Building Bonds, Building Classrooms: A Humanitarian Trip to Indonesia

This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to travel with my second son, Creighton, on a humanitarian trip to Indonesia with HXP (Humanitarian Experience). It was more than just a trip; it was a perspective-shifting experience that reminded me what really matters in life.

When we first arrived in Indonesia, we were welcomed by the most generous and kind-hearted people. Their warmth was humbling, especially as we began to learn more about the challenges many of them face every day. Families in Indonesia often struggle with limited access to quality education, malnutrition, and a lack of safe spaces for their children to play and learn. Something as simple as a classroom can be the difference between a child having a future full of opportunities or one limited by circumstances outside their control.

As part of our project, we worked alongside local community members and other volunteers to help construct a new classroom for an early childhood education school. This space will soon welcome 50–70 children, giving them a safe place to learn, grow, and prepare for the years ahead. Picking up a hammer or hauling cement may seem small, but when you realize that every swing and every brick laid represents a brighter future for these kids, the work takes on a much deeper meaning.

For me, though, the most unforgettable part was doing this side by side with Creighton. As a father, I want to make sure my children grow up understanding the importance of gratitude, service, and perspective. Spending those long, sweaty days working together, followed by evenings reflecting on what we saw and felt, created memories I’ll carry forever. It wasn’t about the work alone – it was about the bond formed in the process.

I came away with a renewed sense of gratitude. Back home, it’s easy to get caught up in possessions, schedules, and routines. But being with such happy and humble people reminded me that life is not about what you own; it’s about being thankful for each day, the people you share your life with, and the opportunities you have to serve others.

Service has a way of connecting people across every barrier–language, culture, and background. By the end of our time there, it didn’t feel like “us” helping “them”. It felt like one community, lifting together. That’s a powerful lesson I hope my son carries with him for the rest of his life.

Traveling always opens your eyes, but humanitarian travel opens your heart. You begin to see the world differently…not as a collection of distant countries, but as a shared home where we’re all responsible for one another.

I’m grateful to HXP for providing this opportunity. Their mission of empowering youth and families to serve while strengthening communities around the globe is inspiring. If you’d like to learn more about what they do, or how you can get involved, I encourage you to visit their website: https://www.hxp.org.

Creighton and I may have left Indonesia, but a part of us is still there – in the friendships we made, the lessons we learned, and the classroom that will soon echo with the laughter and learning of dozens of children. My time in Indonesia reinforced to me that my life will be all the richer as I focus on gratitude, family, and service.