Recount : Youth In Mission by Mavela Genisya

Youth In Mission - Salatiga

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-23 03:17:52 UTC

Youth In Mission is a program held by UPH College to allow students to deep dive into ministry and helping people in need around Indonesia.

For my Youth In Mission, I chose the Mission Trip program that allowed me, 29 of my friends, and our teacher, Miss Era, to explore and serve people out of Jabodetabek which is to the city of Salatiga. We went to places like orphanages, nursing homes, a church and a junior highschool. The purpose of Mission Trip is to serve, spread God's love and make changes through His blessings.

The 7 days spent in Salatiga allowed many experiences and insights to each of our lives.

Day 1 !!

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-26 06:12:26 UTC

On the first day we visited two places: GBI Maranatha church and the Maria Martha Nursing Home. We woke up quite early, at around 5:30. The night before, we've maximized our preparation and were eager to serve. We served the children church as well as the adult service held there. I taught the children about the great adventures of Noah, and the children were all so active and excited to hear the Word of God. The more i shared, I felt God's blessing wrapping them tight and pulling each child into a hug. I felt so happy to serve the children and share God's Word with them. After serving at church, we grabbed a quick lunch and quickly headed to Maria Martha Nursing Home. There were around 25 grandmothers there, all very eager to see us. In the beginning, I found myself quite out of place since I never had experience to interact with someone in old age. But a friend of mines pulled me aside and told me about a grandmother that was alone in her room and refused to go out. Since I had nothing to do, I followed along, in hopes to being at least a bit of help. Before I entered her room, I heard a piano playing and was even more shocked to find out that the grandmother played the piano quite well. Her name was Miss Susi, and she was deadly allergic to dust. Therefore, she couldn't go outside her room. Many of the grandmothers and caretakers say that she likes to isolate from the community at the nursing home. But my friend and I saw otherwise. We spent around 2 hours sharing stories and hearing advices from the kind grandmother. She told us many stories that she couldn't share to the others, as if she's waited her whole life to finally talk to someone. As a pianist myself, I felt mixed emotions wash over me. A passion as strong as hers, to still play and love the piano even in her old age, is something I aspire to be. As we bid goodbyes to Miss Susi as well as the other grandmothers, tears of joy and hope rushed down my cheek. The love of music that Miss Susi had was something I've always wished to see. We ended the day by eating at a nice restaurant and chatting along with friends.

Day 2 !!

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-26 06:30:57 UTC

Our second day was amazing as we served at Pak Yakobus and Salib Putih Orphanages. At Pak Yakobus, 15 children warmly welcomed us. While playing, we noticed a neglected dog named Popo. Feeling sorry for him, my friend and I, along with an orphan named Anthony, got permission to give Popo a bath. During this time, Anthony shared his dream of becoming an astronaut to land on the moon, reminding me that dreams can be simple and profound.

After lunch with the kids, we headed to Salib Putih Orphanage, where older teens greeted us. We played games, sang, and built Legos together. It was a wonderful experience, filled with joy and inspiration from the children’s dreams. Meeting them was truly a blessing.

Day 3 !!

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-26 06:48:50 UTC

We woke up excited for our third day in Salatiga, visiting SMP Kristen 1 Salatiga and Teduh Damai Nursing Home. Upon arriving at the junior high school around 7 AM, my friends and I prepared for a felting workshop but decided to postpone it for the next day. We made friends with the teens, especially a sweet girl named Novi.

After lunch, we headed to Teduh Damai Nursing Home, located on a chilly hill. The 9 residents warmly welcomed us, and one grandmother even cried tears of joy at our visit. I spent time helping her paint and make bead bracelets while chatting with two other grandmothers who shared their stories. As the day ended and we said our goodbyes, I felt grateful for the blessing of companionship, especially for those in need.

Day 4 !!

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-26 07:03:17 UTC

On our fourth day in Salatiga, we revisited SMP Kristen 1 and introduced subjects like English, Mandarin, and Mathematics. The students were competitive and engaged, inspiring us as UPH College students. We also conducted workshops in public speaking, money management, and felting. Saying goodbye was bittersweet, especially to my new friend Novi, as we promised to return.

Later, we returned to Teduh Damai Nursing Home, where we opened with a heartfelt performance of "Goodness of God." The residents were moved to tears, which deeply affected us. After singing, we painted on canvas together and shared meaningful conversations. Their heartfelt hopes and goodbyes left me in tears, reminding me how much their inspiration and love meant to us. Leaving felt like leaving home, where I truly felt appreciated.

Day 5 !!

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-26 07:23:32 UTC

Our ministry actually ended on the fourth day, so we did a lot of sightseeing in the forest. The environment was so clean and fresh. As we were sightseeing, we spotted an outbound and outdoor activities, ATV included! We were all so excited as we paid for the ATV. Unfortunately, an unexpected accident happened and my friend had to be rushed to the hospital. She fell quite hard on her face and it was bleeding. I spent the rest of my day with a few of my friend accompanying my injured friend and staying at the hospital. I felt so down because it all happened too fast and I wished that I stayed by her side during the activity. But my friend reassured me that accidents happen and even gave me a few laughs during the waiting time at the hospital. My injured friend came out with a smile and bandages all over her face, she reassured all of us that she was okay and just needed rest to heal further. I felt so thankful for my friends who accompanied me through quite a hard time and shared smiles today.

Youth In Mission - Salatiga - RECAP

mavelagenisya — 2024-09-26 07:32:47 UTC

As we were assigned to count our blessings during Youth In Mission, I've learnt during my journey to Salatiga, that blessings are truly uncountable. They've got it wrong, we should be the ones thanking them, for giving us the chance to serve, learn, be inspired and appreciated by their smiles and stories. I've learnt that being happy and having a smile is actually simple. As long as we enjoy the little things in life, as long as we enjoy the uncountable blessings that God gifts us, the purest joy from within will continue to grow and spread to everyone that longs for His love.