RAQUEL

She has been with us for these four months or five. But it feels like we have had already with her for so long. How she is being part of our journey, and it’s not only on the surface but in our vein, is deniable.

I know her since October 2015, when I joined Short English Course for GKJW’s reverends. That course was kind of a revealing moment, aha moment, for me. How finally I called that course as “not just English class but a class of life.” She had taught us very much about life, as much as English (or even more). And she brought us what previously we called as impossibility, challenge us to face it as possibility, even probability. She encouraged us to be brave to face and cope our fear, especially our ignorance and our inferior feeling that we had hidden beneath our arrogance. Not with a shortcut but dignity. Since then she made us felling weak (of our sudden consciousness) and strong at the same time, to make us realize that we still have a very long journey to take. But no need to be worried, because we have each other in that pilgrim, so we will be never walking all alone and never be. And yeah, she is there as well (until now), accompany and wake us up with her very laugh or tears, then saying “Come on! You can do it! I am here to help you!” Somehow it is very comforting, yet motivating. “Be anxious for nothing! Stay hungry! Stay foolish!”

She never complained about our weaknesses, but has been seeing it as opportunities. And if, finally, we could do something right, she wouldn’t say, “Look! How great your teacher!” instead of, “Look! You have it in you since the beginning, right, and you find it now!” The appreciative inquiry, that’s her way of life. For certain I will say that she never let us down. Never! Even if we did something different, and it was far away from her expectations, she had never been disappointing. She preferred to say, “You know, to be different is great!” Simply, she never gave up on us and never will.

Till now, she is still with her loyalty. She has been sacrificing too much but never looks those as sacrifice but calling. The way she thanks, and her responsibility, to God, of His blessing for her and her family. She never looks the bad side, always sees something with good perspective. She always holds her judgement until its very end. And at the end of the day, she will say nothing but “You’re great! You’re so blessing by the best thing from God!” I think her spirit makes us value more to our blessed life from God. She has brought us closer to Him day by day.

Maybe you ask me, “Is there someone that is really great?” And I dare to say and shout out loud, “Yes!” How lucky this world is to have someone with her persona. Not just lucky I think, but blessed. Thank God, Raquel, to know you in our journey! I will pray the best for you, your family, your vocations, your dreams, and everything around you. Always!

PS: Ssst! Raquel, if I have to compare you with some people I knew, maybe the closest ones are Mbak Nicky, Mbak Ari, Mbak Kris, Rere, and Pia. You six are really touching me in my deepest. And I have a song for you six, one of my favorite song all the time, "Vincent, Starry, Starry Night" by Don Mclean.