Settling into Bali

Can you believe it, this is my 200 blog posting!

Sunday, the start of a new week and church in its transient stage at Peak Restaurant went well.  I met another Aussie, Tamara from Melbourne who runs Inspire Hope for homeless in Melbourne. We had planned for a dinner evening at Gayle’s but with my plans to catch up with Harriet, and her plans changing several times, then Tamara not feeling well, it was delayed.  After church some of the elders and pastors met again at a local place for lunch before wandering across the road to the favourite gelato.  Coming home we stopped for more potting mix, picked up my jacket and mini backpack, they had done an amazing job.  We stopped for a few plastic items at a small plastics shop, including a large bin which I wanted to turn into a compost bin, somewhere to put our kitchen scraps including the coffee grinds. Then back home to post my blog after Gayle made a few alterations and corrections to the information I had written about.

Monday morning I was up early, firstly because there’s a security guard who patrols the streets here and every hour taps out the time on the metal electrical pole.  I started to hear it every hour from 1am!  After the four taps at 4am, I dozed till getting up just before 5am.  I wanted to leave the house early as I was off to immigration for my photo shoot to extend my visa for another 30 days.  When I was ready I knocked on Joshua’s door (his alarm had been going since 7am) and asked him to lock the front door after me.  He also helped me order a Gojek motorbike taxi.  It didn’t take long for my ride to arrive and off we went.  I made a mistake telling him I was going to immigration.  When I punched it into the app it was the correct address but halfway there I looked over his shoulder and saw he was heading to the one at the airport which was miles away! This lovely man nearly got me lost!  I showed him on my google maps where we were supposed to be going.  He nodded knowing where to go, making a quick ‘U’ turn back to the road we had just crossed.  I checked again halfway there to make sure we were on track.  We were.  On arrival I was a bit confused with so many lines of people queuing up outside the building at different booths. I decided it was best to ask and was directed into the building to counter 4.  Here I handed in my little piece of paper on which I had written my full name and specified number from the agent who had done all the paper work.  I had decided it was easier to go through an immigration agency whom I had been introduced to by Gayle at church the first Sunday.  This took all the stress out of things. At counter 4 I was given another number C081 and waited with the crowd for my photo shoot.  I was surprised how quickly we sped through the numbers only taking just over an hour before I was called up. The attendant was very nice asking for my finger prints, to which I said ‘is this so you can open my phone?’  I don’t think he heard me properly and I wasn’t game to repeat myself in case he missed the humour in my question.  After all was done I walked to the Bali Buda which I was told served a good coffee. It was good coffee but in a tiny little cup and more expensive than elsewhere in Bali.

Another motorbike taxi home where the rest of the day was more relaxing.  I helped around the house with a few fix-it things and set up our new compost collection bin in the kitchen and the big one outside. Now we only needed to find the drill as we already had the drill bits! I also remembered to take our turmeric tea concoction I’d made earlier.  Praise the Lord it worked and I slept well that night.  Later in the week I received news that my visa had been extended.  Thank you Jesus!

Tuesday I was up early to do my washing before getting ready for my trip to a beach resort where I was meeting Harriot my friend from Uganda.  She and I worked together at the Wakisa Ministries in 2015.  Harriot was in Bali for an International Midwives conference.

The washing machine was giving me a few challenges!  It didn’t seem to do the whole wash although I’d used the machine before, now it just did a wash or a rinse or a spin instead of all together.  Very annoying!  I must be doing something wrong!  Yes, I was.  On another day’s wash during the week I realised I had not been punching in the whole cycle which was on the right side of the dial but only the single request buttons on the left. I got it right this time.

I woke Joshua again to lock me out of the house as I left and ordered a Gojek motorbike taxi to take me to the south eastern corner of the island.  It took an hour to weave through the traffic and although it was only 9am it was hot! I was dropped at the Wiz Hotel then realised the conference centre was further down the road.  While walking I sent Harriet a message saying I’d arrived. Although I was early, I’d thought I’d catch up with her then go to the beach for a look around and possibly a swim.  En route I met an Indian woman and her son, Daniel, from Brisbane, she was attending the conference.

When I tried to enter the centre I was told I couldn’t as I didn’t have an ID card. I explained I was looking for a friend but still the lobby attendant was not obliging. Then I asked if I might talk to his manager.  At this he ushered me through. I felt a bit mean pulling rank but I didn’t want to attend the conference, just to catch up with my friend and of course enjoy the air conditioning.  Daniel and I had decided we would meet up later to keep each other company while his mother and Harriet attended the meetings.  But first I wanted to find Harriet; it was morning tea time so she should be free.  It took a while but finally she read the message I’d sent her and came out of the conference room.  It was such a delight to see her after so many years.  She was very busy so I tagged around with her meeting some of her friends.  I then left her and joined Daniel for a walk down the beach.  It was a kilometre walk through many gardens but still it was roasting hot.  In the sun it was scorching! I wasn’t that impressed with the beach (who could be after living right on the best beaches in the world in Perth).  I wanted to sit awhile in the shade but most of the beach umbrellas were only for hire so we continued our walk in the shade where possible, doing a large loop back to the conference centre.  This time we were both able to walk straight in.  I wanted to stop off to say goodbye to Harriet before leaving.  It was lunchtime and she was hurrying around catching up with people, I was able to help her put up her poster on the display wall before bidding her goodbye.  Daniel was waiting for me at the main entrance, he and his mum were staying a short distance down the road.  I was very grateful to Daniel for inviting me back for a dip in the pool which was so refreshing.  Then, the long ride back to the house, this time the scooter stalled and it took a while to get it going again.  Praise the Lord we finally arrived safely. It had been a long hot day!  Time for a bit of vegout time with Gayle watching Netflix prior to going out again for a big shop and a durian stop before returning home.

That night I slept really well waking at 4:30am ready for the day.  Home activities but first another go at my back by the therapist. This time he also worked on my shoulders. After that my new gardening buddy Rosa and I completed the compost bin, drilling drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket and filling it with garden refuse and kitchen scraps. Gayle had church members around sorting things through for the new building and Joshua worked on his Bible School assignments.

Thursday Gayle wanted to revisit the new building to see how the renovations were going.  Then out to lunch to try out a nearby Muslim eatery which, although not as cheap as the one near the previous church, did have a large array of food choices. From here we went to Draco, a coffee shop which was also a bit pricey but they also had private meeting rooms which Gayle and her staff used while I ate my banana smoothie and roti chuni banana dessert topped with grated cheese.  It was delicious although in the future I’ll not have the cheese.  I thought it would be cream cheese or something similar but Gayle informs me that grated cheese is used on many desserts here especially with chocolate.

From here Gayle popped into the health clinic to check her throat infection while I wandered across to the mini supermarket before heading to the House of Hope.  I had a lovely chat to the youth and was invited to join them on Saturday for their outing to the beach.

Friday we had a few chores to do out and about including the supermarket to see if I could get some money on the transport pickup app.  Unfortunately they only took local bank cards so I decided to stick with cash.  It was then Gayle reminded me I also had a Grab account, praise the Lord this was already linked to my debit card.  Thanks Gayle.  While we were here she topped up her bus pass which I could borrow to go on a new adventure around Bali by local bus. We also called into the big open market which was just closing and bought two hands of different kinds of bananas which I can’t buy in Australia.  More fruits and some vegetables to stock up the larder.  Then to the bank and finally a petrol station before returning to the house.

That afternoon I worked in the garden, planting seeds from mangosteen, jackfruit, capsicums and planted the basil cutting that had sprouted. I also planted some of the basil seeds I brought from Perth hoping they will grow too.

Saturday I was up early to prepare for a day at the beach with the House of Hope youth. I had forgotten the time I was supposed to arrive so, erring on the safe side I left just after Joshua woke up at 7am so he could lock me out again. This time I ordered a Grab motorbike taxi which was paid through my debit card.  So much easier than looking for the correct change. It didn’t take us long to weave through the traffic and down the back streets.  I’m glad I had been there before on two occasions as my driver got lost.  I found the address on Google maps showing him it was only two minutes away and recognising the place as we pulled up.

I had arrived early as they had planned to leave at 9am and it was then 7:30am.  Still there was plenty to do in preparing the rujak fruits. This finished, there was time for some to practice their English while we waited for the late comers, finally leaving around 9:30am.  There was one small bus and a van with several motorbikes heading for Pering Beach.  I went in the bus with 12 others including Oma who is the house mother and chief cook and two children on her lap.  We were nearly there when all of a sudden everyone in the front and the girls on the seats in front of me started screaming and jumping on their seats. Then I saw it, a very fat rat poking its head up from under the front bench seat.  We pulled over with those in the front jumping out!  With all the screaming the rat went nowhere. Eventually everyone settled and we continued our trip with the rat still on board!  Once we reached our destination and after everyone had disembarked, our driver frightened it out. It eventually fled the scene being chased it up the road to make sure it didn’t return.

Food, mats, tarps and all that was needed for the picnic were arranged under the shade, in the middle of a paddock of cows.  Fortunately the cows were tethered and the calves stayed close to their mums. The beach was a twinkle of black mica sand and blue ocean.  I was told these beaches can have dangerous undercurrents and were not suitable for swimming so none of us went in. After some games, which Oma and I sat out, the youth cooked chicken pieces and tiny sausages on a gas cooker for lunch.  While waiting for these to cook we all helped ourselves to the rujak which was very spicy but delicious.  Oma also offered me rice, beans and fish as she was hungry and wanted to eat with someone.  I later went for a walk along the beach with two of the girls who wanted to practice their English before packing up and loading everyone back onto transport home.

Back at the House of Hope I asked where Stevanas, their resident Grab driver was.  I thought it might be nice to give him some work.  He was not around as he was on duty so I called for a ride and to our surprise, Stevanas turned up as my driver.

I didn’t realise how much sun I had been in and was quite sunburnt. I’m sure all the vitamin D helped with my sleep as I slept very well considering all the noise outside my window early in the evening.  The next morning we noticed there were piles of asphalt and heavy stone pavers along the street.  The bakery opposite was resurfacing the road. And so another week begins!

Photos:  1. Flowering Rangoon creeper, Combretum idicum    2. Gayle farewells Punji who is off to work in Griffith, NSW.    3. Harriet and me    4. Daniel and me having a snack at the beach    5. House of Hope before Ps Chris and Ruth left    6. Local food shop kitchen    7. Pering Beach    8. Youth picnic    9. Rujak    10. Grab ride with Stevanas

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise God for Gayle and Joshua who have opened their hearts and home to me, making me feel like part of the family.

Praise the Lord I was able to catch up and spend time with Harriet.

I’m so grateful to the Lord for all the wonderful experiences He has given me since arriving in Bali. Praise Him for His provision, protection, health, guidance and love.

Praise the Lord for my visa extension.

Pray for the church members and all involved with the move and preparations for the new church premises. Pray especially for the school as the new premises are not as large as the previous ones and some families have pulled their children out which is challenging financially for the school.

Please pray the finance will come in to complete the renovations for the new premises and for land for the new church and church projects.

Pray for me as I seek the Lord in regards to a week’s stay in Lombok this coming July.

Please pray for Jen as she heads to Spain, that she will remain safe and well during her travels in Europe and the UK.

Continue to 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.