Sacrament of Confirmation (23 Nov 2024)

Richie has completed the Catechism program, culminating in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through this, he has been affirmed as an adult Catholic, ready to embark on his spiritual journey.

This is not the end of the road but the beginning of a deeper encounter with God.

The Archbishop reminded us that to evangelize and share the goodness of God, we must first encounter Him ourselves. He shared three key ways we can experience this encounter:

1. Through Life’s Crises
   In moments of great struggle, when our faith feels small, we often turn to God and surrender to Him. It is during these times of collapse that God finds us again. However, without a firm foundation of faith, some may lose their way when challenges persist.

2. Through God’s Grace and Mercy
   Just as Paul and Peter were called by God in ways they could never have imagined, we too can encounter Him through His unmerited grace and mercy, transforming our lives in extraordinary ways.

3. Through Evangelization
   Hearing others share the goodness of God can spark curiosity and a desire to know Him more deeply.

This is just the beginning. Life is not always a bed of roses, and challenges will come. That is why we need God. To trust Him, we must build an intimate relationship with Him—knowing His heart, His character, and His faithfulness, even when His plans remain a mystery to us.

First school trip to Cambodia (17 - 21 Nov 2024)

This was Richie’s first time traveling overseas without us. He joined his school’s trip to Cambodia, spending 5 days and 4 nights there.

It was a wonderful experience, especially meeting students from a local school in Cambodia. He also got to learn traditional dances, create local arts and crafts, and visit the genocide museum.

We sent him off at the airport early Sunday morning and welcomed him back on Thursday afternoon.

We thank God for His protection, provision, and for keeping Richie in good health throughout the trip.

Happy 15th Birthday Richie !

Richie’s birthday coincided with the first day of his year-end exams, so he wasn’t really in the mood to celebrate. We decided to keep it simple with a quick dinner at Pizza Hut in the neighborhood and plan a proper celebration after his exams.

Over the past few weeks, Richie has shown a remarkable change in his attitude toward studying. He’s been working hard to prepare for his exams, and no matter the results, Mama and Papa will always be proud of him and love him for who he is.

What matters most is his positive attitude toward learning, as it will shape how he faces future challenges.

Happy Blessed Birthday, Richie!

May God bless you abundantly, guide your path with wisdom, and may the Holy Spirit always be with you.

May you find love and the desire to serve Him, putting Him first in all that you do!

Love you, Mama and Papa

First and One Life Time Experience - Papal Mass

Last Thursday, September 12, 2024, was a truly memorable day for our family.

By God's grace, we had the incredible privilege of attending the Papal Mass. Papa and me even had the honor of serving during the Mass—papa as a Communion Minister and I was as an Altar Server.

Being just a few meters away from the Pope, especially witnessing him bless the little children and people with disabilities, was an emotional experience for me. I couldn't hold back my tears.

I felt the profound, unconditional love of God and witnessed the essence of what humanity truly needs.

Attending the Papal Mass felt like a glimpse of Heaven, with God on His throne, surrounded by Angels and Saints, while the rest of us worshipped Him. In that moment, there was no judgment based on race or worldly success; we were all equal in God's eyes.

Though we couldn't choose our seats, we embraced our place with deep gratitude.

Much like in Jesus' time, people came for various reasons—to see the Pope up close, some for selfies to share on social media, others to experience God's love more intimately. Only God truly knows each person's heart.

For my family and me, while we did hope to capture a close-up picture with the Pope as a keepsake, the real gift was the love and joy we experienced there.

One key message that we will always remember is:

"Without love, all are nothing."

First coaching activity

Richie is an outgoing person who has leadership charism.

He's willing to try new things and teach others. So this opportunity came after he joined self development camp program by I'm gifted.

He voluntarily joined coach training and got selected to be junior coach for the self development program for upper primary  school during first week of holiday.

He woke up early in the morning took bus and need to be ready around 7.30am and went back home around 10 pm for 5 days.

He loved it and very passionate about it. Well done Richie !

 

Sacrament of confirmation retreat

After coming back from holiday in Bali and Labuan Bajo, he had a full week retreat in Church.

The first 3 days was for altar's servers retreat and the last 3 days was for Sacrament of Confirmation retreat.

On day 3, he fell sick and stayed at home for 2 nights before continuing the retreat.

He gained a lot of things spiritually especially gift of tongues during outpouring of the Holy Spirit and he wanted to join music ministry after Sacrament of Confirmation.

Hopefully, he grew up to be a man who loves God first and more than anything in this world and may God bless and guide His Path always till the rest of his time.

Summer holiday Labuan bajo day 4 (June 2024)

Our last day at Labuan Bajo.

Papa and mama woke up at 5am and did a little hiking at Bukit Sylvia to watch sunrise.

It's amazing to see the bird's eyes view of Labuan Bajo.

After that, we went to airport and bought some souvenirs along the way and mama bought tenun vest as momento.

Thank you Bajo for the warm hospitality and incredible views, you will be in my heart.