Our experience of getting the USA visa

We have an interesting story when we tried to get visa from the USA embassy in Jakarta. First of all We would like to thank God, The FFI, Anderson University, Hartwell club and everybody who make our dreams come true.

It was quite tought to get the US visa. We heard some info that The US Government has been trying to protect American people from terrorism especially since September 11th so they check every single person who will enter and leave the USA. We applied for visa last month, March (on line). We were scheduled by the US embassy to have an interview on April 7th. Every one of us got different experience while we were in the embassy.

We had a very long qeue by the side of the ambassy eventhough we arrived there at 6.00 in the morning. After standing for about 2 hours, we had a next long qeue. The local embassy staff checked the administration. Four of us (Ibu Mardiana, Ibu Asniaty, & two other teachers) had to be taken new pictures because the size was different. The others continued the journey. Pak Sarwoko had to sign an agreement that he would return to Indonesia after the program since he's 39 years old. He was very stressful at that time. He was afraid if he's dissaproved to enter the USA. Some of us cheered him up.

Then come to the interview. We were devided into groups of five. I was the last in my group. Bu Aisyah Anwar was the first. The interviewer said that he needed some time to check her data. She was confused and asked what's wrong with her document. He just said that she should be patient waiting for the result. It also happened to Pak Muhamad Haderanie Thalib. Eighteen of us were very happy because we got decision to get visa at 2 in the afternoon, but we felt sorry about bu Aisyah & Pak M. Hade. We supported them by praying all the time & giving them hopes.

A week later, Ibu Aisyah got the visa, but not pak M.Hade. He's a little bit hopeless. All of us & the FFC Jakarta prayed for him all the time. The last minute before the departure(April 25th), he finally got the visa. I got the news from pak Arifin Muchtar. We were happy because all of us would fly together to the USA.

It was the most interesting experience when we get visa.

Our Dreams come true

These are the English Teachers who will go the USA

1. Asniaty Syaufii (Supervisor of South Jakarta)
2. Murisna Helni (SMAN 68 Central Jakarta)
3. Desi Purnama Kurniawati (SMAN 8 South Jakarta)
4. Sentialam Manurung (SMAN 68 Central Jakarta)
5. Rivalti Rivai (SMAN 77 Central Jakarta)
6. Aisyah Anwar (SMAN 72 North Jakarta)
7. Lies Erning (SMA Al Azhar South Jakarta)
8. Sarwoko (SMAN 9 East Jakarta)
9. Saur Mauli Situmorang (SMAN 35 Central Jakarta)
10. Chaerani (SMAN 94 West Jakarta)
11. Zulhelma (SMAN 84 West Jakarta)
12. Siti Dawimah (SMAN 17 West Jakarta)
13. Sumaydia (SMAN 55 South Jakarta)
14. Endang Gumelar (SMAN 86 South Jakarta)
15. Yosephine Tundang (SMAN 59 East Jakarta)
16. Yenni Ertati (SMAN 50 East Jakarta)
17. Yusniar Idrus (SMKN 51 East Jakarta)
18. Risyof Tati Sastra (SMAN 55 South Jakarta)
19. Mardiana (SMAN 35 Central Jakarta)
20. Muhammad Haderanie Thalib (SMAN 28 South Jakarta) (still trying to get American Visa)

Jakarta Teachers go to the USA

Quote from The FFI Atlanta

March 1, 2008 - World Friendship Day Update!I’m pleased to forward a resolution that was passed today by the United States Senate in recognition of our World Friendship Day. Document: World Friendship Day ResolutionAll US clubs that are having programs in March should feel free to use this in their programs and publicity. For our clubs outside the US, we will be working with you to see if we can get similar statements of support from your governments for World Friendship Day next year.All the best,George T. Brown, Jr. President, Friendship Force InternationalFFI's earlier message:Dear Friends,Around the world this weekend thousands of Friendship Force members will be celebrating OUR day—World Friendship Day.This is now our fourth year for using March 1 as the universal day for celebrating the achievements of our global network. It has also become a time for us to renew our commitment to the mission of creating friendships across the barriers that separate people.The vision for the Friendship Force was announced by President Jimmy Carter from the White House 31 years ago today. For more than three decades, thousands of citizen ambassadors and hosts have discovered that they CAN make a difference—that it is possible for each of us to make a contribution to creating a better world, one friendship at a time.I will be celebrating World Friendship Day this year with the members of the Friendship Force of Lake Hartwell, Georgia, just a few hours drive from Atlanta. In addition to reflecting on past achievements, we will be launching an exciting new venture, a teacher exchange with Indonesia. In May of this year, the Lake Hartwell club, working with Anderson University in South Carolina, will host a delegation of 20 English teachers from Jakarta, Indonesia (five of them can be seen in the photo above). The teachers will also be hosted by the Friendship Force of Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a wonderful opportunity for Friendship Force clubs to work with educators in their communities to promote international understanding among teachers and students.The teacher exchange is made possible in part through a grant from the FFI Legacy Fund, which was established three years ago when we initiated the first World Friendship Day and that so many of you have helped grow with your contributions. In recognition of the importance of this new initiative, World Friendship Day contributions to the Legacy Fund this year will be dedicated to the expansion of our teacher exchange program. I hope you and your members will consider this a great opportunity to work together to advance the goals of Friendship Force around the world.Best wishes to all of you for the coming year!In friendship,

George T. Brown, Jr. President, Friendship Force International

The FFC Jakarta Members

The Friendship Force Club Jakarta

The Friendship Force Club Jakarta is branch of The Frienship Force International based in Atlanta, Georgia,USA.About FFIMission: To promote world peace and understanding by creating an environment where individual friendships can be established across the barriers that separate people.Friendship Force International is a non-profit organization dedicated to the principle that each person can make a contribution to global goodwill. Home hospitality - the heart of a Friendship Force exchange- provides the opportunity for people of different countries and cultures to connect at a personal level. More than half a million participants have experienced the personal enrichment and cross-cultural understanding that results from a Friendship Force exchange. The ever-widening Friendship Force global network represents a powerful and growing force that can overcome differences between people and nations.

The New Leaders

The Friendship Force Club Jakarta had a meeting on Jalan Setiabudi to choose the new leaders. The Chairman of the FFC Jakarta 2008-2013 is Pak Ridwan.