ON THE WAY BACK AND FORTH

H[a]RD TIME DURING HEPATITIS [a] OUTBREAK IN JOGJA On August, 10, 2008 I became song leader at our Church for the first time and it was a bit hard time for me since I was a bit weak after sickness. I was sweating a lot during leading time. I got the chance because Fony, our song leader, was weak also after sickness. For your information, during July-August, the Hepatitis A outbreaks in Jogja, so lots of students, and friends fell for it or feeling weak, including Fony. Sam and Mira were also struck by the illness, and admitted to the hospital (Panti Rapih), so we their students got to take care all the things concerning cleaning the Mission Home, staying at the hospital, accompanying them. First it was Mira fell sick, and after few weeks, Sion got problem and was taken into Intensive Care Unit, later Sam was also taken to hospital. What an outbreak! I was a bit weak, since I also had to go to Jakarta twice for a test on July 7 and again on July 17. First trip I took a bus since I couldn't get train because July was vacation season, the peak time. All train tickets sold out. Dina helped me accompanying to buy ticket. She suggested bus ticket, and I agree since the arriving time was the most acceptable reason compare to travel agency. By travel agency, one can not guarantee it will arrive by the time at Jakarta. As everyone knows, Jakarta is extremely jammed during morning hours. I decided to take bus, and it was lucky, Dr.Maria helped directing me after arriving at Lebakbulus bus station. I contacted her just few days before the departure. She wondered why I could not depart on Saturday as everyone would do to prepare for Monday test. Of course I could not explain to her everything but tight works on campus while in fact I had no permission from the Church. I sensed that I should attend the Church on Sunday and then went to Jakarta after Church.

That was really a tight schedule for me. The bus departed from Jombor station at Jalan Magelang at around 4 pm. Dina took me there, and she promised to pick me up on the arriving date from Jakarta. As I was enjoying my bus-trip for the first time, I agreed that this bus seat was much more comfortable than taking the train, even executive class seat. I just did not feel exhausted or pain all over my body of sleeping during trip even though it was more than 10 hours. We departed at 4 pm on Sunday and arrived late at Lebakbulus at 6.30 am on Monday. Total hours were 14.5 hours. Late time was 4.5 hours. It was not just ended there. I had to change transportation to another bus, a city bus. I decided not to take taxi. I was not sure I could arrive on time with taxi fare that is certainly much higher than other means of transportation. The change bus (Patas or Cepat terbatas) departed after 7. I was feeling uncomfortable with myself since I could not find time taking shower at the station and eager to leave for the embassy right away, but the bus was waiting for other passengers till it crowded inside and then departed. I was blessed, Dr.Maria kept contacting me during the trip so I was able to catch the next change, bus way or Trans Jakarta. It was planned to reached Lebakbulus station in the near future, but not yet accomplished when I went there. I got off the Patas bus at the nearest Trans Jakarta bus stop. When I reached the embassy, the time showed me 8.45. I recalled the announcement lady who called me and explained about the test schedule she said I had extra time about 30minutes from 8.30. So it was amazingly on schedule. I had few minutes to change my clothes into dress and walk in the test room. I was not really tired or sleepy. I just felt everything was fit for the test time. I missed some instruction but believed I could just ask anybody right after. The test started at around 9.30. I just did the two test, English test and Japanese test with confidence. I just did according to my professional knowledge. I did mistake for Japanese test, but the other test will be considered more if the result is much better. I believed I could just pass them all. After the test time, I felt hungry, and though actually wanting to meet and greet other friends from PSF Jogja there, I could just refrain myself, and decided to go right away to meet Dr. Maria. She was in the Medical Faculty of University of Indonesia. I took a cab, but the driver was not lost so I was dropped at the wrong gate, I needed to go the other direction. Fortunately, a man leading my way to the mortuary, the room next to pathology, her department. Dr.Maria and I had lunch at the nearby shop. I could not finish my fried rice though I was really hungry. Then, we went to her home by bajaj. My first time? No. I took it once when I went to Jakarta for transferring my motorcycle's documents from Jakarta to Jogja. I stayed at Lina's home, and her sister and father helped me for every of my need. I thanked them. Dr. Maria and I had a great time though it was just for a day. I took the train back to Jogja on Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock. On Monday night, I had a great time with Dr. Marian. After a few hours taking rest, we went to look for fresh air, walking out to internet cafe, small one under the Senen train flyover and at 9 we watched movie at Megaria theater. The film titled "Hancock", starred by Will Smith, Carlize Theron, and another man I forget his name. The film was fiction comedy, I really love the story. It was about a lonely hero, a miserable one, who found his mate was separated from him because his mate caused him his life. It was a happy ending film full with thoughtful words. I love it. When I went to Jakarta for the second time, the interview time, I went by train, business class, with a lady I happened to know her during our first test time at embassy. She had the same interview schedule as mine, so we decided to go together. She meant to reduce the fare of the trip to Jakarta. I just agreed though sometimes I thought she was just focusing on how to geet cheapest fare not the comfort trip, my focus. She taught me many things on anticipating the exhausment during the trip. We had to make ourselves as much comfortable as possible. We rented pillows, and she rented a blanket as mattress to sleep on the train floor. I slept on the bench, and she on the floor. We could sleep well so save energy for the interview. We happened to miss the embassy when we took the bus after arriving at Senen station. Then we must take the Trans Jakarta bus back to the our coming direction. I let her led the trip since I thought it was her more often visiting Jakarta but it also does not mean she knows everything about Jakarta. We came to know other friends as we were waiting for our turn to be interviewed. I met my junior at Architecture, she's a fresh-graduate and working at Bali in a consultant. She was delighted and encouraging. We exchanged our number and so with the other new friends. We are curious to know the other's news of who is passing and who is not. I had the schedule for interview after lunch time, so I got to wait for more hours. I took lunch at the cafetaria for workers in the next building, a EX mall. I waited on 13.30 there. Fortunately there was a couch I could sit down and spend time reading my book I brought, Chinatown. As I went back and waited at the front of the embassy, I met new friends, both were from Jakarta dominion. I exchange number with one of them. They really thought, as my junior also thought, that I was one of the interviewer. They said, it was because of my confidence and my dress. I was wearing black top suit and dark purple dress inside. I also put my new high heel shoes on for the sake of confidence. I considered myself successfully answering all the questions. All the five interviewers were questioning me, and I just believed I could satisfied them as I saw three of them nodding their head. The only unsatisfied interviewer was the young ones, one was Japanese and the other was Indonesian. They were questioning similar questions to me which made me irritated and tending to use other expression instead of what I used previously for the same answer. By the way, I did not feel bothered so much, just thinking that older age is wiser in general and a good listener more than young person. They are not affected much by situation and 'emotion'. My conclusion is rough but it is based on my personal experience since I am also an interviewer and more or less I know how it feels to be one as I am serving as English teacher at English Intensive Course, our Church program of teaching English for university students. God's provisions were perfect. How would I know to take what bus and where unless Dr. Maria helped me in Jakarta? How would I enjoy so much my short trip to Jakarta unless Dr. Maria was available? She went out of town on 17 August, my second trip, fortunately on that day I was accompanied by a lady on the way to Jakarta and was accompanied by a gentleman on the way back to Jogja. [b] GOOD PERFORMANCE, AH NO, GOOD SERVICE AT CHURCH

We were staying and taking care for Mission Home for about a month until Sam comes back from Korea on 23 August, Saturday. On Thursday we started our whole-house cleaning schedule. On Wednesday night I found a Korean-drama serial DVD, and as we watched we found that it was really a nice drama serial. I watched till 4.23 am, and though a bit tired, the drama story somehow gave me ability to start washing all the curtains. The house has many windows with double curtains we had to wash all of them. First, taking them down, soak in the water several times to remove the dust, then soak them in water with detergent in it, after that we rinse several times to remoce the dust tied by the detergent. We drained them once before hanging the clothes under the sun. Clarissa and I kept saying we were blessed since the sun shining so brightly giving us the heat to dry those clothes only in one day. Then, in the afternoon, we put them back to the each window. Not an easy job. We misidentified some of the clothes with the windows. One was too long for the window, and the other was too short. We gave up putting back them to each window that day, but we could finish washing all of them and dry them in one day. The other sisters, Lina and Eni were helping cleaning the windows and doors, floors, and dragging the couch outside under the sun. Until dinner time, we almost finish all the main works. Our feet were tired and demanding immediate rest. Our bodies were exhausted but we were happy. We had our dinner happily, served by sister Lina. We went to bed by thinking we must be ready for next cleaning schedule tomorrow. What a tiring day! By the way, I spent more hours to continue watching the Korean serial drama until 1.30 am. I love it. So, the next day, Friday, we continued cleaning he house with all the remaining dirty things. Lina, Eni, and I also scheduled to go out to campus on 11am to reach out for the new students during their orientation schedule. I was having appointment with Fony, and we had lunch before time. I treated her at Architecture dept's cafetaria. We prayed and shared methods and ways to approach them. We waited for them til they went out the PMKT and KMKT's meeting room while the other mosleem students had their Friday mass prayer. Though we did not succeed with many students as they came to our way like water flowing to our direction. Our strategy discussed earlier was not working, but we tried our best to catch few girls and talked to them about our Church and Bible study fellowship. We met Ceisar who was eager to help us distributing the advertisement cards. I gave him only six the same number as the students we approached that day. I explained to him how to share the information and asked him to come along with the students to our Church as well. Fony was about to buy train ticket to Jakarta, so we needed to separate and go our own way. On August, 24, 2008 again, I became a song leader. This time I made preparation quite long time, since Thursday. For two days, Thursday and Friday, during the cleaning time, I tried to practice songs I planned to serve in the service time. There were six songs: 'Pelangi Sehabis Hujan' performed by Nikita in 2007 or 2008, 'As We Gather', We'll Sing A New Song', old songs, 'For Who You Are' and "Oceans Will Part' performed by Hillsongs in 2006, and last song was 'Above All', an old song. I listened the Hillsongs new songs for the first time in the Mission Home, Clarissa's collection. Nikita's song I listened from the radio, and I just like the lyrics. They are always encouraging. I practiced singing at the garage, our Church service room every Sunday, and tried to sing out loud. The garage door was open to bring out the couch and for the sake of the cleaning, but I was not bothered much though some of the passengers turned their head on my voice. I was delighted to practice alone like I did when I prepared myself at my Church in Osaka. I realized I had experienced in leadind the songs several times since I joined Aletheia youth service in our own small group. I did well though perhaps only me noticed that. When I had a chance to serve at my Charis Chapel Church in Osaka, I also served in my small youth group service, but I really made a long and good preparation for that in two languages, Japanese and English. I did now also in two languages, Indonesian and English. Before I served as song leader at Church service on 24 August, I also served on several Wednesday during Sam's away. I was accompanied by Edo one time and Sigit most of the time. He could help me well with his ability in playing the guitar. It was satisfying hearing Sam'scommentary. He complimented my fluency in English and also Veny's prayer in English, though later both of us admitted that we did not make detail preparation for the exact words we were about to say. It was like we were having English Course during Sam's away. We just smiled. It was perfect, God's provision was perfect. Where would I look for new songs if not through Clarissa's collection? She copied her song collection to the PC and played them everyday the whole day so we were accustomed to hear the song. When it was time to choose which song I have to serve, I just listened and looked for the lyrics and the guitar chords through the internet and sang it. And where would I look for the lyrics of the guitar chords if not through internet as we could access internet for free in Mission Home for 24 hours a day?