Lake Sentani

We've often heard about time spent at the lake

but never imagined the size, nor the beauty of this place.

So it was nice to finally see and experience a relaxing afternoon out here ourselves.

I hope the pictures say more than I can explain in words at this time.

Chris and some friends refurbished an old boat for their families to use

and I'm sure some of the locals have had some entertainment watching these families

on their skis and knee boards. 

We rode across the lake to their favorite dock.

as my eyes were continually drawn to the lakeside homes . . .

and scenes of a much simpler but harder way of life.

At the dock we enjoyed the peaceful scene, watching the kids have fun

and the lush untouched, natural growth along the banks,

Okay . . . mostly untouched. This rope swing has been added.

and mango trees may have been planted or maybe not ... but mangoes hang over the water,

never to be enjoyed by anyone.

When I mentioned that it was too bad the water lilies along the shore were closed, 

I was told that they open in the morning.

It didn't take long, however, and Paeton had one open and brought it to me ...

with a "Here, Grammy. Here's a waterlily for you." 

Makenna impressed us with her cartwheels off the dock.

On the way back across the lake we stopped in at this small local church

that we could see from the shore.

Chris and Julene have some connection to it as they are using

Sunday School material Julene has illustrated.

Imagine the humidity, simplicity, birds chirping and

mosquitoes to be aware of ...

and you have a small window into a lakeside experience in Papua.

We're Here!

After two long layovers in Taipei and in Bali 

we got to Papua Saturday morning local time.

I cannot explain the emotions that well up inside when coming down to land in this far off place, knowing our dear family will be there at the gate.

That moment you see your family amongst a sea of dark faces is always quite surreal.
Sometimes you hear an excited voice before you even see them.

Living right across the airport, we just walked over to their house.

After a tour of their home,
Julene served waffles with custard for breakfast.

We opened suitcases and it felt like Christmas!

So that is a tiny peek into our first moments.

I have so much more to tell. 

Soon.

Ready to Go

I know I'm getting a little old for this,

but don't we all wish we could peek into our friend's suitcases?

Women, no matter how we feel about our age in numbers, 

the young inside does not leave.

I saw this in my mother-in-law who, at 93,

asked me to stand up so she could look at my outfit. 

Our trip begins with a 2:00 am flight that takes us through 13 hours of night.

It's dark the whole time because we cross the international date line and skip a day. 

I am wearing jeans with some stretch, a T-shirt
and a soft sweater that feels like a cozy blanket around me.

Comfy shoes and a big bag that can fit a book, a magazine, socks, glasses, some make up,
a brush, wallet, phone and travel documents, 

In many parts of Indonesia it is disrespectful to wear a sleeveless top in public.

So I have packed sleeveless tops for indoors and in the right places
but have added several options to wear over top.

These include items that do not need laundering after one wear,

 a thin cotton lace jacket, a trendy kimono type top with crocheted edges,

and a large, lightweight, floral print scarf that can be worn different ways
 and looks like a kimono when thrown over the shoulders.

For fun there is a jean vest that can jazz up a dress
or change up the overall look of a boring long skirt.

An elegant, loose layered silk top is a modest and pretty addition that is easy to

hand wash, wring well and air dry.

I usually plan ahead on what jewelry to take and
noticed, when I dressed for these photos, that

I could get away with the same necklace for all of these combinations.
I can add something yet, but that makes it easy.

Now I'm just looking forward to the adventure!
Hopefully I can check back in from there.

Preparing and Packing for Papua

How can I begin to describe the excitement and preparation for a trip to a part of the world most of us would never travel to, unless there was a very good reason to.  Our reason, of course is that a dear part of our family has made it their home. 

Indonesia is a nation made up of thousands of volcanic islands and home to hundreds of ethnic groups speaking different languages. The national language, however is Indonesian.  In past visits we have experienced some of the cultural aspects, enjoyed float plane flights over dense jungles and looking out for orangutans along a meandering river.

One of the first things we noticed was that Indonesians do not mind being in, what we would consider, our personal space. So if you are standing in a queue and feel someone breathing down your neck it is not considered rude. Another thing we learned quickly is that one has to be careful about which hand to use to pass or receive anything, as the left hand is considered unclean. It is rude to point with your left hand and rude to point with your index finger. One should point with the thumb and beckoning with the index finger has a bad connotation. These are just a few examples. They are not strange, because who's to say our way is the right way?  By now our children have adapted to the culture so much that it becomes natural and they just smile when we notice the differences.

Indonesia is a country that exports a lot of the clothing we buy here, but the same clothing is not readily available to people who live there. The main food staple is rice, often wrapped in banana leaves. Some of the foods we have enjoyed are satay ayam with chicken, grilled fish, roadside grilled corn on the cob and a lemon grass flavored soup called soto ayam. In the villages, many still do not have a refrigerator, so they buy what they need for the day at the market or roadside Warung,  Life in the more remote parts is about living from one day to the next.  It may surprise you that in the places we have visited, dairy foods are not available and people drink powdered or UHT milk. Their favorite coffee comes in little packages that include instant coffee, powdered milk and sugar. Many things that we consider staples are not so there. Not even coffee. 

So, the past few weeks have included getting vaccinations, prescriptions, the right mosquito repellent, phone plan or app and power converter, along with taking care of incoming email lists of what to bring ... things like favorite cereals, laundry stain remover, personal hygiene products, make-up, coffee filters, coffee (especially decaffeinated), videos, clothing for growing kids and toys or games they cannot get there. 

I removed a soft layer here so you can check out what is hiding in this suitcase.

Homemade strawberry jam has been one of the requests over the years
since it is difficult and would be quite random to find enough berries to cook jam.
It is a reminder of Canada.

Not sure if anyone reading this would ever have the need to send jam anywhere.

But, I have found that packing the filled jars back into the box
 that you buy them in is the best way.

The lids (which are larger in circumference than the jars, keep the actual jars from touching.

It is difficult for the glass to break if it cannot make contact with anything.

I cut as little as needed along the side of the plastic wrap that covers the box and when the

box is filled, simply stretch it back across the box and tape it along the sides

so that it's nice and tight.  If the jars come in a box that closes on top, I would make sure the

space is filled so that the jars can't move. 

And that is how I pack jam.

Our previous visits were to the island of Borneo.

This will be our first visit to Papua

and we can hardly wait to see where they have been for almost three years. 

A Rare Treasure

My parents vows to each other in September 1956

promised  a commitment to each other for life.

I can virtually see my mom as a beautiful, shy young bride

and my dad's boyish grin, knowing he'd found a rare treasure.

They were married 40 years when he suffered a massive stroke.

It changed their way of life 

as she cared for him for the next ten years.

Ten years have passed once more.

She has married and loved again,

a companion who now cares for her . . .

reminding her when it's time to eat,

time to take her medicine,

what to wear, where to go . . .

Last week, as I sorted through her clothes

I found something beautiful in the bottom of a drawer.

A treasure I did not know she had kept.

It looked like her wedding tiara

along with a matching broach and boutonniere.

How could this be?!

I looked up at the photo she still has in the room

and there it was . . . a moment hard to describe.

When I asked her about it, she did not recognize it,

hardly grasping how I longed for her to share the details.

Did someone make it for her?

Did she buy it? Who made her dress? 

It was all gone. 

Yet these simple pearls, strung into beautiful pieces

adorned with bridal fern on their wedding day,

allowed a glimpse into her world,

to a time when love was young and beautiful things were kept.

Several big moves with bare necessities,
and this treasure came along.
A symbol of love and hopes and dreams
that now rest in a life well lived
and in the heart of a grateful daughter.

The Blessing of Gathering 'Round the Table

It is always a highlight to eat together with friends!

Sharing food around the table is as old as time

and more beneficial to our well being than we would imagine. 

At Lovella's we sat at a table laden with beautiful little cucumber sandwiches, puff pastry bugles filled with egg salad, rhubarb scones, mango cups, chicken puffs, bruschetta tarts, fruit salad and scones with Devonshire cream and blackberry preserves.

And if that was not enough, for dessert out came tiny pavlovas topped with cream and fruit.

 We all have a fascination with and love of food 

that just goes with chatter and fellowship,
enjoyed more when shared.

This brings me to the question of,

what if food was just a necessity for survival?

What if there were no creative ways to enjoy it?

For many this is a reality because of famine or poverty,

but, ideally, this earth has been made to produce a variety of food that,

when used in the right way and shared,
is about so much more than just staying alive.

These thoughts have been going through my mind 

as I recently read an article about new ways to eat ...
or should I say, just good old fashioned ways to eat.

some basic principles:

don't rule out any foods completely (unless you have severe health issues) 

enjoy the variety without focusing on calories 

choose healthy starches - our body craves it for good reason

choose natural (with fat) dairy products 

load up on fresh and slow roasted vegetables 

enjoy a piece of cake when called for - celebrate

With new diet fads coming and going continually, the only lasting one is to build lifetime habits that are healthy and enjoyable, not a chore to stick to! Doing our own cooking and baking is still the best way to do this.  If this idea sounds too overwhelming, a good way to start is to change one thing at a time until it becomes a habit. I can relate to this way of making changes best. It happens slowly and as I look back over the past 10 years, I can appreciate these changes, hopefully for the better.

All this to say that food is a good thing.

It provides a way connect
whether in grief, in joy or just daily life.
It places value on the receiver.

It nourishes and strengthens.
It's a gift given to bless.

We never want to forget to give thanks!

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

I. Timothy 4:4