My Summer Project: Beyond Brisbane

Please pray for me as I am going to be involved in a project held by Student Life (a.k.a Campus Crusade for Christ) in the end of this month. This is an outreach project as well as a time where students walk their faith and grow more in God. I really need support in doing this, and I need to train myself to be confident as well.

Student Life considers me and other students in the project as volunteers – I personally consider this as a faith training project, and exciting way of showing God’s love! Anyway, students interested in the project applied, and if we are accepted then we go to the next round which is to fundraise. There are several projects going on hence the amount of money should be raise is different one to each other.

For me, I applied for Beyond Brisbane. This is an outreach to international uni students around Brisbane. I choose the project because I think that this is the most relevant one for me, as I am an international student myself. And I do have the heart for them. I even strongly believe that God brought me here to ‘train my hands’ to love Him more through my loving my intl friends.

It is for two-weeks training and accommodation for the project itself and for the volunteers needs. I may not know you, the one reading this blog posting at the moment. But thank you for reading about what I am doing. I would also like to invite you to partner with me to respond of Jesus’ Great Commission. We could be partner in prayers.

Please do not hesitate to contact me and ask things that you might question about Student Life or Summer Project.

Contact Melinda about the Summer Project on:

kameraku77@yahoo.com

or message me on facebook, my account name is: Melinda Barus

I really appreciate your attention and partnership. I will update any info related to the project on this blog of mine. Feel free to explore

God provides, and He rocks!

Regards,

Melinda

JG Advance part 1

I just saw my friend’s photo album on facebook. The title was “JG Advance”. I suddenly remember that I experienced the same event with her, only in my own group. AND instead of doing it independently, we joined ALC (Ablaze Leadership Conference) last weekend. And this is the story!

Firstly I’ll try to explain what JG Advance is. (I hope I get right though, it’s a new term that I really got involved into.) Joshua Generation Advance is a training for leader-gonnabe in my church, Hope Brisbane Christian Church. It’s a 6 months training (once each month) to equip sveral members that is hoped to become future shepherd or leader in the church

Now ’shepherd’ is a term for spiritual mentor in my church. I have been a ’sheep’ since the beginning of this year. So I have a shepherd and so does my shepherd. I think all of us in the church are either a shpherd or a sheep.

My lifegroup leader asked me to consider about being a shepherd. I was so surprised and hesitated to say yes. But I learned that it’s part of faith journey. If I am not ready to be shepherd, never will I feel that I’m ready. It is something that I have to train, and something that I gotta give to God to let him mold me.

(1st note of stepping in faith practically)

To make the long story short, we were in our second training of JG Advance last weekend. It’s the time to (instead of having a class teaching-learning activity), spend time with our leaders. Usually the activity would be hanging out to somewhere or just sleeping over someone’s place (gender seperation of course).

But my leader had an idea of doing something different. To be mixed with Ablaze’s conference. (Ablaze is a Hope service which is held every Friday; ours is the Sunday one). They’re apparently having Ablaze Leader Conference for 2 days. And that’s where we went.

Please see the second part to find out mnore about ALC!

Beasiswa Dikti 2009

Tadi sempat mengintip website Dikti yang sudah pindah ke www.ditnaga.dikti.go.id. Pengumuman terbaru mengenai beasiswa luar negeri untuk para dosen sudah sampai tahap pengumuman hasil wawancara. Pengumumannya mencakup 2 tahapan, tahap I dan II/2009.

Ada 414 pelamar yang lolos seleksi, dari berbagai universitas se-Indonesia ke berbagai universitas di berbagai belahan dunia (ada yang ke Griffith Uni nih! hehee..).

Selamat Bapak dan Ibu.. Semoga proses administrasi dan pelengkapan persyaratannya lancar..

Kalau ada yang bersedia share pengalamannya mengenai proses beasiswa Dikti tahun ini (bahkan tahun lalu) monggo loh Bapak, Ibu.. Siapa tahu bisa jadi ajang bagi2 pengalaman, sekalian ngurangin uneg2 mungkin..

Sekali lagi, congratulations!

Soal checkout kamar kost di Australia

Saya belum meriset bagaimana pengalaman teman-teman yang menyelesaikan penyewaan rumahnya selama tinggal di Brisbane. Tapi hari ini saya diingatkan tentang suatu hal. Kedisiplinan landlord.

Hari ini housemate saya, Elle (agak disamarkan namanya), akan berangkat ke China untuk berlibur selama sebulan. Pesawatnya take off jam 12.30PM nanti. Dia berencana untuk berangkat ke bandara jam 6 sore dari rumah. Itu rencana yang dia bilang kemarin.

Repotnya, sekembalinya dia dari China, dia akan berkuliah di kampus (Griffith Uni juga) Gold Coast, yang nota bene 2.5 jam perjalanan by bus. Dia udah survey tempat dari beberapa minggu lalu dan sudah menjadi penghuni rumah yang baru semenjak kemarin (kalau ga salah).

Tapi barang-barangnya masih banyak banget yang harus diangkut ke Gold Coast (dari Coopers Plains – Brisbane South, tempat kami tinggal). Jadi tadi pagi dia pergi lah ke GC dengan mobil sedannya. Dia balik ke Coopers Plains by train. Mobil udah rapi jali diparkir di rumah barunya sana, menurut Elle.

Seperti perjanjian mereka, landlord saya menemui Elle di rumah kami jam 1 PM tadi. Berhubung bukan budayanya orang sini untuk ikut terlibat dalam pembicaraan yang jelas-jelas terdengar (karena posisi mereka di tengah rumah), saya bolak-balik aja sambil pura-pura ga denger ada intonasi yang cukup intens di antara mereka.

Landlord saya, seperti diceritakan Elle sesudahnya, mendenda Elle sebesar $65 karena tidak mencuci bed sheet. Lalu bu landlord juga mengecek setiap sudut rumah, seperti lemari makanan, kulkas, freezer, kamar mandi, toilet, dsb. Sebenarnya Elle sudah membersihkan semua itu, tapi sepertinya itu belum cukup buat bu landlord, saya sempat lihat Elle bolak-balik buang kantong plastik dua kali ke tempat sampah di pekarangan rumah.

Lalu ‘terjebak’ lah saya dalam pembicaraan mereka. ‘Mel, are you going to be home the whole afternoon?’ kata si ibu. Saya jawab bahwa saya akan pergi jam 4PM. lalu kami membentuk segitiga sama sisi di depan kamar saya yang kebetulan persis di dekat pintu utama rumah. ‘And what time will your friend pick you up to the airport, Elle?’, ‘Yeah, around 5. Are you going at 4?’ Elle melanjutkan bertanya ke saya. ‘Yes’.

Kenapa dia nanya saya? Ternyata si ibu maunya Elle udah ga ada di rumah ini setelah jam 2 PM. Kenapa? Karena itu perjanjian mereka. Bu landlord datang jam 1 untuk inspeksi, ngurus berkas2-nya Elle, dan ngambil kunci kamar dan gerbang dari tangan Elle. ‘See.. You are making us to have to adjust to YOUR schedule. You suppose to arrange it way before today that your friend can pick you up at 2′, seloroh bu landlord. ‘I actually arranged it, but my plane is not until midnight, that’s why I asked my friend to pick me up at 6. It’s too early to come before that’, jawab Elle. ‘But you are an adult. You could have just waited, I don’t know.. You’re an adult’. Duh.. kuping saya ga enak banget dengernya. Kasihan Elle juga, dari sisi dia, keadaannya benar-benar ga memungkinkan..

Jadi perundingan diakhiri dengan memperbolehkan Elle menunggu temannya sampai jam 5, dan bu landlord ga akan ada di tempat saat Elle pergi (atau Elle akan tetap ada saat bu landlord meninggalkan rumah – kayanya si ibu ga rela akan situasi ini). Nota bene, kamar Elle yang sudah bersih dan kosong dikunci dan membuat teritori Elle hanya berkisar di living room, bersanding dengan 2 koper besarnya.

Pulanglah si ibu ke rumahnya. Terus saya ngobrol sama Elle. Walah.. Ternyata Elle berkali-kali lipat pusingnya dibanding yang saya kira. Dia serasa berada di tempat yang udah jadi hak dia, tapi malahan ‘terpenjara’ di living room. Kenapa? Karena ternyata dia harus tetap membayar uang kost selama 3 minggu ke depan, berhubung kontraknya akan habis di awal Juli. Tidak bisa tidak. Uang tiga minggu bayaran itu akan dipotong dari uang jaminan yang prosedurnya memang harus dibayarkan di awal kontrak (sebesar 1 bulan uang kost). Jadi, sudah membayar beratus-ratus dolar ekstra, kunci kamar tetap jadi hak milik bu landlord mulai dari jam 2 siang hari ini. Ckckckcckkk.. Belum lagi $65 dollar karena belum mencuci bed sheet!!

Saya harus atur strategi dari sekarang nih supaya meninggalkan kost tanpa denda macam-macam.. Disiplinnya bu kos bikin ngerii!

Having a thought of Melbourne and Sydney..

I have never ever had this kind of thought before. Going to another city in Australia.

The crazy thought came when I got the returned tax from the government.. It was nearly new year, and I was tempted to go to Sydney, haaaa.. But I made the right decision. I didn’t think about it anymore.

Now it comes to the situation to think about it again. Now it’s about going to Melbourne. Why Melbourne? There is no Hillsong there. Yeah. But the thing’s even more relevant to me, cos it’s The OC time, Oceania Convention. It is a convention for all the Hope Churches throughout Pacific. Gathering annually and this time it’s in Victoria, Phillip Island in particular.

 

Onced I thought about it, because the word “God will provide” kinda getting thru my heart. But then I forgot about it. I was too busy, and it’s expensive! The OC itself is 300ish, not including the flights!

BUT.. One day it just came to me this thought.. I had worked for several weeks last month.. And most the salary is not even in my hand yet.. And that is the time I know that God really provides. Not only He made my heart settled (because the scholarship -tuition- arrived), but the job He gave really makes me provided, especially for this OC.

Still have some thought though.. Is it actually for saving? Is it the wisest thing to use the money I earned for OC? Hmm..seems.. It IS. Amen

 

Oh, I even have a thought about Sydney, because it’s kinda long holiday..(a week), and I didn’t have emough vacation last 4months-holiday!.. AND I was thinking maybe it can be arranged, the internship in Sydney, that I heard from Mba Aan??

Need to think-think-think about it. Deeply. So amazing how each and everyday I got an extra power to think extra things!

my new class.. real class!

Hahaa.. yeah, im feeling kind of ore comfy with my new class.. it’s a ‘real’ class. By real class i mean it doesnt form circle (that makes me very nervous). by real class means that the lecturer stands in front of the class, near the whiteboard. so oldschool, but it makes me just..relaxed

This is how the new class looks like, I took the pic just after it finished today at 1.30pm..

 

While this is the class I had last semester (Intl Journalism).. it’s kinda messy thee, but usually it would form a circle.

 

Soo.. I’m looking forward to really being IN the class.. and today I choose to having a presentation next week. Something crazy, I suppose, from my perspective.. But it’s better to do it sooner, hey..

 

Oh I want to have this semester in hand

What we do secretly in a class..

Today I found out something unique someone does at a classroom.. LOL.. A new friend of mine revealed that he will attend most of all the workshops in the library to gain as much as possibble the info there, to then share the info n knowledge in his office back home. How does he do thet? He recorded it.

I have a similar weird thing I do in a class. Hwhhw.. I like to taking pictures of new things I experience. Sooo.. I have several snapshots of my lecturers. And..to be honest, I recorded my Italian course back in Jakarta as well, Giuseppe’s class. I recourded it like from the very beginning until te very end (if I wasn’t late, of course). I collected them and I listened to them once. Didn’t reach the initial purpose.. but I have the satisfaction that the memory of being somewhere (that i find very interesting) is in my hand.

Funny thing related to this habit of mine happened in my previous summer course down at the Gold Coast. It’s hillarious. I really liked this class, right.. And I really don’t want to forget about it. I need a ‘proof’ that I had that kind of course once in my life. LOL, seriously, it’s a very interesting class, Writing for the Web, 1802ART (now you know, Griffith-ers :p).

The lecturer was very funny and attractive. He’s kind, but crazy, but amazingly, respectful. So what he does in his classes (oh yeah, my friend’s the witness, he is such a person) are: talking loudly, walking on our tables, chewing gums and put the gum on the roof, encouraging people to bring food and share it with others (cool, hey..).

So one day, a beautiful sunny day, I put my cellphone on my table, and recorded the audio activities. Yap. I recorded Mr. JN talks. It was going well. In terms he spoke clearly and quite near to my desk. So the ‘production’ should be fine.

Until that moment happen. He suddenly jump on to the table in front of me, and started to act crazy! He TOOK MY CELLPHONE (and making me my face turn into reddish) and asked why it didnt ring at all (because before that day, my phone ’sang’ Third Eye Blind’s Semi-Charmed Life!) He looked at my phone intentively (I hoped and I hoped that he wouldn’t press anything and saw my recording process!!). And he put it on the roof just upon my head. OH!!! I really hoped that’s it. Later on he told me that he hoped that the cellphone would ring, wouldnt that be awesome, he said.

After about 30minutes, he was bored, and he opened the roof again, and… (my heart beat sooooo sooo fast!) and took the phone..and… gave it to me. OOOWHHH… Such a relieve!!!

THis story was only shared betwewn me, Fei, and Khalid.. and now this blog. Fiuuh.. At least it passed..  **OH MY!! just now i got a phone call from khalid!! HAHAHAAA**

 

So..next time I’m doing secret thing in my class.. I should be aware if my lecturer is similar with Mr. JN or not. Dangeroussss!!! :p

Di Balik Meja Australia..

Mulai dari Senin, February 16, 2009 lalu, saya resmi merasakan melayani orang (baca: internasional) dari balik meja di sebuah negara bernama Australia. Such an experience yang saya syukuri banget.

Saya ingat pertama kali kaki saya menginjak Griffith Nathan Campus di minggu kedua perkuliahan semester 2/2008, 6 7 Agustus lalu. Melihat pemandangan baru dengan segala tetek-bengek di otak saya bikin saya takut, ga nyaman, bingung, dsb. Saya nanya letak gedung N12 setiap kali saya berjalan 20 langkah dengan bahasa inggris yang lalilulelo. Semua orang yang menjawab saya bener-bener semangat menolong, dan itu ga akan pernah saya lupakan. Perasaan dihargai dan mendapat pertolongan di saat saya helpless, what a feeling. what a help. What a memorable moment.

Dan semenjak November lalu saya menanti-natikan tanggal 16 Februari kemarin, jadi GI MATES!! Can you imagine that.. Me? Jadi GI MATE? Wuiiih..luar biasa. Saya yang masih ga kenal setiap gedung di kampus, masih terbata-bata berbahasa inggris, tapi miracle happens. God empowers. Saya ditawarin Intl Advisor saya (tempat curhat dan sekali menangis soal dana kuliah, hehe) menjadi kru-nya Intl Office griffith Uni di saat orientasi mahasiswa baru tiba. APA!! Saya mau lah!  Anyway, ada dua arti nih jadi GI Mate  yang berarti Griffith Intl Mates (temen2nya Griffith’s intl students) dan ada juga arti sebenernya, literally; Griffith International Making Arrival and Transition Eeasy for Students.

Saya pernah jadi orang linglung, saya pernah sebel banget karna kampusnya Griffith itu aneh banget bingungin gitu. Dan saya mau banget kalo ada kesempatan untuk bantu orang-orang yang baru dateng di sini feel easier. Jujur ni, soal dibayar emang menggiurkan juga. Tapi soal jadi GI MATE-nya itu loh, ga terkira menyenangkannya.

Minggu lalu 2 hari saya kerja di depan N12, mendistribusikan Enrolment Pack pada mahasiswa internasional yang banyak banget tipe-nya. Ada yang bener-bener baru sehari di Australia, ada yang dah lama kuliah di GELI, ada yang masih 18tahun, adayang dah 30an.. Macem-macem. Dan semuanya itu dah kita pelajarin gimana teknik melayaninya. Seenggaknya dah kita bahas berbagai background para mahasiswa internasional. Di GI MATES training (Tanggal 11nya) kita ngebahas tentang mentoring dsb dari jam 9 sampe jam 3 sore. Haha..belajar melayani cara Australia. Santai, ceria, dan helping with all your heart.

Temen-temen yang ikutan GI MATE juga keliatan banget willing hearted nya, emang tujuan mereka (selain cari duit, hehe) ngebantu mahasiswa baru. Emang keliatannya gampang ngebantu orang. Tapi perjuangan juga sebenernya kan. Salut deh sama mas-mas dan mba2 ituh. Ada beberapa yang emang dah pengalaman di semester2 sebelumnya. Saya banyak belajar dari mereka.

Dua hari di minggu lalu, dan memasuki hari terakhir di minggu ini, fiuuh.. saya akan merindukan kegiatan GI MATE yang membuat saya being an authorithised helper ini.. Menyapa orang yang lalu lalang di depan meja saya dengan senyum dan kalimat “Hello, how are you?”, “Hey, how’s it going?”, “Hi, can I help you?” dsb.. I was in their position..bingung ngeliat tu mba-mba kok pake nyapa2 segala gw cuma lewat, hahaaa..

         

Ah, senangnya.. I’m gona make the most of today. My last day working as a GI MATE!

 

*tunggu cerita-cerita seru lainnya tentang d balik meja australia

Let the week begin!

16 February and above..

The mid of February is here, is coming, is now!

I can’t remember since when have I been thinking about these ’special’ days.. Maybe since November last year.

All the internship thing was the beginning. Then the GI Mate interview. Then the Summer Semester schedule. Then the Student Life’s program Andrew once informed about.. The Inter-Faith summit plan (as I started working as casual for Multi-Faith Centre). What a complex month it would be, that’s a thought back then.

And it becomes to reality.

It is the ’season’ . Tomorrow, approximately 11 hours from now, I will experience GI Mate-ing! What a wonderful job, hey.. I will get the chance of meeting new friends, and hopefully will be able to make hard-things easier for them in terms of having new environment here in Griffith Uni, Nathan Campus, Brisbane, Australia..

We had an orientation last Thursday, and hopefully we (well, I ) can make it from tomorrow on! And not to mention the summit,, and the Dan Murphy’s thing, and the payment thing.. Haaaaaaaaa.. mana I left my schedule book at Multi-Faith Centre pula, hikss..

 

But sure is, this is the week I’ve been waiting for jeeeeng.. So Im gonna love it! God will help me do the things He percayakan for my hands to hold

 

I give my heart for the purpose. Love the weeks ahead, love the short days I have here in Brisbane!! Yeahh!!

 

melinskiss-ditemani lagu Tinggikan DiriMu/GMB dari album Rise Up, di atas karpet di tengah barang-barang yang berserakan di suatu kamar di Coopers Plains :O

australia oh australia..

negeri dengan mba2 berbaju kemben dan berpaha asyik di mana-mana..

such a fun-mall-night hanya bisa dilakukan di kamis malam..

membuatku merasa tidak bisa berbahasa..

so many opportunities..in everything. sampe suka ga fokus euy mau ngapain sebenernya dibawa ke sini..

tertib kali lah..tiba2 aja tadi ada suara menggema dari speaker yang entah di mana (pas lagi nunggu 12o di bus stop garden city), nyutuh anak2 abg yang berkeliaran datengin telepon umum oranye n ngangkat gagang teleponnya, karena “we would like to talk to you”, hahaaa..such a mnice voice..mau ngobrol sama saya ga mas?? :p

i don’t like the situation that i can not do what i’m suppose to do. tadi prof.swee-hin kasian, dia pasti sebel n bete soal surat2 undangan yang buat consulates n ambassadors. asli, gw pikir bakal diperlakukan beda gitu sama si yang ngerjain, ternyata dibikin sama aja kaya surat2 yang lainnya, malah yang buat consul China cuma ada amplopnya, ga ada isinya. kasian prof.kuu..bingung sendirian, gw pula bukannya inisiatif ngecek amplop2 (bahkan memisah2kan) n liat whether consulate n embassy China dah ada. Prof. ternyata orangnya emang cereet tapi ga ngotot-an..pas prosesnya aja dia cerewet, tapi pas ada something wrong, dia kurang gimana gt.. oooohh..should have mrasa berotoriatas aja tadi, secara listnya yang bikin gwwwwwww ( duh prof..pusing banget tadi dirimu.. sedih ngliatnya. pokonya besok gw mau teliti seteliti2nya!!

blanja 30dollar hari ini. yumm..tuna is my friend now..

salah tadi bawa2 barang yang bermerek woolworths ke dalaem woolworths, huhuh..untung kasirnya ga bilang gw pwncuri!

Hmmm..semoga tangan nyokap dah baikan..

Oh God, so many things to grap and be encouraged about on February.. Please show me what do I need to prioritaskan…

 

huuummm… payment plan..payment plan.. untuk summer semester bisa di pp ga ya??

semoga rumahku ga banjir..

tes hafalan.. Karena hikmat datangnya dari Tuhan, dari mulutnya lah datang kepandaian dan pengertian. Amsal 2:6.. cek dulu ahhh.. hohoohho..kebolakbalik.. harusnya.. Karena Tuhanlah yang memberikan hikmat, dari mulutnya datang pengetahuan dan kepandaian. AMEEEEEEENNN!!

 

hot lovely night of brissy..

 

 

melinskiss