frequency of earthquakes. Check out the current quake monitor here. We expect that the ground will move under our feet a lot.

Gedung Sate

Want a few more interesting facts about life in Bandung? The International Relation Office caters to university students, and these lines made me laugh: "As in other parts of Indonesia, it is almost always sunny in Bandung, except during the wet season (September - April) Umbrellas and light jackets are recommended during that season. Sweaters may also be needed in the early morning or evening." Wait - isn't September through April most of the year? So it rains a lot.

Want to compare the cost of living with where you are? Here's a fun website with that info.

We're planning to learn Bahasa Indonesia at IMLAC. Here's a video about the area and the school.

Don't you feel like you have enough homework, exploring all those links? Have fun.

Christmas in Bandung

"What's it like over there at Christmas?" we've asked our friends who live in Indonesia.

"Christians go to a church service!" they all agree.

Though the country is mostly Muslim, many Indonesians have embraced the practice of resting, vacationing, and spending time with family during this season at the end of the year.

The lobby at the Hilton Bandung

Malls and hotels capitalize on tourist and local trade with decorations, special sales, and guest events. There aren't a lot of nativity scenes, but you can count on secular decorations: Santas, baubles, presents, and window displays. So ... Christmas in parts of Bandung looks similar to celebrations in the big cities of North America.

Of course, Bandung boasts palm trees and tropical downpours rather than fir trees and snow blizzards. There probably is more nasi goreng (fried rice) than turkey for Christmas dinner. And short sleeves and sandals are more common than winter parkas, snows skis, and warm boots.

We'll have a lot of adjusting to culture and environment, but how we look forward to our next Christmas - in Bandung!