Recount Text Saint Mary's Way

On October 11th, 2025, my classmates and I from Grade 9 of SMP Santa Maria participated in an annual service program called Saint Mary’s Way, or SMW. This program aims to teach students the value of compassion, empathy, and simple acts of kindness through direct interaction with communities in need. The students were divided into several groups, such as the choir group, altar servers, elder care group, Sunday school group, and others. My group, consisting of fourteen students, was assigned to visit Cahaya Kasih Orphanage, located on Jalan Karya Mukti No. 132, Bandung. Our school has visited this orphanage for many years, and our visit was meant to continue the bond of love and support between our school and the children.

 Before the day of the visit, we prepared various items to bring to the orphanage. These included snack packages, coloring sheets, small gifts for games, and daily necessities such as toiletries and school supplies. We wrapped the snacks neatly to make them look more special. When we arrived, the caretakers and children welcomed us warmly, creating a cheerful atmosphere right from the start. We began with a short introduction so that everyone could get to know one another. After that, we continued with several fun activities. The first game was a puzzle competition, where the children were divided into small groups and competed to finish their puzzle the fastest. They were very enthusiastic, and the winners received small prizes. We then played a Bible character guessing game, where the children impressed us with how much they knew about different stories and figures from the Bible. Next, we moved on to a coloring activity using pictures we had prepared. Each of us accompanied a child, guiding them and encouraging their creativity. The children enjoyed this activity very much and showed great excitement. After the games, we handed over the donations we brought and distributed the gift packages along with handmade paper flowers. The children’s smiles made all our efforts meaningful.

This visit taught me to be more grateful for my life and the love I receive from my family. Seeing the children’s happiness despite their struggles reminded me of the importance of sharing and caring for others. I hope to join Saint Mary’s Way again and continue spreading kindness in simple but meaningful ways.