Leaving behind a heap of burning tasks at work to go on a volunteer trip wasn’t something I thought would happen when I signed up for this trip to Bali, but that was the backdrop for this journey in early July.
It’s the busiest season since I started work after graduation, and while I’m thankful, I found myself complaining in my heart more than I’d like – pulling all-nighters to prepare and giving up a few weekends to run through the programme and logistics. Needless to say, it was tiring. But it was all worth it in the end.
One of the things that reassured me most about this trip was knowing it wasn’t a one-off. The organisation has an ongoing relationship with the village pastor, and the work continues long after we leave. We went to equip by teaching skills that would outlast our presence there. There’s a quote that has stayed with me: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” I’m grateful we were part of the teaching, not just the giving.
But if I’m honest, as much as we went to serve, I came back feeling deeply ministered to. In conversations with the team, in moments with the children, in my quiet time. God had things to say to me out there too.
Here are some things I took away from this trip – from serving, and from conversations with the team and the locals there.
My Bali volunteer trip takeaways
1. Going out to love and serve is important.
Especially as someone living in Singapore, I find that life can be very cushy and comfortable – so much so that the slightest inconvenience can throw me off. Going out into new places, to feel some discomfort, can be rather refreshing – a great reminder to not only be grateful, but to also see how I can rely on God’s strength and love; to give and serve out of my comfort zone.
When people ask why God allows suffering, why bad things happen to good people, I believe that followers of Christ are part of His answer to that question. We are His hands. His feet. His presence in dark places. We just need to be willing – with wisdom, of course.
It’s important to be that salt and light, both for believers and for those who do not yet know Christ. Which brings me to my second point:
2. Be a cheerful giver.
The popular verse about being a cheerful giver is often associated with money. But my revelation from this trip is that you can be generous with more than just your finances – you can also be selfless with your time and energy.
If we’ve decided to serve or give, let’s do it with a cheerful heart, trusting that God will supply all our needs.
“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:11
3. Everyone has a different gifting and purposes, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Insecurities have a way of surfacing when things get uncomfortable. In the lead-up to this trip, I found myself feeling inadequate – particularly in areas of intellect, quick thinking, and eloquent speaking.
I’m just not smart and sharp in the way I hope to be, and it sucks. I can read and study to compensate, but the innate ability to synthesise information and speak succinctly isn’t something I have right now.
This surfaced a few times during the lead-up, in moments when I felt I hadn’t expressed myself clearly during planning sessions. Over the weeks of preparation, and with some triggers from my own personal life stirred in, the voice of comparison got louder. I found myself pointing out the good qualities in others while forgetting my own.
In these moments, the tendency is to seek validation from loved ones – asking them what they see in us, wanting to hear words of affirmation.
But those words don’t last, and they’re sometimes unreliable.
So this time, I did something a little different. On the plane back to Singapore, I asked The Holy Spirit, “what are my valuable qualities?” I wanted something personal – not a verse in the Bible that applies to every believer, though those reminders are essential and precious too.
And very naturally, I was reminded of qualities others have pointed out in me: “gentle.” Shortly after, the word “merciful” stood out – a quality that ranked highly when I once took a spiritual gifts quiz. Then came an affirmation that moved me to tears, one that could only have come from God: “you mirror my love.”
To be reassured that I love people the way He loves me was deeply moving.
By the time I touched down in Singapore – after seeing how God used me in ways that were uniquely mine, and after being ministered to by The Holy Spirit – I arrived at a peace I hadn’t expected. I may not have a debater’s mind, but I have other things that matter in His Kingdom too.
We are one body made of many parts, and God was deliberate about every single one. I find that deeply comforting. I hope you do too.
4. Faithfulness and waiting go hand-in-hand.
Just as difficulties reveal the strength of our foundations, waiting reveals the depth of our trust. This came out of a conversation with one of my teammates, over a lovely Bali brunch – an exchange that has stayed with me since the trip ended.
True trust is often most visible not in the moment of action, but in the pause and the preparation, when nothing seems to be happening yet.
In conclusion
What a wonderful trip – it stretched me in ways I thought would break me. I give thanks to God for His sustenance, and for a renewed understanding of His power being made perfect in my weakness. It’s my hope that, in everything I do, I mirror His love and tell the world of His goodness.
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