Small Spaces, Big Changes: A Week of Reflection and Resilience

IofC Indonesia Weekly Update #9

Rumah Damai is slowly getting busy again. The voices come from the kitchen used by my family and me, and also from Meir who is warming up the atmosphere once more. In the middle of cooking, Meir stopped for a moment because we were going to have a meeting. Yes, we have a class and meeting room located right in the kitchen. The kitchen used by Meir is different from the one used by my family and me.

Initially, we felt embarrassed. Why are the class and meeting room in the kitchen? But over time, we enjoyed it. As if we were Steve Jobs starting Apple in a garage, we also started all ideas and change processes from the kitchen. It is true, every time we discuss planning the sustainability strategy for IofC in this kitchen meeting room, it feels like a manifestation that always finds an answer afterwards. It is truly magical. That happens because we work and try, and God sees it! So, if we can be very productive, those ideas come from the kitchen which is also the classroom at Rumah Damai.

(Regular Sunday gathering in the kitchen, sharing moments of connection and togetherness)

As usual, every Monday morning I start the day by teaching a class at Rumah Damai until noon. Then, in the afternoon, it is followed by the IofC strategy meeting. We discuss important matters, especially regarding the sustainability of this movement in the future, such as designing training services for companies and schools, curriculum development, creating merchandise, improving the donation system, discussing team personnel and their well-being, and much more.

This week did not go very well because one of our team members fell ill. The illness requires significant support, so we decided to visit her. The location is very far from Rumah Damai so we had to take an online taxi, followed by an elf minibus, a horse-drawn carriage, and walk. The total travel time on the road took about four hours.

Nevertheless, we were happy to visit and to get to know her family. We were served delicious dishes. The serene village atmosphere reminded us that peace is very important and must always be maintained. We remembered the war situations currently happening in various countries out there. In Indonesia, there is no direct war, but this country still harbors various complex problems. Injustice happens everywhere and corruption is becoming increasingly out of control. The people are finding it harder because government policies are felt to not side with the citizens.

(A visit to Ninis, the Coordinator of the TBP program, and a chance to meet her family)

Along the way to the house of Ninis (the sick team member), we reflected, what is wrong with this country? The people struggle so much to live and try to survive in very difficult ways, while the government does not build a good system to make their lives better. This makes us quite frustrated, but at the same time it acts as a trigger to keep our fighting spirit alive! We want to invite more people to make a change starting from ourselves.

On the way home, we took a short break for lunch. Suddenly Natalia called and informed us that she was at Chanaya and she invited us to join a Dream Journaling workshop there, while also discussing the collaboration plan between IofC and Chanaya that I had mentioned previously.

We hurried home, changed clothes, and then went to Chanaya where Natalia and Clarine were already welcoming us. This time, besides Huda and me, Riri, Najwa and Meir also joined. We shared stories and got to know each other. After that, we had a Quiet Time because Clarine was so curious. "What exactly is Quiet Time? Why do you mention it so often and make it the start of a new life after practicing it?" she asked.  I immediately led a Quiet Time session for inner listening, then we shared and listened to each other. Because the place we did this Quiet Time was very conducive, namely at Clarine's Reading House in Chanaya which was quiet with only the sound of insects heard, our silence became deeper and more serene. We shared stories in tears because we were all very grateful for that moment.

(Practicing quiet time at Chanaya)

The event did not end there. After the sharing session, we continued the discussion and met Natalia's family. This was an important moment. Previously, Natalia's family was very worried if Natalia interacted too much with us, considering we are from the Javanese ethnic group and Natalia is of Chinese-Makassar descent, which in historical records has quite a dark past and often breeds prejudice. However, after we got to know each other, the atmosphere became relaxed and warm. We were welcomed well by Natalia's family and we interacted and talked more closely so we could understand each other, and so that wall of prejudice slowly crumbled.

On the following day, even though we actually still needed more rest time after visiting Ninis and doing activities at Chanaya, we had to leave very early in the morning for Babussalam School. We delivered materials on emotional regulation and internship preparation for the high school students. Thankfully, everything went smoothly and was fun and after that, we finally went home and rested.

(Internship preparation training for high school students at Babussalam School)

Hopefully, all that has been done will become good deeds and can provide a real impact for our country! Even though it sometimes feels frustrating, we must keep hoping. As long as there is God, everything will be fine!

Thank you for reading. Wait for our next update, because we will lead a session at Chanaya with their employees to practice Quiet Time and inner listening, and visit the Jodamo office to prepare for the next training!

If you are interested in being a part of our journey and want to provide support, please send your support via email to indonesia@iofc.org, or channel your donation to IofC Indonesia by contacting Pipit.

Salam Damai!

Writer : Nenden Prawira

Editor and translation: Ari Budi Santosa

Proofreader : Peter Heyes