Love for the Forgotten Ones (English version)

When love means as ‘loving the forgotten ones’, we can celebrate the day of love meaningfully :)

Dear readers, I’ll write this post in English. Maybe this event can be held at your communities. Hope this post will inspire you :)

Have you ever thought that someday you’ll become a Grandma or Grandpa? Have you ever thought that someday you’ll have children and grandchildren? Well... I guess some of you have thought about the questions. But, have you ever thought if (maybe) someday all of your beloved people will leave you alone? You’ll be put at a nursing home, without your children or your grandchildren beside you?

You know, those are things which in Grandma-Grandpa’s mind nowadays. They miss their

family, miss their togetherness with their family, miss the laughter from their beloved ones... but, they can’t feel it now.

Wefie by Elaine, Nike, and 2 Grandmas :)

So that’s why, the teens’ community at my church (a.k.a. RemaCo – Remaja Coyudan) celebrated Valentine day with Grandma-Grandpa at a nursing home (Panti Wreda Asih, Solo Baru, Sukoharjo, Central Java, Indonesia) on last Saturday (February 14^th, 2015).

Happy Valentine from Adlyn,
Jilly, and Grandma!

We started the fellowship-with-Grandma-and-Grandpa with praise and worship, then there was a greeting from Ms. Esther Karundeng (a head staff of the nursing home (?)). She said that there is a program for the people, ‘Compassion for Grandparents’. It’s a program which allows the people (and for the teenagers) to raise the grandparents as their-foster-grandparents. For example, I raise Mrs. A as my foster grandma. *I hope you understand what I mean :p*

After the greeting, Ms. Maria Sampyuh shared a reflection for us, which said that we should love the forgotten ones *especially our parents and our grandparents* before everything is too late. She took the Bible verse from Proverbs 17:17 :)

Next, the most favorite time for me :p had a conversation with the grandparents! :D I had it with a grandma, but you know what... I should talk to her in a very close distance *because she can’t hear well anymore ._.*, and I should be patient when she always told the same story *but it’s okay lah for me :)*

Smile, Oma! :D

Two things that I can’t forget about her are her smile and her gratitude to God.

After I fed her with a muffin and pudding, she smiled at me :’) Oh, mannn~ *snobsnob*.

She also told me (more than twice) that she’s so grateful for her husband *who had passed away for years* and her children *though they almost never meet her. They just call her, because they live in many places *including at Netherlands :O**. She said, “Thank You, God, I thank You for everything...”

Calm face by Jovian
and Grandma :B

Though there were only ±25 teens who joined the event, but I’m so proud with them :D almost of them enjoy the conversation *and there was my friend who made us speechless. He hugged the grandma whom had the conversation with him :$*. Yayy! Thanks God, for this Valentine day :) Let it be our encouragement to keep loving the forgotten ones :)

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

(John 13:34-35 – NIV)


PS: you can read in Indonesian version here