My Life in Melbourne (Part 5)

Udah hampir 18 bulan tinggal di Melbourne and so far belum pernah balik ke Indo. Kangen or home-sick sama Jakarta sih pasti.. But I know that Melbourne is my home now and aku harus bisa belajar untuk bersyukur di mana pun Tuhan tempatkan aku untuk tinggal saat ini. Aku juga bersyukur karena selama + 18 bulan ini udah banyak banget pengalaman suka-duka yang aku alamin bersama Tuhan and bersama suami.. Mulai dari pernikahan kami, pindahan rumah, bisa punya pengalaman kerja plus bisa sekolah juga di Melbourne, kenal banyak orang-orang baru, punya gereja lokal baru, dan juga kejadian misscarriage (keguguran) yang gak bakal terlupakan.. Through every season, God is so faithful to us!

Another exciting thing yang terjadi di awal bulan June ini, God added a new member in our family and in our house :) Her name is Stefanny, dia salah satu anak binaan aku dulu waktu di Indo dan dia dapet kesempatan untuk tinggal di Aussie selama 1 tahun (working holiday visa). Seneng banget rasanya bisa punya temen dari Indo yang dateng ke sini, and we treat her as our family member, as our little sister and our "daughter" in Christ, hehe..

She has stayed with us for almost 2 weeks, and please pray so she can get a job soon. Becoming her host jadi bikin aku inget pengalaman aku dulu waktu tinggal 1 tahun di Amrik with my host family.. what a precious experience.. Who knows nanti after Stefanny, ada anak muda lainnya lagi yang bakal Tuhan kirimin ke sini to stay with us.. Hayo, siapa yang mo ke sini? :p

Marriage life is also wonderful.. Meskipun banyak ups and downs nya kayak roller-coaster (haha..) tapi seru, and makin hari malah makin tambah sayang rasanya (uhuy!) But tetep terus support kami dalam doa ya, supaya pernikahan kami bisa terus menjadi berkat buat orang lain. Doain juga supaya aku bisa cepet lulus sekolah nih (udah gak sabar pengen cepet2 selesai rasanya, haha..)

Oya satu hal lagi yang bikin excited di bulan ini.. Hillsong Conference 2015!! Impian aku dari dulu yang soon bakal jadi kenyataan, hehe.. I will post about it later, ok :)

I miss you so much, Indonesia! I will see you in December! xoxo

My Life in Melbourne (Part 2)

Talk about Melbourne pasti ga jauh-jauh dari yang namanya kuliner and coffee :p Apalagi Melbourne is a very multi-cultural country.. makanan dari segala macem negara juga ada deh kayaknya di sini, hehe.. Lately (terutama pas winter, bawaannya jadi laper terus, haha..) aku and DM lagi demen nyobain makan di tempat-tempat yang belom pernah kita cobain sebelumnya :) Kita punya once a week date, biasanya di hari Sabtu or Minggu untuk hunting makanan di luar.. Trus dari Senen-Jumat, ya masak and makan lagi di rumah sambil ngumpulin duit lagi, haha.. LOL

Beside makanan Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, dll...) or makanan barat (pizza, pasta, brunch, steak, dll...) yang udah sering kita makan, kita juga sempet nyobain makanan Afghanistan sama makanan Ethiopia (namanya misionaris kan harus bisa makan makanan semua negara ya, wkwkwk..) and I think it's very interesting :) Masih ada beberapa makanan negara lain lagi yang pengen kita cobain, but belom kesampean, hehe..

Afghanistan food

Ethiopian food

Ok, udah cukup ya soal makanan.. Sekarang kita beralih ke soal makanan rohani, haha.. I've been reading a book (together with the church members di sini) called "The Christian Atheist" by Craig Groeschel. It's a very good book! And buku ini udah jadi temen aku selama aku lagi di bus or di train, hehe.. So buat kalian yang belom pernah baca, kudu hunting and beli buku ini.. *jadi promosi* :p

Ada satu statement di buku ini yang aku suka banget, dia bilang gini:

There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. And there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. Love is not something God does. It is who God is. And because of who he is, God loves you... 

WOW!

So, sekian dulu ya the story about my life in Melbourne.. udah harus masuk dapur nih :p Kapan-kapan baru dilanjutin lagi (gak tau kapan, hehe..) And buat kalian yang ada di Indonesia, jangan lupa 2 hari lagi pemilu, ikut ambil suara.. jangan golput, and sama-sama berdoa supaya semuanya berjalan lancar dan aman (gak ada keributan dsb.) Aku udah ikut pemilu di sini hari Sabtu yang lalu (tgl 5 July) and seneng banget karena ada bazaar makanan Indonesia (aku beli pempek, sate padang, nasi goreng kambing, soto mie, risoles, tempe mendoan, siomay, lupa diri deh, hahaha..) DM udah gak bisa ikut vote karena dia udah citizen Australia, but kayaknya dia malah yang lebih semangat ngikutin berita tentang capres.. LOL! Meskipun saat ini kita ada di Melbourne, but.. yes.. we love Indonesia!!! :)

2 hari lagi...
*salam 2 jari* (^o^)v

My last days in Indo...

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!!!

Ini kayaknya merupakan awal tahun yang paling sibuk sepanjang sejarah aku hidup, hahaha.. *lebay.com* Sibuk packing barang buat pindahan tepatnya, sama sibuk spend time sama orang-orang, farewell dsb.. Pindahan kali ini bener-bener luar biasa rasanya, karena pindahnya for good, and buat married juga, jadi barang yang mo dibawa tuh rasanya segunung, wkwkwk.. Selain barang sehari-hari, barang buat rumah tangga, aku juga harus bawa baju penganten, barang2 buat wedding dll.. But so far so good, udah 90 % beres deh.. fiuhh.. :p

Aku berangkat ke Melbourne besok, hari Selasa malem.. and tiba di sana hari Rabu pagi (akhirnya.. no more LDR! Yay! *poke DM*) But pindah kali ini beda rasanya sama kayak dulu waktu mo ke Amrik.. Kalo dulu, sedih juga, but karena ke sana cuma buat setaon jadi gak terlalu berasa :p Kali ini, berasa banget, haha.. Terutama pas perpisahan sama JKI Galilea (gereja lokalku) kemarin.. soalnya aku udah bergereja di sini dari sejak taon 1998 (almost 16 years!) jadi baru kali ini aku bakal pindah gereja lokal.. but Galilea sih bakal tetep terus ada di hati, wkwkwk.. Jadi kemaren aku khotbah terakhir di ibadah Minggu, abis itu kita (terutama ceweq-ceweq) pada peluk-pelukan and nangis-nangisan gak jelas, haha.. Cowoq-cowoqnya cuma sibuk video-in and foto-in kita.. LOL! Trus siangnya kita lunch bareng and dapet special gift from our beloved Pastor (Thanks PJ!) Dapet banyak gifts juga dari beberapa yang lain.. Thanks everyone! *gak bisa disebutin satu per satu* hehe.. Love you all, Galileans! ^^

Sedih perpisahan sama anak-anak Little Candles juga.. But namanya anak-anak, mereka masih belom terlalu ngerti yang namanya perpisahan, haha.. Mereka cuma bisa nanya.. "Memangnya ci Cella mau pergi ke mana?" "Trus kapan pulangnya?" "Ngapain di sana?" "Hah? Ci Cella gak balik lagi?" and segudang pertanyaan lainnya, wkwkwk.. Love them! So precious.. :)

Semalem juga sempet farewell dinner sama beberapa temen R4J.. Ini juga komunitas aku dari SMA yang masih awet sampe sekarang :p Cuma bisa bilang THANK YOU buat kebersamaannya selama ini.. Thanks for all the love and friendship! Feel so blessed to know you all, wonderful people.. *hugs*

Bulan lalu, aku juga udah farewell sama anak-anak murid aku di Kampung Kandang, and sama guru-guru yang ngajar di sana.. Meskipun aku baru ngajar di sini kurang dari setaon, but udah sayang banget sama anak-anaknya :'( Bener-bener bersyukur bisa dapet kesempatan untuk invest banyak hal ke hidup anak-anak ini.. May God bless them and use their lives! Amen!

Beberapa hari yang lalu juga sempet lunch meeting terakhir sama anak-anak binaan Wanita Bijak.. (cuma minus Novi gak bisa ikut karena lagi sakit) Kita udah jalanin pembinaan ini sekitar setaon lebih.. gak nyangka bisa lanjut terus and bener-bener bisa kenal sama mereka semua :) Wow.. love you all, ladies! Perjumpaan kita gak pernah ada yang kebetulan ya.. Keep in touch!

Masih banyak lagi orang-orang yang gak bisa aku sebutin satu per satu, and yang gak ada fotonya, hehe.. Thank you juga buat Selvia and Tini yang sempet dateng ke rumah buat doain aku :) Buat semua temen and family yang udah gave their times cuma buat ketemu aku di hari-hari terakhir ini, hehe.. Buat semua gifts and money that you have spent to bless my life.. I'm overwhelmed by all your love! Bahkan sampe hari ini, haha.. Thanks buat semua doanya (termasuk buat para bloggers and readers yang udah support me and DM in prayer) Pokoknya, aku bener-bener grateful buat semua relationship yang ada dalam hidup aku.. I am a rich woman! Bukan karena materi, but because I have you all in my life :)

So, anggep aja ini post terakhir aku sebelum aku berangkat.. Next, aku bakal mulai nge-post blog dari Melbourne, hihi.. Please keep us in your prayer, terutama buat our wedding di sana tanggal 8 Feb :) Berdoa supaya ada mujizat Tuhan dalam pernikahan kami, sama seperti pernikahan di Kana.. Amin!

THANK YOU once again! Blessings to you all...

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

- Philippians 1:3-6

17 Days in Melbourne...

Hi all... I'm back!!! :D

Dari tanggal 14-31 Mei kemaren aku ada di Melbourne.. Ngapain aja?! Yang pasti tujuan aku ke sana, buat ketemu DM (my fiance), trus buat ministry juga (seneng banget bisa dapet kesempatan melayani para single ladies di sana, hehe..) and then buat holiday alias jalan-jalan juga, karena aku belom pernah ke sana sama sekali.. It was my first time :)

Weather di sana lagi dingin banget, padahal baru autumn.. Tiap hari musti pake baju berlapis-lapis, haha.. But thanks God tiap kali pas kita lagi mo jalan-jalan, apalagi pas aku and DM mo foto pre-wedding (outdoor) cuacanya tuh cerah banget! God is good.. but sorry, foto pre-wedding nya di-umpetin dulu ya.. hihi.. ntar pasti bakal di-publish kalo udah waktunya :p

Aku gak bisa cerita panjang-panjang dulu hari ini, masih rada teler (jetlag kali ya..) jadi aku post foto-foto aja deh ya.. aku bisa cerita lewat foto juga koq, wkwkwk.. Enjoy!

*****

First, about my ministry di sana.. aku diminta untuk bawain seminar di Eve Ministry Gathering (di MPC, gerejanya DM) tentang S.H.E (Single. Happy. Excellent) dari jam 10 am - 2 pm gitu deh, and seru banget :) Trus di hari lainnya, aku sempet dinner meeting juga sama beberapa single ladies.. Love them!! And we had a great food as well, wkwkwk..

2nd, foto beberapa tempat yang sempet kita kunjungin.. masih banyak yang belom kesampean cos waktunya terbatas, but tenang aja.. taon depan juga balik lagi, hihi.. Ini foto-foto di Great Ocean Road (12 Apostles), trus foto di city, port Melbourne sama di Mt. Dandenong (feeding the birds).. :)

3rd, seneng banget pastinya bisa ketemu DM lagi after LDR sekitar 5 bulan :) And dia sempet ajak aku lunch date di satu resto yang unik, aku blom pernah liat restoran yang kayak gini soalnya, haha.. Montsalvat namanya.. what a nice place.. and after eating, kita bisa jalan-jalan di belakangnya gitu.. ada garden, old buildings, dll.. But yang bikin tempat ini berkesan, of course karena our quality time and conversation that we have shared together in this place :) Thanks DM!

 So... yah... sekarang aku udah balik ke Jakarta lagi... and we have to continue our LDR for the next 4 months... (^^')~ Udah LDR sesi ke berapa nih ya?! wkwkwk...

Last but not least, I'm so grateful bisa dapet kesempatan to bless this city and this country.. In God, nothing is impossible.. Anyway, akhirnya jadi panjang juga nih ceritanya ya, hahaha.. but I'm excited to see what God is going to do next in the future.. not easy.. will face lots of challenges.. but I know I'm not alone.. God is with me.. And His grace is enough for me.. for us :)

Flat Stanley Visits Cambodia

Okay.. let me continue my story..

After visiting Vietnam, we took about 6 hours by bus from Saigon, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.. We did a city tour and then went to another city called Siem Reap to see the most famous temple and the largest one in Cambodia called Angkor Wat.. Actually, we also went to some historical places in Phnom Penh, but sorry I didn't take a picture over there.. I think it's too dangerous and scary for the kids..

Anyway, we only spent about 3 days in Cambodia, but I really had a great time :)

Independence Monument, Phnom Penh

Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Met some new friends in Angkor Wat.. haha..

Their public transportation called "Tuk-tuk"

Beside the city tour, I also joined Marcella to do children ministry in a place called Kampung Chnang.. wow, there are so many kids live in there.. We gave them food, milk, snack and also vitamin :)

I have Cambodian friends.. yay! :D

Last thing that you have to know.. There are so many exotic food in Cambodia.. I'm not brave enough to try those food.. I even didn't want to touch them, haha.. but at least, I could take a picture with them :p

Fried Spiders

You wanna try? :p

Fried Cockroaches

Fried Crickets

Ok, I think this is the end of my story.. we went back to Vietnam by bus, stayed about 2 more days in Vietnam and then went back to Jakarta.. I really enjoyed this 10 days trip :) Now, I have to go back to my home town in Ohio, USA and share this story to them.. Hope I will see you again next time, Marcella.. God bless you! ^^

With Love,

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley Visits Vietnam

Hi... Flat Stanley is back! :)

Last year I came to Indonesia and Marcella took me to so many places in her city, Jakarta. You can read my previous story here:

Flat Stanley Visits Indonesia

http://marcellaflaorenzia.blogspot.com/2012/01/flat-stanley-visits-indonesia.html

This time, The Schneider's family sent me to Indonesia again.. but Marcella had another idea.. She took me to travel with her to 2 different countries, to Vietnam and Cambodia! We spent about 10 days (January 15-24, 2013) and I really had a great experience :)

Few days before traveling, she dressed me up first with a Vietnamese dress and also their flag :)

Do I look handsome? :D

So, the first day, we went to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) city in Vietnam from Jakarta by plane. Here is my ticket :p

And I had Vietnamese noodle, called Pho, as my first meal in Vietnam.. yummy.. :)

There are so many beautiful places in Vietnam.. and also historical places.. I learned a lot about their history..

Reunification Palace, Saigon

Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon

We also went by plane to another city called Hanoi (the capital of Vietnam). We did a city tour and took a cruise to one of the most famous places in Vietnam called Ha Long Bay.. it's so beautiful!! I love it!

Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi

One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi

Temple of Literature, Hanoi

Ha Long Bay

The Cave in Ha Long Bay

We also went to another city called My Tho and to some shopping area.. I also took pictures with some Vietnamese people, hehe..

Traditional boat in My Tho :)

Ben Thanh Market, Saigon (oopss.. can you see me? LOL!)

Our Vietnamese Tour Guide

Vietnamese ladies with their traditional dresses :)

Marcella's Vietnamese friends.. They love me, hehe..

From Vietnam, we went to Cambodia by bus.. I will continue my story about Cambodia in the next post :) to be continued...