Special Guests

By Sophia Tan

It’s a bright, sunny morning at Dalat International School, just like any other. Except something is different. A group of new faces stand in anticipation near the brown tables at the front office, faces that belong to none other than Dalat’s special guests from Indonesia: the Rumah Boas Team and youth. From first meeting and interacting during English outreach programs initiated by the Student IMPACT Club to meeting them in person earlier this year in March to now coming to Dalat, Rumah Boas’ and Dalat’s relationship has significantly developed, and exciting events were in store. 

As soon as school started, the youth followed a group of students to begin shadowing to see what student life at Dalat is like. From Choir class to an array of English classes, Boas got a sneak peek at what Dalat students lived out every day.

After a long day of shadowing classes, the students and Boas needed a brain break. What better way to do so than a classic game of Captain Chicken? The Dalat students and Boas kids split into two groups, and the games began. Competitive spirit and exclamations of frustrated laughter filled the outdoor basketball gym, concluding the first day of Rumah Boas’s Dalat visit. 

It was even more fun awaiting the group on the second day, a day at the Escape water park! Students and Boas filled vans and cars and started their trip to escape. There were seemingly endless things to do, such as a zipline, swing, and water slides! 

“My favorite part was the flying lemur [a zipline reaching up to 30 meters]! It was scary but fun.” according to Elis, one of the Boas youth. 

The day wasn’t over yet, though. Rumah Boas and Dalat students were gearing up for a particular task: leading Worship in Dalat’s chapel. Everyone gathered to rehearse, the excitement palpable as the two groups prepared to lead the school in a time of praise. The energy was contagious, with students from both schools coming together to practice and bond over their shared Christian faith.

On Friday morning, the chapel came alive as the worship team led the entire school in song. The atmosphere was uplifting, with students passionately singing along to familiar songs of Worship and even a song in Bahasa Indonesia, bringing a unique cultural touch to the service. 

The enthusiasm of everyone involved was evident, as seen in freshman Benjamin Lim’s statement after chapel service, “Worship today was so awesome! I loved it so much; the main singer was so hyped.” Overall, it was an incredibly memorable and unifying experience.

To close the day, the group headed to a local Korean restaurant, Cottiny, for a delicious dinner. With various mouth-watering dishes, the meal was the perfect way to unwind and reflect on the day’s events. As they shared pictures and jokes, both groups couldn’t have been happier. 

However, before they knew it, it was time to part ways. Each person shared their goodbyes, and their period of fun and fellowship with each other came to an end. Even though the bittersweet pain of goodbye lingered after the Boas team drove off, the students knew it wouldn’t be the last time Dalat saw the people of Rumah Boas.