One day, Jesus sat down on the ground and called for His disciples to gather near Him. “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all,” He told them. Jesus then brought a little child into the circle. With the child in His arms He told His disciples, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me" (Mark 9:35–37).
Each year, the Associated Students of Walla Walla University (ASWWU) strive to meet Christ’s call to servanthood with a Global Service Project. Previous projects include Mission Mozambique, which raised $86,000 for sustainable water sources, and To Build a Home, which raised $100,000 to build an orphanage in Uganda where WWU students currently serve as missionaries.
This year’s project is called One of These, a reference to Jesus’ instruction to His disciples in Mark 9 to embrace the children of the world. One of the most profound gifts a child can receive is an education, and that is what ASWWU is working to give the children of Bangka Island in Indonesia.
Bangka Island, just north of Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta, has about 1 million residents and limited access to education. Through One of These, ASWWU seeks to enable the Adventist mission on Bangka by opening Bangka Island Adventist School. The school will be self-supporting and National-Plus accredited — a status achieved by Indonesian schools that teach English in addition to meeting countrywide curriculum standards. Students who are given a multilingual foundation have a broader range of career opportunities.
To this end, ASWWU is working to raise $35,000 for the opening and initial operation of the school. This includes facility expenses, teacher salaries, utilities, renovations and school supplies.
“This project will not only provide opportunities through education, but it will also introduce these students to Jesus Christ and the love He has for them,” says Justin Mock, ASWWU global service director and senior business administration and health science major.
“Projects like these are great,” says Mock, “because they unify the [WWU] campus through collaboration and cooperation. Clubs, classes and other groups all come together to reach the common goal. By developing a dedication to service here at WWU, we hope to create in people a desire to serve throughout their lifetimes.”
To learn more about how to get involved, watch the ASWWU One of These video or send an email.
WWU students, faculty and staff and members of the community hit the ground running on Jan. 24 for the 5K Tropical Trot, an ASWWU Global Service event that raised $1,142 for the Bangka Island Project.
