It is an honor for me to get the opportunity to deliver something related with the partnership between St. Andrew’s University and Protestant Christian Church in Bali that has been worked for a long time.
First of all, I would like to say that it is such a great partnership which was started with Work Camp in February 1987. This partnership showed the loyalty and perseverance from both sides, especially from St. Andrew’s University. It is such good achievement if we see from sincerity, perseverance, and loyalty point of views that St. Andrew’s University conducted the Work Camp for thirty years without ceasing, because usually this kind of activity will be only done several times. However, we can see now that the partnership between Bali Church and St. Andrew’s University has worked for thirty years through thirty times of Work Camps. What a marvelous thing!
Moreover, it is also proven that both sides see and feel that this partnership has given positive impact to both sides. If one side thinks that this partnership is not useful, there will not be any continuance of this partnership. For Bali Church, especially for the children in the orphanage, the Work Camp has given great experience and lesson for their lives. They learnt how to be more open toward the things outside them that also bring positive values. They learnt how to behave through the students of St. Andrew’s University who come from very highly developed country but willing to visit a village and do some modest activities with the children. Furthermore, the students of St. Andrew’s University are also care to the children in the orphanage. It is such good attitude to be followed. We really hope that the orphanage children will learn about how to be humble. We all know that Christianity puts humbleness as the greatest value. Matthew 18:1-5 teaches us that if we don’t want to change and become like little children, we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the lessons that were given from the students of St. Andrew’s University, Osaka to the orphanage children are very important.
Besides that, the children also learn about perseverance and loyalty. These things are very useful in our lives. Perseverance and loyalty are crucial if we see from social and work ethic. Of course it is not my authority to explain about the benefits of the Work Camp for the students of St. Andrew’s University.
In my opinion, the partnership in a form of Work Camp should be continued because it is very useful. From the previous experience, we can learn and see which things that should be improved in order to be more optimal. We might need to think another form of partnership between St. Andrew’s University and Dhyana Pura University. The partnership might not be enough if only work in social level. If it is between universities, it can be improved into management and academic level.
I would like to express my gratitude to the whole family of St. Andrew’s University that has been faithful for thirty years by doing the partnership with the Protestant Christian Church in Bali, especially with Widhya Asih Bali Foundation and Dhyana Pura University. Furthermore, I am so thankful with Mr. Shin-ichi Shimizu, Director of Christian Centre, St. Andrew’s University, Professor (Faculty of International Studies and Liberal Arts). God bless you.
Yours sincerely,
Bishop Em. Dr. Ketut Waspada