Hello everyone,
so nice to see all of you here today.
Now, I would like to
introduce myself. I’m Sister Anastasia
Lindawati. I was born and raised in Indonesia
in a Chinese family. I was baptized when
I was 18 years old. As you can see I am
wearing a Chinese style blouse and this fabric is an Indonesian batik.
I entered Maryknoll in 2007,
after completing a live-in experience with Maryknoll Sisters in the Philippines.
I spent two years in our formation house in Chicago: studying and doing
part-time ministries in a home for people with AIDS, also in a non-governmental organization, which helps women with unexpected and
difficult pregnancies; in a day care center and did some hospital visiting.
On Mission Sunday 2009, I was assigned to China. During my Mandarin language study in a city
in Mainland China, I worked part time with the Indonesians both
in that city and in Hong Kong.
After finishing language study, I continued to visit English,
Indonesian and Mandarin- speaking inmates at two women’s prisons in Hong Kong. The reasons they were in prison were varied: their
visa had expired, working without a legal visa, burglary, drug trafficking,
either as a paid courier or trapped by others, and so forth. I met with them one on one, consoled and prayed
with them.
I was the leader of a financial literacy program for a
non government organization, which assists
distressed migrant mothers and their Hong Kong - born children.
I helped in workshops on the Bible, human sexuality, marriage,
and so forth, for priests, Sisters, seminarians, and lay leaders from Mainland
China. In 2014, I organized a retreat
for priests, from both registered and unregistered communities. Several participants did not have proper
training in the seminary nor an opportunity for a retreat for several
years.
I also did pastoral work in a Church in Mainland China. This Church is registered with the government
as a place of public worship. I worked with the parishioners- the children and
the youth, with adults and the elderly, both single and couples. We organized youth and volunteer gatherings
as well as a renewal of marriage vows, pilgrimages, and so forth. When we had a youth pilgrimage to the Basilica
Rosa Mystica, I invited the youth group of the unregistered community in that
city to join us.
Each time I crossed the border into Mainland China, I
brought books, to be distributed among priests, Sisters, seminarians, and lay
people.
While I am here in the United States, I continue my cyber
group ministry which now numbers almost 6,000 members in several places in China,
consisting of over 20 cyber groups. Several persons, whom I do not know,
asked me to join their cyber groups, and to send them faith related information.
I don’t know how many people are actually reading the information I have sent.
Isn’t this electronic age wonderful!
I
will return to China in August to continue my work, including being a bridge
between the Universal Church and the Church in China, and between their registered
and unregistered communities.
If you are interested, you can read
about my mission journey on my blog, which you can find on the Maryknoll
Sisters website.
All the above mentioned
preparations, my missionary works both in the past and in the future would not
be possible without prayers and the generous donations of you here today, as
well as all our benefactors around the world.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you personally
for all your support of Maryknoll Sisters during all these years and I hope you
will continue to support our missionary works. I assure you of my prayers that God will
continue to bless you and your families.
