03.02.2004 - Journey of Fast Numbers and Cars
   Then, after the rest, we moved on. We went to Bursa Efek Jakarta (BEJ) to watch how the whole stock market system works. It was somewhat boring, though the speaker was quite funny, and my friends were very rowdy that they asked harsh questions to the speaker. The only interesting part in this journey was to see the trading floor, the place where they got that huge electronic board with the numbers of stock prices and values and all. We think it was cool.

From BEJ, the journey moved on to Plaza Senayan. We were planned to be there from 4 p.m to 9 p.m, but as there was nothing there, we grow bored and we left by 7 p.m back to the hotel. Okay, there were many branded stores there but overall the mall was no fun and too small. All that was fun there was the game centre, because there were eight Daytona II machines that could be linked together. So, we made some kind of a tournament play, and because we can play eight persons at once, it was fun and challenging, overtaking everywhere at every turns, nooks and crannies. Shouts and curses can be heard everytime there was an overtaking, or someone hit the wall. We got some free tickets from the tour leaders, so we could play as much as we wanted.

Back to the hotel, the dark started to crawl upon us. As it was not late already (still around 8 p.m), some guys wanted to try looking for 'night pleasure and entertainment'. Well, if you've read Jakarta Undercover, then you'll know that Jakarta is the right place to do that, as this city has the abundance of those forbidden things. At that time, I was depressed, so actually I am the one who first suggested the idea of looking for those. But later on that night, my roommate asked me whether I was serious to do that. I answered him that I was serious, and we have planned to do it the next day. Suddenly, my friend told me that it is no use for me to seek pleasure from the world, as it will pain the heart of God. I was surprised, I never expected this friend of mine to be a religious kind of person, but it turned out that he is a strong person of God from a large church in my town. We read the Bible and looked for verses to support me, and we also prayed to God for strength, so that I would not fall into the dark.

It was a blessed night. Not only did I meet another fellow man of Christ, but we also managed to do a faith sharing to the other roommate (my room was inhabited by three, including me). He is a Christian, yes, but he still have some questions about God and salvation, and his understanding was to be heightened that night. He didn't understand yet about faith by grace, good works not to be saved but because already saved, and other things that basically every Christian need to know. So we continued our sharing, discussion and prayer that started about 10 p.m, to 1 a.m in the morning. After we finished, we were very tired and sleepy, and we know that we must wake up around 5.30 a.m because we must leave at 8 a.m, so by that time we must have finished bathing and eating. We prayed to God to give us new strength for us to be able to fly on as eagles (Isaiah 40:31a).

We slept peacefully that night, only I was thinking, that on the very day, I will have to make a decision. To follow the dark, or to follow the light. I prayed and hoped that I will prevail. I will have to make a stand. I will not lose.

- To be continued in Chapter III : A Stand Towards Heavens -


••• Friday, February 13, 2004 •••