Today we have two authors. The first, Monica Malas will write about our travels and experiences on Wednesday, 5/22/2024. Our second writer, Sylvia Jones, will write about her experiences yesterday (5/21) that were slightly different than the rest of the group. There’s lots of pictures at the end today!
The day started bright and early for these Baylor Bears. Yesterday was our last full day in Jakarta and today was yet another travel day. We started our day off in a hurry because we were made aware of a traffic jam that had taken place around the time we had to leave. So we hurried onto the bus, loaded our things, and went on our way. Luckily, we were not held back by traffic and got there pretty early. We had the ability to walk around the airport for a bit and rest before boarding at 11:00.
The flight to Ogyakarta was only 59 minutes long. Comparing to our previous 4 flights this was like a quick jog in the park! The airport we had landed in was so wonderful. It had the prettiest orchids and cultural art on the walls. We were even greeted with some live music of a man playing the Angklung ever so beautifully.
On our way to the hotel we were able meet our hosts, the Quinlans. They were so welcoming and gave us food to chow down while we traveled. There was a lot scenery to take in. I was astonished by the grand amount of motorcyclists on the road. There were moments that we would turn at a stoplight and all you could see was a large cluster of helmets. There were also many trees different than those in the states ranging in leaf size and shape. The cutest thing that happened while we were on the road were the kids from other buses waving at us with such excitement.
After a two hours or so we arrived at The Westlake Hotel. It was stunning! When we walked towards the lobby we were greeted with a little pond full of koi fish, and let me tell you, they were hungry! They all bunched up in the corner where most people were near and kept opening and closing their mouths as if they were begging for food. The silly thing is that they are most definitely spoiled with fish pellets. This transition from our hotel to our next location had to happen quick. I do think the rooms deserve some praise. They were AH-MAY-ZING! My favorite part was the balcony that looked out at the lake they have filled with many more koi fish. It gave a sense of tranquility and beauty. Anyway, we all head to the lobby where we found some refreshingly chilled jasmine tea, sweet potato chips, and red velvet cakes out for the hotels guests to serve themselves.
Once again, we head to the bus, but this time we were on our way to Java Christian Church. There, we were able to meet new people and dive into the Indonesian Gamelan experience. It started off with Mas Welly leading a Gamelan workshop. He taught us instrumental groupings, the tonal scale they use, and taught us a Japanese song. After, they delighted us with an Indonesian meal with many of the same foods we have been introduced to during our time here. Once everyone was done, we head up stairs to the sanctuary and it was time to be a part of the Gamelan action. Everyone was given the opportunity to play instruments and learn how to read their musical notation at the same time. I played the gong, tagunggo, and kempul. It was such a cool experience to be a part of, especially when we all got together and produced music. There was a rotation between vocalists and instrumentalists but everyone did a good job. Our final activity was a “cultural exchange” where we performed “I’ve Got the Joy” and “Joyful Joyful” with both the Gamelan and standard American worship band setup. It was a special moment sharing our cultures and intertwining them in a way we would not experience anywhere else. ”And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.“ Colossians 3:14 ESV. May we hold this truth in our hearts as we continue to learn and experience the beauties of Indonesian culture for the treat of our trip overseas. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow has in store!
- Monica Malas
We started the day at Pelita Harapan School (SPH) – the school where one of our Indonesian coordinators, Anton, and his wife taught. This school was absolutely beautiful. When walking through, I could sense the positive learning environment. If I were a student at SPH, I would feel empowered to do anything and be anyone I wanted to be. In translation, the name of the school means school of hope and light. Their core values are Faith in Christ, Godly character, and True knowledge which were evident in every aspect of our time there especially the several moments of prayer together. For context, SPH is an international school where students are expected to graduate and pursue higher education internationally. I was happy to see that some of the SPH alumni have also attended my alma mater, the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!💜💛).
Our first cultural experience took place in the music room where we learned to play a song on the gamelan. We picked up on it pretty quickly. Then we transitioned to another room where the Angklung ensemble performed for us. I loved hearing these bamboo instruments. Sadly, the person who made these instruments is deceased, so the instruments are even more fragile now and can’t be replaced. Despite that reality, they let us try out the Angklung. When it was our turn to share our culture, a few of our students performed solos and duets. All of our student performers were fabulous and represented Baylor well, but I think the sweetest moment was when Gavin Brophy had a beatbox-off with one of the SPH students. The student was a little timid, but his peers vigorously encouraged him. We were all impressed by his skills to the point where Gavin said, “I don’t think I know how to beat-box!”
After a wonderful lunch at SPH, I hurried back to Pelita Harapan University (UPH) for a crossover voice masterclass I was giving. This was my first masterclass where I was the clinician. I was nervous but mostly excited. The class focused on the interpretation and style of music. Three students prepared classical pieces while two prepared I was so impressed by the talent of the singers. I found it hard to believe that some of the classical singers were new to the genre as of this year. It sounded as though they had been studying for a few years. All the students were so fun to work with and I enjoyed my time together. Other members of our time also presented master classes and lectures at UPH over the past two days. Derrick Bready and. Dr. Bradley led masterclasses in conducting and Dr. Zeiss presented a music history lecture.
While I was at UPH, the rest of the group went to (SLH) for music appreciation activities with the students from Papua. Though I didn’t get to work with them today, I enjoyed my time with the Papua students on Sunday. We enjoyed seeing each other’s braids and curly hair. As an African American, I was not expecting to see many brown skin individuals who looked like me on the trip. Our Baylor team was all surprised to hear about and see the ethnic diversity in Indonesia. My favorite memory of the Papua students will be the spontaneous dance party on Sunday after lunch! I learned some fancy footwork!
We concluded the evening with another joint concert, this time with the University of Pelita Harapan Singers (PLUS). The recital hall we sang in appeared to be brand-new. The venue was really nice. It was also a treat to hear PLUS sing the negro spiritual, Wade in the Water during their program. I appreciated seeing their student conductors conduct a piece each on the program.
Unfortunately, I lost my voice by the end of the day and could not sing in the concert. However, God reminded me that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). A special thank you goes out to my friend, Monica Malas who filled in for me on my solo. You killed it, Monica! Gratitude is also due to Sarah Martinez, another friend, who so graciously led us during our cultural exchanges throughout the day and sang beautifully during her solos in the concert.
I have truly enjoyed my time in Malaysia and Indonesia. It occurred to me tonight that our trip is almost over which saddens my heart. The connections and relationships that have been developed and nurtured on this trip have been fulfilling. I had never expected to visit Malaysia in Indonesia before the opportunity for this mission trip came up. Now, I want to come back and visit again! Being able to worship in new cultures has been inspiring. I was also invigorated by the workshops and master classes that we led. My teacher-heart is full.
To my family back home, “Heyyy!” I love you so very much and I can’t wait to share all the pictures and souvenirs from the trip with you. To all those who helped make this trip financially possible for me, thank you for your love and support! 💕
Blessings,
Sylvia Jones
