Carpe Diem

cerita yang sebetulnya sudah berlansung 10 bulan, tapi perlu untuk diceritain. dulu di gereja yang lama, saya emang “pastoring” the youth walaupun tanpa ada embel-embel youth pastor. Motto jaman itu adalah yang penting fungsi daripada posisi. Maklum Gen-X jaman akhir, jiwa rebelious yang kental ditambah tertanam dalam gereja pantekosta yang kaya tradisi dan tua membuat posisi dan titel mustahil didapatkan diusia belia. Tapi fungsi tetap berjalan, menggembalakan anak-anak muda pernah menjadi panggilan paling pertama yang saya jalankan. Dulu pernah ada yang kasih tahu saya begini, “gembala itu tugasnya cuma tiga, pertama kasih makan yang bener, rumput hijau jangan yang udah kuning-kuning udah mau mati. kedua jaga kawanan dari serangan binatang buas, ajaran-ajaran sesat, api asing, dan lain-lain. Terakhir kalo ada yang kabur, cari dan bawa balik. Hanya bermodal kalimat itu saya menjalankan fungsi itu dengan sukacita dan bercucuran airmata karena suka disangka haus kuasa.

Nah cerita bermula ketika tengah tahun 2021, I received a call and there’s an offer (an offer not an order) for me and Rika to pastor our church in Singapore. We were selected because … I don’t know and I don’t want to know, because that’s not important. What’s important to me is God fulfilling His calling to me 8 years ago. This is essential not because it’s answering my dream but because now I know I didn’t hear it wrongly when I moved here in 2013. This is not to prove that I was right, no it’s not about me. This is essential because I have proof of my God is the living God, He speaks and I can hear Him. So I and Rika prayed for this offer, and this is what we got: We were prepared for the work, and we were called to establish a training ground not for us but for the next generation. The picture we got is the Church in Singapore will send people everywhere to strengthen and train disciples everywhere around the world. So with the answer (or what we believe is the answer) and lots of faith, we said YES. So I arrived here in Singapore on Jan 1st 2022, at 9am on new year’s day. New year, a new adventure, new Church, new house, new life, speaking of resolutions huh. There are tonnes of miracles that have happened since we said yes; the visa, the house we rented, the church, the leaders, tonnes of God’s grace and favor. The best part is that it’s not the end, it’s still happening. His favour and His grace are here over us and over you too.

lewat satu bulan di Singapore, saya menyimpulkan pada diri sendiri that I am a youth pastor once again haha I thought I am gonna be a lead pastor here, but I think I handle more family and young professionals back in Bandung. Sebagian besar dari jemaat IFGF SG sekarang adalah students, sebagian kecil (yang tidak kecil juga jumlahnya) adalah young proffesionals dan young families. Saya tidak hanya menggembalakan yang youth tentu saja haha, tapi karya Tuhan atas rencanaNya itu luar biasa, Luar biasa karena ternyata Tuhan itu very intentional, ga ada hal yang terjadi dalam kehidupan kita yang luput dari rencanaNYA. Semua hal telah dirancang olehNYA sedemikan rupa. yang perlu kita lakukan hanya TAAT. sekarang saya ngerti kenapa dulu saya jatuh cinta pada anak-anak muda dan melayani di tengah-tengah mereka. Saya bisa liat gambaran besarnya (baru) sekarang, tapi Tuhan udah liat itu dari sejak dulu dan DIA mempersiapkan segala sesuatunya jauh-jauh hari. I am amazed.

After 10 months here in Singapore, leading a very vibrant and strong church, IFGF Singapore, all I can say is I am grateful for everything. I must say, after ten months here, I can see God revealing His purposes one by one, from one miracle to another, from one testimony to another, from one soul to another. This post is dedicated to those who are struggling to live their life purpose and feel stuck. You’re not stuck; you just discovered there’s a wall in that pathway. Find another pathway. The path might change, the way might change, but His purposes for you will not change. Be faithful in the little things; there will come a time when you will no longer be little. blessings!