Today's News To Me

I did pray for no flooding, and then it appears that Hurricane Rosa went through barely California to be mostly around Arizona at this point. Wow. Hope the folks everywhere (continue to) help me pray it away safely.

The earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has claimed since Friday at least 12,000 lives. Prayers and condolences, prayers for aid.

Also, prayers to the Pentagon and the U.S. government, because of attempted attacks at current Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and another colleague. We've been on red alert since 911, and we are America, and we're not going to let up. Hope all the people who are civil servants know their hard work and dedication are especially appreciated.

Indonesia today

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w172w60ywjfy5lz
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14921238
https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/10/01/indonesia-earthquake-tsunami-aftermath-destruction-sje-lon-orig.cnn
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/02/asia/indonesia-palu-tsunami-earthquake-intl/index.html

Susu Anak

Susu means in Pilipino 'to suckle' as if a child with milk,
a word in Indonesian, which may be Balinese or Javanese,
also, as with the country entire, Anak in Pilipino
and in Indonesian means '(my) child'

The triumphs of
nations united
to create a small, sacred new space of Timor
to see that Papa New Guinea to the East
wants to be free of an Indonesia,
a word I learnt only recently,
when I lived in a house,
and there was a man there.
That man helped me with food and water,
and assorted helps.
He is the first Indonesian that I've met.

Dutch love coffee.
Indonesians love coffee.

This prayer poem reaches out to your
seventeen thousand islands,

Like the Philippines is close by, too,
with our seven thousand one hundred islands

(small? by comparison?)

A word, Susu, meaning milk, to give milk to

A word, Anak, meaning my child.

God in all awesomeness smiles down
as we cry,
in relief, in despair,
in terror, with succor for response.

May water, clean and sweet, be
available like the love of a good God- all the time.

I have three American mini-flags in a bucket. It also means Indonesia to me, because in Los Angeles I have met a bit of Indonesia in that one person, and now I know two words I knew already. It came from a guide book; if I meet that person again on the street he will help me, and I will help him, and he is my friend.