THE VOICE OF ANGELS

The orphans prepared themselves for an appearance in one of the most beautiful choirs in Jakarta

 

I attended my son’s school Christmas celebration in an Orphanage cum Old People House.  The institution is managed by a Christian association and apparently well financed.  Names of donors lined up the wall and on banners in the main hall.  The school principal deliberately planned to have something different for this Christmas; it should be organized in an orphanage, thus giving the chance to the pupils for contemplation.  That they are more fortunate than the orphans and that all their comforts within their own families should not be taken for granted.

One thing that caught my eyes was the children’s features.  They are all or almost all  from the same ethnic group; the Ambonese.  The Ambonese live on the islands of Moluccas, on the Eastern part of Indonesia.  Centuries ago these islands had a respected place in the global commercial world.  They produced spices which at that time were as expensive as gold.  European nations fought each other for the control of the spice trade.  The Portuguese eventually took hold of the region, exchanged them with the Spaniards for the Philippines islands through the Zaragoza Treaty (1452 AD), although the Dutch snapped from them in the 18^th century.  Up to now there are still some Portuguese family names in the Moluccas such as Fernandez, da Lopez, de Coelho (spelled in the Dutch spelling de Queljoe like my Elementary School teacher’s name back in the 50’s).  They are merry people who sing at whatever occasions, they are natural singers.  Until the 1980’s the Ambonese are dominantly Christians.

Blood bath between Christian and Moslem populations occurred in the late 1990s, an unnecessary and sad episode of the Indonesian history.  Loads and loads of Moslem fundamentalist warriors from Java and all other islands poured into Moluccas and killed many, many innocent people who probably were trapped in the chaos that followed. 

The Divine Hands were there to help …. as children –suddenly orphaned- were evacuated by those who cared, Christian brotherhood that knew no fear.  They were brought to this peaceful retreat in the South of Jakarta, under the shade of big fruit trees in a well managed (or so it appeared) two storey building called PNIEL.  I remember that PNIEL foundation and homes are everywhere in Christian strong areas on Java island.

That day the orphans sung such beautiful songs, I felt my heart sunk and tears dropped indeliberately.  The children choir with some lead singers was apparently trained by the authoritative lady director, and I heard they produced and sold also VCD cassettes. 

With my simple video camera I recorded the choir; such beautiful voice of angels !