I am going back!

It is with great joy that I announce that I am returning to Indonesia early next month!

Since returning from my trip in April, I have processed about God's powerful healing and intervention in my life while I was there.  I am changed.  Following much prayer and consultation with my spiritual director, pastor, close friends and family, I have discerned that I am to return.  As an official guest of the Bishops' Conference in the Diocese of Maumere on Flores Island, I will again be spending the Fall semester volunteering at the SVD/Divine Word Missionary seminary on Flores Island, experiencing the universal Catholic Church from a Southeastern Asian perspective, visiting local parishes in nearby villages, and practicing English conversation with the community there.  I couldn't be more excited!


While there, I will continue discerning God's will and call for my future and and excited to learn His will for the next phase.  I am surrendered to Him as never before in my Life.

"Here I am, Lord.  Send me!"  --Isaiah 6:8

If you're interested, have a listen to this great song that speaks to some of my hopes for this trip:  Let them See You by JJ Weeks Band

May God continue to bless you and your families and friends.

In His Love,

Joan

Tony Melendez

As I followed the news of the recent canonizations in Rome of now-Saints John Paul II and John XXIII, I saw Tony Melendez perform and reflect on the time he sang for St. John Paul II. See: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Man-With-No-Arms-Plays-Guitar-With-Feet-at-Catholic-Service-256794331.html

And that reminded me of a seminarian in the English Course taught by Fr. Augustine Senda, SVD.   And so, just now, I was facebook messaging with Tony about it and he asked me to send the story to him.  And I sent this to him:

I recently returned from a 2-month trip to Indonesia. As a volunteer, my job was to help seminarians and newly-ordained priests and others practice their conversational English -- with a native English speaker -- before being sent worldwide as missionaries. Their order is the Divine Word Missionaries. 

Indonesians LOVE to sing, and do so from birth. Many of them are very musical -- sing, play guitar, keyboard, midi, and sing in 4-part harmony easily. So we shared a lot of songs in English as another way of practicing. One day, one of the seminarians --Argus -- asked me to sing one of your songs with him. It was one I didn't know. So he sang it -- impromtpu. I just wanted  to thank you for that moment, and for blessing that seminarian. Under God's grace and the movement of the Holy Spirit, your music has made it around the world, even to a remote part of a developing country in southeast Asia. Blessings to you and your beautiful family and ministry. Praise God from who all blessings flow.

Joannie the Island Girl/Queen of Sheba
www.songsoflife.co
www.inourmidst.net

Mosquito Netting

"Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known." 1 Cor 13:12

I've been thinking about mosquito netting.  Every afternoon and evening in  Indonesia I entered the safety of a mosquito nettinged-bed for rest and protection from mosquitos and other UFOs and creatures of nature in my room.

The mosquito-netting formed a barrier that provided effective protection when I chose to use it (which was 98% of the time) -- much like God's love and mercy.  The netting was flowing and free-form; permeable, not rigid -- also like God.   When I exercised my free will to get inside the netting, there I was safe from bugs and mosquitos -- like living in God's will protects us.  And from there, I could see, albeit indistinctly, all that I needed to see.

For me, the mosquito netting became a kind of a chapel; a sanctuary, if you will, even a kind of tabernacle where I encountered the presence of Jesus, sought his protection and care, where he came to meet me very afternoon, where I sought communion with him and would pray my (mostly) daily rosary in the quiet of siesta time.

The mosquito netting was there when I needed it, like God.  It was even there when I, in my free will, decided not to enter into it...again, like God.   There I learned I could seek and receive comfort from the harsh temperatures and sun, safe from the plentiful mosquitoes seeking my body's blood and putting me ever at risk for malaria.

As humans, we can pick and choose...to enter into the love and protection of God's will, or not.  

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

God,  please forgive me for the times I have chosen to stay outside of your protection.  Thank you for giving me free will.  Please help me to choose you, over and over again.  And thank you for protecting me from harm while I was in Indonesia.

Eat, Pray, Love: Karen & Joannie do Bali

Two American sisters meet in South Asia!

When I was planning my trip to Indonesia, and before I had decided to go, my sister posted on Facebook that she was going to Singapore for a business conference.  I noted that she would be in Singapore at the same time I was in Indonesia, quite near to Jakarta.  That info factored into my decision to go to Indonesia as I could see the hand of God bringing us together on the other side of the world.  We agreed to meet in Bali, almost halfway between Singapore and easy Flores island.

With the help of my new friends in Indonesia, I made a reservation to stay one day alone in Bali near the airport.  During this time I went shopping with the locals at a Galleria Mall and went on my first-ever motorbike ride!

Then I met Karen's international flight, and we headed off to our reservations in the town of Ubud, Bali at the Sri Bungalows.  The It was about a 60-90 minute drive through neighborhoods of Hindu monuments, colors and culture.

In Ubud we enjoyed the beauty of the bungalows surrounding a beautiful rice field and each others' company.  Having only 2 days in Bali, we relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere and only as much sightseeing as we wanted.  It was quite relaxed and each decision about our activities was made at the spur of each moment.

It was quite hot outdoors for we northerners.  For meals, which were all open-air, we would arrive hot and sticky, and within 5 minutes would cool down thanks to the shade and ceiling fans.   Unlike at the seminary, both hotels in Bali were air-conditioned -- a nice treat for me :-).  On the last day, we treated ourselves by hiring a driver to take us around to a few sites.  At the Hindu palace, we jumped out of the air-conditioned car, took a picture, and then back into the cool if the car!  We did the same at the Monkey Forest and at the famous Kuta beach.  At Kuts were surrounded by very aggressive vendors offering to sell us many things for "cheap, Missus". 

More stories to tell, but suffice it to say we had a great time, good visit, and are already planning our return once we win the lottery!

Can you imagine?

"Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love Him."  1 Cor. 2:9

Imagine. Can we really imagine what God has ready for those who love Him?  Scripture tells us we cannot even fathom what God has ready for us if we but love Him.  Our human minds are amazingly made:  even so, God is so big that not even our most brilliant minds, even those of the Saints, can imagine.

This is my reflection this morning, Ash Wednesday, 2014.  I am sitting in a large, open-air meeting room in Ledalero known as the Veranda. Like any meeting room, it is filed with chairs and a few tables.  But some of the chairs are comfy, large, sturdy wooden arm chairs with rattan seats and backs.   The room has a tiled floor and four large windows with floor-length light blue curtains and white sheers.  One of the six walls in the room is made of concrete formed into a pattern that allows air and light to pass between the inside and outside.  The best "wall" of all is only maybe 2 feet tall, creating a large open space above where outside and inside become one.  Through it I see a plethora of palm trees, various fruit trees and the flowers for which the Portuguese named this island of Flores.

I have chosen this spot this morning as the place to read some professional articles written by an SVD priest here at the seminary who has a Doctorate in Catholic Liturgy.  He has asked me to read these articles which he, a native Indonesian,  has written in English, and to make suggestions about English grammar, writing style, and flow.

Can you imagine?  A PhD in liturgy has asked little old me to review articles he has written and to help him with the English, my first language.  As you may know, I love liturgy.  Imagine my delight to be reading about his research on rites of Christian initiation as celebrated in combination with ancient tribal traditions in eastern Indonesia! Similarly, I have been asked to attend newly-created English conversation groups for seminary professors, Catholic SVD priests who have Masters or Doctoral degrees and who want to improve their conversational English (pronunciation, grammar, context, etc.).  What humility these men have.  And how humble I feel! 

Can you imagine?  I can scarcely imagine that, when I said, "Here I am, Lord, send me", God would send me to a) INDONESIA, and b) help holy priests improve their English skills!  And not only that, but also to help the newly-ordained priests with masters degrees who are about to be sent around the world to spread the Good News (missionaries), as well as seminarians, seminary staff members, and professors!  All I can say is wow.

Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.  Send me.

And send me He did!  I pray that this Lent, we may all strive to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to grow in holiness.  Lord, help us to become saints.

I can only imagine

Eye Has Not Seen, sung by the seminary choir in Indonesia

Holy Bats, Man?!

What a wonderful week I had!  As I mentioned in my last post, I accompanied 2 vans full of priests on a 7-hour drive to a retreat house in Mataloko, a village in the western part of Flores.  There the priests had 3 days of provincial leadership meetings.  I was invited to go and explore that part of the island while they were meeting;  one English-speaking priest, Pater Anton (Tony), was assigned to be my sightseeing guide for the week.  Fr. Paul told me I would be taken care of while here, and he was right!  The SVDs have been so thoughtful and kind to me since I arrived.  Blessed be God!

Along the way, we stopped at SVD parishes for bathroom breaks or lunch.  At one, the SVD parish priest and our Pater Alfons posed for a photo with some of the Catholic school children.  There are many Catholic elementary and high schools here on Flores!

In kilometers/miles, the trip should take a much shorter time than 7 hours.  However, the road is a constant zig-zag.  I understand that, 10 years ago, the trip took even longer because the road was not yet built with asphalt like it is today.

Tony and I were provided with a driver.  One day we drove about 30 minutes west of the site of the meeting to Bena, a traditional village that has been maintained as a historical reserve to show the old way of life...tiki-like primitive structures arranged in a large circle with a community gathering space in the center. There is something to be said for community life like that!  Today, the advent of paved roads has caused many villages to be divided, and other villagers have been incented by the government to live nearer to the roadside, instead of further from the road, and to operate small kiosks where they offer things for sale like fresh fruits and vegetables, boiled corn (cooked over a wooden fire), peanuts, cigarettes and bottled water. 

At Bena, the government requires that the people who work in the village also live in the village, to maintain the authenticity.  And so they do.  Most are farmers who also weave and sell sarongs and belts to tourists.  Not that there is a high volume of tourists in this part of the island of Flores!

On the way there, we stopped at a site that offers a stunning panoramic view of the mountains that surround us. I was overtaken by the majesty and power and love of God. I literally couldn't stand...had to sit.  And there I sat speechless, dumb-founded by God's marvelous creation.  I had a very holy experience of the magnitude of God's love for us, for me.  It was powerful.

At Bena, I watched a demonstration of hand-weaving and purchased a handmade sarong to honor the woman who made it.  Her name was Angelica, her husband is Philipus, and their toddler son's name is Angelo.

Then we drove 4 hours northwest, on a crazy road that was 65% deteriorated,  to a town that is not even on the map called Riung, on the northern coast of the island.  There the SVDs own and operate a small hotel (revenue stream for the order).  We spent the night, then got up early the next morning for an excursion on a motor boat.  We went to the small Bat island where, from the safety of the boat, we saw zillions of large bats flying all over.  From there, we went to an uninhabited, undeveloped island with a pristine white sand beach.  The water was completely clear, and appeared to be azure blue in places where no vegetation was growing on the sea bottom.  We swam for a couple of hours during which God spoke to me about His love for me, and his desire for me to trust Him in new and deeper ways.

The Indonesians on the island of Flores are predominantly Catholic, unlike the rest of Indonesia.  They are happy, funny, and seem to take life in stride, for the most part. The SVDs take a siesta every afternoon and 2 social coffee breaks during the day.  So I am learning to slow down, be patient, and enjoy.

There are some refugees from a volcano eruption 6 months ago living in the nearby town of Maumere. The issue of human trafficking is alive and real here, and the Church is involved in addressing the above as well as helping people out of domestic violence situations.

That's all for now.  It's time to get into my bed, protected by the mosquito netting.  6:15 a.m. Mass comes early!

Here is a link to some photos from my trip.  I tried to add them here but was unable to publish the post with them.  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wdwq58xttjiflx5/gihY4xK_yx

Love and prayers,

Joan

How Did I End Up in Indonesia?

Some of you have asked to know the story of how I ended up on this marvelous adventure.  So here you go!

Last fall, when my time of otium sanctum (holy leisure) began, I said to God: "Here I am Lord, send me".  In other words, I am a blank canvas.  Use me as you will for your purposes.

My pastor, Fr. Paul Kahan, SVD, is from Indonesia.  On his trip home last fall, he and a fellow SVD were talking about the seminary he attended and the need they have to help Indonesians become more fluent in speaking English.  They discussed having a native English speaker come to Indonesia for this purpose, maybe sometime in the next year or two.

Fast forward to early January.  I cantored at a memorial Mass for a Ugandan at St. Rita.  Although most of the music was in English  I was moved by the native 2 songs they sang.  I was also touched by the love of the Africans now living in the Dallas/FTW area, and by the life story of the man who died.

For several years now. Since learning there are now more Catholics in the southern hemisphere than in the northern, I have wanted to travel to Africa to experience the Church in the southern hemisphere, and where there are many conversions taking place.  After the Ugandan memorial Mass, I was discussing my desire with Fr. Paul rather animatedly and he started telling me where there are SVDs working in Africa.  Then he said the words that were to change my life: "Why don't you go to Indonesia?".

I impulsively said "okay".  Then I spent about a week praying, researching & talking to trusted advisors.  All the pieces fell into place and I said my fiat to God:  Yes, Lord, be it done unto me according to your will.   I felt peace about going and began my preparations.  Once I said my "yes", my friends, family and I practically stood back and watched in amazement as God orchestrated the many details.  They seemed to all just fall into place! 1 month later I headed to the airport bound for Indonesia! 

Blessed be God.