During the 90's I had instructed, baptised/received in the Church and confirmed some forty young people mostly students at Curtin University or other educational colleges from Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia. This special pastoral work introduced me to many new friends in Perth and Overseas. It created for me the need of a support group of people to help me with the religious instruction as well as in god-parenting. Among the people involved in god-parenting there were the: Darmagos, Handojos, Tandionos, Sunaryos, Hendartos, Sianniwatys, Siaputras etc. Through these new friendships I was invited to visit Indonesia for the first time in January 1997. Then I went again in August 1999 and my last pastoral visit was from the 16 to 26 January this year. This time I travelled overland from Jakarta (West Java) to Central and East Java, Surabaya and Malang. Of course I didn't dare to drive myself because the traffic is fast and hectic and there are many unwritten rules. On the way I have seen also the Indonesian poorest of the poor. There is no middle class in Indonesia!

The occasion was the wedding of indrawan Tandiono and Veni Adi Moelia both medical doctors from Curtin University. The wedding was held on Saturday, January 20, 2001 in the Church of Maria Bunda Karmel, Jakarta. The church capacity is over 800 people and the Reception Centre "Auditorium" Manggala Wanabakti Building would take thousands. The Nuptial Mass was led by the Parish Priest, with another six priests including the Bride’s two uncles and myself concelebrating. The whole Ceremony was magnificent and it reminded me of the "Sound of Music" because there were quite a few nuns too. At the Reception there were some two and a half thousand happy guests. So, it was like the wedding of the new century. It's also interesting that during each of my three pastoral visits to Indonesia there was a new Government.