Article: First Profession of Vows 2009

http://www.maryknollsisters.org/catholic-mission/index.php/resources/news/518-AnastasiaLindawatiMakesFirstVows

Article: An East Asian pilgrimage to the past and the future

http://www.mklsisters.org/blog/2011/09/21/1259/

Sharing: 2013 Summer School at Holy Family Church

            The parishes in mainland usually organize summer school for the children.  It’s also the time for First Communion’s preparation.  There were more than 60 children age 7 – 16 at Holy Family Church Luo Hu-Shenzhen attended the summer school on August 1-14, 2013 except on Sundays.  The Church was converted to classroom by pulling the curtain in front of the altar.  The classes begin at 9.30 am (the students should arrive at 9.20 am for presentation) and end at 4.30 pm with lunch break at 12.00-1.30 pm and short break after each class.  Besides Fr. Lu, there were two sisters from Handan diocese, several parishioners as teachers and volunteers and myself helping the summer school.  The children ate lunch box in front of the Church and back room, then slept at the Church or watch movie at the back room or learn Chinese martial art at the learning center next door.

       The children were divided into two classes: junior class for 1^st and 2^nd grade (around 15 students) and senior class for 3^rd grade above (around 50 students).  They learned about catechism, the stories in the Bible, singing, dancing, etc.  I taught “oral English” for the junior students for 4 sessions @30 minutes and “Prayer” for senior students for 5 sessions @45 minutes.  I taught basic introduction for both classes e.g. My name is Joseph/Mary/Peter/Paul, I am a Catholic, I want to be a priest/sister/teacher/doctor, This is Holy Family Church, Thanks be to God, Let us pray, Praise the Lord-Alleluya, The Lord be with you-And also with your spirit, The Sign of the Cross (several children learned it from the Sunday school), Glory to the Father and for the senior students, I also taught Our Father besides watching short movie about a blind boy who felt on the ground and asked help from her mother but she didn’t help in order to let the boy to get up by himself and experiences more things as a way to show them that sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayer because He wants to give better things and a demonstration on putting sand and several candles in a box as a way to show the important of put first things (e.g. prayer, studying) first.  I am sure not all the children like to learn English, but several children from both classes after 3-4 sessions were asking when will be the next session.  I am sure they are the one who like to learn English.  They learn English in the school but they don’t have big opportunity to practice.  One the last session of both classes, I asked several of them to say either the sign of the cross, Glory to the Father or Our Father, either alone or followed me.  I gave several holy stickers as a reward so they wanted more chances, unfortunately the session should be ended.  One of the parishioners helped me with the translation, repeated it in Mandarin or kept the children quiet.   Saying “Praise the Lord” and waiting their “Alleluya” response usually helped to make them quiet for a while.

       It’s not easy to keep all the children to be quiet and neat.  Several children were asked to stand in front if they kept noisy.  Several children cried for several reasons.  The Church and back room should be cleaned up every day after the classes. 

       There were an oral exam and sacrament of reconciliation for the children who would receive the First Communion.  The written exam for both classes was held on August 14 a.m.  Several students got full mark on my exam.  The children mass was held on August 14, 2013 3.00 pm which also opened for all parishioners and especially for the families.  Srs. Guo, Zhang and I distributed all the certificates (the best students who got mark 90 above, the students with fastest improvement, the student with good manners, etc) and toys to all the children.

       The Church (including the stair to fourth floor and back room) was full for Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.   Around 30 children who would receive First Communion sat in front row, followed by the rest of the students.     I sat with the junior students to keep them quiet.  Before the blessing, several junior students performed an action song “天主是爱(=God is Love, http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/8Shx3AZg-5k/)” and several senior students performed an action song “主恩典(God’s grace, http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjc3MTgxODA4.html)”.  After lunch with several parishioners, Fr. Lu, Srs. Guo, Zhang and I went around Donghu Garden nearby.  There was an evening Mass at 8.00 pm.

       In the evening, I usually visited the parishioners either alone or with two sisters and Fr. Lu including staying overnight with the two sisters at one of the parishioners’ home without any preparation.  Several parishioners are generously offering to stay in their home since my first week end in Shenzhen.  As one of my relatives from Fujian was visiting her brothers in Shenzhen, I stayed overnight with them too.  I also had chances to pray with the parishioners whenever needed and share my vocation journey with one of the teachers.

         One of the movies was “The Prince of Egypt” and I was moved during the song “(There can be miracle) When we believe” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gur8ccqrQ9c).  It’s a miracle too that I could help the summer school especially as we, the three sisters, usually would be called together.  I also was moved each time I saw the senior children’s performance as I do experience how big God’s grace in my life.    

       One of the volunteers prepared a very nice thank you folder for every sister, here is the link of the pictures: https://www.facebook.com/anastasia.lindawati/media_set?set=a.10151550802706556.1073741829.658706555&type=1.   I am also very grateful for this opportunity to help wherever needed including cleaning up and serving the meal, especially to Fr. Lu who wants the English class so I should be in front of the class.  For sure, my English is not good enough to be an English teacher and being a teacher is not my preference, but I just tried to do what I believe God asks me to do amidst my limitation both in English and Mandarin.   

        

                    

Hong Kong, August 28, 2013

With love and prayer,

       

Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Sharing: China WYD 2013 returns to Stanley

http://stanleymaryknoll.typepad.com/chinahands/2013/08/mainland-world-youth-day-group-returns-to-stanley.html

Sharing: Home Visit 2013

As my family would gather together for the third anniversary of my beloved father’s death so I went home on Jul 2 together with two of my relatives from Quanzhou-China and their five friends.  For my relatives, it’s their first time to visit Indonesia so my uncle and I accompanied them to visit our relatives.    

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. We had a meal together in the afternoon with family, relatives and friends for almost 30 adults and kids.

I had a chance to meet my relatives and friends in Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Tulungagung including having a dinner with several of my primary school friends for the first time after our graduation in 1983.

I also had a chance to share my vocation journey during the St. Aloysius Gonzaga –Mojoagung Charismatic Prayer Group 2^nd Anniversary as requested by several parishioners. 

After spending two nights with my younger sister’s family in Madiun including attending their house’s blessing, I visited “Telaga Sarangan”-Madiun with my family.

I went to Graha Samadhi Vincentius, a beautiful retreat house in Prigen-Pasuruan on Jul 8-15 for my annual retreat.  The retreat house is belongs to Vincentian Fathers and the Vincentian sisters take turn to help it, KYM sisters (http://kymindo.blogspot.hk/) is in turn for this time.   I attended Eucharist and said the morning prayer together with the priests, sisters and parishioners, while said the evening prayer with the sisters. I had meals, three times rice meals, alone except for the first and last meals at the convent together with the priests and sisters. 

Fr. H. Hario Subianto, CM, retreat master, gave reflection based on the theme “The Quality of Service of Religious Persons” with several topics: Who I am including the essence of human life according to 1 Tes 5: 23, Jesus called us including several reflective questions about the reasons of being afraid to come to Him, I am called to serve including spirituality of ministry according to Lk 1: 26-38, A Good Minister according Phil 2:1-11, The Purpose of Ministry: Salvation including the foundation of ministry which is according to Jn 13: 13-15.  During my retreat, there were three group retreats and I joined one of them: the week end meditation retreat “Ancilla Domini” led by Fr. Hario.  The meditation “Ancilla Domini” was started by Fr. Hario and consists of preparation, the Word of God and Sharing, Meditation, Relaxation, Sharing, and Prayer.  Holy coincidencely, I met one of my School of Personal Evangelisation classmates.

Fr. Hario also asked me to reflect on the meaning of my name “Anastasia” which is “resurrection” and what God wants me to do relating to the meaning of my name.  What came to my mind is to think outside the box, thinking about “resurrection” is thinking outside the box of “death”.  I do realize how God asked me to think outside the box since I started my discernment to religious life seven years ago.  I couldn’t hold my tears when I saw from my window the altar servers played in pairs: one person’s hand was tied on a bamboo pole and should lead the other person whose eyes were covered to walk together with the rest of the group.  I just imagined myself as the person with covered eyes when I started my discernment to religious life and God led me to walk my vocation journey and He always hold me so that I never look back.  So many times, I asked to walk according to my desire and God still granted it so what else that can make me not to believe in Him?  My wish is that God always gives me the grace to live according God’s will and die in the state of grace.

It’s really a blessing to be home at this time, to experience again God’s presence in my life through my family, relatives and friends, and especially the annual retreat. I also had chances to listen to others’ concerns and also pray with them either at homes, restaurant and airport just before I went back to Hong Kong on Jul 22 morning.

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, July 26, 2013

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Sharing: Chinese Leadership Initiave

http://stanleymaryknoll.typepad.com/chinahands/2013/06/chinese-leadership-initiative-at-stanley-1.html

Sharing: Financial Literacy Programme

           As I wrote in my Easter letter http://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.hk/2013/04/sharing-easter-letter-2013.html, I am volunteering at a Financial Literacy Programme organized by The Women’s Foundation for Pathfinders and Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities.  

The key objective of the Programme is: to empower marginalised women in poverty; to improve their level of financial literacy and ultimately achieve greater economic self-reliance and a better quality of life for themselves and their families; and to assist marginalised women with potential in capacity building.     

            Three clients (migrant mothers) and there volunteers, including myself, of Pathfinders attended the ambassador training once a week starting in January 2013.  The trainers from The Christian Action Training Centre trained all of us for 13 weeks and will accompany us during community trainings.  There was a survey programme before and after the training, which was conducted by a surveyor from Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

            The curriculum for Ambassador training is: Teaching Skills, Principles and Skills in Conducting Training Activities, Training Demonstration, Presentation by Ambassadors, and Successful Life Stories along with the curriculum for Community training: What a Beautiful Life, Essentials of Personal Finance, Goal Setting, Income and Expenditure Plan, Introduction on Investment, Credit Card Loan, Introduction to Small Business, Wise Management of Remittance to Home, Self-Assertiveness.  

            The ambassadors prepared a budgeted lunch and planned a One Year Smart Housewife’s Saving Plan at the end of the programme as a Smart Saver Activity.

            The Community training, once a week, was started in May 2013 with eight participants (seven Indonesian mothers and one Filipina mother).   Two ambassadors and two leaders, including myself, takes a turn to deliver the content of the training one hour per week while the rest of the group will help out in whatever is needed.  The trainer prepared all the material for community training including all the props so it makes it easier for the ambassadors and leaders.  As not all of the Indonesians can communicate in English, I translate the trainer’s guide and participant’s manual besides do the simultaneous translation during the Community training.  I am also responsible for distributing the transport allowance for all the participants both during Ambassador and Community training sessions.

            All the mothers usually will attend the programme with their children so it’s a challenge to attend and deliver the programme while the children are around.  The presence of volunteers such as from Hands On http://handsonhongkong.org/ to take care of the children, which is very helpful even though it’s not on a regular basis during the Ambassador Training but fortunately there are regular volunteers during the Community Training as there are more children.           

           This is good training, not only for the clients of Pathfinders, but also for me as I am also learning a lot both about the finance and how to conduct the training.  Both the Program Manager of the Women’s Foundation and the Senior Project Manager of Pathfinders have expressed their gratitude for my help.  

           

Hong Kong, May 30, 2013

           

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

P.S. This article was prepared our China region newsletter no. 18 June 2013