By Bro. Pete Lapid
Last September 14-18 2008, the very
1st
Asia-Oceania CCR Leaders’
Conference was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The theme of the
conference is “Catholic Charismatic Renewal: Born Yesterday, Living
Today and Growing Tomorrow”.
Participants totaled to about 600 men and women representing
various renewal communities and prayers groups from over 20
countries, as far as Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain,
China, Australia and New Zealand. Also present were seven (7)
Bishops, over sixty (60) priests and about 20 religious sisters
from various orders and congregations. In addition, the conference
was graced by the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop
Leopoldo Girelli and the Archbishop of Jakarta, Julius Cardinal
Darmaatmadja, who both celebrated Mass on different dates.
The conference was organized by the ICCRS Sub-Committee for
Asia-Oceania (ISAO) and hosted by the National Service Committee of
Indonesia. ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Services) is a body recognized by the Vatican for the promotion of
Catholic Charismatic Renewal throughout the world.
I was privileged and blessed to be of service to some of the
participants during the conference, being part of the service team.
It was really a joy to witness the love, the unity, the enthusiasm
and zeal, the deep faith and the dedication of all the conference
participants, despite their diverse nationalities and cultures. To
date, I am still awed at having experienced the powerful worships
and the tremendous manifestations and use of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit working so mightily during the entirety of the
conference.
The conference was a huge success. Praise be to GOD! And Jakarta,
Indonesia should be proud for being its host. As some of the
participants put it, ‘Jakarta has set a high standard for the
upcoming conferences!’
But what really astonished and inspired me, which I believe in my
heart contributed immensely to the success of the whole conference,
is the dedicated and selfless service of the many Indonesian
brothers and sisters, who worked tirelessly day and night –
attending endless meetings and planning sessions, raising the
needed funds, using their talents and their own resources
(computers, cars, money, etc.), even getting hungry at times,
waking up early and going home very late and exhausted, praying
ceaselessly for the conference and the participants, attending
practice sessions, communicating with international and local
participants, hotels, food and transport facilities, doing their
very best to make the participants’ stay in Jakarta more pleasant –
all unselfishly done, to ensure the success of the conference for
the glory of GOD!
To me, they are the “mothers, sisters and brothers” of Jesus Christ
who hear the Word of GOD and act on it – simply by serving GOD’s
people. We will do well if we imitate them; for we are all called
to do the same.
May their tribe increase……..through us!