Healing, Hoping

A friend came from Jakarta. His name is Agung. We were finalists of SCTV's competition in 2003 and 2004. In his SMS he said that he wanted to talk a lot, and he asked me to came to his uncle's house in Police Academy residential area at 7 p.m.I admit that during the competition we never always mocked at each other. He always called me "miss shading", because I need many shading to hide my chubby cheeks and little nose. At the other side, I always call him "mr. beauty salon", because he brought complete make up like lipstick, face powder, eyeshadow and eyebrow pencil! :)) I won the 1st place in Semarang in 2004, and he was the 2nd. Later he worked for Trijaya FM Jakarta, my old radio network before Female....

So, that nite I went to the police academy. It was the 1st time for me to see the academy from inside, and it was...very impressive. I've never thought that inside that large complex is a beautidul place with big houses for generals inside.

I was more surprised when I arrived at his uncle's home. So many people! Later Agung explained that his uncle is blessed with the ability to cure people... and he has that service for free, for any people from any cities and religions...even he has travelled around the world, giving that blessed service to people in all over Indonesia, Asia, America, also in Europe: Belgium, Italy and Netherland...

Harry is the name of the uncle.
A very dedicated Catholic, and I could see how friendly he was to everybody, even he has just came back from Jakarta 30 minutes before.

Then, I started to feel emotional. There was a 1,5 year-old baby who suffered from a cancer at his arm. He was very small, only 1,4 kg, his face was very innocent but he and cried cried... as his arm is swelling so big. There were also some people suffer from heart disease, uterus and breast cancer, a little girl with hypothallamus (extra-big head), a little boy who almost blind... couples who get married for more than 5 years who expect to get pregnant, also, a Chinese doctor who was paralyzed, but now can walk... all of them were suffering, but from their eyes I could see that they had big hope to feel better...They came not only from Semarang, but there were 5 couples from Jakarta, alsi some people from east and west Java, Borneo, Bali...
I've never seen anything like that place before, and I've never thought that my friend, Agung, involved in that holy service... he was 1 of 4 singers who sang many praise songs during the service.

The uncle welcomed me warmly, and he let me sit next to the altar. It was the first time for me joining a Catholic service, including the bible reading, prayers and songs... I felt weird for the first minutes, but then, I felt so touched to see how faithful were the people there when they prayed...

Many of us cried, maybe they cried to realize how sad it is to suffer that way.... but I cried to realize that the people around me suffered more than me, but they tried all efforts to continue their life. I'm ashamed. My suffers is nothing compared to the suffer of a father who came with a 5 year-old autis boy... he kept on saying, "I would be very happy if my son could say 'Papa'..." :(( oh...

After the prayers, one by one were asked to lay on the carpet. Then Mr. Harry came to them, praying, and touching them, saying "Oh, Holy spirit, touch us...."I cried too many times to see the whole process...

The couples who expected the babies were asked to lay down side by side, holding hands to his wife/husbands. You know, I saw so much love between them. They were holding hands with LOVE and fait. They believed that what God has brought together couldn't be broken by anything... in that way, I do love Catholic marriage principal. Learning to love and having real commitment... not leaving even we're in difficult times, for any reason, even if they don't have babies...

The boy with cancer cried aloud, but after Mr. harry touched him, he calmed down, his face was peaceful.Then a woman with uterus cancer...

I didn't believe that kind of spiritual treatment before, but with my eyes I could see that magic happened. The swell got smaller, the pain gone only after some touch and prayers...
Agung said that Mr. Harry is blessed with an ability to see holy lights, catch it and deliver it to the suffering people's body...After that, an assistant splashed holy water that has been blessed by the Pope, and they were asked to pray.

Again I saw many love, hopes and faith around. Love of parents... I saw the mother of almost blind boy cried when she prayed after the holy touch procession... I saw husbands embracing their wives when they prayed to get babies soon...and they cried together in front of the altar... oh....

The most amazing was the autistic boy. He was very ignorant of everything around, but after the healing procession, he smiled, he hugged mr. Harry, and said, "Maria...Maria..."everybody was amazed. He couldn't say 'Papa', but he called Maria? (in Indonesia we call mother Mary as Maria...)

Mr. Hary finished with all patients at midnight. At that time, all his assistants already knowing me... there was no religion border... the Catholic singers sang songs to praise Jesus, and the Muslim musicians played the piano and guitar with all their heart.The suffered people ranged from babies to grannies...and they prayed in their own faith....It was beautiful and touching to see that kind of miracle.

I wish that they will live better life later, and I'm very grateful that Agung showed me a beautiful part of life: GIVING-LOVING-CARING, and, HOPING, with a sincere faith to the power of God...

Many people suffer more than us, but they stand stronger... Why can't we?