Hi! This is Anna and I just got back from my trip to Ruteng, Flores, Indonesia.
We flew into the main town on the island of Flores and then drove four hours into the mountains. We broke up into smaller groups to visit five different villages. I went to Pinggang and Beamese. When we arrived in each village, they greeted us with a traditional welcome dance, a rooster, and a special drink called "Tuak." Giving a rooster is a sign of honor and acceptance into the village. The school in Pinggang is situated on top of a hill and is made of concrete with wooden benches and desks. The students were a bit shy, but they were very nice. We taught them how to write letters and stories. We also painted a world map and learning mural on the white walls of their library. Pinggang was a really great place and I would have happily stayed there the whole time.
We had quite an adventure getting to the next village of Beamese. We took a local bus on a two hour trip up a winding, dirt road. Halfway there, the bus broke down and the driver told us to get out and push! Sadly, that didn't work. While waiting for help, we explored a nearby waterfall and hay field. Eventually, the bus was fixed and we made it to the students who were patiently waiting. We performed a puppet show and taught about the elements and morals of stories.
Our final days were spent in Ruteng, where specially chosen students were brought to us for the "Journalistic Camp." We broke up into small groups and worked on creating our own magazines, with poems, comics, stories, advertisements, and pictures. By the second day working with my group, they really opened up to me. We were able to bring the whole magazine together and bonded with each other. I had fun with them and we all learned a lot. It was awesome!
This trip was an amazing experience and I will remember it forever.
Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers!
(I hope you enjoy the video I made and can see how great the kids were.)
