Flossing in Central Java

By Kathryn Boyd

On March 18, 2024, the Central Java Impact team embarked on a journey they weren’t fully anticipating. Upon landing in Yogyakarta, our team boarded a bus set for Rumah Boas (a home and school for children who have been abandoned by their families). After four hours, the eleven tired students exited the bus and were greeted by thirty-two children aged 3-17, ready to meet and hang out with them. 

With a schedule pinned to the bulletin board, the students from Boas and Dalat awaited an exciting and busy week. The first full day was Sunday, which included church, games, and camping. Michaela Parsley (11) and I were asked to lead worship with some Boas kids. As we entered the room, we were met with some awkwardness and confusion as we didn't really know the children and some of the songs we were to lead. We were asked to help lead an Indonesian worship song, One Way, and Goodness of God. However, despite confusion and awkwardness initially, leading worship allowed us to connect with the older children through a shared love for music. 

Michaela Parsley (11) stated, “I liked leading worship with the Boas kids because I got to experience their kindness and generosity. Even though they were much more musically skilled than me, they still wanted to include me. They made room for me to try something new.” 

That evening, Boas and Dalat set out for the foothills of Bukit Tengtung, where we were to camp for the night. From nestling in tents to stay out of the rain to building, eating, and singing around a bonfire, the evening allowed Dalat and Boas to bond with each other. 

Douglas Koay (12) says his favorite part of the camping trip was “learning guitar chords in the tent with the kids and teaching them how to do a Rubix cube.” 

One of the older students from Boas, Zeva, stated, “I liked hanging out and camping with the Dalat students because we got to work together and have fun preparing the campfire.” 

By spending a lot of time and helping one another outdoors, we broke some of the awkwardness we felt at the beginning of the trip. 

The next few days didn’t follow the schedule pinned to the bulletin board, allowing our Impact team to demonstrate F.L.O.S.S (Flexibility, Learner, Observer, Servant & Sacrificial). This F.L.O.S.S acronym is taught to Impact teams before trips to prepare us for uncertainties we may encounter. On this trip, our team had to facilitate different stations (music, drama, art, & games) three times, and we were often told a few hours in advance that the next round of stations was to be done. Strategic and fast planning allowed our team to facilitate the stations to the kids and have fun in the planning and executing stages. 

On the fourth night, Teacher Kang (Rumah Boas) asked if the Dalat team could perform in the Talent Show, which our team had not anticipated participating in because it was not scheduled. However, we agreed and met to organize who was going to perform. We combined our talents and performed “The Cup Song,” solving a Rubix cube while being timed, a timed drawing, rapping, worship, and finally, a dance by our whole team to “Cupid” by FIFTY FIFTY. 

Towards the end of the trip, lifelong friendships and connections were made. During the evenings, before dinner, students played soccer, played on the playground, did parkour, and played group games. At dinner, conversations about life in Malaysia and Indonesia were exchanged, as well as laughter and jokes. 

Yohanes, one of the older kids at Boas, exclaimed, “I really enjoyed the stations and playing soccer with Dalat because it allowed us to get closer to one another and have fun.” 

On the last day, the Dalat and Boas kids exchanged prayers, tears, hugs, gifts, and notes. This week created an unforgettable bond between two groups of students from two different nations. We left with our hearts full of love for these children, and despite the exhaustion, we would miss these children deeply.