October 28 marked the 90th anniversary of the Youth Pledge which declared three ideals: one motherland, one nation and one language. It proclaimed Bahasa Indonesia the official language of Indonesia.

In 1603, at a place Europeans then called Bantam, an English fleet trading for spices left behind a few merchants to organize the pepper trade for the arrival of the next voyage – two years later.

I am waiting for the post-sermon meal at the First Indonesian Baptist Church in Monrovia, listening to a service delivered in both English and Indonesian that even with my limited fluency I can follow ...