True Knowledge | Faith in Christ | Godly Character
14th Edition/2009
contents Editorial Team
14th Edition/2009
PUBLISHER Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan
3 Perseverance By Brian Cox 4 Perseverance: Shackleton’s Amazing Antarctic Survival By Dan Fennell 6 Student Testimony: “I will not stop believing in God!” 7 Student Testimony: Persevering Through Pain 8 The Ed.D.: A Long and Winding Road By Geoffrey Marriott 10 Anecdotes of Endurance By Bruce R. Comrie 11 Perseverance in Sport By Jason Myers 12 Goodbye Gall Bladder .... (Part 2) By Maureen Cox 14 ”What is this Hope?” By Terry Davis
ADVISOR Brian Cox, Aileen H. Riady MANAGING DIRECTOR Hana Herawati EDITOR & TRANSLATOR Budi Alto, Anita Purwanti, Maureen Cox GRAPHIC DESIGNER Iwan Werlin PHOTOGRAPHER Hariyanto, Clifford, Andreas, Jonathan Mauer
Address 2500 Bulevar Palem Raya, Lippo Village Tangerang 15811, Banten Phone: (021) 546 0232-33 Fax: (021) 546 9663 www.sph.edu
15 Preschool Adjustment By Rachel Lee 16 Times on the Anvil By Tiurida Hutabarat 18 My Dad By Vionita Tong 19 Beginnings By Elise Toedt 20 The Road Less Traveled By Michael Sianipar 22 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) 23 SPH helped me grow By Jessica Adelaide Gusti 24 Robin Hood & Maid Marian 26 World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China 30 Book Corner
Bulan Bahasa November 2009
COVER
: Alexander Maxim Orlov
(K1, SPH Lippo Village) LOCATION
: SPH Lippo Village
PHOTOGRAPHER : Hariyanto
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regular
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Perseverance Our theme “Through Hardship to Hope” is based on Romans 5:1-6 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
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UR special focus for this edition of “Light” is perseverance or endurance. Firstly note that this concept of perseverance is located in the middle of Paul’s roadmap: … Rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God … Rejoicing in sufferings … … Which produces perseverance … … Which develops character … … Which brings us to hope … So we can see that perseverance arises FROM hope and brings us TO hope. Focusing on this concept of perseverance in isolation could be dangerous; dangerous because it could be so easily seen as something that we simply need to summon up courage to do; one of those positive thinking self-help things. 1 2
Matthew 6:33 Micah 6:8
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Ecclesiastes 12:13 Charles Haddon Spurgeon
When Benjamin Franklin said, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” How correct was he? Or another leader, Calvin Coolidge who said, “nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not … Genius will not … Education will not … Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” So, people like this who tell us that we must “press on”–are they correct? Well, partly … everything needs context. Certainly the positive thinking idea that you can do all things if only you persevere is not what Paul means in his letter to the Romans. Some Christians claim a Biblical warrant for these positive thinking ideas, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me ….” The context is all important. Paul is talking about the fact that he does not need to rely upon any circumstance or situation in order to preach the Gospel; all he requires is the strength of Christ. So we must conclude that the object or purpose of perseverance is critical.
will it be found in pursuing our own selfish goals. True fulfillment is found in seeking first His kingdom1, in pursuing justice and mercy and walking humbly before God2 and in fearing and obeying Him3.
A little known quote, by a great theologian4: “By perseverance the snail reached the ark sums things up well. The snail had to persevere more than the leopard to reach the ark; but the snail persevered because it was responding to the call of God”. Our perseverance needs to be focused on the same “Caller” who alone can set us worthwhile goals. Blessings, Brian Cox
The belief that we can do anything we set our mind to is just plain wrong. It is a new age mantra and arises from selfishness. God alone is able to do anything (Matthew 19:26); we are not. Phrases like that take the focus off God and onto ourselves. Not all ambition is sinful. Without ambition and struggle against the odds, we would never have had electricity, airplanes, computers and all sorts of other technologies. We may never have had some of Beethoven’s music or Monet’s art. But, “I can do anything” is not Godly. Self-fulfillment is not the purpose of life. Nor
Brian Cox
Head of School Pelita Harapan Lippo Village Coordinator of Pelita Harapan Schools
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Perseverance: Shackleton’s Amazing Antarctic Survival By Dan Fennell
In August 1914, as World War One engulfed Europe, the explorers sailed from England on a ship aptly named “Endurance”. They sailed to Buenos Aries and then onto South Georgia Island through the Weddell Sea.
Dan Fennell
Biblical Foundations Coordinator Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Village
Have you ever been cold? I mean really cold! Imagine being trapped in Antarctic ice for six hundred and thirty four days. For twenty one months, from morning to midnight, you are frozen! That was Sir Ernest Shackleton’s experience.
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RNEST Shackleton was an Irish polar explorer. His family’s motto was “Fortitudine Vincimus”–‘By Endurance We Conquer.’ The Shackleton family prized perseverance as a great virtue. In 1914 Shackleton advertised for volunteers to join the first overland crossing of the Antarctic. His appeal was designed to recruit only the most dedicated men. “Men wanted for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” Would you have volunteered? Thousands did, but only twenty seven men were chosen. (A twenty eighth joined later as a stowaway).
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On reaching Grytuiken Whaling Station the men received disturbing reports. Ice had moved farther north than usual. Undaunted, they set sail again on December 5 and headed for the Antarctic coast. Shackleton had calculated the crossing would take one hundred and twenty days however, on January 19 1915, forty five days after leaving the whaling station, the ice closed around the ‘Endurance’. They were stuck in frozen seas sixty miles from the Antarctic continent. Using picks and saws the men tried to free their ship from the ice. With sails set and the engine on full power, they moved only thirty centimetres. Their second attempt was equally ineffective. Though they worked till midnight the ship moved just fifty metres. Eighty one days into their journey they resigned themselves to wintering on board. The “Endurance” was imprisoned in snow and ice. High winds increased the ice pressure. Two ice flows jammed the ship’s sides while a third ripped off its rudder.
been cast out into a white wilderness that might well prove to be our tomb.”1 Shackleton’s dream of crossing the southern ice continent had died. His mission now was to save the men who had joined him on the journey. He said, “I pray God I can manage to get the whole party to civilization.” 2 Imagine it is your ship that has been crushed in the Antarctic ice. You have only four weeks supply of food remaining and you cannot contact the outside world. What would you do? Shackleton decided to march with his men across hundreds of kilometres of ice pulling their lifeboats on sleds. Their circumstances were dire but Shackleton knew his duty was to inspire.
On October 26 1915, as the ship was slowly crushed, Frank Hurley, the expedition photographer, wrote in his journal: “The ship groans and quivers, windows splinter, whilst the deck timbers gape and twist. Amid these profound and overwhelming forces, we are the absolute embodiment of helpless futility.” Frank Worsely, the ship’s captain, recounted the emotion of watching the end of the “Endurance”. “To talk was impossible. Each man knew that it was the end of the ship. We had lost our home in that universe of ice. We had
Frank Worsely, Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure (1931) pg. 18 Roland Huntford, Shackleton (1999) pg. 456
Crushed by ice
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Sir Ernest Shackleton
“I feel sure that it is the right thing to attempt a march .... It will be much better for the men in general to feel that even though progress is slow, they are on their way to land, than it will be simply to sit down and wait for the tardy north westerly to take us out of this cruel waste of ice.” 3 After two days trekking they had traveled barely three kilometres. Finding a small ice flow, they decided to drift on it hoping it would take them closer to their destination– Paulet Island–where food could be found. They drifted for two months. Reginald James, the expedition physicist wrote: “A bug on a molecule of oxygen in a gale wind would have about the same chance of predicting where he was likely to finish up.” 4 By April 1916, the ice flow had shrunk to a width of 180 meters. The ice was cracking underneath them. On April 9 (Day 491 of their journey), the ice pack opened and their life boats were launched. Water filled the boats to their knees. As waves broke over the boats salt spray instantly froze on the men’s clothes. After five and a half days of exhausting rowing they reached a small, barren speck of land called Elephant Island. For the first time in four hundred and ninety seven days the men stood on stable ground. Though their weary bodies worked to build shelters using life boats, sails and clothing their chances of survival were slim. Shackleton had two choices: stay and starve or sail a lifeboat eleven hundred kilometres across the most dangerous water in the world, into freezing gale force winds and against enormous waves, in an attempt to reach South Georgia Island. Shackleton chose the ‘James Caird’–a seven metre life boat–and five men to sail with him. The next sixteen days were harrowing and heroic. Soaking rain made sleep almost impossible. They had no fresh water and most of the men suffered sea sickness. Adding to the peril of their ordeal, they were surrounded by the continual hissing of killer whales which might surface at any moment and capsize them. 3 4
Ernest Shackleton, South (1920) pg. 82 Dennis N. T. Perkins, Leading at the Edge (2000) pg. 7
“The temperature was down to four degrees below zero and a film of ice formed on the surface of the sea. When we were not on watch we lay in each others arms for warmth ... we clung motionless, whispering each to his companion our hopes and thoughts.5 On May 10 1916, they sighted South Georgia but their relief soon turned to despair when they realized they had rowed to the wrong side of the island. They were still 220 kilometres by sea from finding help at the whaling station. Too weak to continue rowing, Shackleton decided to take two men and do what no men had ever done. They would cross the unexplored, uncharted glacial mountains of South Georgia. At 3am on Friday May 19 1916 Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean began an epic feat of endurance. For thirty six hours without resting, carrying only two compasses, twenty meters of rope and a small axe, they trekked across the rugged icy terrain in darkness. Upon reaching the top of a 1500 metre glacier, fog closed in behind them. Knowing they would freeze to death if they remained on the glacier ridge, Shackleton suggested they take a risk. They would slide down the glacier. Anything that lay in their path might kill them. Coiling their rope into a seat and straddling legs and arms they slid down the glacier. Miraculously they reached the bottom without injury. As they neared the whaling station the men found themselves faced with another danger. A glacial waterfall blocked their way. There was no alternative. Worsley held the rope while Shackleton and Crean slid down and then Worsley, wedging the rope into some rocks, followed behind. At 3pm on May 20 1916 three exhausted explorers reached the whaling station at Stromness. Back on Elephant Island conditions were critical. The stranded men had been waiting four months for rescue wondering if Shackleton would ever return. Unbeknown to them Shackleton had sailed three times from South Georgia Island to rescue his men only to be beaten back by pack ice. On his fourth attempt, one hundred and twenty eight days after leaving Elephant Island, the ice opened for a few hours giving Shackleton enough time to get ashore to rescue his men. Six hundred and thirty four days after the expedition had begun, they were saved. 5 6
Ernest Shackleton, South (1920) pg. 135 F. W. Boreham, Life Verses (1994) Volume 3 pg. 34
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Speaking months later at a banquet given in his honor in London, Shackleton described their experience. They had lost their ship in the ice, rowed in an open boat across a thousand kilometres of storm swept sea and climbed uncharted glaciers to find help for their friends. George Marston, the expedition artist, said of Shackleton, “His repeated attempts to reach and rescue us and his ultimate success in the face of apparently insuperable difficulties, proved the indomitable perseverance of his mind.”6 Shackleton persevered! Shackleton had a persevering mind. Shackleton also had a Savior. In his biography he wrote, “When I look back upon those days, with all their anxiety and peril, I cannot doubt that our party was divinely guided, both over the snowfield and across storm swept sea. I know that, during that long and racking march of thirty six hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers of South Georgia, it seemed to me very often, there were, not three, but four! I said nothing to my companions on the point, but afterwards Worsley said to me, “Boss, I had a curious feeling on the march that there was Another Person with us.” 7 Just as the Jewish boys Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had discovered in a Babylonian fire, there was a fourth man on the freezing ice. Persevering through unimaginable hardship, Shackelton found God to be his Guide, Strength and Shelter on both snow and sea. When describing his epic expedition, Shackleton often quoted his favourite Psalm. “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand lead me, and your right hand will hold me.” (Psalm 139:9-10) What God was to Shackelton–he can be to you and me. Do you feel like giving up? Are you afraid to go on? Are you facing an uncertain future? Remember Ernest Shackleton! Then remember the Savior! “May the Lord direct your hearts in God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5) 7
F. W. Boreham, A Casket Of Cameos (1926) pg. 32-43
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Student Testimony
examples
The door slammed. Broken furniture lay strewn across the floor. I heard shouts coming from the two most important people in my life–my parents! It was the year of their divorce. After the divorce my mother cared for me and my dad left town. Sure he sent presents for my birthday but I still felt a deep emptiness inside. I thought to myself, “I don’t need presents! I need parents. I need my dad to show his love for me.”
“I will not stop believing in God!”
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AM thankful to God that he has helped my mom provide for our family. I now know that my Dad cheated on my Mother and gave most of his income to the “other” woman. It was difficult to believe my Dad had done this.
Before our conversation ended, I heard him say, for the first time, three simple words, “I love you.”
Then my Dad fell ill. It was not an ordinary sickness. The sickness spread through saliva. That is why he never kissed me and never drank from the same plate, spoon or glass. Time passed. One day when I was in Grade Seven the phone rang. It was my Dad. He told me he was in hospital and would be there for at least one month. Before our conversation ended, I heard him say, for the first time, three simple words, “I love you.” I still remember the day perfectly. The TU person came to my class to tell me I had to go immediately to the airport. I had never flown alone. I sensed something was going on but my
Mom didn’t want to talk about it on the phone. As soon as I arrived I went to the hospital. I saw my Dad lying down on the bed–dead! I cried and fell to the floor. “He’s gone!” I was glad to hear that my Dad received Jesus Christ in the hospital before he died. I believe that God’s plans are good and that he wanted my Dad to go through this hardship. I still trust that God is providing for us and showing me his purposes. God has not completely turned our problems into joy. My Mother has been diagnosed with cancer. She was afraid to tell me because it might make me sad and affect my schooling. Knowing that she is sick I am determined to make my Mom proud of me. Through this hardship God is helping shape my godly character. That is why I will not stop believing in God.
Student Testimony
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Persevering Through Pain I was born into a large family with three siblings. I was joyful and felt warm spiritually. We shared a kindred heart. My parents gave me privileges and experiences that many infants wouldn’t usually encounter in life. At the age of two months old, I was brought to my first Christmas abroad in Singapore, Sydney, and Melbourne. My grandparents were very fortunate people. They played an important role in Indonesian politics during the 1960s.
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I don’t want bitterness to hinder their relationship. Often times I cry when looking back.
thought I had everything I needed in life: a good family, loving parents, grandparents and opportunities. I was wrong! An event changed my viewpoint for the rest of my life. I was sitting in fourth grade when I first saw my parents fight in front of me and my sisters. I was traumatized. From then on, my mother always told me that no matter how much she loved me and my siblings, she never wanted to see my father nor love him. I couldn’t understand why their relationship ended. This disturbed me for a long time. Experiencing this pain at a young age has been a burden for me. Unanswered questions still fill my mind. My mother hasn’t realized how much pain I have in my heart. I wish my parents could speak to each other or meet each other again someday.
I don’t want bitterness to hinder their relationship. Often times I cry when looking back. I try to calm myself down by talking to my grandparents or to my closest friends. I try to find activities that can hinder me from thinking about the bitterness of my past. Time moves on. People change–mentally, physically and spiritually. As I have matured, I have realized that life is very complex. I’ve learned that it’s not our job to keep looking back. The past is the past and whatever is there, stays there. Relating my problem to the Book of Psalms, I now realize that my heart has grown. I’ve been given perspective and perseverance to face challenges in my life. “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Psalm 30:11
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Geoffrey Marriott
Head of Performing Arts Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Village
The Ed.D.: A Long and Winding Road By Geoffrey Marriott
My mother used to remind me that if you are going to do something, do it well, and if it takes a long time to do so then so be it! A good bit of 1970’s dinner table discipline meted out to a rather errant high school student. Back in the late 1970’s I was graduating from high school with less than impressive grades due in the main to an attitude that was not wanting to persevere in search of excellence. In fact the priority at high school was to do things as quickly or as little as possible and the consequences were really rather irrelevant. Thankfully that mindset was pretty much left in the 1970’s.
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S I commenced my first job in 1983, I realized that it was folly to blithely relegate academic rigor as a meaningless concept. I taught in three different Australian public schools till June 1996 and upgraded my Diploma of Teaching to a Bachelor of Education degree in 1992. I had now started to enjoy getting back to study and even started a Political Science degree at the University of Queensland. One thing that was rather evident was that in order to really attain excellence you have to take the ‘long view’ or as any astute investment analyst will advise you; be in it for the long haul! I started to view my own professional development in this way. I arrived at SPH in June 1996 and was given charge of teaching ESL English to SMP (Junior
High Students). Unfortunately most of the curriculum came from a very non-inspiring text called Spectrum and for the next two years we dutifully taught our students the foibles and adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Kim as they attempted to live a life of buying goods at the local supermarket and catching buses around Seoul. To its credit SPH has improved it’s systems and curriculum immensely since those early pioneering days. In 1997, I decided to do a Masters of Education degree through the University of Southern Queensland majoring in Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition. I had now started to actually like study and I do believe that the Lord was blessing my paths in this area. While no study should be easy, the Masters degree was enjoyable and extremely practical in the situation I was in at SPH with ESL students.
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of my Lord and Saviour. Psalm 37:24 reminds us that though there may be stumbles on the way, the Lord will not let us fall. He will uphold us with his hand. This has been a precious truth throughout the process. John 15:4 also reminds us that to be really fruitful we must abide in Him. We cannot do anything without Him.
Geoffrey Marriott and family
In 2005, I again had the urge to contemplate some more study. I applied for entry into the Doctor of Education program at Griffith University Brisbane. I was accepted and commenced my study in January 2006. This last part of my academic life has been challenging. The Ed.D. consists of two years of course work where you study data collecting protocols and the final couple of years are dedicated to the actual research in question. I am in the last ‘research’ phase. I intend to complete a longitudinal case study of the two Indonesian Senior school administrators at SPH Sentul City Campus
about their views on implementing a foreign curriculum (International Baccalaureate) from an Asian perspective. The study is grounded in Cross Cultural Educational Leadership. It is a relatively new phenomena and most of the cutting edge research in the field is emanating from Asia; namely Hong Kong and Thailand. I hope to add a unique Indonesian perspective to the current body of knowledge. It has been quite a long and winding road, but no doubt would have been a lot longer and more difficult without the guiding hand
Looking back on my postgraduate study, I have tried to persevere as much as possible. I have not found all the study easy at all. I believe that perseverance has improved my character and I have resolved to finish my current program of study strongly. I am extremely thankful that the Lord has placed me in a dynamic Christian education community where there is demonstrable evidence of teachers being encouraged to further their professional development and use these skills to further the Kingdom of God. Finally, I am extremely thankful that as a Christian educator I can use the Bible as my frame of reference to validate and enhance my research. Jesus Christ is the ultimate teacher and the Bible provides many examples of cross-cultural leadership. It has been a Long and Winding Road, but a most enjoyable one as well.
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Anecdotes of Endurance Exciting Anecdotes of Perseverance in Sports This year has been a very exciting year in sports at SPH Lippo Village, and here are a couple of anecdotes that aptly illustrate perseverance, and the excitement that it can generate.
Perseverance is grit, determination, and never-giving-up
In the quarterfinal game of the Pelita Harapan Cup basketball tournament this past October, our SPH Lippo Village SMA boys team were playing a very feisty and fast team from SMA Ananda Bekasi. It was a low-scoring defensive battle, and from the very beginning our Pelita Harapan team was behind in the score. They were able to keep the score fairly close, but every time they started to come back a bit, the Ananda team would in turn go ahead a little bit more again. It looked very much like they might be fighting a losing battle. At half time and then three quarter time it increasingly looked like the boys were resigning themselves to losing. Heads began to hang low, but the crowd on the sideline, led by our new mascot “Ernie the Eagle� had not given up hope and tried their best to spur the boys on with lots of cheering and encouragement. A couple of key baskets later, all of a sudden the boys began to believe that, if they dug really deep, they just might be able to pull off an upset win. They worked really hard in those dying minutes, and with only seconds left to go, they were able to pull within two points. The win was highly unlikely, but all of a sudden it was within reach for the first time in the game. George Himawan lines up an important free throw
Finally, with only 1.1 seconds left, the ball was passed inside to George, who went up strongly to the basket as he was fouled heavily by the other team’s defenders. The ball went in the basket to tie the game, and with 1.1 second on the clock George was able to make his free throw to take the first lead of the entire game, and clinch victory! The amazing thing was that this scenario was almost identically repeated the following night in the semi-final game. The boys (and all of us watching) learned some very valuable lessons on the importance of perseverance.
Perseverance takes Training and preparation
The inter-house Athletics Days this past October provided many memorable and exciting opportunities for our students to develop and showcase their physical skills and abilities, and their endurance and perseverance. The most memorable events for me, as a spectator, were the Grade 10 boys 400m and 1500m races. These races featured a battle and rivalry between two boys in particular; Ian and Matthew. Matthew is a strong and talented athlete of renown at SPH. He is one of the stars of the soccer team, and the perennial favourite in his grade level for these endurance races due to his speed and his excellent physical endurance. However, Matthew experienced a surprisingly stiff challenge from Ian in both of these races this year. Ian is a young man who is not so well renowned for his athletic prowess. He is a bit small for his age, a little awkward physically, and has a unique running style. But Ian had been doing some training on developing his endurance. He had worked hard to develop in an area where God has given him some natural gifting, but not as much as many others his age. Ian led both races for much of the way and showed tremendous grit and determination throughout. He just kept running and running at a very challenging pace, much to the surprise of Matthew and others in the race.
By Bruce R. Comrie Physical Education Coordinator SPH Lippo Village
Matthew had been injured for the past couple of months and had been unable to be as active as he usually was, and had therefore lost a bit of his endurance. He was not accustomed to being led and challenged so hard in his favourite races. He did not give up though, even though it seemed he had lost. He rose to the challenge and his undying competitive spirit willed him to eventually pass Ian and take the first place honours in both races, but what exciting races both the 400m and the 1500m were. Congratulations to both boys as they showed tremendous grit and determination, perseverance, and endurance in two very different ways. God gives us all different natural abilities, and we have a responsibility to develop these skills and abilities. This development almost always requires some form of sacrifice in the form of hard work and training. Sometimes we choose to develop gifts and talents we do not really have a lot of natural gifting in because we enjoy using them, or just want to make ourselves better. To develop our perseverance it takes some hardships in our lives that challenge us. A little pain, discomfort, and hardship train us to be so much stronger, and reap a lifetime of rewards.
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1. Ian Sungkoro (blue T-shirt) leads the pack. 2. Approaching the finish line, Matthew Poniman (yellow T-shirt) takes the lead with continued pressure from Ian.
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Perseverance in Sport Perseverance is molded and shaped through trials and challenges. A healthy channel for our students to be tested in this area is through sport. Through participation in sports, we are challenged in the area of endurance. The Christian life takes endurance. It includes all the free throws you will ever shoot. It includes all the goals you will ever score. It includes all the conversations you will ever have. It includes every moment for the rest of your life. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us …” Hebrew 12:1
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marathon runner must finish the race under his own power. But that is not true in the Christian life. God did not design the Christian life for you to live in your own power. It is Jesus Christ living His life through you by the power of the Holy Spirit. The race was already won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross. Now we get to live our lives in such a way that honors and glorifies Him in all that we say and do.
Since the beginning of the school year, our students have been participating in sports with a variety of opportunities to achieve success both as individuals and as a team. These competitions have given our students a valuable opportunity to achieve victory through hard work and intensity while utilizing their gifts, abilities, and skills. Success, however, has not been defined only by winning; teamwork, sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and industriousness are a few important qualities emerging from participation in sport. As we compete for earthly rewards, we are careful to give God all of the glory and honor. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of
By Jason Myers Sports Program Director SPH Lippo Village
righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge, will award unto me on that day.” How do I participate in sport in the way in which God wants me to participate? This is an important question Christian athletes should be able to answer. Some Christians quit playing sports because they feel they cannot relate Christianity to athletic competition. There are a few important reasons athletes should pursue their desire to participate in sports: 1. The talents you have been given are from God and are designed for a purpose. You have a responsibility to invest those talents as wisely as you know how for whatever purpose God has designed them. 2. An athlete has a built-in platform for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Through interaction with so many people, sport provides a unique opportunity for an athlete to share their faith with others through their words and actions. 3. You will understand more clearly how to apply God’s Word to your non-athletic world as you apply it to your athletic performance. Competitive athletics provide us with a mirror for our real attitudes. It is interesting that the same positive or negative attitudes that we
show in an athletic performance are often seen in non-athletic environments when situations are similar. This year’s high school boy’s basketball team had a number of experiences in the area of perseverance on the court. In our SPH tournament quarterfinals and semifinals, our team was losing the entire game and fought back to win both games in the last seconds. This was an exciting boost for our team and our school. There were some challenges however that came along with this perseverance life
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lesson. In the quarterfinals, our team was getting beaten by more than ten points and players began to resort to violence and rough play to try and pull us back out of the hole we were stuck. As the coach, this did not sit well with me and I called a time out taking all of our starting players off the floor and replacing them with reserves. I reminded this group that we are representing more than our individual selves on the court including; our teammates, our school, and most importantly our God. Our actions should be one of a “praise performance” to Him first and foremost. Later in the game, this same group of players had the opportunity to win the game for our team in the final seconds and found exciting success! There were a number of opportunities through the season that prepared us for this chance
to be successful. We had been through similar situations many times before in practices and friendly games. Players also put in time and effort away from practice lifting weights, shooting free throws, etc. My prayer is that this opportunity to persevere in a sports setting will allow players from this team to use this learning experience to deepen their understanding of Christ as they move forward. God wants us to do our part in this Christian life to be prepared for the day of His return. He also wants us to approach life with intensity that strives to mirror His amazing sacrifice for us at the Cross. Then He wants us to live out our Christian life with a divine perspective seeing things through a spiritual lens and seeking His will in all situations. PH Cup SMA Boys Basketball
(Part 2)
Goodbye Gall Bladder.... By Maureen Cox
Remember in Part One I said, ‘Goodbye’ to my gall bladder. Well I am glad to report that I now feel just about back to my old self after the trauma of hospitalization. I have the occasional weird feeling in and around the scar but apart from that am now back to walking and swimming.
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HE big questions remain: What did I learn from the experience? Was I moved from hardship to hope? Did I rejoice in my suffering and have I learned anything about perseverance? Being a person who has been blessed with very good health I have often been intolerant of people who are always sick. I remember back to my own childhood where sickness was always regarded as weakness. As a mother I was always very tough on our children and would make them go to school saying that I would bring them home at lunchtime if they were not well. Funnily enough I cannot remember ever having a phone call to collect them!!!
Our daughter Elizabeth always made a joke that on her grave stone she would have engraved–See Mum I told you I was sick!!! Having now gone through surgery I feel much more empathetic towards people who are suffering physically. I had to accept that I was going to be restricted for a specific period of time and that was not easy. The body heals but it is a slow process and I needed to ask God to give me patience. I have always dreaded the thought of contracting some terminal illness and believed that I would make a terrible patient but now I have real peace about how I would cope. God has shown me that He is always there and that no matter how we feel He is our strength and our comfort. When I heard the Doctor say, ‘Maureen you have been a model patient.’ I knew it was all by the grace of God. I can honestly say I am glad to have had the experience
and I am glad to have known our Father’s healing hand in my life. I can genuinely say that whatever He sees fit to bring into my life in the future will be the best for me. He is sovereign and that is a very securing truth.
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examples
“What is this Hope?” By Terry Davis
As I prepared to return to Indonesia to again work within the SPH system, I was excited to hear that the school’s theme would be Through Hardship to Hope. I felt it was a theme every member of the SPH family could easily understand. Who of us can honestly say we have never experienced hardship? Yet now, as I am walking through the school year, trying to help the students understand exactly how it impacts their lives, I find myself wondering if I really understand it. Yes, I know what the words mean, but exactly what is hope?
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IRST, I believe we must ask ourselves what it is this theme is really saying. I have heard many opinions from teachers and students, most of which center around believing it to mean that we must learn to endure hardship so that was can increase our hope in Jesus Christ. Then there are others who say that it is our hope in Jesus which allows us to endure hardship, which in turn increases the hope we have. I believe the latter to be a more complete understanding. Recently, I asked the eight 10th graders in my cell group what gives them hope in difficult situations. Answers ranged from the support of friends and family to the expectation of what the future holds. Surprisingly, only one student mentioned God in any way. Then, as teenagers do, they turned my question back to me. To be honest with them I had to say that it can be difficult to remember at times, but that I have learned in life that the only way to truly have hope is through faith in Jesus. Family and friends all let you down at some point, and the future is not guaranteed. However, the one thing we can always count on is that Jesus is the source of all hope.
“If we do not have the faith to believe that Jesus is our hope for salvation, how can we possibly say that He is our source of hope for anything else?”
With that in mind, the question which must be asked is, “What is this Hope?” When we say Jesus is our hope, what exactly do we mean? Is it just salvation, forgiveness of sin, and the promise of eternal life; or is there more to it? I believe this is where it all begins. If we do not have the faith to believe that Jesus is our hope for salvation, how can we possibly say that He is our source of hope for anything else? We believe that Jesus died for us, that He rose again, and is even now sitting at the right hand of the Father. But do we believe that He is here with us, in the person of the Holy Spirit, walking through this life with us? I love the poem “Footsteps”. There are at least three versions, each with different authors; but they all end with the same thought: You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, My child, is when I carried you. (M. Stevenson, 1936) It is amazing that we can believe Jesus is with us when things are going well, but we have trouble knowing He is there when life gets tough. How easily we forget that Jesus did not come so that we can have an easy life. He came that we might have eternal life! So what exactly is this hope? When all is said and done, I believe it is that we serve a God who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. When Jesus died, rose again, and ascended to Heaven, we were given the Holy Spirit to comfort and to guide us. In Psalm 46:1 we read that, “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Ever-present, always with us! I can think of no greater place to find hope!
Terry Davis
SPH Sentul City Teacher
examples
Preschool Adjustment By Rachel Lee
For three year olds who have been interacting mainly with family members and maybe a nanny who has been taking care of them, the biggest transition in their lives is when they start preschool. For both parents and teachers, the first month of school for children can be the most trying time as children go through all sorts of transitions such as separation from their parents or nannies, other ‘small people’ who do not meet their needs or pay attention to them, and a new authority who is neither their mom nor nanny. Though it is quite difficult to put ourselves into a three year old’s perspective as grown-ups, one must imagine the emotional and psychological trauma these young ones are going through in order to help them to adapt and transition smoothly into what will later become their home away from home.
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HEN children enter their classroom, they are stepping into a room full of unknowns. The unfamiliar setting will intimidate them and most of all, their security blanket is no longer there, whether that is mom or nanny. Children of this age must retain security and stability in order to develop properly. When their security blanket has been taken away, they can’t help but cry out with all their might to get that security back. What they do not understand is that their security blanket will come back in a few hours. Many of them feel abandoned and are consumed with fear that they will not see their parents ever again. We can assume this during the pick-up time when the children see their parents again because their faces are lit up and a sense of security comes back to their presence. During those first few weeks, if there is one goal that the teachers try hard to achieve, it is to assure the children that they can obtain a new security blanket in this new environment. How can we help these children to cope with
such transition? With any upcoming transition, preparation is the most important step. Children must be prepared for what’s to come rather than just being thrown into a new environment that no one has prepared them for. As they’re developing in this important stage of life, it is so important to make sure their first learning environment is safe, fun and challenging. This will chart the course for the rest of their learning path. Here are some tips that can prepare the children for the transition. Parents must start preparing the child verbally, that they are going to go to school. At this time, they have no idea what this ‘school’ is. Children at this age understand and learn concepts through experience. It will be helpful to visit the school that they will enter and familiarize the child with the new environment. Make an appointment with the child’s teacher-tobe and invite the child to do some fun activities with the teacher while the parent is still present. Make the preparation time exciting and fun for the child. For example, take the child along to go shopping for school supplies. While doing these pre-organized activities, constantly communicate to the child about going to school. Another important preparation is to make opportunities for the child to interact with other children their age. Many of the children, especially if they are the first child of the family, have a difficult time adapting to other children. They do not understand the concept of sharing or socializing with others of their age. To help them with these adjustments, some practical tips are taking them to the play ground, arranging play-day or enrolling them in a children’s program at church or other organizations, but nothing too involved. There is a big difference between children who had interactions only with grownups as compared to those who interacted with children of their age before they start school. Their communication, collaboration and conflictresolution skills are emerging at this stage and it helps to prepare them with a few children around before they are exposed to a big group in class.
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During the actual transition time in the beginning of the school year, teachers and parents must plan for the separation time for the child from the parents. Some parents prefer to just drop the child off and disappear right away to avoid any lingering goodbyes. Other parents prefer to stick around and ‘spy’ on the child outside of the window to see how the child is adapting. Both ways have pros and cons. As a teacher, one of the better ways of separation experienced is to help the child to transition from the parent to the teacher in a clear way. The parent should communicate to the child that he or she will come back after the child plays with new friends and the teacher. The teacher should be present while the parent is communicating this to the child and take the child’s hand. If the child cries, the teacher should comfort the child physically and gently. When this routine is repeated each day, the children tend to adapt quicker. For children who experience an extreme difficulty of separation, the teachers can invite the parent into the classroom or stand right outside for the first few days and transition out slowly. When the child knows that the parent is nearby, they will become familiar with the environment securely and once they feel safe in the environment, they will be able to let go of the security from parents while in school. Lastly, not only the preparation but follow-up is another important step in helping the children adjust to preschool smoothly. When the child is reunited with the parents whether at pick-up time or at home, the parents should compliment the child for being in school and reinforce it as a positive action. Children love being praised and they need to hear it repeatedly. Teachers should also follow up by creating a learning environment where the children will be excited and engaged to come back each day. Teachers should also verbally communicate to the children at the start of the day that they are welcome and at the dismissal time to reinforce their positive return the next day. When the children are able to connect to school as home away from home, a truly enjoyable learning environment has been created and they will develop well in all areas.
Rachel Lee
K1 Teacher SPH Lippo Village
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I remember Jordan–our son’s– training process to write. Starting by just playing to be able to hold the pencil correctly and producing unclear streaks, then, to making straight lines, vertical, horizontal, circles and arcs. Next, he started drawing numbers and finally letters. It was a long process and time consuming and it took a lot of patience, dedication from parents and the child’s willingness to be corrected continuously in line with the standards set.
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NE afternoon, a sense of frustration built up when Jordan was learning to write the letter “K”. He did not see his mistake and did not want to be corrected. - “It’s correct”, he said. - “Not really” I said, showing an example of the correct one. - “I can’t, it’s too hard to do like that” he said. The shape of the letter “K” increasingly became more and more cluttered and incompatible with the standard. - I found the samples of his scribbles, the one he had made when he was 3, 4 and 5 years old.
Times on the Anvil By Tiurida Hutabarat
- “Sure you can. See, first you cannot make a straight line, now you can make it. We can do it as long as we continue to try and practice it”, I said. At last in that afternoon he managed to write the letter “K” correctly. We celebrated his success by giving the picture a big star and a happy face in his practice book. - “Now I can write all the letters. That means tomorrow I don’t need to learn anymore”, he said. - “You still need to learn, there’s still much to be learned. After the letters, you have to combine them to make words, the sentences, the grammar and the language expression and more “, I said. - “Then I will never finish learning” he said with a sad and confused face. - “Don’t worry, as long as you want to continue to practice, later it will be better by yourself. Like the letter “K”, you used to be have a hard time writing it, now it’s good”, I said. When we are in training, practicing, studying or preparing periods, that is the time when
we put ourselves in the strong hands of the “blacksmith”, who shapes the metal and moulds it thoroughly in the burning and painful fire. But He has a plan of what will be made with this burning metal. Sharper, more slender, longer and with no doubt He uses a heavy sledge hammer to shape the metal until it begins to soften and start to bend and reshape to a tool that is according to His plan. A tool that will be used to glorify His name. A sort of tool with shape, size and strength that is predetermined from the onset. The response is not an easy one, the process is not fun. Melting the old and reshaping it into a new form is a confusing process. But if we persevere, the “blacksmith” will eliminate all cracks, roughness, and discard what is not perfect. So we who used to be blunt will be sharp, we who are bent will be straightened and we who are worthless will be valuable. For some time we may have had to suffer grief in various trials. This comes so that your faith may be proved as pure faith. Precious faith which is more valuable than gold, which will
PAG and Class Parents Representative’s Meeting, October 2009
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disability? But on the other hand how can a villain such as Manasseh (2 Kings 21) live longer than those great people and buried in the glory of his own house, in the palace garden with his ancestors?
not be damaged even when purified in the fire. We must learn to persevere. Instead of asking why I should be in this hardship it maybe wiser to learn how to endure the hammer’s blow and being heated in a fire. There are many things that are not easily understood by our human limitations. The story of Job asking God why he had lost his family, children, wives, friends, health, property reminds us that we do not know what is being planned for us, we can only receive all the plans in our lives. “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him”? He who rebukes God, let him answer it. (Job 39:35). Acceptance is a way for us to stay on the anvil. Acceptance would be easier if we understand the greatness and depth of His love for humanity. His love is amazing. Job himself had difficulty in understanding Him: Who is man that You consider him great and You care and You visit him every morning? David also ponder (Psalm 8:4) “What is man that You are mindful of him?” He loves us and cares about us and knew us even before the words come out of our mouth. He already knows everything (Psalm 139:4). He even revealed Himself as the Father who loves His children (Psalm 103:13) and as a Mother who comforts His children (Isaiah 66:13). So how could He, not plan and provide good things, if we who evil people know how to give good things to our children. His plan, His will, and His gifts may not be in accordance with our plans. His way and His
time may seem very late as Martha and Mary complained when Jesus came four days after their beloved brother Lazarus died. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have die” (John 11:21) Especially in the era where we want everything to happen instantly and quickly, it is very easy for us to make a decision where we take a shortcut or an easy way at the time when God seems so far away and seems as though He is not concerned with the struggle that we experience. It is true there are lots of things that are beyond our understanding as a human which happened now or happened centuries ago in the Bible. How can we understand His plan for Wolfgang Mozart who died at the early age of 35 years, and buried in an abandoned burial place, leaving only a violin worth $ 2 at the time of his death and no one was present at his death bed. Should he have lived another 20 years how many great musical works would have been produced by this extraordinary genius? How about Ludwig van Beethoven who lost his hearing before he was aged 30, or Peter Marshall, the Scottish American who died at his most productive age? How can we understand the loss of human talent by of death or
What conclusions can be drawn from the examples that seem contrary to human logic? There are two possible ways of thinking. We can continue to ask why I have to go through the struggle and end up going round and round with feelings of despair, anger, and guilt. The other option is to let God remain God. He does not need to explain Himself to humans. He is not limited in His justice and His time. We have to trust that He has a good plan for us who He loves and He will get the job done. He would never leave us alone on the anvil. As David said in Psalm 139:7-10: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold You are there. If I take the wings of the mornings, And dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. It is true, forever in our life we will always be at the anvil, for the Christian life was never meant to be easy. The ideal existence was over when Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise. Since then we all have to experience the challenges until we go back to the Father’s home. We will continue to be challenged until we become like Him. The good news is that every challenge will not exceed our strength and if we are tired we can lean on Him.
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examples
My Dad When I came home today, I sat down and had a heart to heart talk with my Dad .... It is the first time in my life I have seen my dad cry .... He told me to take care of Mom and my youngest brother .... My Dad has terminal cancer and has completed all possible medical treatment.
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IFE is full of unpredictable events, nevertheless having God by your side to go through them and not just having the head knowledge but to really experience His presence is very comforting.
Looking back over the past few years, there are times when I question, ‘Why did I have to change the job that I loved? Why could I not go to USA to further my studies, after all I got the scholarship and am able to work to support myself? Nevertheless, in spite of those questioning moments, it was ‘the still small voice’ in my heart that told me, ‘It is for your Dad’. I held my peace and accepted the fact that God is in control and He wanted me to be here. When the news of my Dad suffering late stage nose cancer reached me, despite the shock, deep in my spirit there was that peace that transcends all understanding that God is in this situation and He has a purpose. So, I was able to say, ‘Adonai, let the Lord’s will be done’. My Dad is my Isaac .... My greatest fear in life when I was a child was that he would die young because of his bad lifestyle. I loved him despite his limitations and flaws so I always cried at night praying that God, in His mercy would forbid it. Looking back, I know that God heard my prayers. My Dad is my dream builder. For me to study overseas, he worked really hard. He postponed purchasing his dream home and used his money to finance my education. While neighbors and relatives commented that a girl does not have to be so well educated and that it was unnecessary to send me abroad, he stood upon his unwavering principle on the importance of education and as long as his children desired to study, he would work hard for that. He kept his word and completed my education. I achieved my dream because he sacrificed his. There are so many dreams that I have with my Dad. There are so many of his dreams yet to come true. Now it seems unlikely they will ever come to pass. I asked God in my quiet times with Him, ‘What will I do if You decide to take my Dad?’ That still small voice assures me that I will experience a new level of faith with Him where He alone is my Heavenly Father. I don’t have to be afraid; I will walk boldly knowing that I have my Heavenly
Father defending me–such experience I have never encountered before. I praise Him for that unwavering assurance, for the manifestation of His presence. I have witnessed a healing miracle during a rally organized by the Bible school training I used to attend. I assisted an eighty year old woman who was crippled to get out of her wheel chair and suddenly she was able to walk. I have no problem in believing that God is able to heal my Dad instantly. Nevertheless, will I question and wonder about His goodness if He decides not to? That is the challenging question in my heart. But I think, I hope, I have already overcome that .... I know, and know with no doubt in my heart that God is still good, even if things do not go how I want them to. I know that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are deeper than my thoughts. Who am I to even comprehend Him? I know that He knows things that I don’t know and I don’t understand and therefore despite everything seeming so bleak right now, I know that God thinks this is the best for all of us. He always has His best interest for each of my family member. My Dad tried to comfort me and told me not to be afraid; that I have to be strong, to be tough. I promised him that I will be alright. I told him I am grateful to God for allowing him to live an abundant family life for the past twenty three years. The fact that there was no recurrence of cancer in those years is the grace of God and I am grateful. I promised him that I will make sure my younger brother will finish his studies and I will educate him. I promise to take care of Mom and be an anchor at home. In every step of the process of my Dad’s treatments, though I was afraid, I sensed God’s presence and His assurance. Despite the hopeless outlook there was, and still is, inner joy and peace that sweeps over me. I know that everything will be alright because I have Jesus with me and he is more than enough. I am learning that I will never be able to control life’s situations but I can learn to control my reactions. I can decide to choose to yield myself to God. When my brother shared with me that he can’t wait for the storms to pass I told him not to pray like that. If we put our focus on our circumstances, we will never learn, we will not grow and our relationship with Christ will not deepen. We must pray for an understanding heart, to have a mind like Christ’s and pray for stronger backs to carry the weight knowing that we must be flexible, to allow God to have His way and accomplish His purpose - I think this has been my prayer over the past few years. I am learning to educate my mind to be grateful always .... I am grateful that my Dad is still alive and we, as a family, can spend quality time with him. I am grateful that we have enough resources to make life as comfortable as possible, and although we have had to sell most of our assets at least we had those to finance his treatments. I am grateful even for the unknown that we may encounter as a family because we are learning to lean on God in each moment of the day. I know that God is good all the time .... and all the time, God is good .... Thank you for praying with us, Vionita Tong
Vionita Tong
SPH Lippo Village Teacher
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Beginnings This is the land of peaks and the land of falls The golden calf You the coveted lover You the loaf of bread You the too-long stop in the journey You the easy conversation of complaint You we are always forgetting You this is the wilderness
have been faithful have made us to be fruitful and multiply have fed us manna from the heavens have appointed us a day for rest have been faithful lead us uphill into your Presence
we are always forgetting even after You have been God we tip down, we pour out to part the waters we cry as our feet scrape on dry soil allowed us to be fruitful and multiply we linger too long looking at foregin lands rained down manna from the heavens our stomachs become lean with cravings given us rest weekly our bodies burn for rest given our lips contended praise of your name our lips are cracked and slow to praise Oh God of Jacob, we are always forgetting Keep us, God, from being weary
By: Elise Toedt
SPH Sentul City Teacher
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The Road Less Traveled E
VEN if today someone asks me why I chose Underwood International College, Yonsei University, South Korea, above other places (let’s say Singapore), it would take me a moment to come up with an honest answer. There are definitely some important factors in the game, for example the generous scholarship granted to me by Yonsei. The fact that the program I entered was relatively new and the professors hold degrees from world-renowned universities have also influenced my decision. Other than that, I don’t think it is completely wrong to say that at that time I thought going to Korea is a “cool” thing to do. There is some truth in that, believe it or not.
Michael Sianipar
SPH Lippo Village Alumni
Like every other college student, for me college life begins with the decision to pick one college above others. I would say that choosing a college is not the easiest thing for everyone who is fortunate enough to be given the option. Yes, it is probably one of the many lifechanging decisions that we take once in a while. But let’s be honest, I was not the wisest and the most well-informed person when I made many decisions relating to college. Many things happened without me really knowing both the complete short-term and long-term impact of the decisions I made. The decision to study in Korea is just one example.
Whenever I reflect on all important decisions of life, I always have one poem that pops inside mind; a poem written by Robert Frost entitled The Road Not Taken. I’m sure it’s one poem that all IB students have read at one point in the classroom. It talks about how the main character was faced with two different roads. Being “one traveler” she could not travel both, and decided to take the “one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”. Back then, I had a quite simplistic interpretation of that poem. I thought the poem is promoting nonconformism; that one should be unique and authentic. I always regard myself as different from my classmates, maybe because I am two years younger than them, and that has made me unique. It seemed to me at the time that not many people, at least among my peer group, had any interest in pursuing a college degree from places other than America, Australia, Europe, or Singapore. For me, Korea was my version of the “road less traveled by”. So there I was in Korea for two years, without really understanding why; except that I was anticipating my own life adventure. My experience in Korea is a mixture of bittersweet. Academic-wise, I did not have problems adjusting to the work-loads, thanks to my teachers in SPH who have prepared
me well. The good thing about liberal arts education at my university is that I have the chance to take the classes I want, and I utilized that well. I took a class on Korean modern history to learn about the South Korea’s economic development and democratic struggles. Being a Political Science major, I found Korea to be suitable to my interest in politics and international relations. Geographically, Korea is located in the middle of East Asia, right between Japan and China, two giant economic powers. Historically, Korea has undergone a succession of foreign interventions by major powers from Chinese Dynasties, Japanese Imperialism, and the Cold War tension between the Soviet Union and America. Now, Korea has emerged as a leading country in entertainment industry, technology, and global economy. Sometimes, when I compare South Korea to Indonesia, I start to envy Koreans for having experienced such miraculous growths, but after learning from their history and experiencing the society first hand it appears that South Korea is much more developed not without reason. As what my professor said, “There was no miracle.” Koreans have experienced a lot of hardship too, as a nation, under the dictatorship and the constant foreign threats, most notably the communist North Korea. There are many things that we can learn from Korea. After two years in Korea, my intention to work in the government has been strengthened. The experience that I got here has helped me to gain a different perspective on how I can serve by working in the government one day. Social-wise, there were both cultural and language barriers that made my assimilation harder. Korea is after all known for being homogeneous. Initially, I could not connect well with the Korean community, since many of them tend to communicate in Korean among themselves, not to mention the pop-culture gap between us. I spent most
alumni I remember one day I was walking with a Korean friend, and we met an underclassman on the way. When he saw my friend, he bowed his head and said, “Sunbae, annyeonghaseyo!” (meaning: “Hello senior!”) And when he saw me he just said, “Hi Mike, what’s up!” even though I’m also his senior. I know I might appear selfish in saying this, but I want to receive the same, more respectful treatment too! Although it is not as required from me, the culture has influenced me as well. Today, whenever I give money to a cashier, or if I pour tea to someone older, I use both hands! Whenever I meet a professor, Korean or not, I give a head-nod bow to show respect. This does not mean that I’m assimilated to the culture since even after two years in Korea I still cannot speak Korean fluently. Instead of learning the language I prefer to learn the history or to spend time doing other activities. In Korea I also learned to love Korean food. My favorites are the marinated barbecued beef that we call bulgogi and the spicy chicken we call dakgalbi. Due to my dietary restrictions I cannot try many other food (e.g. I don’t eat dog meat “bosintang”), but definitely bulgogi and dakgalbi are among the top of the list, and you should try those too! of my time with other international students with some exception of Koreans. After a year, however, I started to enlarge my scope of friendship and have friends from both the Korean community and the international community. I don’t think I had a significant cultural shock in Korea partly because the people I met were quite international and partly because Korean culture bears a resemblance to Chinese culture. Some aspects of the culture are different nonetheless, of which filial piety and seniority were the most striking. You will be impressed with how Koreans uphold seniority strongly. They respect the elderly and older people in general. Even if you are younger only by a year, you have to show respect to the other person. However, let’s not over generalize–many people have become more liberal, although they only constitute a small, but growing, minority. This standard of seniority usually applies only to Koreans. I was pretty much exempted whenever I hang out with Korean friends.
There were actually two cultural shocks that I have–the first was alcohol consumption. Maybe it is unfair to define it as a part of Korean culture, but I can tell for sure that many Koreans drink a lot of alcohol, though many others do not, usually for religious reasons. Carrying alcohol in the public is normal, and when buying alcohol you do not need to show your ID to the shops, you just need to look old enough. Korean traditional alcohol “soju” is something that people drink to accompany social dinners. There is another drink “makgoli” that old people drink, even while they are hiking on mountains! The second was the work-hard culture. People here walk fast, and they get things done quickly. I personally call it “palli-palli” culture, which literally means “quickly”. The high school students study hard. I heard that senior year high school students study until two in the morning every day! I don’t think the same applies to college students here. Once they graduate and enter the job market, however, they start to work extremely hard again.
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Because of the aforementioned cultural and language barrier, I tend to participate in activities where those problems are minimized. I am active in the international student association, the student council, and the English debate team. I am involved in the first two not only because student government has been a part of me since middle school, but also because I believe by being involved in those areas I can promote integration between the Koreans and the international students and minimize the barriers that exist between the two. These activities gave me lifelong friendships with both Korean and international students much more than through the classroom. My spiritual life is rather ambiguous, though. In high school, most people I know believe in God, and I guess I took Christianity for granted, but being alone in Korea, I realize that Christianity can only be based on a personal relationship between me and God. Nobody was watching or giving me any pressure to observe all the religious rites, it has to be on my own will. I have some Christian friends, but in my two years there I was not able to find a regular Christian fellowship that suits me. Often times I chose to study bible and uhm … sing praises by myself. It was when I am alone in my room having my own personal interaction with God that I feel so empty within, and he alone can fill in. God has always been my greatest comforter through my hardest times. This does not mean that I have always been faithful to God. I have doubted the power of faith countless times, too, but he is loving and merciful. Based on my experience, I can say that unless you are an incredibly faithful person, it is extremely hard to maintain your faith by yourself. I, personally, would need a fellowship in order to do that. Roommates are also important. My roommates are nice people, but they are not Christians, and inevitably their secular attitudes toward life have influenced my spiritual growth. I guess being faithful to God would have been much easier if I have Christian roommates. Having said all that, I never felt as close to God and, sometimes, as far from God in Korea compared to in Indonesia. It is sometimes amusing how those two feelings change one
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after another every once in a while; it felt like a roller-coaster ride. As I have said earlier, studying in Korea has been a “road less traveled by” for me. It has given me a lot of opportunities, joys, and challenges that I had never expected before. It is true that when I made the decision to come to Korea I did not really understand what it means to live in Korea or what were the things that my decision entails. Nonetheless, that decision has made all the difference, and it is an experience that I will always treasure. I have gained a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses, and I have learned to be a better
person, a training that only ends in eternity. Having taken the road less traveled by, however, does not end the story there. I am currently on exchange to Dartmouth College for the next year, and have started to miss Korea. My friends have asked, if I have learned so much and enjoyed being in Korea, why would I decide to go for an exchange program for such a long period as one year. To this I would answer, my curiosity to know where other roads would take me prompts me to always open my eyes for opportunity to explore other paths along the way. Looking back to all the major events in
my life when I had to make my decisions, I realize that at the time I did not know where I was going. Decisions were just taken, and many times without a clear reason why. Nonetheless, I can see a chain of improbable events that have led me from my childhood, to SPH, Yonsei, and now Dartmouth. I believe all these happened not without a reason. I believe that God has a plan in all that led me here and He will direct my paths in the future. So far, I can only say that all that have happened are good, and I thank God for that. To conclude, let me quote Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
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SPH helped me grow Jessica Adelaide Gusti
Currently I am studying in the Faculty of Business and Management at Pelita Harapan University, Lippo Village. I am a graduate from Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Lippo Cikarang and studied there for twelve years. I completed my high school with satisfying scores, which gave a certain pride to my teachers and parents.
SPH Lippo Cikarang Alumni
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PH (Sekolah Pelita Harapan) helped me in the growth of my social and academic life. But more importantly, as a school which holds Christian values, I experienced spiritual growth within me. SPH often assembled annual retreat programs, Bible studies, and character building classes for the students. Through these programs I came to know more about Jesus and how to serve God more. The teachers at SPH prepared each student in becoming future leaders. Teachers in SPH are lovely, qualified, and they care about students. I recall the time when it was difficult for me to achieve good scores in Math. I was frustrated as I entered Grade 11 but I learned slowly, with the help of my Math teacher, and finally I was able to do those Math questions pretty well. I didn’t feel the fear of having to solve those problems anymore and I feel very thankful to my Math teachers for that. They kept on supporting me and as a result, I passed! Many times I was feeling helpless and lacked confidence but fortunately, my teacher was always there pushing me and always asking me about my progress. I feel very thankful to him, for he is the one that made my life better.
Three years ago, SPH implemented the International Baccalaureate as their curriculum. I have to admit that IB is not easy but it indeed gave me many advantages in creating self-discipline, especially in doing paper work. In the first month of university, I was given an assignment and I did the assignment based on what I was taught in high school. The assignment required me to do citing of resources to formatting a cover title for my paper work. I did not procrastinate in finishing the assignment. I always remember what my teachers said to me about completing work, “If you want to get a good score, do not PROCRASTINATE! Do what you have to do based on the assigned time.” I believe SPH is the best school and I am so grateful to have made SPH a part of my life and feel very happy to be part of the SPH family. Being an alumnus of SPH is something very priceless to me and I will never forget the valuable life lessons taught. The encouragements that I received from my teachers will always keep my spirit burning to learn more about knowledge, life and most importantly, God’s purposes in my life. I love Sekolah Pelita Harapan very much.
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special report
S E K O L A H P E L I TA H A R A PA N S E N T U L C I T Y
DRAMA PRODUCTION
This production influenced the students’ dramatic and performance skills, and enhanced students’ self-confidence. Several students gained backstage work experience by assisting in lighting, sound management, costumes, marketing and other business and creative functions. This production developed the relationships between teachers who supervised this club and MYP students who were the actors and actresses of this drama, plus the grade 11 students who managed the preparation of this event. The running time was 1.5 hours including a brief intermission.
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Synopsis
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HIS comedic version of the Robin Hood tale tells the story of how Robin Hood and Little John save the town of Nottingham from the greedy sheriff. With the help of his Merry Men, Robin fights the sheriff and his guard soldiers in order to give the villagers back the money the sheriff stole from them. However, Robin’s plan to rescue the villagers’ money takes an unexpected turn towards love when he meets the beautiful, young Maid Marian, and he quickly falls in love with her. Then things get complicated in Nottingham in the love department. Robin discovers he is not alone in his affection for Maid Marian, because the sheriff also has eyes for her. Things get even more complex when Marian’s mother falls in love with the sheriff, and Marian’s nurse is in love with, well … anything that moves!
Comment
This year’s drama production, Robin Hood and Maid Marian, was so much fun to produce and perform! The grade 11 students worked behind the scenes to create the set, costumes, and other theater elements, while students in grades 7-10 performed as the various characters in this version of the love story between Robin Hood and Maid Marian. It was a lot of work, but the students enjoyed working with each other and learning many theater techniques, as well as improving their confidence. This story is reflective of how God teaches us to love and forgive one another. Thank you to EVERYONE who helped make our production a success! Amanda (Mandy) Reusser Robin Hood Drama Director MYP English & Drama Teacher
Kevin Djasa, Nicole Densmoor, Dias Sutarto, Lee Ji Hyun, Kristie Yapsir, Pandya Dhira, Darren Halim, Chakra Bakti, Raymond Gultom, Amanda Densmoor, Mandy Eliora, Chandrika Rangita, Lisa Agustina, Prisca Beatrice, Shila Erwin
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special report
Thousands of choral singers from all over the world will come together with their singing in Shaoxing, China. This is the world’s largest choir competition and around 28 SPH Sentul City Children’s Choir students will take part in this 6th World Choir Games to be held in Shaoxing which is some two and a half hours by road from Shanghai in July, 2010.
SPH International Choir prepare for the World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China
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HE idea of the World Choir Games originates from the effort to bring together people in peaceful competition who are united through singing. This way, the coming together of nations in arts, can be effectively and illustratively demonstrated and continuously challenged. The SPH Sentul City Children’s Choir has previously participated in the 2006 4th World Choir Games in China winning silver medals in Children’s Choir and Folklore a cappella categories which strengthened their position after their first experience in the 3rd World Choir Games in Bremen in 2004.
They won a gold medal in Youth Choirs of Equal Voices Category and a silver medal in Folklore Category in the 3rd A Voyage of Songs International Choral Festival Pattaya, Thailand; July 2007. In Graz, Austria 2008 the choir continued its success by receiving three silver medals in the 5th World Choir Games. In preparation for the games in China our students have been practicing very hard twice a week and attend a three day Training Centre workshop four times a year to build their vocal strength, technique and harmony among the group. Our Choir Director is Pak Daniel Dasalak an
accomplished conductor, singer, composer and teacher. Daniel will be supported by Ibu Detty, Tisa, Lian and Mr. Nick all of whom will assist in preparing the students before and during the Games in China. The students have planned to undertake some fund raising activities by holding a Charity Concert in 2010 and will perform in some malls to support this bi-annual event. All of these efforts are to enrich their experience and preparation of mental, voice and performance technique before they perform in Shaoxing.
For sponsorship support, please contact:
Erliani (Phone: +6221 8796 0234 ext. 125, Mobile: +62 819 0555 8613, e-mail: lian@sph-sentul.net) Anita Purwanti (Mobile: +62 812 824 3255, e-mail: anita.purwanti@sph.ac.id)
Photos: A&A Körner, Werdau, Germany | Uli Manthe, Achim, Germany | „Aktiv“ Fotogruppe Gleisdorf, Germany | INTERKULTUR, Pohlheim, Germany
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book corner FOUNDATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH: A Comprehensive & Readable Theology By James Montgomery Boice; Inter Varsity Press, 1986 The author carefully opens the topics of the nature of God, the character of his natural and special revelation, the fall and the person and work of Christ. In this book the author explain also about perseverance that the doctrine of Perseverance means that God who has begun a good work in electing and then calling an individual to salvation, according to his own purpose will certainly keep on that purpose until the person elected and called is brought home to the blessedness that has been prepared for him or her. Perseverance does not mean that Christians are free of all spiritual danger just because they are Christians, on the contrary their danger is even greater. God’s perseverance teaches us to persevere. God is faithful, He is our keeper. With God all things are possible. God used the doctrine perseverance to save Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers who ever lived. When he was only fifteen he had noticed how friends of him from wealthy life falling into gross vices. It was then that he heard that Christ will keep his saints from falling. He said: I will turn to Jesus and receive from him a new heart and a right spirit, I shall be preserved by HIM.
CHUCK COLSON SPEAKS: Twelve key messages from today’s leading defender of the Christian Faith By Chuck Colson; Promise Press, 1993 In this book Colson speak about Jesus, the living God. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. There are 5 characteristics of Christian leadership: The first one is CALLING; the fact that you are called; the second is seeing the world not in one’s own perspective, but rather in God’s perspective; the third is Godly character ; the fourth is to build or raise up other and the fifth characteristic of the Christian leader is what called GODLY Perseverance. Human nature is stubborn, what the apostle Paul put up with all of those years proclaiming the gospel, being beaten, stoned, imprisoned, dragged out of the city, kicked even spit upon. Yet never did he stop proclaiming the wonderful, saving truth of Jesus Christ. NO! Godly perseverance takes enormous courage. Christian leadership takes enormous courage, perseverance and steadfastness. You must stay with it. The world will be mock. The more Christian you are, the more you are subject to the ridicule and mockery of the world, and the more you must persevere, and persevere with courage. Find that golden mean in human emotion that gives you the courage to persevere. And you can find it only on your knees (pray to God). Fear God and keep HIS Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Eccl.12:13 NIV).