http://edukasi.kompas.com/read/2013/11/21/1454323/Studi.Punya.Skil.Bahasa.Inggris.Tingkatkan.Pendapatan.30-50.Persen.Lebih.Tinggi.

Studi: Punya Skil Bahasa Inggris Tingkatkan Pendapatan 30-50 Persen Lebih Tinggi!

Menurut Lars Berg, Executive Vice President EF Indonesia, studi menunjukkan bahwa profesional yang berkemampuan berbahasa Inggris dengan baik bisa meraih pendapatan 30-50 persen lebih tinggi. Sebanyak 42 persen CEO di Indonesia mengatakan bahwa mereka kekurangan karyawan yang mampu berbahasa Inggris dengan baik. | EF Center

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Berbagai lembaga ekonomi dunia dan juga korporasi kini menempatkan Indonesia sebagai salah satu negara dengan potensi ekonomi sangat besar di dunia. Indonesia diprediksi akan menjadi salah satu negara pengendali perekonomian di Asia bersama China dan India. 

Indonesia memiliki populasi penduduk yang besar dan merupakan market besar dunia, selain juga memiliki sumber daya alam luar biasa. Tak heran, perusahaan-perusahaan ternama dunia berbondong-bondong masuk ke Indonesia untuk berinvestasi.  

Namun demikian, dalam hal sumber daya manusia, Indonesia masih harus mengejar ketertinggalannya dalam hal teknologi dan juga kemampuan berkomunikasi. Sebagai negara yang ingin terus maju, tidak ada pilihan lain bagi Indonesia untuk sesegera mungkin memperbaiki kemampuan mereka untuk bisa berkomunikasi dengan bangsa lain. 

Robert Lane Greene yang mengkaji untuk The Economist mencatat, "Saingan bahasa Inggris dewasa ini bukanlah bahasa Mandarin, Arab atau Spanish, tetapi saingannya adalah komputer. Apalagi, sekarang komputer dilengkapi dengan Google Translate dengan kamus untuk mengecek makna lain selain yang diterjemahkan".  

Hal senada diungkapkan Dino Martin, Direktur B-Recruit, salah satu sebuah perusahaan konsultan SDM. Dino mengungkapkan, bahwa kemampuan bahasa Inggris sudah menjadi kriteria mutlak yang diinginkan perusahaan dari seorang calon pegawainya. Lebih lanjut Dino mengatakan bahwa ini terjadi bukan hanya di perusahaan multinasional, tetapi juga lokal. 

"Saya rasa kemampuan berbahasa Inggris adalah hal mutlak bagi mereka yang ingin berkarir di perusahaan multinasional. Bahkan, yang mengejutkan adalah di perusahaan lokal pun sudah menempatkan kemampuan berbahasa Inggris sebagai salah satu kriteria dasar dalam mencari pegawai," ujar Dino. 

EF centerCountry Manager EF English Centers Indonesia, Patricia Setyadjie, mengungkapkan di sekolah ini murid bisa memilih belajar di kelas melalui kelas tatap muka dengan guru native atau belajar secara online, atau kombinasi keduanya.

Pekerja profesional 

Bahasa Inggris memang hal mutlak bagi mereka yang ingin memiliki karir yang baik dan ingin terus memastikan peningkatan karirnya. Semakin tinggi posisi yang dicari, semakin mutlak persyaratan akan kemampuan berbahasa Inggris dari calon pegawai diminta oleh sebuah perusahaan. 

"Artinya, jika anda ingin mengembangkan karir dan terus mendapat promosi jabatan, maka kemampuan berbahasa Inggris menjadi salah satu hal yang perlu diamankan," lanjut Dino. 

Permasalahannya adalah, dengan tingkat kesibukan relatif padat, ditambah kemacetan di kota besar semakin menjadi, tantangan untuk mengembangkan kemampuan berbahasa Inggris mendapat tantangan serius, terutama bagi para pekerja profesional. 

"Saya baru bisa pulang dari kantor jam 6 sore. Ditambah macet kurang lebih satu setengah jam, artinya paling cepat baru jam 19.30 sampai di rumah. Itu sudah rutinitas tetap dari Senin sampai Jumat, sementara Sabtu dan Minggu lebih banyak dihabiskan dengan teman dan keluarga. Jadi, memang sulit mencari waktu untuk kursus bahasa Inggris," ungkap Tito, seorang profesional muda di Jakarta.

Bagi para profesional di kota besar seperti Jakarta, urusan macet dan waktu memang bak "lingkaran setan" dan membuat mereka terlanjur terlambat untuk belajar bahasa Inggris.

"Saya ingin punya pekerjaan yang baik dengan karir dan bayaran yang juga memuaskan dan ritme kerja bisa disesuaikan. Namun, sepertinya agak sulit mendapatkannya dengan kemampuan berbahasa Inggris saya yang pas-pasan ini. Dengan aktifitas begitu padat, sepertinya agak mustahil bisa meluangkan waktu untuk kembali belajar bahasa Inggris. Namun, saya sadar jika saya tidak mulai belajar bahasa Inggris, kondisi saya akan terus seperti sekarang ini," timpal Agus, seorang pekerja bank ternama.

Online dan offline
Rhenald Kasali, dalam salah satu publikasinya menyebutkan bahwa Bahasa Inggris telah menjadi bahasa dagang yang sangat penting saat ini. Orang yang memiliki kemampuan multibahasa, selain terlihat intelek, mereka memiliki kemampuan pengambilan keputusan yang baik. 

"Karena itu, Indonesia perlu membuka diri dan pendidikan harus berani memajukan generasi baru berbahasa ganda, multilingual," ujar Rheinald. 

Lebih lanjut Rhenald juga menyebutkan bahwa selain digunakan oleh 2 miliar jiwa, bahasa Inggris adalah bahasa yang dipakai ilmuwan-ilmuwan terkemuka dunia. Dewasa ini, menurut dia, lebih dari 90 persen publikasi ditulis dalam bahasa Inggris. 

"Kalaupun ada bahasa lain, jarang ada satu bahasa yang menguasai lebih dari 2 persen," kata Rheinald.

Berangkat dari permasalahan itu, EF English First Indonesia, sekolah bahasa terbesar di dunia, mendirikan sebuah sekolah bahasa Inggris yang menawarkan solusi untuk berbagai permasalahan di atas. Sekolah EF terbaru ini mulai beroperasi pada 27 September 2013 di fX Mal, Sudirman, Jakarta, untuk menawarkan metode pembelajaran bahasa Inggris yang fleksibel.

Country Manager EF English Centers Indonesia, Patricia Setyadjie, mengungkapkan di sekolah ini murid bisa memilih belajar di kelas melalui kelas tatap muka dengan guru native atau belajar secara online, atau kombinasi keduanya. Lebih menarik lagi, fasilitas belajar secara online dilakukan tidak hanya dengan program komputer, melainkan juga untuk kelas-kelas percakapan dengan interaksi langsung bersama native teacher.

"EF dengan metode pembelajaran EF Efekta System juga mengoptimalkan segala aspek kemampuan berbahasa Inggris seperti reading, writing, speaking, dan juga listening. Siswa diajak tidak hanya belajar grammar, tapi juga mencoba dan mengaplikasikannya dalam konteks sehari-hari," kata Patricia kepada Kompas.com di Jakarta, Rabu (21/11/2013). 

Mengikuti perkembangan zaman, lanjut Patricia, EF juga menggabungkan metode belajaronline dan offline. Hal ini merupakan suatu terobosan terbaru di dunia pendidikan bahasa. 

"Fasilitas belajar online ini bisa diakses melalui komputer, laptop, iPad, ataupun tablet mereka dari rumah, kantor, atau di manapun ada akses internet agar bisa tetap mengikuti kelas dan kembali mengikuti kelas tatap muka ketika sudah memiliki waktu. Dengan begitu, baik waktu, jarak atau padatnya aktifitas bukan lagi masalah untuk memperbaiki kemampuan bahasa Inggris mereka," tambah Patricia . 

Ia mengakui, walaupun konsep pembelajaran ini merupakan hal baru di Indonesia, namun ini bukanlah hal baru bagi EF. Konsep yang sama telah diterapkan dan mendapat sambutan positif di berbagai negara lain tempat EF beroperasi. 

Saat ini EF memiliki lebih dari 450 sekolah di lebih dari 54 negara di dunia. Eksistensinya di kancah global inilah yang membantu EF bisa terus berinovasi dan menciptakan standar baru dalam pendidikan bahasa. 

"Setiap tahun kami menginvestasikan tidak kurang dari 20 juta USD untuk pengembangan produk. Sekolah ini akan jadi sekolah bahasa Inggris yang canggih dan nyaman karena dilengkapi berbagi teknologi canggih seperti iPad, interactive whiteboard, monitor dengan layar sentuh dan berbagai aplikasi reservasi kelas yang bisa diakses secara online," ujarnya. 

Sementara itu, menurut Lars Berg, Executive Vice President EF Indonesia, studi menunjukkan bahwa profesional yang berkemampuan berbahasa Inggris dengan baik bisa meraih pendapatan 30-50 persen lebih tinggi. Sebanyak 42 persen CEO di Indonesia mengatakan bahwa mereka kekurangan karyawan yang mampu berbahasa Inggris dengan baik. Maka, lanjut Lars, Dengan berkembang pesatnya perekonomian di Indonesia, diperkirakan pada 2030 Indonesia akan membutuhkan 113 juta tenaga kerja yang mahir berbahasa Inggris. 

"Kebanyakan orang menghabiskan ribuan jam belajar bahasa Inggris mulai dari SD sampai perguruan tinggi. Namun, sebagian besar murid dewasa kami saat pertama kali datang ke EF Center merasa kurang percaya diri dalam berbahasa Inggris. Sistem pembelajaran kami dirancang khusus untuk membantu murid menguasai bahasa Inggris praktis, ini berarti mampu berkomunikasi dan berinteraksi secara alami dalam situasi kehidupan nyata," ungkap Lars.

Editor : Latief

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BE STUDENT OF YOUR LOVED ONES.....

Education facts and figures - US students far behind Asians on global exam

http://news.msn.com/world/us-students-far-behind-asians-on-global-exam#tscptmf

Interesting finding on the facts and figures of education reality

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/pisa2012/index.asp

Selected Findings from PISA 2012

U.S. Performance in Mathematics Literacy

• Percentages of top performing 15-year-old students (those scoring at level 5 or above) in mathematics literacy ranged from 55 percent in Shanghai-China to nearly 0 percent in Colombia and Argentina. In the United States, 9 percent of 15-year-old students scored at proficiency level 5 or above, which was lower than the OECD average of 13 percent. The U.S. percentage was lower than 27 education systems, higher than 22 education systems, and not measurably different than 13 education systems. The percentage of top performers in mathematics in the United States overall (9 percent) was higher than the state of Florida (6 percent), but lower than Massachusetts (19 percent) and Connecticut (16 percent) (figure M1a, table M1b).
• In mathematics literacy, the percentage of 15-year-old students performing below level 2, which is considered a baseline of proficiency by the OECD, ranged from 4 percent in Shanghai-China to 76 percent in Indonesia. In the United States, 26 percent of 15-year-old students scored below level 2, which was higher than the OECD average of 23 percent. The U.S. percentage was higher than 29 education systems, lower than 26 education systems, and not measurably different than 9 education systems. The percentage of low performers in mathematics in the United States overall (26 percent) was higher than the states of Connecticut (21 percent) and Massachusetts (18 percent), but not measurably different than Florida (30 percent) (figure M1a, table M1b).
• Average scores in mathematics literacy ranged from 613 in Shanghai-China to 368 in Peru. The U.S. average score was 481, which was lower than the OECD average of 494. The U.S. average was lower than 29 education systems, higher than 26 education systems, and not measurably different than 9 education systems. The U.S. average was lower than the states of Massachusetts (514) and Connecticut (506), but higher than Florida (467) (table M4).

U.S. Performance in Science Literacy

• Percentages of top-performing 15-year-old students (those scoring at level 5 or above) in science literacy ranged from 27 percent in Shanghai-China and 23 percent in Singapore to nearly 0 percent in eight education systems. In the United States, 7 percent of 15-year-old students scored at proficiency level 5 or above, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 8 percent. The U.S. percentage was lower than 17 education systems, higher than 27 education systems, and not measurably different than 15 education systems. The percentage of top performers in science in the United States overall (7 percent) was lower than the states of Massachusetts (14 percent) and Connecticut (13 percent), but not measurably different than Florida (5 percent) (figure S1a, table S1b).
• In science literacy, the percentage of 15-year-old students performing below level 2, which is considered a baseline of proficiency by the OECD, ranged from 3 percent in Shanghai-China and 5 percent in Estonia to 67 percent in Indonesia and 68 percent in Peru. In the United States, 18 percent of U.S. 15-year-old students scored below level 2, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 18 percent. The U.S. percentage was higher than 21 education systems, lower than 29 education systems, and not measurably different than 14 education systems. The percentage of low performers in science in the United States overall (18 percent) was higher than the states of Connecticut (13 percent) and Massachusetts (11 percent), but not measurably different than Florida (21 percent) (figure S1a, table S1b).
• Average scores in science literacy ranged from 580 in Shanghai-China to 373 in Peru. The U.S. average score was 497, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 501. The U.S. average was lower than 22 education systems, higher than 29 education systems, and not measurably different than 13 education systems. The U.S. average was lower than the states of Massachusetts (527) and Connecticut (521), but not measurably different than Florida (485) (table S2).

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U.S. Performance in Reading Literacy

• Percentages of top performing 15-year-old students (those scoring at level 5 or above) in reading literacy ranged from 25 percent in Shanghai-China and 21 percent in Singapore to nearly 0 percent in 3 education systems. In the United States, 8 percent of U.S. 15-year-old students scored at proficiency level 5 or above, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 8 percent. The U.S. percentage was lower than 14 education systems, higher than 33 education systems, and not measurably different than 12 education systems. The percentage of top performers in reading in the United States overall (8 percent) was higher than the state of Florida (6 percent), but lower than Massachusetts (16 percent) and Connecticut (15 percent) (figure R1a, table R1b).
• In reading literacy, the percentage of 15-year-old students performing below level 2, which is considered a baseline of proficiency by the OECD, ranged from 3 percent in Shanghai-China to 60 percent in Peru. In the United States, 17 percent of U.S. 15-year-old students scored below level 2, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 18 percent. The U.S. percentage was higher than 14 education systems, lower than 33 education systems, and not measurably different than 17 education systems. The percentage of low performers in reading in the United States overall (17 percent) was higher than the state of Massachusetts (11 percent), but not measurably different than Connecticut (13 percent) and Florida (17 percent) (figure R1a, table R1b).
• Average scores in reading literacy ranged from 570 in Shanghai-China to 384 in Peru. The U.S. average score was 498, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 496. The U.S. average was lower than 19 education systems, higher than 34 education systems, and not measurably different than 11 education systems. The U.S. average was lower than the U.S. states Massachusetts (527) and Connecticut (521), but not measurably different than Florida (492) (table R2).

Eighteen education systems had higher average scores than the United States in all three subjects. The 18 education systems are: Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong-China, Ireland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Macao-China, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Republic of Korea, Shanghai-China, Singapore, and Switzerland. The U.S. states Massachusetts and Connecticut also had higher average scores than the United States in all three subjects (tables M4, S2, and R2).
U.S. Performance Over Time

• The U.S. average mathematics, science, and reading literacy scores in 2012 were not measurably different from average scores in previous PISA assessment years with which comparisons can be made (2003, 2006 and 2009 for mathematics; 2006, and 2009 for science; and 2000, 2003, and 2009 for reading) (table T1).

U.S. Performance on Computer-Based Assessments

• On the computer-based mathematics literacy assessment (administered in 32 education systems), average scores ranged from 566 in Singapore and 562 in Shanghai-China to 397 in Colombia. U.S. 15-year-old students had an average score of 498, which was not measurably different from the OECD average of 497. Twelve education systems had higher average scores, 8 had lower average scores, and 11 had average scores that were not measurably different than the United States (table CM2).
• On the computer-based reading literacy assessment (administered in 32 education systems), average scores ranged from 567 in Singapore to 396 in Colombia. U.S. 15-year-old students had an average score of 511, which was higher than the OECD average of 497. Seven education systems had higher average scores, 17 had lower average scores, and 7 had average scores that were not measurably different than the United States (table CR2).

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http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/pisa2012/index.asp

How Teachers Are Rated ...

How teachers are rated in 21 countries around the world

Teacher pay, the influence of unions and levels of respect are looked at in a global survey on how teachers are viewed

Whether people think unions have too much influence over teacher pay was one of the questions asked in the global survey. Photograph: Sang Tan for Associated Press

Teachers in China have the greatest respect from people in their country, according to research examining attitudes to teachers around the world. It was the only country where people compared teachers most closely to doctors, with the majority of places opting for social-workers, and in the case of the US, Brazil, France and Turkey, librarians.

The UK and the US ranked in the middle of the Global Teacher Status Index, and were beaten by South Korea, Turkey, Egypt and Greece, which all valued their teachers more than any European or Anglo Saxon country. Israel was at the bottom of the index, which was based on a survey of 21 countries.

The index, written by Professor Peter Dolton and Dr Oscar Marcenaro-Gutierrez, is the first comprehensive attempt to compare the status of teachers across the world and is published by the Varkey GEMS Foundation. In each country, 1,000 people were asked about whether teacher earnings were fair, if they'd encourage their own children to become teachers and whether unions had too much power.

Below, we've pulled out some of the most interesting findings below.

1. The status of headteachers is higher in the UK than in any of the other countries polled.

2. Parents in China, South Korea, Turkey and Egypt are most likely to give encouragement to children to become teachers. Whereas parents in Israel, Portugal, Brazil and Japan are least likely to provide positive encouragement. The UK scored in the middle.

3. Teacher salaries are at their highest in Singapore, with an average of $45,755. South Korea, USA, Germany and Japan are all above $40,000. The UK is at $33,377.

4. People in 95% of the countries polled support a higher salary for teachers than they currently earn. However, Japan, France and US judge that teacher pay is between 6% and 55% higher than is considered fair.

5. Across Europe there are higher levels of pessimism on students' respect for teachers than in Asia and the Middle East. In China 75% of respondents believe that students respect teachers, compared to an average of 27% per country.

6. In all 21 countries, more than 59% of people think teachers ought to be paid according to the performance of their pupils. The average across countries was 75%.

7. Opinion was divided on the influence teaching unions have over teacher's pay and conditions. In the UK, and in many European countries, the majority of people support unions having a greater influence. However, countries where there is the most recent history of teacher unrest – such as Japan, Greece, France and the US – believe unions have too much influence.

8. In the UK, the actual wage of teachers is lower than what people perceive to be fair. Respondents thought teachers ought to be awarded pay that is 15% more than current teacher wages. Some 74% of respondents thought teachers should be paid according to their pupils' results.

9. Finland, Switzerland and Singapore have the most faith in their education system, and South Korea, Egypt and Japan have the least. The UK comes seventh.

10. Teachers are given satisfactory or positive trust ratings in every country polled. The average trust rating is 6.3 out of 10 and no country gave a rating below five. Finland and Brazil have the most trust in their teachers. While Israel, South Korea, Egypt and Japan hold the least.

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/oct/03/teachers-rated-worldwide-global-survey

Kesalahan

.... ingatlah selalu untuk bersenang-senang. Ini hanyalah sebuah permainan. Kadang anda menang dan kadang anda belajar. Tetapi bersenang-senanglah. Kebanyakan orang tidak pernah menang karena mereka lebih takut kalah. Itu sebabnya saya mendapati sekolah itu amat bodoh. Di sekolah kita belajar bahwa kesalahan itu buruk, dan kita dihukum karena berbuat kesalahan. Namun jika kita melihat cara manusia didesain untuk belajar, kita belajar dengan membuat kesalahan. Kita belajar berjalan dengan jatuh. Jika kita tidak pernah jatuh, kita tidak akan pernah berjalan. Hal yang sama juga benar dan berlaku saat belajar naik sepeda. .... Kegagalan adalah bagian dari proses keberhasilan. Orang yang menghindari kegagalan juga menghindari keberhasilan.
(Kiyosaki. Rich Dad, Poor Dad. p.143)

You are what you learn

Kebanyakan dari kita tentu sudah mendengar perumpamaan, 'Anda adalah apa yang anda makan." Saya mempunyai pandangan yang berbeda atas perumpamaan yang sama. Saya mengatakan, "Anda menjadi apa yang anda pelajari." Dengan kata lain, berhati-hatilah dengan apa yang anda belajar dan pelajari, karena pikiran anda begitu kuat sehingga anda menjadi apa yang anda letakkan dalam kepala anda. 
(Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Kiyosaki. p.200)

Teachers as PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENE

Check this out.

Mark 2:1-5
A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them when FOUR MEN ARRIVED, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. Because of the crowd, however, THEY COULD NOT GET the man to him. So THEY MADE a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When THEY HAD MADE an opening, THEY LET the man down, lying on his mat. Seeing how much FAITH THEY HAD, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

How do we see these phrases as teachers and educators?
These four men just played their part in taking a paralyzed person to God.
They were not known by names. There is no mention of them in specific. They seemed to be ignored after that. The paralyzed man was healed. But then, what about them?

I think this should also be the role of teachers in taking the children to a well-being person. To make them educated and have a future. Teachers should not care about whether they will be recognized or not. They should be just TEACHers.

KIS - KeepItSimple

.... Pertanyaannya adalah, bagaimana anda menyampaikan dan mengajarkan subjek yang paling membosankan dan membingungkan ini kepada anak-anak? Jawabannya adalah, SEDERHANAKANLAH... (Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. p. 61)

This philosophy applies to all subjects that might be considered boring, difficult, and painful by students.

Tradinternational School

The concept of tradinternational school is derived from two terms, traditional and international.

It's a commonly pity fact that schools at the village is considered left behind and cannot compete with the schools at the city.

Why not having the schools to blend with the society at the village.

Schools at the village have many advantages that the schools at the city don't.
- People know each other
- It's easier to manage
- Students come from the same neighborhood/society
- Collaboration with the society is easier
- There are not too many students in each classroom

Involving the society in the school education.
Farming, customs, value and culture.
Society as teachers.

Children's education is the responsible of the society. 
'IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD'

Bring classroom to the society.
Bring society to the classroom.

Teachers as facilitators.

Being a trainer. Between an obligation and a satisfaction

First passion to be a trainer

How the passion suffers

What will happen then

Passion for a Big Dream. Gen.37:5-11

Passion for a Big Dream

Now imagine this. 
A young boy was having a conversation with his 10 older brothers. He then narrated enthusiastically about his dream, saying  that his brothers would bow down to him. 
This boy was hated by the brothers and now he dreamed a stupid dream. What was he thinking?

Joseph, I believe, dreamed many dreams. He may have also shared some of them to his brothers. But why, among his other dreams, was he hated even more after he told them about this dream?

They could have just laughed about it and mocked Joseph. After all, he was just a 'kid' for them, a spoiled one. They could have just ignored him, saying that it was yet another stupid dream from a spoiled boy.

Now Joseph was already 17 years old. So, he was no longer a kid. He might have been aware how to behave. He was not a popular and liked brother. But he dared to share them this provocative dream. 

I tried to picture Joseph, clothed in a colourful robe given by their father, standing among his brothers, and later on with the whole family, saying confidently about his vision. He was no longer a kid. He was a young man. Maybe his brothers started to feel that there was some truth in what he was saying. Besides, he dreamed another dream that was similar to the previous one. That's why they didn't want it to happen. They could picture themselves bowing down before this spoiled boy. They envied him. His father, Joseph, was no different. He also reprimanded Joseph for that. But then, in verse 11, it is said that while Joseph's brothers grew their hatred to him, Jacob kept it to his heart. He may have sensed it. This boy might be revealing the event to come. Just like Mary kept it to heart because she believed in it, so did Jacob.

Jacob believed in his dream. He shared that to his family. He was passionate about it.

How passionate are we to have the dream that God plants in us?

Believe it. Share it. Love it. Pray for it. And Make it Happen.

Pray to God for a dream He has for you and be obedient.

Envious. Gen.37:1-4

The beginning of the story of Joseph

• Joseph knew the evil thing that his brother did. What could it be?
• He was 17 years old, being in the field, feeding the flocks.
• Very loved by his father, Jacob, because he was born when Jacob was very old. What about Benjamin? 
• His brother hated him so much. They did not speak peaceably to him.
• Jacob made him a coat of many colors.

Lesson Learned: Envious

Joseph's brothers had all the reasons in the world to despise Joseph. He was the youngest of all, being spoiled by their father, cared the most, and was treated differently by Jacob. 

They envied him and never got along with him. they probably talked behind his back and planned how they could harm him, get rid of him. 

How would you be if you were among Joseph's brothers?

And Joseph, probably did not know why he was loved that much by Jacob, acted like a normal youngster who enjoyed the care (special care) by his father. But maybe he was marginalized by his own brothers, not welcomed by them, treated badly by them. Everywhere and every time he went with them, he was always 'abandoned'.

How would you react to this kind of treatment by your own brothers, family?

Don't be jealous and envious of others' blessings. Stay focus on your path and be grateful for others. If your focus is on others' blessings (success), you might take the wrong turn or slided to the edge of the street and drove outside the street.

Be Transformed

God is ready to pour you rain of blessings.
The question now is, "Are you ready for the rain?"
If your field is not clean, bushy, messy, full of grass, not maintained, what good is the rain?

You need to clean your field, mow the yard, plow the field so that it will be ready for the rain, ready to be planted, ready for the harvest.

So is yourself.

How can you be ready to receive God's pouring blessings if your heart is still dry, your mind is not transformed, and your body is not in shape?

Take good care of yourself before you take care of God's blessings.
God is ready when you are ready.

So, be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

Cuplikan dari 'Papap, I love you', novel karya Sundari Mardjuki

"Berapa banyak sih bintang yang ada di langit itu?" tanya Kaka tiba-tiba.
"Banyak. Tak terhitung," jawab Bima dengan nada ogah-ogahan. Maklum, matanya sudah menuntutnya untuk istirahat.
"Kalau tak terhitung, berarti langit itu gede banget ya, Pap?" Suara Kaka masih terdengar segar. Tumben, meski sudah jam 10 malam ia belum mengantuk sama sekali.
"Ya, begitulah," kata Bima sambil menguap lebar-lebar. "Tahu nggak, matahari yang biasa kita lihat di siang hari itu sebenarnya bintang juga. Besar sekali, lebih 100 kali llipat besarnya dari bumi yang kita huni. Bintang yang kita lihat sekarang ini bisa jadi lebih besar dari matahari yang selalu menyinari  bumi kita. Jadi, bayangkan saja betapa luasnya semesta itu untuk menampung bintang yang jumlahnya tidak terhitung," kata Bima lagi. Entah kenapa kantuknya sekarang hilang. Ia justru teringat pelajaran astronomi dulu yang sempat mengusik keingintahuannya. persis seperi kaka saat ini.
"Berarti kita ini kecil sekali ya, Pap, dibandingkan semesta?" tanya Kaka lagi.
Bima mengganti posisinya tidurnya. Kali ini ia memiringkan badannya hingga menghadap Kaka. "Betul sekali. Kita ini kecil sekali. Nggak ada apa-apanya dibandingkan benda-benda yang ada di semesta. Kita ini mungkin lebih kecil daripada debu," katanya sambil menjentikkan jarinya.
"Kalau manusia saja tidak ada apa-apanya, mestinya kita nggak perlu kuatir ya kalau lagi sedih, karena kesedihan kita juga tidak ada apa-apanya kan, Pap?" tanya Kaka lagi. Matanya masish menatap langit.

Terasa ada sodokan kecil yang mendarat di perut Bima. Jantungnya berdegup kencang. Ia tidak mengira kalimat yang diluncurkan Kaka memberikan efek luar biasa pada dirinya. Kesedihan kita tidak ada apa-apanya? Inikah pesan kehidupan yang dikirimkan Sang pemilik Semesta melalui kata-kata polos bocah yang dikasihinya? Betapa dia merasa selama ini dunia tidak berpihak kepadanya. Dia menabung sakit hati yang setia dipanggulnya ke mana pun dia pergi. Rasa sakit itu sudah seperti candu, yang membuatnya jengah untuk bangkit. Betapa waktu disia-siakan untuk terus berkubang dalam keterpurukan dan meratapi kehidupan, padahal semesta terus bergerak, saling berformasi dalam menata keseimbangan. Bima menatap dalam-dalam wajah Kaka, yang masih mendongak menatap bintang-bintang. Ada banyak PR yang harus diajarkan ayah kepada anaknya, tetapi jauh sebelum itu dia harus menyelesaikan PR dirinya sendiri. Bagaimana ia sanggup memimpin titipan Ilahi itu, jika ia sendiri belum mampu memimpin dirinya sendiri?

Mien R. Uno Foundation

Local Business · 2,154 likes

Seorang guru di Australia pernah berkata:

“Kami tidak terlalu khawatir jika anak2 sekolah dasar kami tidak pandai Matematika” kami jauh lebih khawatir jika mereka tidak pandai mengantri.”

“Sewaktu ditanya mengapa dan kok bisa begitu ?” Kerena yang terjadi di negara kita justru sebaliknya.

Inilah jawabannya:

Karena kita hanya perlu melatih anak selama 3 bulan saja secara intensif untuk bisa Matematika, sementara kita perlu melatih anak hingga 12 Tahun atau lebih untuk bisa mengantri dan selalu ingat pelajaran berharga di balik proses mengantri.
Karena tidak semua anak kelak akan berprofesi menggunakan ilmu matematika kecuali TAMBAH, KALI, KURANG DAN BAGI. Sebagian mereka anak menjadi Penari, Atlet Olimpiade, Penyanyi, Musisi, Pelukis dsb.
Karena biasanya hanya sebagian kecil saja dari murid-murid dalam satu kelas yang kelak akan memilih profesi di bidang yang berhubungan dengan Matematika. Sementara SEMUA MURID DALAM SATU KELAS ini pasti akan membutuhkan Etika Moral dan Pelajaran Berharga dari mengantri di sepanjang hidup mereka kelak.
”Memang ada pelajaran berharga apa dibalik MENGANTRI ?”


”Oh iya banyak sekali pelajaran berharganya;”

Anak belajar manajemen waktu jika ingin mengantri paling depan datang lebih awal dan persiapan lebih awal.
Anak belajar bersabar menunggu gilirannya tiba terutama jika ia di antrian paling belakang.
Anak belajar menghormati hak orang lain, yang datang lebih awal dapat giliran lebih awal dan tidak saling serobot merasa diri penting..
Anak belajar berdisiplin dan tidak menyerobot hak orang lain.
Anak belajar kreatif untuk memikirkan kegiatan apa yang bisa dilakukan untuk mengatasi kebosanan saat mengantri. (di Jepang biasanya orang akan membaca buku saat mengantri)
Anak bisa belajar bersosialisasi menyapa dan mengobrol dengan orang lain di antrian.
Anak belajar tabah dan sabar menjalani proses dalam mencapai tujuannya.
Anak belajar hukum sebab akibat, bahwa jika datang terlambat harus menerima konsekuensinya di antrian belakang.
Anak belajar disiplin, teratur dan kerapihan.
Anak belajar memiliki RASA MALU, jika ia menyerobot antrian dan hak orang lain.
Anak belajar bekerjasama dengan orang2 yang ada di dekatnya jika sementara mengantri ia harus keluar antrian sebentar untuk ke kamar kecil.
Anak belajar jujur pada diri sendiri dan pada orang lain.

dan mungkin masih banyak lagi pelajaran berharga lainnya, silahkan anda temukan sendiri sisanya.

Saya sempat tertegun mendengarkan butir-butir penjelasannya. Dan baru saja menyadari hal ini saat satu ketika mengajak anak kami berkunjung ke tempat bermain anak Kids Zania di Jakarta.

Apa yang di pertontonkan para orang tua pada anaknya, dalam mengantri menunggu giliran sungguh memprihatinkan.

Ada orang tua yang memaksa anaknya untuk ”menyusup” ke antrian depan dan mengambil hak anak lain yang lebih dulu mengantri dengan rapi. Dan berkata ”Sudah cuek saja, pura-pura gak tau aja !!”
Ada orang tua yang memarahi anaknya dan berkata ”Dasar Penakut”, karena anaknya tidak mau dipaksa menyerobot antrian.
Ada orang tua yang menggunakan taktik dan sejuta alasan agar anaknya di perbolehkan masuk antrian depan, karena alasan masih kecil capek ngantri, rumahnya jauh harus segera pulang, dsb. Dan menggunakan taktik yang sama di lokasi antrian permainan yang berbeda.
Ada orang tua yang malah marah2 karena di tegur anaknya menyerobot antrian, dan menyalahkan orang tua yang menegurnya.
dan berbagai macam kasus lainnya yang mungkin anda pernah alami juga?


Ah sayang sekali ya.... padahal disana juga banyak pengunjung orang Asing entah apa yang ada di kepala mereka melihat kejadian semacam ini?

Ah sayang sekali jika orang tua, guru, dan Kementrian Pendidikan kita masih saja meributkan anak muridnya tentang Ca Lis Tung (Baca Tulis Hitung), Les Matematika dan sejenisnya. Padahal negara maju saja sudah berpikiran bahwa mengajarkan MORAL pada anak jauh lebih penting dari pada hanya sekedar mengajarkan anak pandai berhitung.

Ah sayang sekali ya... Mungkin itu yang menyebabkan negeri ini semakin jauh saja dari praktek-praktek hidup yang beretika dan bermoral?

Ah sayang sekali ya... seperti apa kelak anak2 yang suka menyerobot antrian sejak kecil ini jika mereka kelak jadi pemimpin di negeri ini?

Semoga ini menjadi pelajaran berharga bagi kita semua para orang tua juga para pendidik di seluruh tanah air tercinta. Untuk segera menyadari bahwa mengantri adalah pelajaran sederhana yang banyak sekali mengandung pelajaran hidup bagi anak dan harus di latih hingga menjadi kebiasaan setiap anak Indonesia. Mari kita ajari generasi muda kita untuk mengantri, untuk Indonesia yang lebih baik.

Lessons From A Great Leader

If there is a phrase to describe Wess Stafford as a leader, I would choose ‘A Leader Who Walks the Talk’.

Not many leaders who are passionately driven at work can manage the time and efforts and motivation for his/her family well. Wess, a loving husband and an adorable father of two daughters, has set the main rules of engagement in his personal life and family life. Putting God as the ultimate priority that leads to his dedication and commitment for his wife, the President favors his daughters over the responsibilities as the CEO of one of the biggest NGOs in the world. “You should have God and family over your career otherwise you will not be successful at work itself.” Responding to the work style of Compassion staff that spends many traveling times leaving their family, Wess shared how he manages to overcome the loss of precious time with family.

• Before travelling, tell your spouse how you love him/her so much.
• Before travelling, express to your children that you’d rather be with them and spend time with them. Tell them about the thing that you are working with that makes you have to go.
• Once you are in your travelling destination, get the time to call your family just to tell them how you love them so much. Share about what you do and the experience you get.
• Send a post card to your family (although it might arrive lately).
• Once you get back home, spend the time to be with them….hang out….dating….

Moreover

• As a father, be the one who puts your children to bed. Tell them stories that talk about them. Tell them how you have become.
• Sing hymns with them. Teach them songs of praises.
• In dong your ministry, tell them to your children.
• Do not get your hobby over your children. Stop watching or doing work tasks when it comes to taking your children to bed. Avoid having your favorite TV show demotivates your children who want to talk with you.
• Play with your children. Be their toys.

Responding to the question related to his decision to step down from his position of the President of Compassion International, Wess Stafford shared how he has personally prepared and mentored four persons in many years and these candidates are also given to Compassion Board and the Search Institute. He then recalled his memory to the time when he was asked by the previous President of Compassion International, Wolly, to take the responsibilities as his successor. When he was 27 years old and became the Program Facilitator of Compassion in Haiti, Wolly came to visit Haiti and met Wess Stafford. Going back to the States, Wolly then told his wife ‘I have found the right person to be my successor as the President.’ Of course Wess was not told about this. Wolly then prepared a path of leadership to Wess by giving him his first leadership role as the Program Director. Afraid of this big responsibility, Wess was then determined to do the right thing, including firing his best friend. His best friend then testified how grateful he was to be fired because he then developed his potential in another ministry. When Wess was then asked to be willing to be nominated as the President (and he was the only candidate), he rejected the offer for 3 days. Not until Wolly convinced him then Wess responded to this calling. Now that he has decided to step down, he has taken a quest of mentoring some people who have the capacities of being the leader.

And about leadership, he urged that, “If you haven’t got the passion that drives you to tears in seconds, then you haven’t got the drive that leads you to being a leader. So, what is your passion? Don’t just tell yourself or others that you want to be a leader when you cannot answer the question what is it in you that makes you want to lead.” If something doesn’t move you then you don’t deserve to lead. A leader should be the last man standing when the crisis hits the organization.  A leader is the one who holds the vision. And a leader should have the passion and Wess thought that this passion was the reason why Wolly came to the decision to have Wess Stafford as his chosen successor even long before Wolly retired. After being chosen as the President, Wess didn’t directly take the responsibilities. He spent 3 years as the Vice President and worked side-by-side with Wolly. He then remembered that he had rules with Wolly that he would never argue or question Wolly’s decision in public. They would do it individually. He then also started to throw out ideas even though he was not yet the CEO.

One thing that he regarded as the main flaw of being a great leader is being too late to make a decision. He admitted that he did have times in taking a decision long enough that would impact the ministry.

Family Lesson

Let me start this shout-out by shouting to the whole world, 'Thank you, God, for giving me Venny Manorek as my beloved lovely adorable wife."
My wife and I finally made it to have a personal retreat as a couple. Zeki is still in his vacation so it is the right time to go out there (Sedona) and spend the time together. This is such a wonderful time to just get out from the busy-ness and hectic hours. So, of all the fun we had, the devotion we had was such a powerful moment as we read and chatted about our relationship as husband and wife and also as parents. Ephesians 5, especially on verse 22-33, is a great reminder for us to reflect how we should act as a Christ-like couple. We had fun assessing ourselves, reflecting our attitudes, how we quarreled, how we adore each other, how we become parents for Ezekiel and we also shared our expectations as a husband, a wife and parents.
We thanked God for that moment.
It's a great lesson for us. We had a moment of moments that refreshed our attitudes and behavior in our marriage as a family.

C2C First Fruit

What an opportunity. Today is the first fruit of the Challenge to Change program. Had a wonderful 2-hour session with the teenagers at the GMIM Bukit Moria Malalayang in their Bible Camp. It was not enough, actually, but as a starting stone this experience is so meaningful.
By the way, this is actually not the first implementation as I have been delivering this program to GMIM Bukit Zaitun, Sea Mitra. It's just that the entry point is slightly different because I proposed it directly to the teens. For the KITMOR, they asked for it.....

C2C - Module 10

PERTEMUAN KE-10

RETREAT

Tujuan

-       Remaja saling menguatkan dalam pergumulan mereka untuk mencapai mimpi mereka.

-       Remaja menyadari bahwa mimpi mereka berasal dari Tuhan.

-       Remaja memiliki komitmen untuk mencapai mimpi mereka.

-       Remaja menyadari bahwa setiap mereka memiliki potensi yang unik dan jika mereka mengembangkannya mereka akan membawa dampak bagi keluarga, masyarakat dan gereja.

Indikator

-       Remaja akan saling mendukung satu dengan yang lain dalam kelompok

-       Remaja merumuskan Visi, Misi dan Mimpi mereka

Metode

            Retreat, sharing, dan mengisi Kartu Komitmen

Referensi Alkitab

            1 Timotius 4:12-16

Durasi

            Tiga hari

Alat/Bahan

Kertas flip-chart, spidol besar, daftar mimpi yang telah dibuat pada pertemuan ke-2, ‘My Dream Book’, pin (bertuliskan ‘Remaja yang Berubah dan Membawa Perubahan’)

Referensi

Gambaran Kegiatan

Hari Pertama

-       Mengulang tentang 7 Kebiasaan

-       Sharing dalam kelompok perubahan apa yang mereka alami selama mengikuti program C2C dan tantangan yang mereka hadapi. Pembagian kelompok sebaiknya berdasarkan kelompok yang telah dibentuk pada pertemua ke-1.

Hari Kedua

-       Outbound untuk menunjukkan kepada remaja bahwa mereka bisa

Hari Ketiga

-       Penguatan secara alkitabih. Setiap kelompok merenungkan apa yang mereka pelajari dari satu bacaan alkitab dan dikaitkan dengan kegiatan outbound di hari sebelumnya.

-       Mengulang ‘Mimpi Saya’. Daftar mimpi ditampilkan.

-       Komitmen Pribadi.