HYC Jakarta: A Semi-Brief Summary of a Crazy Adventure - Rachel Louis

Every HYC yields a different result, a new adventure. This particular one was my fourth and yet once again, I was blown away by God's power and love. This is the story of HYC Jakarta.

We started off with staggered airport arrivals, heavy jetlag, uncertainty. About 20 international participants with the same amount of Indonesians joining us at different points of the trip. Night 1 was spent in the Jakarta church building as we were warmly welcomed by the disciples there, and we were given a convicting lesson by Harliem Salim. 'You are the light of the world', he told us. Sure enough, this HYC would require us to hold on to that thought and believe in God's ability to use us even in our weakness.

We travelled up to Bogor, on the mountains. We lived in little villas with a variety of roommates such as spiders, mosquitoes and other more frightening creatures. A typical day looks like this: Quiet time accompanied by a breathtaking view of the city below. Indonesian breakfast with all the spice and flavour followed by a devo with spirited worship and a lesson to align our hearts for the days' activities. We served at a local school and were split into the Wall Team, the Toilet Team and the Teaching Team. The Wall Team worked on building a wall to prevent landslides, the Toilet Team built new toilets for the school and the Teaching Team taught English to the students. It was hard work, often physically and emotionally draining. But breaks were marked by joyous singing, dancing, laughter and fellowship. There was a spirited vibe in this group that drove us to push harder, step out of our comfort zones, and serve with fervour. Evenings would be spent playing sports with the children, spending time with each other or even swimming. Dinner would then follow, with Dgroups after where we were allowed space to reflect, express our emotions and bond at a deeper level. The night would usually end with a couple rounds of mafia and roommate bonding in our villas.

Five days later, we were finished with our service in Bogor. It was an emotional farewell at the school as goodbyes were exchanged. Yet we ended with more singing, dancing and playing with the students. The purity of their hearts and the gratitude they showed towards us was truly humbling. Our last night in Bogor was spent at the HWW Indonesia Pelangi Kasih Orphanage. We interacted with the children, had a barbecue picnic and a bonfire prayer and worship session to end. Another reminder to keep letting our light shine.

The next morning, we made our way back to Jakarta. But first, we drove through the Safari Park and came face to face with elephants, lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes, hippos and many more! Definitely a pretty unconventional bus ride. We braved Jakarta traffic to gather at the church building for dinner and fellowship with the teens ministry there. However, a couple of the participants started falling ill and had to be sent to the hospital for treatment. Yet despite people not feeling well, it was encouraging and uplifting to see everyone else continue to give with even more determination and courage.

The next two days saw us going to church where Martin and I shared for communion, and we did more recreational, restful activities such as swimming, games and shopping. It allowed everyone to rest, regroup, recover, and reconnect. Then we began our service at a fishing village called Cilincing. We were helping to build the second storey of a community centre where HOPE Worldwide Indonesia would be able to conduct their English classes. We worked in shifts, with the resting teams given a chance to interact with the playful children who did not hesitate to approach us and talk to us. As much as language would limit us, the languages of smiles, laughter, photographs and dance were very much alive and universal. Other activities we did included cleaning up the compound and sewage system of one of the four Saturday Academies set up in Jakarta, and teaching at two of the other Saturday Academies. Our evenings were spent at the HOPE Worldwide Indonesia office where we would play games, dance, watch movies, eat bowls of Indomie and have dgroups before heading back to our apartment for bed.

Our second weekend included a Saturday night church service, dinner with the Singles and Campus ministries there, a surprise Sisters' Appreciation Night and a dance party. We ended our HYC by taking part in HOPE Worldwide Jakarta's annual Walkathon fundraiser, before saying our tearful goodbyes.

I can't possibly do this HYC justice through mere words. But know that it was uplifting, faith-building, bonding and as HYCs usually are, life-changing.