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Sharing
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 THE SASAK EXPERIENCE
- By Ricel Lapig
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Recently, I went
on a trip to Lombok. It's the second best island resort in Indonesia,
i.e., in my opinion, with its pristine waters, mountains, hidden
beauties (the waterfalls and the hills), panoramic views and, friendly
and accommodating people, not to mention very reasonable cost of food
and hotels.
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Midway during our
trip, we went to visit this sasak village in the northeastern
part of Lombok that is populated by the original inhabitants of the
island. The village is relatively small compared with the population.
There's not enough water because the village is about a couple of
kilometers from the hills where water is easier to source. It will take
tens of meters of pipes to source ground water. Thus, most of them do
not take a bath regularly especially if it’s su
 mmer,
which takes about half of the year. There are approximately 60 families
with 8 to 10 members each. About 3 families live together in one
sasak (a studio-type hut - the kitchen, dining, living and sleeping
areas are all in one place with no dividing walls).
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I wasn't expecting
to be in that place at that time because after all, I was on a vacation.
And a vacation is meant to be happy and fun. But alas! I was there.
And in the middle of our visit in the sasak village, I thought to
myself that God is really wonderful. He plans for us, including our
holiday trips. And He purposely brought me there. We gave the children
treats like ice candy, some peanuts and candies. For me, it was like an
outreach program, and for them, a nice treat. I wished I could have
brought a lot more for them. Those kids were really very appreciative.
It didn't cost much to make them happy. Watching them queue for the
goodies broke my heart. But of course, I didn't want to create a scene
there. Maybe, they have a different perspective about what they are
into. You see, happiness comes from within, variedly measured.
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In the evening, I
spoke with a friend from Lombok. He lives in the city and he knows the
existence of the village and the people living there. He asked me, "So,
do you pity them?" I said, "No, not really". Because they may be happy
with how they are. That's the divine grace of God. He gives us what
we need and sometimes, He gives even more than we ask for.
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of my experience is this: My time there was God's way of making me
realize once again how majestic He is. How I should be grateful for the
blessings He has given me. To live life as uprightly as possible, and to
share my blessings with others. For it is written, "…to whom much is
given, much is expected…" (Luke 12:48).
- TELL US LIKE IT IS!
- Has something
wonderful and unique happened in your life lately? Did God answer your
prayer in a very unexpected way? Did you, like Isaiah, meet God’s
whisper?
- Have you felt His
powerful hand working in your life recently?
- Everyday, people are
experiencing God’s mighty Word in their lives and it is a pity that very
few know about it. Do you have a story to tell? Some Good News to
share?
- E-mail us (genesis@catholic.org) or fax us
(021-6627384), and tell us about it. That’s right! You don’t have to be
a great writer to do this. We can help you write it – just tell us like
it is!
- Don’t forget to write
the subject: “Let Me Tell You A
Story”
For comments, suggestions or
ideas:
E-mail us: genesis@catholic.org
Write us: Jl. Bacang No. 20 Kebayoran Baru,
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
Call us: (6221) 720-3824
Fax us: (6221) 662-7384
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Community - All Rights Reserved 2003
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Place of Refuge
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Sharing
By Ricel Lapig
Here's the Latest
By Pinky Torres
Viewpoint
Straight from the Heart
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On Focus
by Sansu Garin
Compiled by Armand Sol
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