AREA INDONESIA
SILATURAHIM
October, 2018
It has been for along time since our last sharing with you all. We now come back to greet you all and share our life in the Novitiate community- Mater Admirablis, in the past month. Happy reading!
Global Service Day
In order to celebrate 200 years Philippine’s mission to the Promised land, on the 15th September 2018 our community together with Vincentian and Sant’e Egidio communities, and some donors organized an “Open House” program. In this program, we invited our trash collector, buskers, pedicab drives, street children and homeless friends. That evening our guests were treated to snacks and food prepared by our street vendors. Our garden was filled with happy faces and a lot of singing and dancing. We are sure that Philippine enjoyed that evening as much as we did! And her picture was in the garden too, did she like that?
—Yolanda Alina Diwu
Experiences in the Nursing Home
One thing that I really liked in my days during my ministry experience was listening to the stories of the elderly people in the nursing home. Their stories taught me about the meaning of life. There were lots of different kinds of stories. They shared the experiences that saddened them – feelings of hurt and rejection. Despite their feeling, they have hope and share this hope with those who serve them. — Petronela Esir
The Entrance of the Novices
Friday, 19th 2018, was a magnificient and historic moment for Petronela and myself as we entered a new stage in our vocation journey.
Just before our ceremo
ny of entrance could begin the lights went out. We didn’t feel miserable for the sisters lit candles all around the room. We were touched by that, they changed the darkness into light! This experience was a good start for our new journey.
Another thing that strengthened me was when Sr. Gera gave us recollection a day before our entrance with the theme “In the Hands of the Potter.” I was touched by the verse: “Like the clay in the hands of the Potter so is my life in the hand of God.” By this verse, I believe that our life will be shaped by God himself. We surrender our life into God as we are helped to take responsibility for our formation.
Fransiska Alung
Mater Admirabilis
October is a precious month for the Novices, because we celebrated the feast of Mater. Mater is a patron for the
Novices in the Area of Indonesia and the name of our community too. We enjoyed our celebration. The Eucharist was celebrated by Pst Remarkle OSC (Congolese). 
Living together with Mater in the Novitiate awakened in us significant and interesting memories of our own lives. Mater teaches me to be faithful in facing all challenges and to say “Yes” with strength in my vocation. The serenity and interiority of Mater enables me to see everything deeply with love. I am invited to see my real self with strengths and limitations and acknowledge that everything I have is a gift from God. Mater is our guide, who accompanies us in this stage and who teaches us to be faithful to the little things in our daily life. —Yutta Ganu
Classes
Classes that we have now are: Society History, Constitutions, Church History, Cathecism, Music and English. I feel that each class has brought me to a deeper reflection about my vocation. There are many other insights I got during my study, but there is one that really is important for me right now, it is:
- Life is like a whee It can move when the machine works well and the spokes are in balance. I see my life as this wheel, God as the machine and the spokes as my activities (calling for a balance) in daily life
Netris Gorsa
Study dan Pastoral Care
We are three PTVs in community. We are pursuing our university studies. Henni, is finishing her study in Maranatha, meanwhile she is also taking some courses in the faculty of Philosophy. Yola and myself are studying in Unpar – the Catholic University. There are 10 subjects this semester, and one of them is Pastoral Accompaniment taught by Sr Gera. In this subject, she gave us practical work. Each student was invited to find a client to visit at least three times. Yola and I got clients in the same house, a grandmother and her caretaker. During the visit, we could sense a joy and hope beyond the tension. We do feel grateful that this homework was not only a must but it became a chance to build relationship and a chance to proclaim the love of the Heart of Jesus.
Filomena Soares Amaral
Halaqah Damai
Halaqah Damai means “Peace Circle” is a discussion and interfaith program that began in November 2017 in collaboration with the State Islamic
University and other groups who work for interfaith relations. It is a simple effort to build peace among followers of religions in our society. This program is held on the last Wednesday of every month, each time with a different topic.
This October, the topic for Halaqah Damai was “Truth Claim and Tolerance” by Dr. Dody Truna, professor of the State Islamic University. 25 people of different religions, age groups and backgrounds were present. This discussion explained that Truth claim gives an identity to a particular religion, if the truth claim is lost, the essence of the religion will fade away. Truth claims lived seriously by followers of religions can lead to tolerance. We were not only taught to be faithful to our own truth claim but also to be open to the Truth Claim of other religions. After an active discussion the participants returned home with a deeper understanding and a better acceptance of each other.
–Henni Sidabungke
Icon & New Relationship
Nance came back from Albany with an ICON made by Sr. Pat Reid She asked me to look for a woman in Kupang who wanted an ICON of Our Lady. (We thought she might be an interested woman) I spotted an email address from the ICON-lover, and asked “are you looking for an icon?. Within 5 minutes the phone rang ”Yes, Praise Jesus! I am the one.” Castio a15 year old BOY!!! Alas no candidate! An email from Castio followed “I love Mary, Our Mother, and sent many emails to Orthodox churches throughout the world, not Latin or Catholic Churches.
How could Sister Pat Reid catch my email, and send an ICON to me? I don’ t know how to express my gratitude to Sr. Pat, Nance and you…..” A few days later I visited Castio in his school with the icon he so much wanted. He showed the icon to the teachers and friends and every body was so excited. Looking at the ICON, Castio said, “I really like this ICON. I am a Catholic Sympathiser, and I am a Protestant.” The relationship with Castio and his friends is growing by the day.
Chizuyo Inoue (Kaeru)
Visitors
This month we had lots of comings and goings, but only a few visitors. Nata’s parents, who had come to Jakarta to attend her graduation from Thamrin University spent just one night here in Bandung. How glad we were to share their joy and pride in her. Two friends came to say goodbye. Emilie Coakley, a friend of many RSCJ in the Boston area in the US , spent her final days of her PhD research on liturgical music with us. Our long time “bejek driver”, Pak Kadi, came from his home town, and sadly told us that he could no longer work as a pedicab driver after a serious operation. So after one night here, he returned to Cilacap, his village. We do like having people visit us!
—- Nance O’Neil
Holiday
I am having a holiday for a month in Japan. Besides, visiting families and RSCJs there, I am also making my retreat. I had the joy of sharing about Indonesia to some students in the Sacred Heart Schools. I am looking forward to coming home soon.
I miss Indonesian coffee and Roti Boy.
Mariko Adachi
In a month….
On 28 September 2018, the magnitude 7.5 earthquake followed by a tsunami struck the cities of Palu and Donggala of Central Sulawesi. The combined effects of both led to people dying, injured, missing, fleeing and scattered throughout the destroyed region. There is a healthcare crisis and in spite of disinfectant dumping by air, water remains unclean. As the world and our International RSCJ community reach out and strive to normalize the situation….
Almost exactly a month later on 29th October, 2018 Lion Air Flight 610, a 737 MAX 8, crashed in the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, with all 189 passengers and crew onboard missing. Work is underway as remains of bodies and broken items are being collected.
In a month, the people of Indonesia have faced two big moments of loss and of pain as well as of life and of hope in the stories of those who are still alive, and who missed the flight!. With the families of those left behind we are learning to discover what death and life have to teach us.