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.

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.

That's the end of Day 2 in Rote.

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.

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.

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.

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...