I have been on several mission trips before, but this trip with Shalom International to Nabire Papua has been one of the best experiences of my life.
It opens your eyes to answering Jesus’ call to serve the poor.
Everything we saw, the feelings of pain, sorrow, and hopelessness, the songs we sang, the truths we shared, testimonies, meals, tears, poverty witnessed, blessings given, hugs received, hands held, playing with the village kids, and the countless friendships established will leave a lasting imprint on my heart.
The people of Nabire Papua need so much help, and it was awesome to be able to provide for them, prayed for them and medication to help them to feel better.
Our week-long trip to Nabire was not nearly long enough. Over the course of the trip, our team had bonded and become a family that was so special to me.
Most were new friends and we grew very close. There is something about being in a foreign country out of your comfort zone that helps bond a group of people together in such a unique way, but the best part was that we were there for the same reason: to share the love of Jesus with the people of Nabire, Papua.
We were gathered for that sole purpose and that is something that can’t be beat.
One of the best parts of the mission trip is the kids.
We had the opportunity to be blessed by interacting with the children in Nabire. There is nothing like hearing prayers and worship in other languages, especially from the mouths of joy-filled children!
Being able to show them God’s love and bringing them one step closer to feeling true joy made the entire experience there much more fulfilling. Even those that we were able to interact with in the poor village changed my perspective on so much in my own life.
The fact that they knew the stories of the Bible and that they knew who Jesus was made me realize just how powerful the Lord can be even in areas such as these.
We went down there to help out and teach them and show them the love of Jesus, but we left having been shown His love by the people.
What a blessing. We not only became a family as a team, but we also became a family with the people there and that is something that cannot be replaced.
Praise God for His work through us and through the Papuan during our time there.
For Nabire which was known to be a Christian state has lost many Christians due to the complacency and the laziness of the believers living there.
It was amazing to see that through long-term missionaries and short-term trips like ours that God is providing hope to the country.
I know all the brothers and sisters on the trip were just as moved by God as the Papuan were through seeing the work He is doing there. Lord revealed himself in so many ways that there’s no denying this was His plan. We were the Hands and feet of Christ, and the truth of His love was shared through each of us. He assembled the team, and the experience was perfect, joyful and holy.
“Thank you Shalom International for encouraging me in my faith and for providing the opportunity to serve alongside such a great group of people.”
It was a wonderful trip in all respects, and it left me with the lasting impression that God is moving mightily in Nabire, Papua and I fully expect to see great revival for the Kingdom in the coming years!
Veronica Wong
Singapore
