Multimedia University (Malacca) Catholic Student Society First Mission Trip
From the 19th until the 25th of March 2018, the Catholic Student Society in Multimedia University (Malacca) held its first ever mission trip with a total of six student participants in Klang, Selangor. With the help of Malacca-Johore Catholics on Campus (M.J.C.C.) and led by Malacca-Johore’s Campus Ministry Officer, Daryl Tan, the missionaries visited Rumah Ozanam Klang (St. Bernadette’s) Home for Girls and Rumah SVP Klang. The person-in-charge of the respective homes, Brother John Chong (Rumah Ozanam Klang) and Brother V.K. Robert (Rumah SVP Klang), provided the missionaries with information on the various services for the one-week mission at the homes so that missionaries can better prepare themselves.
Rumah Ozanam Klang (St. Bernadette’s) Home for Girls (“the Girls’ Home”) is a welfare home for underprivileged girls and is sheltering eight children from the age of 8 to 12 years old. On the other hand, Rumah SVP Klang (“the Boys’ Home”) is a welfare home that currently houses ten boys aging from 5 to 12 years old. As the children in these homes come from underprivileged families, both homes aim to create a positive environment for them in terms of education, love and care to each of the children.
Throughout the mission trip, the male missionaries stayed at the Boys’ Home and the female missionaries stayed at the Girls’ Home which allowed the missionaries to live and experience the daily lives of the children and housemothers. This way, the missionaries can obtain a better understanding of the needs of each home. The main role of the missionaries is to shower the children with love and compassion. They gave tuition, read storybooks, watched movies, played sports and mostly just spent quality time with the children. The missionaries also conducted praise and worship sessions and bible story-telling to use interactive ways to expose the children further into the faith that they are practising but have yet to follow. As the homes are managed by churches, the children practice the Catholic faith through daily prayers and attendance in masses.
The Boys’ Home and the Girl’s Home may be just a few houses apart, but the children from both homes rarely interact with one another. As some of the children have siblings from the other home, the missionaries planned joined activities such as tuition, games and meals to facilitate more interaction between both homes for the children to bond. The missionaries also accompanied the children to National Science Centre, KLCC and Aeon Bukit Tinggi to let them have a memorable school holiday.
Besides serving the children and the housemothers, the missionaries also spent time to learn and understand their calling to do mission through daily bible reflections conducted by Daryl. The bible study equipped the missionaries with the spiritual strength and guidance to serve God’s people. After every bible study, they also shared and reflected on daily significant “High, God, Low” moments that stood out for them.
This is the very first time that missionaries have not only visited the homes, but also stayed with the children. One of the little girls even said “Akak, you are like a mother to me” to one of the missionaries. The housemothers also felt touched that the missionaries were able to share and understand the daily struggles of managing the homes. Even though the housemothers were overwhelmed with work, they still welcomed the missionaries whole-heartedly and offered them with the best to make sure their stay is as comfortable as possible.
Sadly, time flew by and it was a very emotional moment to part with the children. Truly, this mission trip made the missionaries realised that in serving others they had gained so much more. “As God has promised to bless us abundantly, we should be a blessing to others”. We are all encouraged to participate in similar mission trips and encourage others to do the same. As said by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness”, only then we can live in solidarity with the people in need.
