Pelita Harapan House Sentul City
Living in Boarding House Welcome to Pelita Harapan House, the on campus home for “students in residence” at SPH International Sentul City. Of the approximately 350 students enrolled here, fifty students are in Pelita Harapan House (House of Light and Hope—“PHH”).
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ELLO friends, “Selamat pagi.” PHH, “A Home Away from Home” easily reminds me of those National Geographic film segments where certain fish find protection and provision alongside larger predators of the ocean, staying near to their “host”, the “mother ship”. PHH moves as the larger fish moves, finding adequate provision, protection, and recreation in the currents of SPH International Sentul City, even as SPH International Sentul City moves with SPH International, Jakarta. Some of our students really enjoy swimming in the sea or our pool below the dorm residence just for the pure joy of it. God created the world, the sea, the dry land, the heavens, the sky and all that is in them. Birds soar, fish leap, and we’re right in the middle of it all, thanking God. I believe God exalts in creation as we observe the playful athleticism of “porpoises” and we join them in re-creation! He also gives us Divine “PURPOSE” that can be celebrated in another kind of school, not a school of fish, but a “pod” of students. While nothing can substitute for the real moms and dads and guardians of our SPH International Sentul City PHH students, perhaps a Biblical metaphor might be claimed here, found in the diminutive lapdog of the Syro-Phonecian woman, (Gospel of Mark 7:28), who was blessed because “the PHH Chapel
children’s crumbs” were still a desired portion. The “H” in PHH surely stands for HOSPITALITY. Time and space do not allow much more here than giving their names, but Pelita Harapan House has also been a residence this year for student teachers from UPH: Reinhart, Tom, Gilda, Helsa, Lea and Anggi. Another guest, University of Melbourne native of Sumatra, graduate of SPH International Lippo Village, Samuel Simanjuntak who spent the better portion of ten weeks with us from December to February. Visiting teachers, Ms. Jo Bray and Mr. Patrick Featon by of Australia, and a young man from the Land of Oz named Zac Murfet, all added great interaction and fun with the students as well. PHH depends on PRAYER. In fact the “P” in Pelita will be a good hook to remember this. We begin our day with prayer times and we end our day the same. Every morning for prayer our supervisors, medical staff, weekly with Dr. Iskandar, Pak Dekyawan of SPH International Sentul City General Administration and occasionally our Head of School, Mr. Peter Wells, meet for prayer. We share a breakfast together after the students go to their classrooms, then we pray for the students and life of Pelita Harapan House. Pelita Harapan House is also a place of disciplined study and PREPARATION. Close monitoring of study times is matched with the availability of special tutors who are committed to the best interests of the residents in required subject areas. It’s not all work as we often get to chill out and celebrate students’ birthdays which are always a welcome event, since parents often show up to share the festivities. PHH is a place for things holy, led by our team members Cooking Class with Jien Janet Hong
Pastor Chuck (left)
Natalina Palupi, Martin Patinasarani, Samuel Simanjuntak and Rini Sukadini. With nursing staff Wilni Rorong and Evie Saragi, these wonderful staff members provide quality detailed supervision over a mountain of details required to keep PHH a smooth running place. PHH conducted a very significant ministry visit to Embun Kasih in a home for extremely broken lives; lives rescued by kindness from the abuse of living homeless on the streets and loneliness of mental illness and drug addiction. Those very people are like us as they too have been brought into a place of protection, provision and community in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Christmas outreach program was met with incredible support from students and parents and very well received in song, word, food and giving by each of our PHH residents. Terima kasih, Sana. “Thank you!” The word “Sana” is East African Kiswahili for “very much”. Respectfully, with joy and hope, Pastor Chuck French PHH Chaplain, SPH International Sentul City
Ministry visit to Embun Kasih
Supervisory Staff