Sr. Ma. Rosario, FMM

Off to Indonesia
My first mission was Indonesia, the country next to my motherland, the Philippines. I left home for this mission exactly a month after the mission- sending ceremony held at Baclaran Church, on 7, 1979, more than 10 years ago.

God’s Plan is Different
As a missionary I have always wanted to work with the less fortunate of my brothers and sisters but I acquired a job which encloses me with in four walls. At times I feel rather disappointed, but I have to accept it with strong faith. While I had to planned help build the Kingdom through direct service to the poor, God’s plan for me seemed to be otherwise. God has His owns ways and they are beyond human comprehensions.

Haunted by the Cry of the poor
After our General Chapter in 1984, I become restless again, as one of the orientation was: the preferential option of the poor. From then on, however busy I was with my endless paperwork, the cry of the poor kept haunting me. Eventually, sometime in January, 1988, I took the initiative and the courage to speak out my earnest longings to my superior and to my community: that I be allowed to visit the poor families, at least two afternoons each week

Credit Union
My work at the secretariat does not allow me to work in the parish, as that would entail a regular working schedule, so I gladly welcomed and give consideration that I start with credit Union. Originally this had almost fifty members, but most of them have transferred residence. Some had gone back to their “desa” (village) and some to the outskirt of Jakarta. The exodus began in 1983 when the widening of the roads and the building of toll- roads started.

Shanty Towns
At present I can reach twenty families only, some of whom lives in shanties by the railroad, some near dirty canals and some in low frequently-flooded areas. This small number was quiet good to start with, as I found out that sometimes in one afternoon I could visit just one or two families, defending on the distance and location of their homes. I it worth mentioning that the traffic in Jakarta is as busy and as jammed as in Manila.

Among the few poor families whom I visit is the family of Mr. and Mrs. Frans Yan- not their real name though a real Indonesian name. They have five children, the eldest and the youngest of whom are girls, aged nineteen and six, respectively.

Very Poor
They have a meager means of livelihood. Mr. Frans is a minicar driver and Mrs. Frans is a housekeeper who works in the sewing factory, in the ironing section; she does not know how to sew. Work at the factory is not regular, for it depends  on the market demand.

Lost Job
Before “Lebaran”, the feast celebrated at the end of the Muslim fast., last year, Mr. Frans was sick for several days and lost his job. Since then, I only once in a while has he got help  from a friend who has lent him his “bajaj” (minicar) for a few hours, like he himself used to do so before to help others.

They Share a Store
For some months he went around hoping against hope that he would find a job. Unfortunately he did not succeed so I offered to help them put up a “warung” (kiosk, stall), a very simple one. For them that help was as much appreciated opportunity to get by. In the kiosk they sell fried banana, “ubi” (camote), “tahu” (Chinese cake of soya flour), and other daily necessities of life, like tea, coffee, sugar in all small packages. Mrs. Frans is quiet creative in cooking, and besides she is “ramah” (kind and welcoming). This enables her to sell almost everything that she prepares daily.

Floors
They have a very poor dwelling, one- room house situated near a dirty two- meter-wide canal. During the dry season the dirt and the foul smell are not nuisance to them, but during the rainy season when the canal overflows and the dirty water gets into the house, one can imagine their living conditions.

Joyful and Peaceful
What touches me most about this family is their attitudes towards others. In spite of their difficult and convenient life, they remain warm and welcoming, joyful and peaceful. Another thing is their readiness to go out of their way to be of help to others.

I Thank the Lord
My experience working with our less fortunate sisters and brothers has been very limited, but we have helped each other grow in our life of faith. There simple way of life has enabled me to interpret and evaluate the life which I have given up freely to God for the sake of His Kingdom. I thank the good Lord for innumerable experiences of His love through these, His “little ones” for sustaining me and remaining ever so close to me especially in times of trouble and need.