A Different Kind of Sunday School for Erin
Erin is an 8-year-old primary school student and a sponsored child of Wahana Visi Indonesia. A cheerful child, her days are filled with playing with friends, helping her mum at home, and enjoying various interesting activities. One activity she looks forward to most each week is Sunday school at church.
Sunday school is a special time for Erin. There, she can gather with her friends without school uniforms or time pressures. However, there's one habit at Sunday school that has gradually started to make Erin feel bored: the stories about biblical figures that are almost always repeated every week. Although the stories are good and full of meaning, for children Erin's age, boredom is unavoidable.
Besides this, Erin has one big challenge: fear and shyness when speaking in front of people. Although she is a creative child who loves to draw, Erin often feels nervous when asked to speak in front of her friends. "I'm scared I'll say something wrong, and then my friends will laugh at me," Erin said shyly.
However, that week something was different. Sunday school had the theme of Getting to Know Yourself, in collaboration with a team from WVI. The children were encouraged to see that they are unique and valuable individuals in God's eyes. The atmosphere was livelier with interactive materials, new songs, and drawing activities.
When asked to draw, Erin enthusiastically drew a beautiful woman. After finishing, the moment Erin dreaded most arrived: she had to go to the front and explain her drawing. With a little hesitation, Erin finally stepped forward, clutching her drawing tightly.
"This drawing is me," Erin said with a trembling voice. "I am unique, beautiful, and I want to learn not to be shy anymore. I want to love myself," she said. The words came out with extraordinary courage from a child who was usually afraid to speak.
After the activity, Erin was interviewed about her experience. Her face lit up as she said, "At first, I was really shy. But after learning that I am a valuable creation of God, I became more confident. I know God loves me, and I also have to love myself."
That week was not only a fun day for Erin but also the starting point of a big change in her. Erin began to understand that fear and shyness could be faced if she believed in herself and the love of God that always accompanies her. Little Erin had found her first steps towards courage and self-love—and it was a very beautiful story.
Author: Anissa Christin Sepenriana (contributor in Sintang Area Programme)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
