Carla Monteiro
Stella Maris Atapupu Parish Churc
Atambua Diocese, Timor, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province
“I was unexpectedly invited to join this IYD 2016 in Manado , replacing candidate who happened to cancel the trip,” said Carla who joined with 45 members from Atambua Diocese, the most nearest region of Indonesian territory with its neighbor Timor Leste.
“It was for the first time for me that I get to know all participants from Atambua Diocese in a very short time, before we finally left for Manado. But within days, I was then used to be familiar with other members of the group,” she added.
Living with the local family in Manado is something extraordinary to happen.” It is also for the first time for me to experience to live in with different ethnic people in a family in Manado,” she concluded.
Andreas Yoga Setiadi
Pekalongan St. Peter’s Parish Church, Purwokerto Diocese, Central Java
“BEING different is a grace. In Manado, I am really experiencing this special characteristic of Indonesian society. I am getting to know each other among Purwokerto’s mission only four months before our departure to Manado. But it is within weeks during our preparatory meetings with all members of the group, that I personally experienced the ‘beauty’ of being different from one another within the same social society.
“Pluralistic society is the greatest grace fro God to be granted to Indonesia. I am experiencing this on being together within a local family in Bitung, some 20 km from the downtown of Manado.”
Theresia Iin Indrayani
Samarinda Archdiocese, East Kalimantan Province
“IT is the second time I join the Indonesian Youth Day. The 1st Indonesian Youth Day happened in 2012 in Sanggau, West Kalimantan Province and now it is the 2nd IYD is now taking place in Manado, North Sulawesi Province.”
“Unlike in Manado where I am experiencing the ‘live in’ program in the city’s downtown, in Sanggau’s ist IYD last 2012 and together with the whole entourage from Samarinda, I was brought to a very far location with distance almost 10-hour long trip into the deep remote area in West Kalimatan. But all our fatigue was worthy with the hospitality of local native Dayak people who welcome us with some sorts of traditional ritual dances in showing how they were happy to welcome guests from ‘foreign’ regions.”
“It was very surprising to us to learn that this native tribal people enjoy the weekly mass only once or twice in a year and it is very rare to meet other different ethnic people from other region to come to their community.”
“In Manado, I am experiencing the same thing but in a very different way. Faith is something very real to experience if you meet people and you are well treated as like brothers and sisters. And two times IYD has really confirmed me that ‘faith is experiencing the goodness of other people’.”
Christian Rahayan
Holy Cross Cathedral Parish Church, Agats-Asmat Diocese, Papua
‘It is really long journey to go on a sailing trip from Agats to Manado within five-day long voyage together with other missions from Merauke Diocese, Amboina Diocese. But our physical fatigue was worthy as during this long sailing trip we could generate friendship and a sense of togetherness with other IYD missions from two different dioceses. We could make friends with other members of the delegate in the ship’s deck as daily masses were performed in the deck. This huge ship is worth of at least 900 people on board.”
Christel Sindy Luly
St. Theresia Mayalayang Parish, Manado
“I joined the 1st IYD in Sanggau, West Kalimantan Province, in 2012 as a member of Manado’s mission. I was really impressed with the hospitality of the local people during my ‘live in’ with a local native Dayak family –far away from the city’s downtown.”
“It was something extraordinary happening to me as an urban girl living in Manado — the provincial city of North Sulawesi– and then should be adaptive with a new social environment with a local native Dayak people in Sanggau. I was happy as soon as I could adapt myself with this new social environment. I had to take bath in a local river –something that I could never imagine in my life as an urban girl but I could finally have it done perfectly.“
“When I told all my memorable experiences to my parents, they were emotionally motivated and became enthusiastically excited to accept any IYD participants from any diocese to stay in our house. And to anybody’s surprise at home, my family was told to have ‘visitor’ from Kinabalu Archdiocese, iMalaysia. And I am now so happy to extend my personal experience during my the 1st IYD in Sanggau to Felicia, one member of Kinabalu archdiocese, who is staying with us to stay us during this 2nd IYD.”
Adma Rante Bone
Makassar Archdiocese, South Sulawesi Province
“I was totally nervous when we all arrived very late in Manado but my fatigue very quickly disappears to experience the warm welcome from my fellow catholic young people in Manado. Their hospitality is genuine; not only in the airport, but also during all roads that our group should go through until we arrived at the families where to stay.”
Mrs. Felicitas
St. Ignatius Parish, Manado
‘I joined this IYD 2016 behind the scene as a part of fund-raising team. This fund-raising team was first introduced almost a year ago. I am really happy to join the group to assist the organizing committee to make fund-raising program.”
“Some ‘miracles’ is happening during this IYD as the following ‘evidences’ such as:
- No rain or even one single drop happens during the official opening ceremony and mass as thousands of participants marched into a parade walking through main roads from KONI open-air field to Klabat sport stadium, despite thick cloud and heavy rains happened earlier in the same day. I could not imagine what would like to happen in that special day, if rains drop as thousands of people parade and attend the opening mass in in open air.
Felicitas dari Paroki St. Ignatius Manado. - Only one day before the opening session in the main venue in Lotta, the final roof construction of the Emmanuel Amphitheatre of the Catholic Youth Center was finally done perfectly. If only this main building as the main venue is not yet completed, it is once again questioned what will happen to IYD if their main building has not yet got roofs and it rains. Totally chaotic situation.
- The last but not least, miracles are real and are happening in IYD 2016 in Manado.”
Photo credit: Mathias Hariyadi/Sesawi.Net
