JAKARTA
\nWhen Agus Sutisna decided to become a Hajj officer, he hoped his service would help Indonesian pilgrims perform their spiritual journey this year.
\nSutisna, who is in charge of dozens of Indonesian groups in Makkah, prepared himself ahead of time for the role to make sure he and his team were also ready to assist the elderly, who comprise about 30 percent of Indonesia\u2019s 241,000 pilgrims.
\n\u201cAside from the physical preparations, we must also be ready to present ourselves with sincerity and love,\u201d Sutisna told Arab News in a phone interview on Thursday.
\n\u201cEspecially for officers who are taking care of the elderly, it\u2019s clear how they must be sincere in their heart and be willing to dedicate themselves.\u201d
\nThe 49-year-old is one of over 5,300 Indonesian officers posted in Saudi Arabia to take care of their country\u2019s largest-ever Hajj contingent, a diverse group of people coming from 38 provinces spread across the archipelago nation.
\nSpecial Hajj flights from the world\u2019s biggest Muslim-majority nation commenced on May 12 and are expected to conclude on June 10.
\nAlthough the Hajj should start on June 14 this year, many pilgrims depart early to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfil their religious duty.
\nSutisna said he is achieving his aspiration as a Hajj officer and finds himself touched by the devotion of Indonesian pilgrims, especially those who are elderly and require special assistance.
\n\u201cTheir desire for worship is so strong and it has left such an impression on me, I am extremely moved,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cI hope that my sincerity and dedication for Hajj pilgrims can be accepted by the pilgrims themselves \u2026 All of us, not just me alone, from the Indonesian Hajj Organization Committee, will continue to serve them with all our heart, with all our love.\u201d
\nAs the committee\u2019s main mission is to guide, serve and protect Indonesian pilgrims, their duties begin long before the pilgrims\u2019 arrival in Saudi Arabia, with officers making logistical preparations to ensure a smooth Hajj journey for hundreds and thousands of people.
\nWhile over 2,700 officers are attached to 554 groups of Indonesian pilgrims, about 2,600 more are assigned to other aspects of the pilgrimage, such as food, health and transportation, said Nasrullah Jasam, who heads the committee in Saudi Arabia.
\n\u201cThe people we are serving are not just any guests, they are God\u2019s guests,\u201d Jasam told Arab News.
\n\u201cThe Indonesian Hajj Organization Committee is motivated to perform its duties with dedication because the satisfaction that we earn isn\u2019t a matter of honor, but about how they can be useful to the people who have been chosen in this noble land to perform their spiritual journey.\u201d
\nFor many Indonesian pilgrims, their Hajj journey comprises many firsts, as it is often their first time abroad and their first experience of a climate so dramatically unlike Indonesia\u2019s, which can be challenging for the elderly.
\n\u201cWith the presence of officers among them, we want to make the pilgrims feel at home, comfortable and safe \u2026 We try to treat the pilgrims as if they are our family members, our parents \u2026 so that the pilgrims, in the middle of very hot weather and amid the sea of people, can feel protected,\u201d Jasam said.
\nSome Hajj officers have had to carry elderly pilgrims or feed them, and make sure that they are healthy throughout their time in Saudi Arabia.
\n\u201cTheir spiritual worship here takes place as they serve the pilgrims \u2026 It\u2019s amazing how spirited they are to serve our pilgrims, to simply show them the way and to help those who are sick or lost,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cThe nature and weather here in Saudi Arabia, for Indonesians, are pretty extreme \u2026 It is our hope as Hajj officers that the pilgrims\u2019 journey will be smooth and they can perform their Hajj journey solemnly and to the fullest, so that they can go back to our homeland with their Hajj accepted and they can contribute to their community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
JAKARTA When Agus Sutisna decided to become a Hajj officer, he hoped his service would help Indonesian pilgrims perform their spiritual journey this year. Sutisna, who is in charge of dozens of Indonesian groups in Makkah, prepared himself ahead of time for the role to make sure he and his team were also ready to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-411322","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n