Helloo guys….
Announcement: apparently I have moved my blogsite into http://jessica.halim.focuser.net Sorry for the inconvenience, but i think i better sign in a new FOCUSer blog, it’ll be easier for everyone else to leave comment there compared to Friendster blog…
Hohoho….but i will hopefully keep updating my Friendster Photo Albums! And who knows I might post 1-2 posts again in here? hehehe…
C u there!
jck
Day 3 began with moulded bread that we brought for brekkie, so we had to be satisfied by the Shabu-shabu leftover, some instant noodles and luckily, Jewawo brought some croissant and ‘tasteless’ bread alias roti tawar, that we heated and made into a French toast…. Love French toast! 
After that some of us were packing up the stuffs as we’re leaving at noon.
It’s time for Arie’s group to have the BS Ruth 3 at the hotel lobby, near the café below the stairs. We’re studying the characteristics of each character in the book of Ruth, i.e. Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, as well as God’s character, and some OT and NT references of how an “outsiders” can get into relationship with God. We, Christians, are similar to Ruth in the way that we’re also Gentiles, we’re saved because of our faith that we can be spiritually part of God’s people, and the difference is that we’re brought near by the blood of Christ, abolishing the law.
After BS, we’re pretty much packing up the things, since we’re leaving at 12pm and continuing Chris’ 4th talk at Shang’s. I guess the Yasmin people were glad we’re gone, since Villa Pelangi no 53 had caused them much trouble, starting by asking for extra bed, pillows, blankets, plates, tissues, talenan, internet connection for Chris, combined brekkie vouchers, and the last of them all, broken water pipe….. * Sigh* A good experience for them maybe, for building a 4-5 bedrooms villas next time…
Strangely, Chris seemed to crave KFC for lunch, coz he’d been avoiding chicken for the past days (coz of bird flu, ed.). He said he knows the general manager of KFC for South East Asia, or wherever it is, that KFC’s chicken is cooked at 130 degrees that the virus would be dead….. oh well…. Not a really big problem for us though, coz Indo’s KFC is lots better than OZ’…… After lunch, we went back to Shang’s, without Yudhi coz he had another appointment in the afternoon.
Chris’ last talk, “Living Successfully 2”, was talking about putting on love and the things listed in Col. 3:12, knowing our place in the relationship that God has placed us in (i.e. as children we must obey our parents in the Lord), and acting wisely by praying, evangelising, and partnering.
The talk was closed by prayer, and a short, unprepared “award-giving” ceremony to thank everybody who had put his or her efforts to make this camp happened. The prizes comprised of SQ’s stuffs such as first class toothbrush and brand new SQ pen, as well as Shang’s stuffs such as a bottle of wine, hotel sandals, shampoo, soap, bathroom requirements, stabillos, rubber eraser, combs, etc. Everyone got one!
After that the Cahyonos (i.e. Arie and Frida J) invited us to have dinner at their father’s seafood restaurant, Bandar Djakarta @ Ancol. Unfortunately, the Gautamas (i.e. Steph and her twin sisters) wouldn’t join us for dinner coz Steph’s exhausted and wanted to go home…. So we’re 1 car short and had to troubled Mr. Cahyono to pick us up from Shang’s to Ancol (>.<). Thanks to the Cahyonos that we could enjoy delicious abalones, crabs, calamaris, fishes, kangkung, prawns, and also baby shark! Yes, a real fried baby shark! I really ate a lot, forgetting the afterwards-consequences…… :p hehehehe
Oh well…. I guess I have to end my stories here, as we all left for our homes afterwards….. J
Oh ya, I think we still have around Rp. 600.000 spare from the treasurer, and ask Daniel to collect back your part! Oooppsss….just received a news from Daniel, apparently all the leftover money was gone! hohoho just read the comment below….. cheers!J
Cheers!
Since we were only given 6 vouchers of hotel buffet breakfast each morning (total 12), we decided to join the vouchers together and paid 2 extra breakfast to make up of total 14, so day 2 was started by 8am breakfast at the hotel. It’s a bit empty, only a few other people and us there. Apparently Chris ordered 11 omelettes for us, and the hotel mustn’t expect that many orders coz they ran out of egg…. But they got eggs afterward, so we had a happy breakfast J.
Once finished breakfast around 9.30, some of us had to go to the market to buy some veggies for lunch Shabu-shabu with Arie drove Jewawo’s car, and the rest, including me, went back to the villa. The girls went back by foot, and I believed Daniel were driving Yudhi’s car when the car suddenly had its alarm on and could be heard from a distant for a moment…. I guess Yudhi won’t ever let Daniel drive his car anymore….. hahahahaha jk jk…..
Tragically, in front of the villa door we just realised that the keys were with Jewawo, who’s going to the market…… we’re locked outside the villa! oh well…. Maybe it was the time to be a kid again, as we had to spend our time in the hotel playground until the others returned….. Ayunan, perosotan, jungkat-jungkit did bring childhood memories…. JJ Until Chris decided to try the perosotan beside the swimming pool, but apparently his body was too big for the perosotan so he’s stucked inside it….. >.< A little effort, then off he went to the swimming pool….. not too long though, he got off the pool as soon as we told him that he was accompanied by a small frog swimming inside the pool…. Hahahahahaha…. Never seen Indo’s pool eh?? …… :p
Exactly 1 hour later the others returned and finally we could get in to the villa J. Chris’ 2nd talk followed, entitled “Continuing ‘Successful’ Living” with our faith rooted and built up in Jesus as Lord, and not being taken captive in needing more than Jesus! Dai-Lo!
Next, it was a pretty yummy Shabu-shabu lunch followed by Ruth-BS 2. Before the BS started, it’s decided that Glorya’s group would go somewhere else for the BS, i.e. the lobby. As I was still rinsing the dishes, suddenly the water all over the villa stopped! Just a second before that, Jen’s reversing her car and suddenly CRACK!! Ooppsss…. The water pipe had just been smashed! The water burst out of the pipe, which caused the water in the whole villa stopped. When the hotel manager (I guess) came, we innocently said, ”Kelindes pak……” We were all laughing, and since that forward, 1-2 satpam were always ready in front of our villa, acting as park men alias tukang parkir, to make sure that we wouldn’t smashed the brand new water pipe! hahahahaha….. :D:D
Anyway, BS Ruth 2 started after the water pipe tragedy, we’re looking at several OT references, which showed us the OT situation at that time. At the end of BS we discovered that the main point of Ruth is that Gentiles can have possibilities to be part of Israel/God’s kingdom/saved/be right in God’s eyes, though the law at that time forbid Israelites to intermarry other nations.
I can’t remember what we did during free time that afternoon, but afterward we’re preparing to listen to Chris’ 3rd talk, “Living Successfully 1”, that we’re convicted of being raised with Christ, and to commit our mind and heart on things above, as well as convicted of being dead, and to commit/ put to death the sin.
Dinner was dined out, with appetizer in Puncak Pass. My table ordered Pisang Goreng (Fried Banana), Bitter Ballen, Puncak Pass Banana Pancake, and last but not least, Poffertjes. Love Poffertjes!! I guess it’s the 1st time I ate pancake with brown sugar, not maple syrup….hehehe…and Poffertjes is just a ball-shaped cake eaten with icing sugar…. Yumm!! Then we had the real dinner at Kalimantan restaurant, with Daniel paying all for us! Coz he’s the treasurer, of course…. J hehehe
After dinner we went back to villa, some took a bath, some read books and comics, some watched Richie Rich on the TV, while the boys went to buy another grilled corns….. Pretty much what we did on the evening until sleeping time….. ZzZzZzzz….
Holaaiiooo….. pheeww…. Due to popular and high demands from fellow Pelitans, finally I’m here to write the blog (or report???) during our First Ever Pelita Indo Camp!! Hooraayy…..!!! Oh well…. Gotta get used to this, since I haven’t written a blog for a loonggg time…. ^^; I’ve promised to put the pics as well, so feel free!
Due to the very hardwork of all fellow Pelitans, the 1st Ever Pelita Indo Camp can be held in Villa Yasmin @ Puncak, West Java, Indo, on 4th-6th of Jan 2006, under the title “Living Successfully”. We’re studying the Book of Ruth for Bible Study, and Chris gave 4 talks on Collossian.
After a-lot-of-phone-credits-which-was-used-to-ask-people-to-come-to-the-camp had been spent, finally we had 14 people coming to the camp!! Yaaayyy!! They were: myself, Chris, Glorya, Yudhi, Daniel, Arie, Frida, Vic C and his sister, Grid, Stephanie Gautama (yes, that Steph!) and her twin sisters, Shelly and Shelina (or the other way round?? Is my spelling rite?),and of course the 2 Wawos. ^0^
At the 4th, we met at Shangrila Hotel where Chris stayed, and we supposed to leave Shangs at 9am but hey, this is indo! Hahahaha….. Funnily, apparently Chris gave a hundred thousand rupiah as a tip for the bell boy, and when he asked us whether Rp 100.000 is enough or not, all of us shouted as once, “What????!!!!” Then we explained that Rp 100.000 = 1-2 weeks salary for a bellboy, he’ll be gravely happy not to work for a week! :D:D
So we left at 10am after clipping the well-prepared booklets…. Hehehe just kiddin’, thanks for those who prepared the booklets, I bet Feri designed the cover?? :p
Anyway, so we left with 3 cars in a not-so-traffic way, so 2 hours later we arrived at Yasmin without any difficulty. Luckily we could directly check in to the Villa Pelangi no 53. without wasting time, we straightly had lunch the nasi kotak, but apparently 1 person was sooo hungry that he’d already ate the nasi kotak during the journey to Puncak? Hehehe….
Oh ya, this camp had a very flexible timetable (like Indo!!), so the timetable in the booklets might not be the real time we’re doing things ^^; After lunch we had a little trivia, somekind of Pictionary but instead you have to draw with water paint. Then followed the BS Ruth 1, there were 2 groups, Arie’s and Glorya’s. Here we got a cling of what the book of Ruth telling about, and we have to draw the summary of Ruth, again, using water paint. Luckily Daniel and Steph weren’t in the same group, so at least each group had 1 professional painter…. :p * Sigh* it’s like back to primary school lessons of drawing….. huehehehehe….
After that we got a not-so-free-time becoz of the heavy rain outside, so we decided to prepare a pretty-unprepared-dinner of Indonesian spaghetti bolognaise…. Hohoho sorry guyz for the last-minute decision of having spaghetti as our dinner, it’s not Italian at all…. (~_~) huehehehehe….
Ohh well….after the most favourite Pelita game (Ming-Meng-Mong, ed.) and a fabulous accapela singing (without musical accompaniment, ed.), Chris gave the 1st talk from Collossian 1 entitled “Starting ‘Successful’ Living”, in which the main point was that we need to understand who Jesus is, so that he’s all we need for living successfully in God’s eyes! Dai-Lo!
After the talk, it appeared that Glorya had a craving on grilled corn (^^;) :p so we all filled up in Jewawo’s and Yudhi’s car, and stopped at a carpark in front of somekind of factory outlet. Just as we got off the car, several local salesmen approached us offering stuffs, like jewellery, gemblong, grilled corn, etc. I guess they must’ve shocked Chris a lot, coz all the way down Chris looked scared of his handycam and just wanna outta that place as soon as possible….. huehehehehe he’s just not used to the pedagang kaki lima…. So after 3 pineapples and several Sekoteng for the girls, we came back to the villa and prepared for bed.
For your information, it’s only 3 bedrooms villa, so we had to order 1 extra bed, and several pillows and blankets. There were 6 girls in the main bedroom, 3 girls in the other, and 3 boys in the last. (Don’t ask me how we arrange the beds! :p) Ooppss…. That’s only 12….. poor Chris and Vic had to sleep outside on the extra bed and a ‘folded bed’ alias kasur lipat…hohohoho….
God of gracious and merciful
Thank you for another day closer to your Son’s second coming
Thank you that you’ve sent Jesus to this world
To take away our sin and die for us
So that we may be reborn and know that our hope is true
Thank you for this privilege as your people
Please help us to be the ambassador of Christ
Grant us the strength and courage
To bring your words to other people
So that they may also be saved as you’ve saved us
Lord, we also want to thank you for today
That you’ve created an opportunity for our friend
God, we’ve done what we could
Realizing how much powerful and merciful you are
Now we’re leaving this things in your hand
Please help her to understand your words
Please change her heart and mind
To lead her life that is pleasing to you
And now we say this things in Jesus’ name
Amen.
Everybody must’ve heard the story of David vs Goliath… Goliath the champion of the Phillistines, a very big and strong man, was about to fight the champion of Israelites. Saul as the king of Israelites should be the one who fight Goliath. But David, instead of Saul, just an ordinary shepherd boy, came to the front and defeated Goliath just with 5 stones! David was successful because he depended on God. While the Israelites depended on this king to bring upon their victory.
Nowadays, many ppl associate themselves as David, who depends on God and with the 5 stones of faith,love,hope,or whatever it is, will be able to overcome any obstacles with God’s help.
However, after Focus Team yesterday, the whole idea seems to be disrupted. David was associated with Jesus, both were anointed as the King, both were appointed by God, both were from the Judah tribe, David defeated Goliath and Jesus defeated Satan.
If that so, we shouldn’t associate ourselves as David, coz we’re not worthy to be associated as Jesus! We should be the Israelites, who depend on their king. Nonetheless, the Israelites at that time asked for a king who can represent them, which basically rejecting God as their king. Well… if we apply that story, we are Israelites who depend on their king, but basically rejecting God?
hahahaha…. I know that we shouldn’t just take the story straightly like that, i think it’s not like that at all… Can we make another story, that is we substitute the king = Jesus who is God himself, so we are the Israelites who depend on the king Jesus, who is God himself, so we’re not rejecting God, but implicably depend on God?
Hohohoho…. seems good?? 
Few days ago, I had another kind of conversation with my another bestfriend (as u all can expected ^^). Anyway, he’s one of my bestfriend and he’s not the one that i talked about below.
A lil bit abt him: he’s a new Christian too, his family’s background is Buddhist, and he goes to one of the church in UTS Tower (i think it’s a Bethany church, but i’m not sure). I was really really joyful and thankful to God when he became Xn, coz at least there’s one non-Pelita friend that I can talk to abt Xnity. So when we had the conversation few days ago, i was glad that i can discuss abt Xnity with my bestfriend. We had an argument on predestination, coz he thinks that God cannot work on man unless that man decide to willing to know God more. While from the church camp we know that we desire God because He desires us first. I didn’t point any Bible verses to him, coz i forgot what the verses from church camp.
However, there’s some main different points. He said that in his church, the ability to speak in tongue is emphasised. At first i didn’t understand what,why,and how speak in tongue is important. So i asked him to explain, and as he explained to me, it seems that it’s less and less Biblical. There are also some things that i’ve never heard before from the Bible, about the devil cannot hear if we speak in tongue to God, how prayer,speak in tongue and fasting can show that we really mean in our faith. Okay, i admit that i’ve heard something abt fasting, but i’ve never heard of the emphasise of fasting if we really need something from God as an additional to prayer. Correct me if i’m wrong.
I was really happy when he became Xn. But now i feel very sorrowful that he’d heard the wrong message of gospel. In the beginning of CBS today they showed a movie abt someone from AFES (i forgot who) who decided to leave his old charismatic church because of the emphasise of speak in tongue, which he thought is not biblical. The very first second they showed the movie, i immediately thought abt my bestfriend whose church also put emphasise on speak in tongue. Moreover, Galatians 1:1-10, as Grimmo said in CBS, very clearly accurse those who distort and turn away the gospel. My friend is in great danger.
I’m planning to show some Bible verses to him to think about. Or maybe i can have a lil bit conversation or read the Bible together. But as soon as I told Chenny about that, she said don’t. We’re not allowed to have 1-1 bible study accross the gender. My heart is really really really fall down to the deepest. Not because that i’m not allowed to do bible reading together, no, i believe that Chenny has a reason for that, but because of the unable-ness of myself to directly tell the him the truth. i don’t have the authority. i’m useless. well…except prayer. but i just can’t sit there and do nothing, my bestfriend is really really in danger and i need to tell him as soon as possible. Chenny told me that probably my bro who knows my friend also can tell him that he’s wrong. But my bro doesn’t really know him well as i do, will he willing to talk freely to my bro as he talk to me??
Okay, i was joyful that my bestfriend became a Xn. But i’m in a great distressed that he got the wrong message of gospel. And i’m unable to tell him the truth. That’s even worse.
However, the Qs that are hanging in my mind rite now are more practical Qs. I mean my most basic Q is: How can we tell ppl abt the gospel? And the following Qs are just the practical things abt that.
As you all may know, the mission weeks that had just happened @ uni really really brought out my enthusiastic. And thanks God too that i have the opportunities to talk to some of my friends abt Christianity, although I might not be a good speaker of the gospel, and i haven’t tell them all that i want to say. Sometimes you just forgot what you should say to ur non-Xn friends, then when you remember, you’ll say,"Ohhh crap…. I should’ve said this or that to them!"
Few weeks before the mission weeks started, 3 words that kept hanging in my mind : Teach the gospel. Believe it or not. But when the time came, it’s not as easy as I thought. The non-Xn just won’t accept or understand what we’re saying abt Christianity. I also have to explain that their belief are wrong, but it’s not easy for somebody to change his/her belief in an instant. For example, what should we say to an agnostic person who believe there’s a higher power but it’s not God and just wanna live their own life? I was completely speechless at that time, coz i know before i tell them abt Jesus, i have to tell them abt the existence of God first, but i just don’t know how coz they won’t believe me!
All of my friends that I’ve talked to, they all believe that if they’re just be a good and moral person, they’ll be okay with God. To be honest, before talking to them i’ve never known what it’s meant "going to heaven by our own good deeds", coz i’ve never thought of that before i was a Xn, and after i became Xn i just don’t know what it means. But after talking to my friends and listening to what they belief, now i understand what it means, and it’s just soooo wrong! What God wants is perfection, and so far since creation there’s only 1 person who is perfect : Jesus. We’ll never be able to meet God’s standard. Then the question come : how can i tell them that fact?
All my-other-more-mature-Christian said that whatever we try to say to the non-Xn, it’s ultimately God that will change their heart. I know that’s very true. although i explain to them all my life and all my strength and all my soul, they still won’t understand unless God himself make them understand. But to what extent should we stop explaining and let God decide? And oh, don’t forget to pray ^^. Do we have to just sitting there, pray, and let them (or God) alone discover God’s Word? Lina said that, if we have told them abt the gospel, that’s it, our role is finished. the next thing we must do is pray, and let God works. And Chris mentioned that prayer is a powerful tool ^^;
Despite of that all difficulties, i really enjoy and filled with enthusiasm when i discuss these things with my friend. And when they understand, although just a lil bit of what i was saying, my heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving! One day I asked my friend, of what role did he think Jesus had so that the whole Bible is talking abt him. And he answered,"Errr…. takes away our sin??" with full of doubt. And i knew that i have to explain since the very beginning, and i started to talk abt creation, man fall into sin, receive death and judgement, and Jesus came to save us, which is basically 2 Ways To Live!
Well… he didn’t understand at that time, until I told him to read 1 Tim. 2:5, there’s one God, one mediator Jesus Christ, who is the ransom for all. He’s interested in "ransom for ALL". he said,"is this means that Jesus had saved ALL of mankind? So why there’re still good ppl non-Xn go to hell and Xn go to heaven?" And i said that it’s true that Jesus had saved all of us, that’s in the past and nothing can change that.But that doesn’t mean that everybody NOW believe in Jesus. the real main issue is in present time, where some people still don’t believe that Jesus had saved them, and completely ignor Him. so there’re like 2 choices for us : believe and be saved, or not believe and be judged.
When i finished talking, he paused a little bit, and said, "Oohhh… okay…now i get your point." And immediately i said in my heart, "AMEN, PRAISE THE LORD!!!" Finally he understand one point that i raised! Although i know that my job hasn’t done yet, but i really grateful and joyful at that time….
This makes me want to still tell ppl God’s Word!
As i’ve said before, Pelita Q&A Night was really really good, it seems that the most common questions abt Christianity asked by non-Xn were answered there, such as:
How do we know God exist? How do we know the Bible is reliable? If God is good, why there are still suffering in this world? What’re the differences b/w Christian and other religions? (this turns out to be very veryy veryyyyyy different); Why do Xn go to church everyweek?
Why did God create mankind knowing that they’ll Fall into sin? Why did God put the tree of knowledge on the 1st place? What can we do to inherit eternal life? I think i’m good/moral enough, i’ve never done something wrong, then why do i still go to hell?
Etc etc…..
Sometimes i’ve never had a thought on these kind of Q’s, and they made me wondering too what’re the answers would be. so hearing the answers from Charles, Sam, and Chris really satisfy my curiosity and making me more amazed of God’s grace toward us. furthermore, now i know how to answer those kind of Q’s if there’s somebody asking me again ^0^
Anybody want to know the answers? Anybody looking for FREEDOM?? Ask me how!!(hopefully i still can remember….hehehehehe) :D:D:D:D:D
Yeahh…. Q&A Night was really really good, even without the presence of both of my friends…. But still…… I really really want them to come, coz Charles, Sam, and Chris really explain the basic what Christianity is all about, and I want them to hear that……. Now that job is coming back to me…. ^^
Anyway….thanks for Chris, Chenny, Lina and Rusmin for the encouragements…. It’s really great to have someone to back you up…. hehehehe….
Special thanks for Arnold, i’ve read your email to me thru Chenny, might consider that book ^0^ thanks for the encouragement too…. ^0^
Pelita guys you rocksss!!! :D:D:D:D:D
