I guess being part of the sfcers is one of the biggest happenings in my life. I never imagined we would do all this things we're doing now. I thought we'd be going thru this CLP Seminar and that's the end of it. There still a long way to go till we all graduate into Couples. This two weekend lang, we've been to CLP4 Graduation in Asean Secretariat, CFC Indonesian Chapter 9th Anniversary, and Love Night at Macesar's. I'll try to glue everything I had xeroxed in mind in the coming paragraph.

1. Singles For Christ - Christian Life Program Graduation Ceremony, Asean Secretariat 3 October 1999 10:00 - 21:00

Sunday morning after nine o' clock French mass in Pejompongan, John and I cut short the usual bavarde (chat) and went straight away to Asean. I enjoyed the morning sun as we sped down the street. When we reached Asean, this Guy Rusman and Imelda were the earliest bird.

I greeted them and they told me we could not enter the Asean office since it was fumigated earlier that morning. So we chitchatted in the parking lot while people kept coming. Christian arrived and greeted us a Bonjour. Then before long he was excited at giving us a short lecture on Indonesian economic and politic and how it all rooted to ourselves. How the reformation that's taking place should originate from our own moral drive cause we are all part of the old Systems. I remember Evelin and Francis also arrived in while, so I just hinted them a Hi. They were sitting at the stairs waiting. I took a glance at my wristwatch, It was almost 10:30. "I think we better go in now, come hell or high water." I said. All agreed, so up we went to the stair. The autodoor opened at the sense of our coming. We passed through the hall straight to the auditorium ignoring the faint smell that still hung in the air. More singles were clamoring in. I let them have their news to catch up or just to shoot their breeze. We had a short prayer meeting before we get the fire started. Bro. Ed was leading the prayer. Soon after, I excused myself from the team and looked for my members and Lulu Gelacio's, since the latter has been assigned under my care by Lulu via phone the night before.

So, I finally managed to get these members and their facilitators to group together. We sat on one of the couches under that flag of stairs. Christian was exhilarated. Yossi came in forgetting the copies of lyrics she promised us so that I had to run down to the Asean library to get a copy for everybody. We practiced several times till we get the right tune of the song "Lord of the dance." Then we choreographed the dance steps. Everybody cooperated willingly though some new members were quite shy. Chandra Wijaya was playing the guitar. Talk about lacking of guitarist. We got all the ichiban players. Other groups were also practicing their presentation in the meantime. Some grouped upstairs and some in other sections of the building.

Soon afterwards, the CLP talk resumed. We preceded all the participants to return to their seats. Concurrently, some of the service team were practicing choir songs in the lobby. As the time progressed, Lusi, after a confirming exhortation, wrapped her talk "Transformation in Christ" with a warm immaculate smile and a big relief. Bro. Theo came in front and invited us to read the SFC covenant together. All were proceeding with quite of solemnity.

The next big thing is the graduation ceremony. We had everyone to come in front to receive their graduation kit and awarded the silver pin to all the perfect attendees. The song "Welcome to the family" were cajoling our eardrum as we walk down the aisle to congratulate and welcome everybody into la Casa Grande (the big family) of CFC Singles for Christ. We had a couple of other songs and praises. Everybody was high and exhilarated. When "Shine Jesus Shine" was sung. Bro. Raul was whistling hie ghetto to do the distinguished Rap from the right stage. Dat'was cool ya know.

As the weather calmed down, we were preparing for the Lord's day ceremony. Theo and Sully was leading the prayer. Bread and wine were distributed. After the Lord's day, we say grace to bless the food in front of us and help our self with the dinner. It was quite a lump sum, all "4 sehat 5 sempurna" good for physical and spiritual nourishment. It's like a big party where everyone exchanged jokes and laughter.

After the dinner, we gather again in the Auditorium. The moment we'd been waiting for. The new participants were going to give their presentations.

The first group went upstage. Bebi was one of them. They were doing a dance to the song of "Tuhan adalah Kekuatanku." The most memorable sight is when they crossed their palms to imitate the flying eagle as the lyrics went "&ku kan terbang tinggi& bagai rajawali& "

Audience gave a standing ovation while the second group was preparing for their presentation. The second presentation was a skit. A subgroup went upstage to the background music of Ricky Martin's "La vida loca" maiming for drunkard, drug addict, and disco-freak. They termed that subgroup as "group under influence of devil." All at once, the music stopped and one of this MIB (men in black) fell down overkilled of too much fun. The gospel song set in "Lord Jesus we enthrone you." I remember seeing this tall skinny young lady with her camarades all dressed in tight white pants. OK, I got her name, Vivian. A while ago, the same damsel was giving a witness on how she was entrapped in one of the classroom in atmajaya, while soldiers were breaking in with rifles and teargas. She recounted how she was unable to move at the boisterous foray but her heart recited the lord's prayer incessantly. But she was able to escape the jeopardy unscathed though broken window glass and debris rained down on her in one corner of the room. It was an instant prayer answered. Then grace to the wonderful power of prayer, she was able to be onstage there holding the big cross, to big for her tiny lil hands and a Bible emanating an awesome display of religious holiness. Termed as "the SFC/CLP Group" They held down on the right stage doing some Bible discussion as the third grouped rushed in. The 3^rd group was termed as "Bingung" for "Dazed and discombobulated"

This 3^rd group saw the fun of the first group and joined them. Been there, seen it, done that, but found no happiness in temporal fun, they turned their heads to the 2^nd group wherein they rediscovered friendship, trust, and mutual concern. At this point they were giving up the 1^st group and turn their hearts to stick with the new group where they truly found happiness, drew strength, and gave themselves to others. Gradually, this group came to the 1^st group and led them into the 2^nd group helping the to discern the will of the Lord and to repent from their wrongdoings. One of the group member, Marina wrapped up the skit by grabbing a bottle of sprite blatantly parroting the TV ad "Kutau yang Kumau" I know what I wanted. And that's not all. They still give another presentation. Song and dance to "It's I who made the community."

The audience was so thrilled to the skit, laughter and ovation was filling up the atmosphere. Raymond was so hysteric that we had to perform hysterectomy on him. Just kidding. Soon as they walked down the stage, I proceed to the stage to help position the mics for the third presentation. Christian, Yossi, and others were lined up on the stage. Holding the mic, Christian sang at his beau-voix "The Lord of the dance." It was so funny they swing and shakes stopped abruptly like the penguin dance. They stooped forward and made a curtsy as the ended up the song.

And it was quite late then. After the long and winding filipino good-byes they all departed. We, the service team left slightly afterwards doing our recap for the day and a short prayer to go us home. Congratz to all ye Sfcers Asean 2^nd.

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por:anton_xie@yahoo.com