Harapan Bangsa mission trip, blessings for the nation
As its annual retreat, ITHB has extended God’s blessing to the residents of a small district in North Sumatera called Tanah Karo, the location of Mount Sinabung which has been erupting from September 2013 destroying everything in the nearby villages. Around 30 thousands people are still on the refuge barracks, waiting and hoping their future to be restored having been endured series of nightmare caused by the eruption.
For this reason, a large contingent of ITHB jetted out from Bandung, bringing hope and help as part of its Mission Trip. Mr. Bersih Tarigan as a chairman of Yayasan Petra took on the front seat leading and commanding the brigade consist of staff, student, and also some priests. They touched down in Medan on 9th January 2014 before continuing their mission to Tanah Karo. There, ITHB conducted their humanitarian missions, assisting people who in desperate need of any humanly possible assistance they could get. As an agriculture area, Karo is supplying large number of agricultures product to the city of Medan and the surrounding areas. Bu the story has drastically changed after Mount Sinabung erupted. Looming on this fact, ITHB ran a farming training to equip the local residents in how to manage their ruined farms back into full scale production once the situation is restored to normal life. Hope was raised as the training went on, not only the farming skills but also an overflowing encouragement words to ensure the locals, that soon they will all see a daylight ahead.
Besides the training, ITHB is also supply the spiritual needs to the people by staging a praise and worship service to the people of Tanah Karo. It is their believe that spiritual restoration is the most important to those affected by the disaster. From a healthy spiritual life, people can withstand any kind of storms that is blowing to a person’s boat of life. People were flooding in to the service, thirsty and hunger for the Lord. They came with such a high expectation to experience something great from the Almighty after days of sorrow and mourn.
After all, what was done is a part of the divine task of being a blessing to others and therefore, people might see all the good works we do and then exalting the Lord Almighty. It is a task we should carry as a Christian, be a light unto the world. It is the great commandment that is being carried on.