Tiara Kristene
“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
The word goodbye seems to be synonymous with pain because uttering it means leaving a part of you behind. The day I needed to say it was probably the time that my heart cried.
I vividly remember the day when my Dad told me that he was going to Indonesia for his new job assignment. That means, the whole family was moving. I couldn’t remember much the words he said explaining the circumstances behind but I was extremely shocked that the next thing I knew, I have found myself in tears. No amount of pacifying could console the brokenness I’ve felt that time. I was too young probably but my heart sank amidst my tears knowing that I would be leaving not just my country but important people and places behind.
I felt so unhappy that I even remember crying with my Mom and confiding to her all my fears. I didn’t want to go. After all, India is the country where I was born and my home for many years. It’s the place where our relatives live and I couldn’t imagine a future without the people who became part of my growing up. No words could ever capture the pain that overcame my heart on that day. It was like the skies were crumbling over me and my young world was embraced with despondency.
A week before leaving India, I got a chance to bid farewell to my friends in school. My Mom knew how I’ve felt so she tried her best cheer me up. Her effort was futile though because I was just simply in misery. How could a young girl like me fight this strange feeling of emptiness?
Finally, the days went by so fast that the time to bid farewell came. Yes, I needed to say goodbye to India and I was just really so sad. My cousins came to see me and as I gave them tight hugs, we were all in tears. It was probably one of the saddest days of my life. I felt lost and my heart was full of uncertainties. I was just a young girl but my journey seemed so scary.
On board the plane, a short movie played in my mind – a kaleidoscope of all the wonderful times I had in my beloved country. I sighed with sadness as tears consumed again my whole being. I closed my eyes as I tried to convince myself, all will be well, with God’s help.
As a young girl who felt uprooted from where she grew up, my first month in Indonesia seemed to be so far from what I have expected. Indonesia proved to be so much better than what I have pictured. We spent days going to the malls, shopping, eating, and simply having fun with our new place.
The tough decision of choosing the school was entrusted to me by my parents. Having taken the different entrance examinations, I was left to choose which one I liked.
My decision to choose El Shaddai International School came as no surprise since I found it to be different from the others. My parents were sincerely glad of my choice because the school is directed by Godly principles. Since my Dad became a Christian, he was looking forward to deepen my relationship with God through this institution.
The pain of leaving people and places I love probably dampened my zeal and enthusiasm. But, my young faith slowly blossomed as I came to know more about God’s love in this country. Most importantly, I realized that God directed my path here in Indonesia to show me who He really is. I got baptized and my faith in Him continues to grow each day. His blessings are truly pouring that I even won first place in Story Telling and second place in Creative Writing in Pre-International Bible Olympiad!
Sometimes, expected turn of events would probably propel us into doubts and miseries. But, if we will learn to trust His will, time will show us how much God loves us. Almost two years passed by so swiftly and as for me, since I have found Jesus in this country, I am home away from home.
