2023 A New Adventure

Before I could even leave on my travels, my very old iPhone 4S died!  I praise God it did before I left as I was unable to reuse the old SIM card. Unlike the new SIM’s which have all sizes in one this old SIM didn’t reduce to a mini to fit my second old iPhone 6SE.  One side of the phone at the back, had expanded coming away from the casing. I’m so glad it didn’t explode or catch on fire!  This happened Saturday evening after the store had closed so Sunday I was off to Karrinyup to rectify the situation.  That night I refused to worry or be concerned, leaving it in the Lord’s capable hands.  I’m glad I did for although there was a LONG wait, it was easily fixed and once again I was able to receive verification codes on my old phone number.  But now I had a problem logging into this mobile provider account on my computer! Instead of a verification code being sent to the phone they send a web link verification!! WHAT?  This old number is not connected to the internet!   I called the provider and after eventually getting past the automated system (that really doesn’t work for me) to a real person I was told there was no other method available at the moment.  The operator did say that in the future they are hoping to send the link via email.  I would much prefer this method me as I do most of my internet business from my computer.

My last Sunday in Perth, my neighbour, Gee had mentioned that he wanted to come to church with me; later he said he had something on in the morning and would join me for the 6pm service.  I don’t usually go out in the evenings but said I’d take him with me.  I let my friend Sarah know I’d be coming, then had to cancel as Gee wasn’t feeling well.  Typical of the attacks from the enemy!  I left Gee with some written material to look at while I’m away, he also promises to come with me on my return.

The night before flying out I tried to check-in online.  The email I was sent took me to the Bukit Air website which said ‘Oops error’.  Sorry you will need to check in at the airport counter.  Ok I received their email so everything should be ok.  I asked my prayer warriors to keep me in prayer.  I’m not good with pre-flight jitters but was doing much better knowing the Lord had led me thus far.  Then the next morning Naomi, Ann’s daughter, who had arrived with her partner the previous night asked “Do you have your Visa?”  My heart dropped to my stomach!  You know the feeling.  I said it’s to late now I’m about to leave.  Obviously it was an attack on my peace.  I was sure I could get a 30 day visa on arrival.  I checked online anyway to put my mind at rest again.  I was right plus another 30 days can be added before the first 30 days expires.  Thank you Lord.

Gee and Sofia, kindly offered to take me to the airport.  I has suggested we go 15 mins earlier as Cheryl had mentioned the flight was arriving earlier.  It didn’t seem that way on the website but then I wanted to go earlier just to be sure.  Gee had thought quarter past 11am but I thought that was our original time, so when 11am came around I sent him a quick test saying ‘ready when you are’.  His car was gone but fortunately he wasn’t far away and was back in 15 mins to pack my suitcase into the back of his car.  I was dropped at the airport where I found my way to the counter where they took my heavy suitcase which was so crammed full it was on the verge of bursting at the seams.  When I got to customs I needed to go through twice!  Firstly I forgot to take off my money belt from under my blouse. Then the Kefir I had put in for my on flight snack was just over the required 100 mls.  I refused to throw it out so needed to take all my possessions back out with me, drink the Kefir and return through the scanners!  Praise God I could now relax, send off a few online messages while I still had my phone data and of course a coffee before boarding just before 2pm.

The flight took just under 4 hours bringing me to the start of a new adventure in Bali.  On arrival I realised I hadn’t asked Cheryl for her address which I needed for customs.   I went through immigration without any hitch, connected to the airport free Wi-Fi but then lost reception.  Indonesia now has a barcode taking you to an online form where you fill in your details before going through customs.  Praise the Lord there was another Wi-Fi connection for this procedure.  While online and filling out the form Cheryl send me her address. Once through customs I once again lost reception!  Cheryl was trying to call on WhatsApp but couldn’t get a clear call due to the low reception I couldn’t hear her or send her a photo of me so she would recognise me.  All went well as she spotted me, calling out my name hoping it was me who she was calling to.  It was, so I called her name back to her.  After connecting, we found Shinta, an Indonesian on her way to study in the States, who was also staying a few nights with Cheryl.  We were going to stop to shop en route back but decided against it going straight back to Cheryl’s place a one hours drive east to Sukawati. Cheryl rents a two story, 3 bedroom home here with four Indonesian girls whom she supports.  They stay upstairs while Cheryl has the downstairs room with her 3 cats. Shinta and I shared one of the upstairs rooms which was kindly vacated for us.  The girl who stays here is studying for her Masters in Biblical Studies and was out of town for a few days.  She later returned for a few things before staying in another house till my departure.  It will also give her space and quiet to concentrate on her studies.

It was just before 10pm before I got settled that first night.  I slept fairly well considering, waking around 3am for an hour or so before sleeping in till 6:30am.  I had prepared my usual soaked oats and seeds for breakfast with a local banana.  The previous night I had added milk to the Kefir culture I had brought in a small acceptable sized container. It had now matured in the heat and was ready to go.  I can now make a fresh batch every day.  After breakfast Cheryl took Shinta and I to the local markets to buy fruit and veg as I was in charge of making a meal for all of us that evening.  While out I asked Shinta to help me buy a local SIM card; unfortunately not an e-SIM which I had seen on line. I now have Wi-Fi at Cheryl’s plus my own phone data when I’m out and about.

Back to the house, Shinta was my kitchen hand, washing all the vegies and chicken while I cut them and added them to the pot of soup.  What a team effort. We had a great time getting to know each other. While waiting for this to cook we ate a rice dish plus satay chicken which we had bought in the market. This was followed up with a durian. I must admit it wasn’t as good as those I’ve had in Malaysia or Thailand.  The meal we cooked was shared over two days. Cheryl and I were able to take some of the veggies with us to eat with fried chicken and corn fritters we bought en route to a home where I worked for two hours pulling weeds as Cheryl worked away on her computer.  That afternoon I helped her out with more work on her computer.  She does the administrative work for the international outreach organisation she works with.

That morning we had dropped Shinta at the market to catch a bus to the airport.  She was returning home to West Sumatra before heading to America to study.  While at the markets I jumped out to buy more bananas.  I really don’t know how I’m going to cope with all these ‘0’ in this currency.  I really don’t like figures above a thousand, they only confuse me. Cheryl suggested I just take out what I want to spend and ask for that amount.  The thing is you have to know how much things are before you can offer the amount!  She gave me a rough ball park for bananas, I offered 30k and got back seven ladyfingers.  9,800,000 Rupiah is approximately $1 Aust.

That evening while I was busy with data entry on the computer for Cheryl, the mother of the woman who’s room I was sleeping in, arrived from Sumba Island, east of Bali. All the girls came downstairs for a rowdy gathering.  Looks like I had another guest to share the room with.  I had just gone to bed around 9pm when I heard the door open and a bit of movement then silence.  When I looked around I saw the mattress had gone (we sleep on mattresses on the floor).  I was now sleeping alone which I must admit I prefer.  It was the first night I slept through to 5am. Although I woke early I’ve been unable to go jogging as I’ve had to adjust to the humidity which has affected my breathing making me breathless. At first I thought it was all the smoke from burning incense but then even when it was clear I was breathing heavily.

Thursday 25 May, my eldest sister’s birthday. I’d sent her an SMS birthday greetings before leaving Perth also letting her know I’d be in Bali. Jen and Kat my younger sisters and I are in touch regularly either with calls or chats on WhatsApp so they knew what I was doing in advance.

More data entry for Cheryl as the file I saved had lost all the highlights I laboriously included.  This was I suspect due to my system not having the latest program updates. This time I copied all the names etc onto a Word Doc on my computer and added the data there.  By the time I’d completed this task the online data base where I was to check and fill in any missing data, had timed out and only Cheryl had the login details.   What’s more, Cheryl was out.  She was helping Mary, a worker returning for furlough in the UK, pack her house to store things here.  Grrrrrr!! Technology!  I did eventually get back on line checking who was and who wasn’t on the list and transferred all the information from my list to the online data base.   It took at least another two hours.

Cheryl eventually returned with Mary from the UK and her American fiancé, Jason, whom she met here in Bali.  We later took her and Jason to the airport, stopping for lunch along the way.  From the airport we stopped to meet Cheryl’s former language teacher at McDonalds.  With the help from a Spanish couple, I ordered Cheryl and myself a choc-top-ice cream, which by the time it arrived was already dripping down the side of the cone! I hate plastic but in hindsight I should have ordered something in a more convenient container especially as Cheryl was eating her’s in the car while listening to an online lesson on cultural conflict resolution. Something we had also discussed in the car en route to the airport.

Cheryl’s friend arrived with her friend, which meant the conversation was mostly in Indonesian, so which wasn’t so easy for me to join in with.  The guest wanted to keep the lunch Cheryl bought for her, for her children, but we encouraged her to eat the ice cream herself as it wouldn’t last the trip home even though it was a short distance away.

After leaving McDonalds we drove to see Cheryl’s old neighbour, a Muslim woman.  Again this was all in Indonesian with me just listening in for words I knew.  Here we were offered some sickly sweet drink, biscuits and cake. We couldn’t refuse the drink but the food we passed on. Then en route home we stopped at a big supermarket where I could use my bank card instead of drawing on my cash supply. By the time we arrived at the house I was exhausted.  Praise the Lord I didn’t need to look like I was participating in any more conversations.

The following day I was back weeding but this time I limited myself to an hour. I’d taken a change of clothes so I could shower before we headed back into town.  This time we stopped at Coffee Therapy which is run as a way to help those who have come out of trafficking.  Their main barista was away due to a loss in her family.  I offered to help out but unfortunately it’s not legal and if they were caught it would cost them thousands of $US. It was nice to sit in a clean quiet place and enjoy my coffee.  We stayed here for a few hours, Cheryl catching up with a few friends while I continued on her data entry finally finishing it off.  Just before leaving we ordered a cheesecake topped with stewed strawberries.

From here we picked up something for my lunch (Cheryl’s dinner) before heading to another café where I waited for Cheryl who had another class.  While waiting I ordered a bowl of Mee Goring expecting it to be similar to that in Malaysia, but instead I was offered fried instant noodles.  Praise the Lord I had just bought a heap of different vegetable dishes which I added to these noodles.  It was now very palatable.  During this time I had to set up one of my bank apps on my phone which I had forgotten to do while still in Perth.  I needed a verification code so I sent a message to my neighbour Kath who then forwarded the code, from my old mobile number, to me.  All completed, I now had FaceID set up for the future.  I also had time to have a lovely chat with my sister Kat, in Cairns, before receiving a message from Cheryl saying she was on her way.  I quickly packed up and met her on the other side of the road where it was easier for her to stop. As we were heading back, we passed many gardening places.  We stopped at two, the latter having what we were looking for, potting mix.  Unfortunately we really had no idea what was in the bags till we opened them the following day. Praise the Lord it seemed they were what we wanted. Cheryl had bought them hoping to grow some basil which she had tried in the past but didn’t have much success.  When testing her soil with the soil testing kit I had brought I we saw the soil in her pot was quite alkaline.  Our new soil after testing showed it was neutral, just what was needed for healthy plants.  What a blessing I had brought up a packet of basil seeds from Perth with me.

Saturday started with a bit of confusion.  I was up early but hadn’t realised the market shoppers were going at 8am when I had just started my breakfast.  I had also forgotten that markets are only open in the morning so I missed my opportunity to buy veggies for our potluck lunch at church.  Later during our drive into Denpasar Cheryl suggested she would order something to be delivered to the house so we could take it with us on Sunday taking the pressure off my needing to shop and cook. This turned out to be better in the long run although she ordered something I couldn’t eat.

At 11am Ririn, Maris(the two girls in Cheryl’s team) and I took a ride with Cheryl who dropped us off at Coffee Therapy.  Unfortunately due to lack of staff they were closed so we walked to one that was recommended, seventeen mins further down the hot, dusty, busy road.  By the time we got there we were well in need of something cool and refreshing. It was my shout, the girls would never have afforded the astronomical prices.  Fortunately I could use my card which helps reserve my limited supply of rupiah cash that I brought with me for local shopping.

The aim of the day was to wander along the Sanur beach chatting to the locals, being lead of the Holy Spirit to speak about the love of the Lord.  Many of the stall holders of course just wanted us to buy their produce but one older lady was also open to listen to Ririn talk about the things of God.  I of course felt obliged to buy something for occupying her time. Before leaving we prayed for her, Ririn exchanging contact details with her too.  We spoke to another couple of young girls who were studying accountancy at one of the universities here.  We then wandered along the beach front to a well-known local restaurant which Cheryl had recommended.  I knew immediately we had found it from the very long queue waiting outside.  After putting our name on the waiting list and being told it would be about half an hour we found somewhere to wait sitting on a wall near the beach.  By now we were all quite hungry.  By the time we were ushered to a table it was nearly 3pm.  It was a simple fried fish and very spicy fish and cucumber soup.  Before returning to the house I wanted to stop off at the supermarket I had seen on our previous walk.  It was a fifteen minute walk back along the busy main road.  We finally found it, bought a few things including some pork for a Thai dish I hoped to make from a Thai curry mix Cheryl had bought some time back and never had time to prepare.  I also treated the girls to an ice cream.  Again all this could go on my card.  Fortunately the traffic wasn’t to bad as we headed back although the GPS was taking us the wrong direction until the girls politely made corrections to keep us on track.  It had been quite an adventurous day, arriving home just after 5:30pm.

Cheryl has three girls boarder with her – Ririn, Mari (Mary) and Maris.  Ririn and Mari are studying and are part of Cheryl’s ministry team. They are the ones who do the children’s ministry with UK Mary near Amlpura where there is also a Christian couple who we are helping set up a vegetable garden to help them with an income. More about this next update.

Photos: 1. Orchid,    2. Sign at Bali International Airport, I was the only person in the ladies toilets!    3. Chinta and Cheryl    4. My garden project    5. Cheryl and the girls at…. Guess where?    6. Mari and Ririn having a very expensive coffee    7. Fish lunch    8. Sanur beach

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise God for His leading, guidance and providing a way for me to go to Bali.  Praise Him also for making a way through all the challenges before my departure.

Praise Him for Cheryl’s generosity in opening her very busy house to me for the first one and a half weeks.

Please continue to pray for opportunities to share His love with others.

Praise the Lord for all the things I’ve been able to see and those I’ve also been involved with since my arrival.

Please continue to pray for Jen that she will remain safe and well during her adventures and travels in Europe and the UK.  Pray that she will find people to rent her camper van while she is in Europe.

Let’s all pray for world peace and for the refugees who are caught up in the suffering this war has caused, both in Ukraine and Russia.

Please continue to keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers.  Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.