Save this video by right clicking here and choosing "Save Target As"

My Father, Peter K. Taslim, was born December 12, 1924, in the small town of Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.  He was the youngest of 14 children.  His father was from China and had come to Indonesia as a tobacco merchant.  Shortly after my Father was born, he lost his father and a brother to a pest-born illness.  Difficult as it was to provide and care for a family, God was merciful to his family.  His childhood must not have been easy, but he recalled to us that at some point, in a missionary elementary school, he accepted Jesus as his Savior.  As a teenager of 14 years old, grief struck again when his mother died leaving him orphaned.

This influenced his decision to move to the big city of Jakarta and live with one of his older sisters and her family.  Jakarta held the promise of opportunities for education and employment.  He became an entrepreneur and owned a factory for porcelain/china dolls by his early 20’s. 

At age 20, he and my mother were married.  They established their family on February 27, 1950 and were blessed with 5 children.  Looking back, it is clear to see that God creates such a rich tapestry of events, circumstances and people in our lives. I remember from childhood days, some of the very dear people that are here today to celebrate my father’s life.  How can we know just how a word, action, or event will impact another through the years?  God calls us to obey and serve so that HE can take care of the details.  My Father was committed to bringing up the family ‘under the nurture and admonition of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4).  It is a testimony to his faith and God’s work to have a faithful, loving and extended family.

Another turning point in our family’s existence came in the early 1970’s when my parents made the decision to send the 4 older children here to the United States, for college educations. In May of 1977, my parents and I also immigrated to Sacramento, CA.  It must have been so very emotional for my father to move to a new country and start all over again when he was already 52 years old.  After settling in Sacramento, he became accomplished at various trades. Prior to retiring, he operated Copyland in Davis, CA.  The Lord blessed & provided for us physically (employment), emotionally (family & friends), and spiritually (Indonesian church/worship). Sacramento became “home” to my father, but he did miss Indonesia, friends & family, food, nice weather, and food again. 

Before his illness, days were filled with gardening, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.  My Father and Mother were blessed to be married for 56 years, have 5 children & their spouses and 17 grandchildren.  God continued to show love to my Father from the earliest days, through the illness and his eventual home going. 

We don’t want to grieve as those with no hope…….. we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. ( I Thes 4 :13-14).