Sharing: Home Visit 2011

As my family would gather together for the first anniversary of my beloved father's death so I went home on Jul 1. My family first impression was “you lost weight.” My auntie’s daughter, granddaughter and granddaughter in-law arrived from Quanzhou-China on Jul 2. It’s their first time to visit Indonesia. 

God gives me great consolation after the death of my beloved father so that I can move forward in my journey with Maryknoll Sisters.

We brought food, flower, paper money, joss sticks and candles to cemetery on Jul 3 morning and also prepared it on the altar at home. My father’s tomb was finished several months ago, all Chinese characters are in gold colour except for the living in red colour. We had meal together with family and relatives afterwards, total around 30 persons.

As my voice is getting heavy, I decided to bedrest for two days and then went to Bali http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali with my uncle, auntie, family from Fujian on Jul 6. We stayed at Betania Retreat House-Kuta and went to Kuta Beach to enjoy the sunset. On the second day, we went to a Batik manufacturer, a silver manufacturer at Celuk Village, Tirta Empul Temple, Tampaksiring Temple, Mount Batur, and Besakih Temple. In several Temples, we should wear a sarong, shirt and sash, tank tops, vest, bikinis, revealing attire, mini skirts etc. are not desirable. Women who are menstruating are not allowed into the temple (scout’s honor) http://www.baliblog.com/travel-tips/visiting-besakih-temple-bali-2.html. On the third day, we went to Royal Family Taman Ayun, Monkey Forest, Ulun Danu Temple and sunset at Tanah Lot. On the forth day, we stayed at Kuta before leaving for Surabaya. It’s Galungan day so many people are going to the Temple to pray http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galungan. I had a chance to attend the mass at St. Fransiskus Xaverius Church and hear the healing power of Divine Mercy prayer on Fr. Hady Setiawan.

During my home visit this time, I had a chance to meet my friends in Surabaya, Malang, Tulungagung, and Bali whom I can’t mention one by one. On one occasion, I sat with several friends, two of them called me “Bu” (=Madam in Indonesian) as they were my former staffs, one of them called me “Mbak” (=elder sister in Javanese) as I was her senior in college and “Suster” (=Sister in Indonesian) as he knows me after my first profession of vows.

While walking on the Kuta beach, I met Fr. Anton Galih, whom I met in the Philippines and then in Boston. In Malang, I met Budi Santosa Johanes of “Mingguan HIDUP,” one of the speakers of journalism training for Bogor Diocese which I organized in 1993 http://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2011/08/liputan-penataran-jurnalistik.html. In the street of Kuta, I also met Franki, whom I met during Asia Pacific School of Evangelization in 2006, as he recognized my pink t-shirt. Several friends met again somebody whom they knew in the past. These are my experiences of small world, we don’t know when and where we’ll meet again, as in Ecclesiastes 3:1: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

I visited Daughter of Carmel Monastery–Tumpang, my senior high school SMAK Kolese St. Yusup-Malang, Seminary of Congregation of the Mission–Malang, Postulate Stella Maris–Malang, my former office PT Ritra Cargo Indonesia-Surabaya, “Klenteng Sanggar Agung” (=Temple for Buddist, Tao and Kong Hu Cu followers)-Surabaya, Candi Badut (the eldest temple in East Java), “Telaga Sarangan”-Madiun, etc.

After staying with my younger sister’s family in Madiun, I went to Carmelite Priory “Regina Apostolorum” Batu on Jul 18-25 for my annual retreat. Fr. Verbeek O.Carm, a hermit, was my spiritual director. I stayed in one of their guest rooms and attended Eucharist, morning prayer and meditation together with the novices and their formatores besides three times meditation, evening prayer and completorium by myself. I meditated on “A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight” (Luk 18:35-43), “What’s Eternal Life?” (John 17: 3), “The Calling of Matthew” (Mat 9: 9-13), “Joseph Make Himself Known” (Gen 45), “A Woman Caught in Adultery” (John 8: 2-11), Introduction to the Sermont on the Mount” (Mat 5), “Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet” (John 13:1-20), “The Last Supper” (Mat 26: 26-29), “Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives” (Luk 22: 39-46), “Peter Disowns Jesus” (Luk 22: 54-62), “Jesus in Front of Pilate” (Luk 23: 1-25), “The Cross and Forgiveness including The Cross and The Vows and also The Dark Night in the Difference” (Luk 23: 33-43), “The Empty Tomb” (John 20: 1-8), “On the Road to Emmaus” (Luk 24: 13-35), “Jesus Appears to His Disciples” (John 20: 19-31), “Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish” (John 21:1-14), “Jesus Reinstates Peter” (John 21: 1-15), “Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit” (Luk 1: 26-38), “Life Through the Spirit” (Rom 8), and “Mother Mary our Model of Faith.”

I was in tears when I said “God, into your hands I commit my life and mission” after reflecting on Luk 23: 46. During supper, I was in tears again when I was pondering this sentence again. Later on, I had more tears when I said “God, you know my incapability and limitation.” I was calmed down when I remembered the passage “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mat 28: 20b). For months, I kept in my mind that if God wants me to be in China, God should responsible for it. And during the retreat, God leads me to surrender my life and mission to God’s Providence as God will be with me till the end of age!

It’s really a blessing to be home at this time, to experience again God’s presence in my life through my family, friends, and especially the annual retreat. I also had chances to share my life in China, listen to others’ concerns and also pray with them. Here is the link of the pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150250933056556.318868.658706555&type=1

Thank you very much for your warm welcome, generosity and hospitality during my home visit this year. May God continue to bless your missionary journey.

Hong Kong, Aug 7, 2011

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Sharing: The Second Semester of Mandarin Study

After celebrating Easter, I went to Philippines to attend Asia East World Section Meeting and then gathering of the newer members in our community who are working in Asia East World Section. Our Congregational Leadership Team Sr. Janice McLaughlin and Sr. Bitrina Kirway were being with us for both the meeting and gathering. I left Guangzhou on Apr 30 and waited at our Burgos house in Quezon city before heading to Jala-Jala. As the meeting was started on Apr 29, so I only attended the last day of the meeting on May 1. We did “Mary crowning” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_crowning after breakfast. The meeting was ended after a Filipino dinner and simplicity night. There are eight newer sisters who are working in China, Taiwan, Philippines, and Japan.

One of the Indonesian students wanted to have join activities with Chinese students so 30 Indonesians and Chinese visited Huiling Farm http://www.gzhl.org/gzhl_website/language/english/guangzhou/home/_index.html. We washed the dishes, moved the dried branches to the garbage area, had lunch, played and Communion Service with Fr. Peter who connected and sponsored us (http://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2011/07/sharing-learning-from-learning-sign.html).

I enjoyed half day visit of our Congregational Leadership Team Sr. Janice and Sr. Bitrina to Guangzhou by going around the campus, attending mass, and going to Shamian Church by boat from north gate of our campus. Later on, we had regional meeting in Hong Kong followed by a Chinese dinner. I also met Fr. Joe Veneroso, MM who was visiting Guangzhou with his friend.

Several Indonesian Catholics and I visited one of Huiling Centers on May 20 to play and work with them, including help to clean the place. We also joined Huiling Charity Walkathon 2011, it was pouring rain when we went from our campus. I kept praying that the rain would stop so they could continue the event. Thanks God, the heavy rain stopped and the sun came out for a moment so the event continued.

Several Indonesians Catholic and I usually visited patients at Fuda hospital once a week including accompanied three Indonesian families in facing the death of their family member who had a cancer treatment in Guangzhou. We sang and prayed together with the patients and their families.

My first birthday in Guangzhou was special. I attended Cantonese mass at Shamian Church, and then had lunch with my roommate, exam on reading and writing classes. Later on, my teacher asked to be a respondent of her survey about our reading book, which made me got headache. After the Indonesian prayer meeting, I received a birthday surprise. There were listening and conversation exam on the next two consecutive days. I know I never be ready for the exam so I only could pray “Lord, you know that I am not ready for the exam.” I also had exam on pronounciation, calligraphy, writing, Chinese paper cutting and knots classes. I went back to Hong Kong after the conversation exam as we would have a regional meeting on June 19.

I visited a leprosy center in Jiangmen on June 24. It took around four hours from our dormitory by subway to Guangzhou Train Station and then by bus. It was built by Maryknollers http://maryknollmagazine.org/index.php/magazines/247-roots-in-china.

On the graduation ceremony, I got the reward RMB 200 as the most diligent student in our class and RMB 100 as third winner of the writing competition. My grade for reading writing was 89, listening 93, and conversation 85. My homework in the writing class “给妈妈的一封“（=A letter for My Mother, it’s my first long writing in mandarin）and my article of writing competition “我很喜欢中大国际汉语学院“ （=I like Dr. Sun Yat Sen University School of Chinese as Second Language）were published in the school magazine. Thanks be to God.

Our school organized a trip to Guilin on Jun 24-27 for RMB 400 instead of RMB 1000 as it was subsidied by the school. The picture on the RMB 20 bill is the scenic of Guilin. We went by bus to Guangzhou Train Station and then by train to Guilin around 14 hours. Upon arriving Guilin, we had breakfast and then went to Elephant Hill Scenic Area http://www.chinatravelsavvy.com/destinations/guilin/attractions/elephant-hill/, Daxuguzheng http://www.guilinhome.com/jzjd/jd/lc/dx.htm, Li River http://www.guilin4seasons.com/lijiang-river-tour/group-li-river-cruise-01.htm, an old house in Xingping visited by Bill Clinton http://www.chinafacttours.com/guilin/attractions/xingping.html and then stayed overnight at Yangshuo. The next day, we went to Silver cave http://www.guilinchina.net/attraction/silver-cave.htm, Big Banyan Tree http://www.guilinchina.net/attraction/big-banyan-tree.htm, Guilin Botanical Garden http://www.travelguilinguide.com/sight/guilin/327.html, Seven Star Park http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/seven_star.htm. We went back to Guangzhou on June 26 evening after going around a shopping area.

Upon arriving Guangzhou, I went to Hong Kong as I wanted to send off Sr. Rose Duschesne to Maryknoll New York after being missioned in Hong Kong since 1946 http://www.mklsisters.org/index.php/index.php/missioners/13-sisters/256.

Hong Kong, Aug 2, 2011

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Renungan: Kuasa Doa

Shalom!

(Kalau ada seorang di antara kamu yang menderita, baiklah ia berdoa! Kalau ada seorang yang bergembira baiklah ia menyanyi!

Kalau ada seorang di antara kamu yang sakit, baiklah ia memanggil para penatua jemaat, supaya mereka mendoakan dia serta mengolesnya dengan minyak dalam nama Tuhan.

Dan doa yang lahir dari iman akan menyelamatkan orang sakit itu dan Tuhan akan membangunkan dia; dan jika ia telah berbuat dosa, maka dosanya itu akan diampuni.

Karena itu hendaklah kamu saling mengaku dosamu dan saling mendoakan, supaya kamu sembuh. Doa orang yang benar, bila dengan yakin didoakan, sangat besar kuasanya.

Elia adalah manusia biasa sama seperti kita, dan ia telah bersungguh-sungguh berdoa, supaya hujan jangan turun, dan hujan pun tidak turun di bumi selama tiga tahun dan enam bulan.

Lalu ia berdoa pula dan langit menurunkan hujan dan bumi pun mengeluarkan buahnya. Yak 5:13-18)

Saya mengambil bacaan di atas karena malam ini saya akan membagikan tentang kuasa doa. Kita mungkin sering mendengar bahwa doa besar kuasanya tetapi apakah kita sungguh mengalami kuasa doa dalam hidup kita sehari-hari, ketika mengalami masalah besar dan kecil? Lewat bacaan di atas, kita diajak untuk berdoa ketika sakit dan menderita, untuk saling mendoakan dan juga melihat bagaimana kuasa doa di masa nabi Elia.

Pengalaman saya sendiri tentang kuasa doa berhubungan dengan cuaca sudah saya sharingkan dalam persekutuan doa dua minggu lalu, diantaranya bagaimana saya tidak merasa kedinginan setelah turun salju yang pertama kali saya alami atau bagaimana baju saya tetap kering di balkon asrama sekolah di tengah hujan lebat.

Tentu saja, kuasa doa tidak selalu sesuai dengan yang kita inginkan dan pada waktu yang kita diinginkan, tetapi tentu ini seharusnya tidak menjadi alasan untuk tidak berdoa lagi dan lagi. Kita tentu pernah mendengar cerita tentang doa Santo Monika untuk memohon pertobatan St. Agustinus yang baru terkabul setelah tujuh belas tahun http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monika. Ada yang mengatakan Tuhan seringkali lambat tetapi tidak pernah terlambat.

Kuasa doa adalah milik Allah sepenuhnya, sehingga tidak tergantung kadar iman kita, rumusan kata-katanya, cara mendoakannya, frekuensinya, posisi ketika mendoakannya, adanya patung, lilin, dll meskipun semuanya ini bisa membantu kita untuk berdoa dengan lebih khusuk.

Dalam Katekismus #2559 dikatakan:"Doa adalah pengangkatan jiwa kepada Tuhan, atau satu permohonan kepada Tuhan demi hal-hal yang baik" (Yohanes dari Damaskus, f.o.3,24).... dan dalam Katekismus #2567 dikatakan: ”Sebelum manusia memanggil Tuhan, Tuhan memanggil manusia. Juga apabila manusia melupakan Penciptanya atau menyembunyikan diri dari hadapan-Nya, juga apabila ia mengikuti berhalanya atau mempersalahkan Allah, bahwa Ia telah melupakannya, namun Allah yang hidup dan benar tanpa jemu-jemunya memanggil setiap manusia untuk suatu pertemuan penuh rahasia dengan-Nya di dalam doa. Dalam doa, gerak cinta kasih Allah yang setia ini, pertama-tama datang dari Dia; gerak manusia selalu merupakan jawaban.

Menurut Francis MacNutt (http://www.christianhealingmin.org/): Para rasul bukanlah sarjana teologi atau orang genius, tetapi mereka dipilih dan diberi kuasa oleh Tuhan Yesus dan Roh Kudus untuk meneruskan karya Allah, orang awam dimanapun harus berdoa penyembuhan di rumah mereka dan dalam hidup mereka sehari-hari. Allah tidak membutuhkan orang dengan talenta/sumber daya yang spektakuler. Allah membutuhkan orang biasa yang menawarkan kasih dan pertolongan kepada seseorang yang sedang terluka. Menjawab panggilan Allah sebagai pelayan doa berarti kita bersedia menjangkau orang lain kapan pun, dimana pun, dan kepada siapa pun Allah meminta kita melakukannya, baik ketika melakukan pelayanan secara formal maupun ketika berada bersama orang lain ketika melakukan aktivitas sehari-hari. Ada dua elemen dalam doa penyembuhan: kata-kata yang diucapkan dan penumpangan tangan”

Dari tulisan di atas tampak bahwa kita semua, tidak hanya kaum religius tetapi juga kaum awam, dipanggil untuk menjadi pelayan doa dalam hidup kita sehari-hari. Jadi bila ada orang yang sedang terbeban, kita bisa mendoakannya, baik sendiri maupun bersamanya, sehingga kita boleh mengalami betapa besarnya kuasa doa.

Janganlah kecewa bila mereka menolak untuk diajak berdoa bersama, karena tidak semua orang terbuka untuk melakukannya, tetapi kita tetap bisa mendoakannya secara pribadi. Perlu juga diingat untuk menjaga kerahasiaan pembicaraan dengan yang bersangkutan.

Salah satu rumusan yang bisa dipakai adalah sebagai berikut:

Tanda Salib

(Hening, tumpangkan tangan di atas bahu/dahi/bagian yang sakit dengan memberi jarak)

Terima kasih ya Allah atas kehadiranMu pada saat ini.

Terima kasih atas rahmat kehidupan (Nama).

Terima kasih atas segala berkat dan rahmat yang telah Engkau curahkan kepadanya.

Terima kasih atas cinta yang ada diantara (Nama suami/istri/anak) yang mengalir dari cintaMu sendiri yang tidak bersyarat.

Engkau tahu …(sebutkan beberapa kenyataan yang ada) dan betapa kami berharap akan…..(sebutkan permohonannya)

Kami tahu kami tidak berkuasa melakukan apapun, tapi kami percaya bahwa rahmatMu cukup untuk mengabulkan permohonan kami ini.

Atas nama Yesus Kristus, kami mohon (ulangi lagi permohonannya)

Berikanlah penghiburan sebagaimana yang Engkau janjikan sejak awal mula kehidupannya dalam rahim ibunya.

(tawarkan ybs untuk berdoa)

Sekali lagi yang Allah, terima kasih atas rahmat kehidupan, segala berkat dan rahmat, cinta, penghiburan,….

Semuanya ini kami mohon dengan perantaraan Kristus Tuhan kami.

Bapa Kami

Salam Maria

Kemuliaan

Sebaiknya memberitahu yang bersangkutan, bahwa setelah tanda salib kita akan hening sejenak dan setelah kita berdoa, kita akan menawarkan yang bersangkutan untuk berdoa juga dan kemudian kita akan melanjutkannya. Juga menanyakan apakah kita diperbolehkan menumpangkan tangan. Dengan mengajak yang bersangkutan untuk berdoa bersama, menjadikan kita rendah hati karena terkabulnya bukan karena doa kita pribadi tetapi karena doa yang bersangkutan juga. Berdoalah dengan membuka mata sehingga kita bisa melihat kondisi yang bersangkutan, seperti menangis, duduk dengan nyaman/tidak, dll sehingga kita bisa memberinya tissue atau membuatnya merasa nyaman, dll. Terkadang yang bersangkutan merasa hangat pada bagian yang sakit.

Ajakan untuk berdoa bersama ini juga bisa dilakukan melalui telepon, bisa dengan meminta yang bersangkutan untuk menumpangkan tangan pada bahu/dahi/bagian yang sakit.

Saya akan menutup renungan ini dengan mengutip St. Vincensius a Paulo: “Berilah aku seorang pendoa, maka ia akan mampu melaksanakan segalanya.”

Mojoagung, 29 Juli 2011

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

P.S. Renungan ini dibawakan untuk PDKK St. Aloysius Gonzaga Mojoagung pada 29 Jul 2011

Sharing: A Learning from Learning Sign Language

My second semester of Mandarin study will be finished in June 2011 and it means I still have two semesters to go.

As for now, I am learning to write around 1200 Chinese characters (from our reading and writing classes, excluding new words from listening and conversation classes) but I know I can’t remember how to write most of it even though I have better ability to recognize the characters. My major problem is still the tones especially in the sentences as there are several regulations e.g. if there are two third tones, the first third tone should be pronounced as the second tone. That’s why my conversation grade is always the lowest and I usually mention about it if I talked about my grades.

One of the Indonesian students wanted to have join activities with Chinese students so 30 Indonesians and Chinese visited Huiling Farm http://www.gzhl.org/gzhl_website/language/english/guangzhou/home/_index.html to work, eat, play and have Communion Service with Fr. Peter who connected and sponsored us. On the way back home, a Chinese guy sat beside me and he started to write on his notebook to communicate so I also replied by writing on his notebook. His name is Chai Cai. Since most of the time I couldn’t read his Chinese handwriting as he wrote quickly in a moving bus and I only know a few of Chinese characters so both of us started to communicate by using Chinese characters in our cellphones. He taught me several words in sign language and eager to teach more words. After that we communicate through text messages and QQ.com. Two weeks later, four Indonesians and I ate together with him and then we went around Linhexi subway station and Guangzhou East Train Station. He taught us several words in sign language so we can have better communication even though we also communicate by writing and speaking loudly. As I am willing to be his elder sister, he calls me 莉莉姐姐（Lili jiejie）.

At this time, I am not interested to learn any new language but here God sends him to teach me sign language even though only a few words. Knowing him is a holy coincidence and from my communication with him, I learned that conversation (with sound) is not always the important thing. I remember a quotation by Zeno (335 BC-264 BC), The reason we have two ears and only one mouth, is that we may hear more and speak less.

Guangzhou, May 31, 2011



Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M./黄 莉 莉
Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible

P.S. This article was published in Maryknoll Sisters China Region Newsletter No. 15, Jul 2011.

Oct 30, 2020