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Frontier (WCF) >>Articles to front page >>Linkages 2002
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LONG AND EXHAUSTING JOURNEY Eventough I was already on the way to Timor Leste (formerly known as East Timor or Timor Timur), doubts still filled my heart. I kept questioning myself, "is it the right decision? Do I choose the correct way?" and honestly, I didn't enjoy the journey. Those rumors really distracted my mind and my mood. Not to mention the long and exhausting journey I had to face. Fifteen hours from Bandung to Surabaya by train, continued with ship from Tanjung Perak port (Surabaya) to Kupang about 27 hours, and one more day from Kupang to Los Palos, Timor Leste. [July 27,2002] We started the journey by ship from Tanjung Perak port, Surabaya. I'm not a kind of person who can sit quietly for more than an hour. In my hometown, I always move here and there, doing lots of stuffs, and to be pushed to sit still in ship for hours and surrounded by water, geez.. felt like hell for me. I was extremely bored, exhausted and at that time I was so sure that my decision to go to Timor Leste was a big mistake. To kill the boredom, I made myself busy by sending sms to lot of friends, and hoped to receive supports, but.. I didn't…. the reply of my sms were.. " Okke, please come back in one piece.." or.. "what? To Timor Timur? Are you nuts?" and some other sms sounded like that. Whatta great support I have, NOT! Damn.. I was so afraid…. Didn't you know that guys? In Benoa port, Bali, 2002 East Timor Youth Camp's participants from Korea, Japan and Germany got in to the ship. May be because my mood was already dropped, I couldn't act friendly to them. I'm so sorry….. Well, If only I could turn back time, I would be more friendly… uhm, well.. promise, next year if I join the camp again I'll do so…. [July 28, 2002] I started to interact with other participants, not much….. and I still wondered when will I saw ground again! Thanks God, finally at night, the ship departed to Kupang's port. The participants from Kupang picked us up. [July 29, 2002 until July 30, 2002] We stayed in Wisma YAO (Yayasan Alpha Omega), to adapt to each other, had a general briefing about each villages' life ; seven villages in Lautem area - Los Palos, Somoxo, Tutuala, Ililapa, Sica, Daudere, Baduro and two villages in Oecussi area - Abane and Oesitakeno. Then decided who's going to where. I was placed in Los Palos, I have no idea about Los Palos, completely clueless, what appeared in my mind was just a place full of Barbarians (silly thought, wasn't it?). In Los Palos team there were : Well, I didn't interact too much with my team, coz suddenly I got terrible headache, so I only got out my room to say "hi!" and recognize my team members faces, and went back to my room, took my medicine and slept for a while. There was holy sacrament few hours before we left Kupang to border. In the noon, Pastor Song Kang Ho asked Indonesian participants to prepare all the things, from bread to wine, from liturgy to prayer. Br.Yotam Wakum led the liturgy, Sr. Ria Radja Haba went shopping the needs for holy sacrament. And since I'm not a person who liked to perform in front of public (I'm always nervous to be in the crowd!hehe..), I just helped Sr. Ria prepared the bread and wine. The service served in two languages, Korean and translated in to English by Sr. Seara Moon. One thing that Br. Song said had knocked my heart ( and I always carried it in my mind during my stay in Los Palos)
Chosen ones…. Twice I heard that words.I felt like God tried to remind me.I should be more grateful, and be happy, coz He has chose me! Then the holy sacrament began, while three singers sang Ubi Caritas over and over again. Ubi caritas et amor ubi caritas Deus Ibi est. (Living charity and steadfast love, Living charity shows the heart of God) At that moment, I promised myself to do the best I can to serve all the people in Los Palos, and I hoped so much that His love can be shown through me. We left Kupang to Los Palos after midnite, like I said before, It took a day to get to Los Palos. OMG! Another long journey, but I tried to enjoy. And somehow someway, I enjoyed, tired? Yes… bored? Not anymore. I saw many things, refugees' camp (Frits, thanks for show me that) which conditions were so pathetic. After we passed Motaain ,the border (after having a little argumentation with officer in charge - gak asik lu orangnya!), I didn't feel tired anymore, coz… the scenery made me want to scream. It's beautiful, a long the way to Dilli, we can see beach…. The virgin beach, white sanded ones. In the bus, from Dilli to Los Palos, I sat with Sang Gag Opa, he's nice, he gave me greenish blue blanket that almost all Korean participants have (first I thought they prepared buying the blankets for this camp, but later… heheh.. I saw the Cathay Pacific logo in those blankets… uhm! Alright! Okay, I'm not gonna tell anyone!) ^^ We arrived in Imanuel Church, Los Palos by midnite, and felt so cold. I had hypothermia….. My body trembled badly. Gosh, what's now? What happened to my health? Thanks God, it didn't go too long, a few minutes later I could sleep well. Welcome to Los Palos, Okke! |
