Sharing: Dec 2019 Shenzhen O2O Gathering

        Several volunteers helped me to organized the third Shenzhen O2O Gathering on Dec 1, 2019 at St. Paul Church. There were 18 members attended it including from Guangzhou. Several of them are not a regular Church goers nor ever attended youth gathering.  

We attended the Sunday Mass followed by prayer, self introduction and shared the qualification of their expected husband/wife followed by lunch at a Inner Mongolia Restaurant.  There was birthday celebration for one of the members after sharing about male domination.  There are several Chinese clothes to be wore for free so four of us (including myself and a guy) wore it.  It reminded me about my first trip to Beijing in 2005, around two years before entering Maryknoll, wearing Chinese cloth.

We went around the old city and Zhong Shan Park (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%B7%B1%E5%9C%B3%E4%B8%AD%E5%B1%B1%E5%85%AC%E5%9B%AD/493106）  and then played a game on the mobile phone.  

Three participants and I talked about their plan to collect personal information and qualification of expected  husband/wife and then arrange a program.  Since the beginning I didn’t want to introduce a guy A to a woman B because I don’t want the parents will chase them to marry as soon as possible because they were introduced by a sister.

Hong Kong, Dec 4, 2019

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s help each other to live less waste living for a better world.

Sharing: Shenzhen Volunteer

          After thinking to do a social work for a while for a while, I registered to be a Shenzhen Volunteer (http://www.sva.org.cn/) through their mobile application to be in a Youth Group for Saving the Environment last September 2019.   Shenzhen Volunteer has so many groups and volunteering works in schools, hospitals, libraries, etc.  It’s opened for Chinese and foreigners.  I was waiting for the volunteer card to start the voluntary work but then I found out that the card is available after 20 hours voluntary work and training.  

I did my first voluntary work at Luo Hu library last Nov 17, 2019 and then at Luo Hu hospital on Nov 18, 2019.  Both voluntary works are open for any volunteers.  There are voluntary works which is only open for their group members.  I planned to ask participants of university student’s summer camp on July 2019 to register as a Shenzhen volunteer because I didn’t know that it’s a mandatory for the students to be a volunteer, unfortunately the summer program was cancelled.  Students below 15 yo should be accompanied by a family member.

My first work at library is to check the order of books in the shelves for around half hour and then go to children library to keep the books in the shelves in order for the rest of the time (total 3 hours).  I met an 8 grade student who did 50 hours of voluntary work in the library even though the requirement from the school is only 24 hours/semester.  He can do voluntary work for 9 hours during week end because he did most of his homework at school and doesn’t have tutorial after school.  Several children at Holy Family Church can’t attend Sunday Mass because they have a lot of home work and tutorial on week end.  Many students were in queue before the opening of the library.  The situation in the children library lead me to suggest to our parishioners to arrange family visit to library, when the mother help/accompany the children to see the books, the father can do voluntary work or vice versa so all the family member will give up their cellphone for 3 hours because using cellphone is not allowed during the voluntary work.  

One of the volunteer at the hospital is grateful for my help and ask to help more often as they need 24 volunteers/day for both morning and afternoon session.  She recognized me as an Indonesian from my way of speaking Putonghua because her son’s mother in law is from Indonesia (As I remember, at least it’s the second time somebody said that I am from Indonesia because of my Putonghua).   She also recognized me as a Catholics because I write ”天主“(=God for the Catholics, the other denomination Church is using ”上帝“） on my motto in my We chat profile: “让我们用简单的爱去做简单的事情，使天主的爱彰显。” (Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible.” )  She is a Protestant and leader of Luo Hu hospital volunteer.   She asked several questions including my work so I said I am doing voluntary work at the Church.  Another volunteer asked where is my husband, children and parent etc and at the end she said it’s very good that as an Indonesian I am willing to do this.  As a volunteer, we help the patient to use the machine to get the tag number, the print out of the check up result, etc.  

     As I posted our group picture on my We Chat wall at the end of the day, Ms. Wu and Mrs. Cheng said they were at Luo Hu hospital that day.  Mrs. Cheng is accompanying her mother in law so I asked Ms. Wu to visit together on Nov 20, 2019.   I also asked Ms. Wu to visit Mrs. Ye.   I led a prayer for Mrs. Ye with her family member and Ms. Wu as she will have surgery the next day.  I believe God led me to visit and pray for Mrs. Ye through my voluntary work because I talked with Mrs. Cheng on Nov 16 evening after Mass and she didn’t say that Mrs. Ye would be hospitalized the next day.   Besides, Mrs. Ye asked Fr. Lu to say a Mass for her healing but Fr. Lu even asked me whom I would visit when I said I would go to hospital so I told him that I would do volunteer work.   

     Becoming a Shenzhen Volunteer reminded me when Fr.Lu accompanied me to go to bus stop after our first meeting last August 30, he said “Start here”, and then pointed out a sign on the wall. https://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2012/09/sharing-first-week-end-in-shenzhen.html  I started to help at Holy Family Church with broken Putonghua fresh from the language school  then reach out to bigger Catholic community in China both by my physical and virtual presence and now, going out to the larger community with Indonesian accent Putonghua.  I believe all of this is God’s providence for my mission in China.  

Hong Kong, Nov 20, 2019

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s help each other to live less waste living for a better world.


Nov 26, 2019:
I have been doing volunteer work  four time total 15 hours till today. During the last session, a guy asked me to accompany his mother, with heart problem, while he go out to buy something for his daughter and a woman asked me to help her to get tag number, see the doctor and pay the bill as she got dizzy while waiting her daughter in endoscopy room.  I joined Luo Hu hospital and Shenzhen People’s Hospital Volunteer group and waiting approval to change from the Youth Group for Saving the Environment to another two hospital volunteer groups. 

 

Sharing: Nov 2019 Puning O2O Gathering

Ms. Lin and Mr. Cai helped me to organized the first Puning O2O Gathering on Nov 10, 2019 at Shen Shi Yang Church Puning-Shantou. There were more than 30 members (mostly male) registered including from Shenzhen and nearby district. This gathering is a collaboration with the parish priest of Shen Shi Yang Church Fr. Lin, who set up a single Catholics group chatting several years ago but never arrange an offline gathering.  During his welcome speech, he said as he remember it’s the first  single gathering in Shantou diocese and grateful that I helped to arrange this gathering.  Several of his members are also members in my single group chatting prior to the gathering.

Three participants and I went to Puning on Nov 9, 2019 and prepared the logistics: booking the meals and cake, and also set up the place.

I led the gathering with the prayer for finding the soulmate followed by self introduction, and lunch at nearby local food restaurant.  I asked them to see the precious gift followed by watching  short clip of a Hong Kong Catholic movie star Zhang Wei Jian ( https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzIzMzE1OTE3OQ==&mid=2649450342&idx=4&sn=0eca848ff485bf461275623fbf3bc7f5&chksm=f0962802c7e1a114f7767d2c6c73cbce5ed74fa897b07f036863422debf92312ecde6f4c966c&mpshare=1&scene=1&srcid=0914gJKiU5bZ3AeMM57HLYyd&sharer_sharetime=1568447355474&sharer_shareid=83b8db563bcfec2c22c6fc36d3e3e4d2&pass_ticket=gqCQsyWpNMRFMLpIqya3kH%2B95mnaySHBA1m62uttTN%2BAFgUNMYJ6h00SjIKiQPJG#rd) and “ Look Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY&t=10s. There was birthday celebration for one of the members, small group sharing and report to big group.  

Four participants and I went to a nearby Church in Liusha after the gathering and then had dinner with several other participants under Fr. Lin account. 

Since there was one member didn’t agree to upload group picture to social media so no pictures are available for the group chatting.  The gathering activities pictures aren’t allowed to be uploaded to social media too.  We set up a new group chatting for all the participants of the gathering so the pictures are available in this group.

I attended evening Sunday Mass at Shen Shi Yang Church and then memorial Mass at Shi Men Catholic Cemetery the next morning.  There were 4 priests ((including Fr. Lin), one deacon, one seminarian and around 300 hundred Catholics for the Mass.  There are two big graves and many smaller grave.  According to the grave stove, it was in 1791.  The people believes that these people were killed because of their faith in their village and then buried in this place, which was a Plum (李子) farm so the local Catholics bought the place three years ago, the price is based on the number of the plum trees and graves, and renovated it and also arrange annual memorial mass on Nov 11.  I went back to Shenzhen after visiting a nearby Church in Kui Tan in the afternoon.   

Since the last O2O gathering in Shenzhen, there are several developments in my group chatting.  Till now, I set up 4 youth group chatting: for youth gathering (mostly single and doesn’t want to be in single group), for single looking for soulmate and learning from each other, for dating, and for married preparation program.  Total members for youth gathering group chatting is more than 60 members  and for single Catholics group chatting is 280 members in 2 groups.   I write an announcement for the group members to sit behind the choir if they attend Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church so they have more opportunity to interact with each other.   

Hong Kong, Nov 14, 2019

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s help each other to live less waste living for a better world.

Sharing: 2019 Maryknoll Sisters Asia Pacific World Section Meeting

     

      I arrived our Kichijoji Convent - Tokyo on Oct 4, 2019 just in time for happy hour and dinner for Sr. Abby’s birthday celebration. 

Srs. Margaret, Bitrina, Abby and I went to Hakone https://hakone-japan.com/  for our young cohorts outing on Oct 5 and then a meeting on Oct 6 at our Kichijoji Convent.   There were sixteen sisters from Hawaii, China, Philippines, Japan, Korea, USA and two Maryknoll brothers for our Inter-religious Exposure to Buddhist Temples, Shinto Shrines, Zen Temples and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Kamakura on Oct 9-11:

1. Daibutsu Temple: https://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/visitkamakura/en/places-to-go/temples/kotokuin.html

2. Yakumo Jinja Shrine:   https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/spot/02301-000601/

3. Our Lady of Perpetual Church: https://catholicinjapan.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/yukinoshita-parish-kamakura/

4. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsurugaoka_Hachimang%C5%AB

5. Kakuonji: https://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/visitkamakura/en/places-to-go/temples/kakuonji.html

6. San Un Zendo: https://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/visitkamakura/en/places-to-go/temples/kakuonji.html

7. Koshoji: https://www.inspirock.com/japan/kamakura/koshoji-temple-a7309723105 (please see the picture of the Buddhist monk with the Cross belongs to Hidden Christian Community in this temple)

8. Tokeiji: https://en.tripadvisor.com.hk/Attraction_Review-g303156-d319994-Reviews-Tokeiji_Temple-Kamakura_Kanagawa_Prefecture_Kanto.html (please see the picture of the Buddhist monk with an “IHS” ciborium belongs to Hidden Christian Community in this temple)

9. Zenkyoin Temple

10. Jochiji: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dchi-ji.  There was dialogue with Buddhist Priests, Shinto priestess and Fr. Taka.

All participants arrived at Junisuo Retreat House Kamakura on Oct 7, 2019.  Our meeting for Asia Pacific World Section was held on Oct 8, 12-13.  Several of us continue to stay another night at the retreat house because of the typhoon Hagibis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Hagibis_(2019). We had memorial Mass for Sr. Jean Michalec, MM https://www.facebook.com/MaryknollSisters/posts/10153024687049979 and  evening prayer (prepared by Br. John) on the death anniversary our foundress Mother Mary Joseph on Oct 9.

Sr. Kathleen accompanied me to visit our Kamakura Convent on Oct 14, 2019 and then I went back to Kichijoji Convent.     I attended Mass at St. Ignatius Church http://www.stignatius.jp/en/information/mass-schedule the next day and then met Ms. Grace, who is from Indonesia and work in Tokyo.  Sr. Margaret accompanied me to go to St. Mary’s Cathedral https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary's_Cathedral,_Tokyo and St. Therese of Little Jesus on Oct 16-17 including attending the funeral mass of Fr. Michael.  

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about Buddhism, Shinoism and Zen besides the opportunity to exchange stories and ideas with the rest of the group.   Thank you very much!  

Here is the link of the pictures: https://www.dropbox.com/home/2019%20APWS and link for Hidden Christian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakure_Kirishitan and http://kirishitan.jp/values_en/val002

Hong Kong, November 1, 2019

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible

Sharing: Marriage Preparation Program at Holy Family Church

Fr. Lu asked me to give marriage preparation to our two volunteers who will marry in Dec 2017.   It’s the first marriage preparation program at Holy Family Church.  
Since then I develop a marriage preparation program starting with 8 hours and now 3 classes for total 15 hours. It usually held on Saturdays and Sundays 1-6 p.m for 1 -3 couples depend on their schedule.    My  Putonghua is not good enough to do all of the presentations so I also ask them to take turn to read it.           
I edited power point of Marriage and Family workshop at Maryknoll House Stanley. Mr. Alan helped to translate the booklet “Living Catholic Stewardship: Faith and Finances” by Phil Lenahan. Copyright@2006 by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.   The Marriage Preparation program also include several video clips, movie "Courageous" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70MVn1q-yyM&list=PLnVtdBK57pbMb4iU2VasacauZWDE54RSQ&index=3 , http://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2019/09/sharing-10-tips-mengelola-keuangan.html, sharing and games.  
This year, I started to invite a couple to share their marriage life during the second session but I only could invite three times.
There are 14 couples attended the whole program and 6 couples still on the program since 2017.  One of them married at Holy Family Church on Oct 1, 2019.  There were three other celebrations that day: 70 years anniversary of PRC, Feast Day of St. Therese of Lisieux and 3rd year anniversary of my final vows.  Several of them married at other Churches or at their home town Churches.  
The program is opened for marriage couple too.  One couple attended the program because their marriage is in difficulty.  One couple attended the program because they think their marriage preparation program in other city was not enough.
         There are several couples who have problem in their marriage even divorce civilly and several couples didn't have preparation of marriage program even didn't see the need to attend it so I raised my concern to Fr. Lu and parishioners about it and asked Fr. Lu to announce that sacrament of matrimony will be held after finishing the marriage preparation program.   

Hong Kong, Oct 23, 2019

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s help each other to live less waste living for a better world.


February 14, 2020:

Here is the sharing of the participants https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LLlNiNgBtZo4wJzSSvZdwA:

通过婚姻课学习，修女的耐心教导，学习了婚前和婚姻中的包容与相处，通过看记录片了解了男女做事方法和考虑的方式有不一样的地方，所以需要换位思考，了解在天主的家庭生活中怎么找到自己的角色，和应该做到的责任，通过修女的讲解，认识到了婚姻的神圣性和生命的神奇，怎么处理好在经济上如何节约好家庭的开支，并学习了注重教育孩子的重要性。

通过这样系统的学习，系统全面的认识到未来如何处理好个人与家庭在天主教的生活里如何坚守自己的信仰，怎么处理好矛盾分歧，方法很实用。感恩天主，感恩教堂，感恩修女。（温增才及林慧稹，2019年12月21日）

非常感谢修女一直以来的安排，安排我们学习关于婚姻，关于家庭等学习课程。通过这三次课程的学习，深深体会到也真正了解到要维持一段婚姻不容易，要维持一段好的婚姻、幸福的婚姻更不容易。

一、感恩

感谢天主，让我们相识，相知，相爱，最后结为夫妇。

二、包容

生活中肯定会遇很多琐琐碎碎好的与不好的事情，从而夫妻两人慢慢会产生许许多多交错如织的矛盾，我们不要试图改变对方的想法，并为这些分歧而争吵，损害彼此。我们要学会通过相互欣赏彼此的不同，尊重彼此的分歧，相互妥协达成共识。

三、赞美

幸福的婚姻往往需要“甜言蜜语”。常常赞美你的伴侣，即使是一件小事也要夸奖彼此。如果感情是一颗树苗，赞美就是水，需要时时刻刻赞美对方发现对方的优点。

四、沟通

除了甜言蜜语还需要分享彼此的生活，每天都有单独的交流时间，准备生活中的小惊喜，比如突然的约会，小礼物，给感情加温。

五、责任

要知道并清楚自己在家庭里的角色，做好自己的角色，肩负起应该承担的义务与责任。

感谢天主，天主保佑！(朱晓虹及温武钲，2019年12月14日)

对于这三次婚前辅导的感受，首先感谢天主赐给我们这个机会。在这三周里我们所读到的经文所看到的记录片段和修女详细讲解让我们深深明白和了解到天主教徒的婚姻意义所在，该用怎样的心怎样的态度面对婚姻，以及怎样在天主的爱里去对待妻子，孩子和家庭，明白到该以什么样的方式态度面对生活中各种各样的挑战。最后感恩天主给我们这次宝贵的学习经验也感谢修女的耐心讲解教导。（陈美仕及罗惠燕 ， 2019年12月07日）

 经过了婚前辅导课程，我们认识到了婚姻的神圣，家庭和谐的重要性，以及作为父母需要传承给子女信仰的使命感。夫妻合为一体，相互依靠扶持，是因着主最美好的祝福。通过这次的学习，我们更深的了解了彼此的心意，更是坚定了努力经营未来的婚姻生活的决心。最后感谢修女姐姐！(Kevin &Suzie夫妇， 2019年11月30日）

经过这三次婚前辅导，学习到了教会婚姻的重要性，学会了在家庭中，要多和家人沟通，日后爱护孩子，教育孩子，承担起家庭的责任。(郭宠辉及李丹霞，2019年11月19日)

我们觉得圣教堂婚前辅导很好很受用：我们从中学到了两个人要互相理解要多点沟通、有事要一起分担互相商量；通过这三节课让我懂得了以前不是很认知的事情与道理完全明白，在家庭与生活中要相互的包容  节简家庭，做父亲与丈夫的责任 对孩子的重视教育与管教引导。（陈瑞娟及刘忠伟，2019年11月17日）

我们觉得圣家堂的婚前辅导是非常有用的课程，让我们了解到很多教会对婚姻的见解，以及夫妻之间相处之道。面对一些问题及矛盾的解决方法，家庭的重要性。这些都非常系统的给我们体现出来。给到一些简便的财务管理表格及方法，对我们婚后的整个家庭经济预算挺有参考作用的。让我们更加坚定对彼此的婚姻诺言，日后更加有智慧有耐心地度过婚姻生活。(Adam & Marella，2019年11月17日)

首先非常感谢黄修女对我们悉心教导。通过婚姻课程的学习，让我们知道了婚姻的神圣，以及婚姻前后的各种责任。并了解了婚姻过程中各种事情，学习了怎样处理好婚后两人的关系，以及更重要的是学习的婚姻课程也延伸到了教导下一代的重要性与方式。(曹欧夫妇，2019年9月29日)

我们觉得婚前辅导的内容非常实用，令我们受益良多，通过游戏，文字，电影，音乐等多种方式，生动有趣的让我们学习了进入婚姻，组建家庭后，夫妻之间如何在天主的指导下幸福生活，如何融洽的相处，如何处理争吵和矛盾，如何科学养育子女，如何规划家庭财务，值得每一位教友婚前都来参与学习。(Kvass & Grace夫妇， 2019年8月5日)