Recount text

 1. SEE

Man, I woke up that morning with my stomach in knots. The whole way to the Panti Wreda, my brain was just spinning, thinking, "What am i gonna do there? What if they don't like me?" I kept thinking about it until I finally arrived at the panti. 

I arrived and saw my friends, and I instantly felt a bit better. The place was huge and had a bunch of trees, so of course the air felt dope and cool. Stepping out of the car, that breeze just hit me, and I was impressed by how cool the panti is.

Walking inside was wild. The Omas were just chilling, and they greeted us with sweet smiles. This one nurse came up to us; she also greeted us. All the nurses were just so friendly in their uniforms. Their positive vibes totally made us feel welcomed. My friends jumped right in, shaking hands and greeted the Omas. I joined, but I’ll be real, I was still kinda shy, hehe.

We got the rundown from the nurse: "Don't be too loud, respect the Omas, and for heaven's sake, wash your hands." I made sure to listen up so I didn't mess up.

Then we went into some big auditorium. It had these nice paintings and chairs all set up. We started things off by singing worship songs. Hearing the Omas singing just made the whole room feel warm and alive. I sang along, but I kept my voice down because I didn't wanna be the one person singing too loud, haha.

Then came my part: I had to lead the opening prayer. My heart was basically doing drum solos in my chest. I was thinking, what if I do it wrong? But I simply took a deep breath, got up front, and started praying. Everyone got so quiet, and when they all said "Amen" at the end, I felt this huge wave of relief.

After that, things got way more fun. We played this game where we passed a red ball around with music playing. We used a random playlist from one of our phones. When the music stopped, whichever Oma was holding the ball had to answer a question from our cards. One Oma told us about playing traditional games; another said she loves singing. They were so sweet and happy to share! One Oma even sang a Chinese song for us.

I played too, but when the ball came to me, I basically yeeted it to the next person so I wouldn't get picked (even though the committee was safe anyway, lol). The Omas were the real stars, though. They'd tell these long, amazing stories about their childhood games. It didn't feel like a formal event anymore, just like we were all hanging out and sharing stories. We handed out snacks like cakes and fruit, and the Omas were so kind, happily taking whatever we gave them.

But yeah, one thing kinda sucked. Around 11, right when things were getting super fun, a few of us had to dip out early. We had a basketball match for school. It felt so weird and wrong to just leave the Omas like that. Man, I felt guilty bouncing for my other commitment.

2. JUDGE

The whole thing got me thinking about that line from the Bible it's like "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38). It's about being humble and always going with God's plan, like Mother Mary did.

First, leading that prayer taught me that serving isn't about being showing off. It's about doing it from the heart. I realized you don't need to do some grand gesture. Just leading a simple prayer with pure heart is enough. That’s the humble vibe I’m talking about just like Mother Mary, who was always down to serve without any drama.

Second, I felt mad guilty about leaving early for basketball. I was kinda feel excited for the match. But then I thought, maybe this was just the plan all along. Maybe God just wanted me there for a little bit to learn something and share some joy, and then go handle my business on the court as an athlete. It taught me that even a short amount of time can matter if you make it count. The Omas are fine when we left, which showed me it's about the quality of the time, not the quantity. It’s all about trusting, just like Mother Mary trust.

Looking at myself now, I realize I saw these Omas who might be lonely sometimes, but their smiles were so genuine when we showed up. Maybe God is trying to open my eyes more to the people around me. This whole experience showed me that life is full of choices, and you gotta know your priorities. Nothing's ever gonna be perfect, you just gotta do your best.

3. ACT

Okay, so after all that, I don't wanna just forget about it. I actually wanna change some things.

First, I'm gonna try to be better and not rush through things. Even though I was in a hurry that day, I saw how making every second count actually matters. So of course i'll try to really focus and be there for people, even if it's just for a minute. Like, actually listening when a friend is venting instead of interupting them.

Second, I wanna be more caring in general. To my grandparents, my friends, and my family. Sometimes people just need someone to hear them out like a simple "You good?" or just chilling and talking with them can make a huge difference for someone who's feeling alone. Maybe they need your time and attention more than anything.

Third, I'm gonna work on being braver. Next time I'm asked to lead a prayer in class, I'm just gonna do it. No more being shy about it. If my teacher needs someone for the morning prayer, my hand is going up.

Besides that, I just wanna be a better version of myself. Maybe to invite my friends to also doing good stuff with me. I also wanna actually read the Bible more and learn about what Jesus and Mother Mary really stood for so I can make it as my minimum in my live. Basically, the whole day already Made me feel like i'm leveling up. I know I’ve still got a lot of flaws, but I’m gonna try to fix them, one step at a time.