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On Friday, I went home to school early because I have to leave that night. I started getting ready and packed everything I need when I arrived at my house. Around 11 p.m, me, my mom, and my dad got in the car and drove off. When we got there, there was only like 3 to 5 people from my group, so we ended up waiting for the others and we chatted to pass the time. We all collected our student cards to Pak Hebron and he gave us our boarding pass. Before we leave, we all gathered together to take our first group photo with the banner. At around 1 a.m in the morning, it was time for all of us to make our way to Gate 6. When we got to the plane, we all rushed to find our seats. Unfortunately, I didn't get a seat with any of UPHC students, but instead I was seated next to two random male strangers. Lots of people offered to switched seats with me, but I felt bad so I just refuse. It was a boring 3 hour flight and all I did was sleep even though the chair was very uncomfortable.

We arrived at El Tari International Airport Kupang at 6.30 a.m and we were with the rest of the groups who are also going to East Nusa Tenggara, I met a few of my friends there when we were waiting for our bags. At 7.10 a.m, we were all getting ready to go to the Harbor and when we got there, they finally gave us breakfast. I got seated in the VIP place on the ship, and it is the coldest place ever. Just right before that, my friend borrowed my jacket because I didn't know it was going to be freezing. I tried to sleep but I can't feel my hands or legs so I didn't sleep well. We finally arrived at Rote after the longest hour, and suddenly I was in the hottest place ever. The sun was shining bright and we had to wait there until our bags were brought out of the ship.

We were split into 12 cars to go to the hotel that we're staying at for the next week. My friends and I were amazed at the first glance of Rote. We arrived at the hotel and we waited for our room keys. I had Jennifer as my roommate, she is a last year student and I didn't know her before. We unpacked a little bit and went into the car again to go and look for food. After we filled our stomachs, we finished the rest of the day buying supplies and preparing for all the service we're going to do in Rote. I finished off the day with a cold shower and went to sleep.

That's the end of the beginning of my mission trip to Rote.

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On our first day in Rote, I woke up around 6 a.m and ate breakfast. We were told to wear batik so I wore a black tank top and black cargo pants with a batik-designed outer. Once we've all gathered at the hotel lobby, we made our way to the church. At 8 a.m, we attended their daily church ceremony and we presented a song to close the ceremony. We sang "Hidup ini adalah kesempatan" at the same time for us to introduce ourselves as UPHC students and that we will be serving this church for 3 whole days.

At around 1 p.m, we went to the beach nearby for our lunch break. It was the first beach we visited here in Rote. While waiting for our food, we took some pictures and played with the waves. The food took so long and we ended up walking very far heading to the end of the beach until we found a forest and explored a little bit around there. Suddenly, we were called to eat and surprisingly the food was so good. We ate fried chicken with rice, tempe, vegetables, and chili. It was already 3 p.m so it was time for us to go back to the church because we're going to lead their sunday school. We were split into three groups for small, middle, and teenagers. I was assigned to be apart of leading the teenagers group and it was very fun. We started with a sermon delivered by one of my friends, then we played a fun Bible quiz and everyone was enthusiastic about getting the answers right. We gave them snacks and drinks and played one last game for the day. Everyone was laughing and having fun and suddenly it was already 6 in the afternoon. We took some pictures with them before we leave.

We all gathered and drove back to yesterday's restaurant to have dinner. We got distracted on our way and ended up stopping in the middle of the road because the sunset was incredibly beautiful. Everyone took a bunch of pictures before we continued on the road. I ate chicken noodles with meatballs which was delicious. We drove back to the hotel and rested up.

That's the end of Day 1 in Rote.

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On the second day, I woke up at 7 a.m because we're going to leave at 8 a.m to explore and go to 5 famous places in Rote. I ate breakfast and prepared all the things that I'm going to bring. The first place we arrived at is called Kolam Oemau. We were only there for a bit because it was still morning, and most of us weren't in the mood to swim yet. So we immediately made our way to the second place I was most excited to visit, which was Telaga Nirwana. We arrived at a beach and had to take a small boat to get there. When we arrived, we took some pictures, and without thinking twice, I immediately jumped in and swam in the ocean. It was fun but the water was very salty and quite deep. After swimming for a while, I was ready to go to the third place called Bo'a Beach. When we arrived there, it met our expectations and was just as beautiful as the previous place. I lost my sandals there and I ended up walking barefoot for the rest of the day. It was a silly but also memorable experience. We went to two more beaches called Nembrala Beach and Leli Beach, and that is where we had our dinner. We ate pork with rice and vegetables and it was delicious. We played there for a while and finally drove back to the hotel. We stopped at a mini market to buy some snacks. When we arrived at the hotel, I rushed to my room and immediately jumped in the shower. I was very tired, dirty, and full of sand so a shower is the only thing I needed. After that, I hung out with my friends and then went to sleep.

That's the end of Day 2 in Rote.

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On our third day, I woke up at 5 a.m because we're going to do our service at a school so we had to leave early. We were asked to wear our complete uniform. We all gathered at the hotel lobby and made our way to SDI Nggodimeda. When we arrived, They welcomed us with the traditional dance of Rote performed by the students. We felt very happy and welcomed to be there. I was assigned to teach 2nd grade primary students with a few of my seniors. We were asked to brought a topic about ideals, dreams, and professions, so that we can inspire the kids there to dream big. All of the students there were so excited to meet us. First, we asked them to draw their dreams and what they want to be in the future on a piece of paper, and then we told them to share their stories one by one. During their break, we tried Rote's traditional snacks like Kue Cucur, Kembang Goyang, and their traditional fruit called Lontar. After their break, their final activity was to paint. We gave them plain string bags so that they can be creative and paint their dreams on that bag. They had a lot of fun and were happy with their creation. Unfortunately, it was time for them to go home from school, and many of them left, but I played with those who hadn't gone home yet. When it was time for us to leave, they were really sad, and some even cried. We took a lot of photos together and I gave them the warmest hug I could.

It was 3 p.m and we went back to GMIT to do service for their sunday school again. We had prepared a fun activity for them to make bracelets, phone charms, necklaces, rings, and stuff like that with beads. But we will definitely start the session with a sermon and the Word of God first. The children there are full of enthusiasm to praise God and participate in the sessions we have prepared. I helped them make their bracelets and they were all very creative with their accessories. We reached night time and it was time for us to leave. We gave them more snacks and took pictures with them.

Then, we ate dinner at a place near our hotel. After we're finished, we walked back to the hotel to rest.

That's the end of Day 3 in Rote.

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On our fourth day in Rote, we are going to another school so just like yesterday, we are leaving early. I woke up at 5 a.m, ate breakfast, and got ready. Unfortunately, the drivers picked us up late, so we left quite late as well. It was a very gloomy day in Rote and it rained all day. We arrived at Lentera Harapan School and my friends and I are leading a devotion for the second-grade students. We start with praise, continue with the Word of God, and conclude with a prayer together. Then, we went back to the main building where we're suppose to paint their multifunctional field. Sadly, because of the weather we had to cancel our serving. So everything that we had prepared for it had gone to waste. I felt very sad because I was looking forward in contributing. So instead, my friends and I joined their chapel and we sang together. The sermon was delivered by Pak Hebron or what he called himself that day "Mister Winter". After the chapel, I took time to get to know the students there and have a talk with them. They all were so excited and happy which made me happy as well. I was assigned to lead the fourth-grade students and it was time for them to have math lesson. They were learning decimal division, and I helped teach them how to do it. I also gave them a few practice exercises to complete on their own. It was already 1 p.m, so it was time for us to have our lunch break. We gathered in the principle room and we ate pork with rice and chili.

After our lunch break, we are going to have another session with the students. Not much different from yesterday at SDI Nggodimeda, we talked about dreams and professions. We shared what we want to be when we grow up, and we gave them string bags to paint their dreams on. They had so much fun and were very happy because they now have a new bag that they can use for school. We took pictures, recorded videos, and made TikToks with them. We chatted and played a lot. The kids there were extremely hyper and full of energy, so it was fun and exhausting at the same time. I was very sad when it was time for us to leave, I will miss them a lot but they will always have a special place in my heart.

It was already 4 p.m, so we drove back to GMIT to do our last service with this church. For this last service, we are doing it at a beach near the church. Like usual, we start off with worship and praise, continued with a sermon delivered by one of my friends. I loved it. Then, we played a game that was simple but, at the same time, complicated. We had to cover our eyes with a mask and connect a rope without seeing anything. Even though, it was not a success but everyone had fun. We went back to the church to have dinner with them because they have prepared food for us. They gave each of us their traditional cloth called Kain Tenun and performed East Nusa Tenggara's traditional dance. We loved it very much. Lastly, we took pictures and said goodbye.

It was already around 8 p.m., but we were still going to the beach to have another dinner. We arrived, and the food came quite quickly. We ate more pork, rice, and vegetables, and we drank fresh coconuts. This place is one of my favorite spots. I took a bunch of pictures with my seniors because we're getting close to the end of our mission trip. It was almost 11 p.m, so we drove back to the hotel and washed up.

That's the end of Day 4 in Rote.

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On Thursday, It was time for us to leave Rote. Since it's our last day in Rote, we plan to chase the sunrise in the morning but because the weather has been gloomy for the past two days, we cancelled the plan. I woke up and packed all my things because we're going to check out at 10 a.m. We gathered at the hotel lobby for the last time and drove off to the Harbor to go back to Kupang. While we were on our way to the Harbor, I realized that I had left my jacket back at the hotel. Unfortunately, we were too far to go back again. We arrived at the Harbor and hopped on the ship, but this time I didn't get seated in the VIP place so I won't be freezing again. The ship was very shaky and unstable because of the rain. Fortunately, I don't get seasick easily, so I slept well during the ride.

We finally arrived at Kupang at around 1 p.m, we were starving. We took a few busses to go to the hotel we're staying at for this one night. Before that, we went to this restaurant who is famous for their pork. When we tried it, it was the best pork I've had so far. I ate 2 servings because it was that good. We finished eating and when we got to the hotel, we collected our hotel cards and immediately went into our room. We unpacked a little bit and I chatted with my roommate until around 7 p.m. We were taken to look for souvenirs and typical NTT (East Nusa Tenggara) gifts. I bought 3 different bracelets, a keychain, a traditional Kupang cake, pork cracklings, and many more. I was happy because I'm satisfied with what I bought. After that, we were taken to the last beach we would visit here in NTT. I ordered a chocolate cheese toast that took a long time to come out, but I didn't mind because my friends and I were talking and laughing so much that time flew by. After we ate, we went to the beach and took pictures for the last time. I took pictures with each of my friends and seniors one by one. We were there until almost midnight. We drove back to the hotel and they gave us KFC even though we're extremely full. I went back up to my room and washed up.

Since it was the last night, I gathered with my friends, and we ate KFC together at around 1 a.m. We chatted all night, sharing both joy and tears. Then, we went down to the lobby to meet up with the others until 3 a.m. Time flew by, and suddenly it was time for us to get ready to go to the airport.

That's the last day in East Nusa Tenggara.

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This is the last day, and I haven’t gotten any sleep in the past 24 hours. We were asked to gather in the hotel lobby at 3:45 a.m. We collected our hotel keys and they gave us more food, including a rice box with chicken and vegetables, three different types of bread, and a steamed bun. I was so full that I only ate one of the breads. We hopped on the bus and we drove off to the airport. Pak Hebron gave us our boarding pass and we lined up to put our luggages. We waited at the airport for a while because there was some technical difficulty with the luggage. To pass the time, my friends and I chatted and joked around, even though I was exhausted. We then boarded the plane and immediately found our seats. I sat next to my senior this time and I slept for the whole plane ride.

Suddenly, we’ve already arrived in Jakarta. We waited for our bags and took one last group photo. I was sad that it is finally over. I have spent a whole week with these people and now we're back in being busy with our own stuff in school.

That's the end of my mission trip in Rote...

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This was definitely a memorable first Youth in Mission (YIM) experience for me. Although there were many ups and downs, I believe that is what makes my first mission trip unforgettable. I am very grateful to all the seniors who wanted to take me with them and made me feel comfortable. I will miss Rote and the people there a lot. I loved the food and the beautiful scenery. I made many precious friends along the way. The kids I met hold a special place in my heart because they taught me lessons I couldn't have learned on my own. I know I made mistakes, and I still have a lot to improve. Hopefully, I can work harder in my next Youth in Mission.