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Gerardette Phillips rscj Gerardette Phillips, rscj  | Going beyond our borders in Indonesia we have to go beyond many borders. This is enough to explain the richness and diversity experienced in this country. The borders are both geographical and spiritual. We live in the multicultural city of Jakarta, share in the joys and sufferings of the people of East Timor (now called Timor Lorosae), and work for the empowerment of the people of Papua. On the spiritual level, with Indonesia having the largest Muslim population in the world, our spirituality is coloured by Islam. We have the privilege of experiencing all the four points of dialogue: life, action, faith and theological reflection. We share life with our Muslim neighbours, street children and people in prison. Neighborhood children we teach to draw, paint and complete their daily homework, which also includes the way to live out the Islamic Law (the Syariat). “Our leader” of the nearby mosque invites us to celebrate the festivals with the faithful, including marriage and circumcision ceremonies. We work together with Muslims for children who are mentally challenged. We share our faith and our reflections with the University of Islam (Paramadina), in the Theologate, in the Catholic University, with young people who are interested in building interfaith relations and work in the Bishops Conference of Indonesia in the Commission for Interfaith relations and Beliefs. Indonesian RSCJ Seung Mai Ja (left) with friends. Work and school continued even in the aftermath of area flooding.  | The Religious of the Sacred Heart came to Indonesia, "a country of the future," on February, 8th 1989 in honour of the Canonisation of their first missionary St. Philippine Duchesne on July 3,1988. The first RSCJ to step on Indonesian soil was Sr. Anne O'Neil who continues to find home in the land of rich and diverse cultures. Over the years RSCJ from different countries have rendered their generous services to Indonesia and have returned. Today there are five final professed RSCJ from five different countries, Japan, Korea, Philippines, India and the United States. In January, this year we welcomed our first two Indonesians as temporary professed members of the Society. The expression of our spirituality of the "Open Heart of Jesus" is realised in the hope that RSCJ in Indonesia have, to offer A PLACE where ALL PEOPLE can feel at home. This year’s celebration of Saint Madeleine Sophie marked the opening of this PLACE which has a "post modern" designed chapel, a library and a small quiet space for reading and recollection. This place is rightly called PONDOK SOPHIA (a little house of Sophia - Wisdom). One of Mai Ja's students helps clean up her neighborhood after the floods.  | Our lives are lived in the presence of Muslims. This is a mutual joy and challenge. Joy because it gives us the opportunity to relate to people of another faith and constantly discover God from a different perspective. This makes us aware that we cannot stop discovering the greatness of God. Challenge because our Muslim sisters and brothers by their strong faith in the Word of God, the Holy Quran, urge us to live by the faith we profess, the faith in the Word which is Jesus Himself. If a Muslim's life is the Holy Quran then a Christian's life is Jesus. In discovering and revealing God everyday in this multi faith context our "ordinary" lives becomes "extra" ordinary by that "extra" touch of God that we receive by living among Muslims! Going beyond our borders in Indonesia is not a matter of choice but a way of life for us.
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