Indonesia Trip
Thank you for your wonderful support in prayer for the spiritual, physical, and mental aspects of this trip and in funding the journey there. Your support has meant a lot as it has shown me the way in which so many are a part of my life. I was once told that when I was sent out, I was not going on my own; I was taking a piece of everyone else with me. So I'd love to share where that journey has taken not only myself but so many of you guys .
The trip to Indonesia was long, rough, but rewarding once we set foot in our first stop. For the first few days in the city, we adjusted to the surroundings and met many people. This included vendors who came by the house to sell their handmade goods and other students our age, training to become teachers of basic school subjects with a Christian worldview who would be sent out to hard-to-reach places. We spent an evening with these students learning about each other through sharing testimonies and playing games. Then, once we met the older students, we spent another two days meeting and teaching students from pre-K to high school. A partner and I read to kindergarten students, which tested how well we could keep their attention, while the high school students surprised me with their understanding of pop culture, but also with their own questions for us, especially surrounding tacos, since they don’t eat them there.
From the city, we traveled to a remote village, where upon our arrival, we were swarmed by fascinated village kids, mainly because we had two redheads in the group. For the first day, we played mostly with the younger kids. We played in the rain, and some of the kids taught us a game where a ball is kicked or hit away from an opponent. The kids were exactly like any other kids, with the only difference being in language.
In the evening, we listened to the pastor's story of how his ministry started and how it has been supported even through continuous prayer. The next day, we met and played games with the high school students. Some of the students even learned line dancing. Later on, the pastor took us down the river to visit a watermelon plantation owned by one of the teachers. From this, we saw how they prepared the jungle for agriculture. It was hard to leave the village, as many of us had befriended the younger and high school students.
From the village, we went to Bali to visit a children's home. Sadly, we did not stay too long at the children's home, but we were still able to interact with the people there. We brought games, musical instruments, bracelets, and so on to play and give to the kids there. Though I refer to them as kids, the people there ranged from toddlers to college students who called the place home.
They sang and played the xylophone for us before we shared our songs with them. One of these songs, which was sung in Indonesian, received a great amount of joy as they joined in clapping. After singing, the fun began. Some of us played bubbles with the toddlers while others played the instruments with the older kids, but no one was left without an activity. In that short period of time, I was able to befriend one of the girls there while we built Legos together. When we had to say goodbye, we waved enthusiastically and even did a few small dance moves to say goodbye.
So I wish to say thanks to all the support that was generously given, and I hope you enjoyed the adventure. The trip was an amazing experience, especially since I never thought I'd be able to or choose to go on a trip. This adventure has taught me so much, not just about the community at home, especially the willingness of everyone to support so freely, but also the community out there, as in short periods of time and for a short period of time, I formed impactful friendships with a few of the girls that I met there, and grew closer to the teammates. The trip has impacted my view on the importance of relationships, whether long-term or short-term.
Thank you for so much support.
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