Howard Munson could have kicked back and had a relaxed vacation to Indonesia. But he didn't.
The history teacher from Puget Sound Adventist Academy (PSAA) in Kirkland, Wash., along with his wife, Jeneil Legoh-Munson, went on a summer vacation tour of Adventist schools in Sulawesi, one of four islands in Indonesia.
Adopting a small school in Indonesia and supporting students to attend is a passion and a mission for Munson. He wants schools and school groups to get involved with supporting an international school or student.
Sulawesi has many schools available to be "adopted," and Munson is actively looking for school sponsors. With every church, there comes a school. "The school builds the church. Our schools are our outreach," Munson says.
Through Munson, Puget Sound Adventist Academy has adopted Kairagi, a small school in Sulawesi, to support the students. Where $100 can buy groceries for a week in America, $100 can send a child to school for an entire year in Indonesia.
“They start asking them what they want to be when they are very young," Munson says. "There’s a lot of bright kids in there: doctors, pastors, teachers and so much more.”
In a place where eight out of 10 people are non-Adventist and 60 percent of the population needs assistance, Munson’s goals are to pay tuition for every child that needs it, create an international community, and provide a project with transparency to involve parents, students and schools.
“There are a lot of Adventists in Sulawesi,” Munson says. “The mayor of Sulawesi appreciates the honesty of Adventist people and wants to integrate them into his government. The principal is on the education advisory board for the city. Adventists have a good reputation.”
Sulawesi is one of the few areas where Christians and Muslims get along. Because Indonesia is a developing country, Munson believes it is good for Adventists to a part of that development.
“Let those little kids cluster around you and think about the potential of these kids and what they could be,” Munson says.
Interested in adopting a school? Email Puget Sound Adventist Academy.
Adventist education teaches Indonesian children to have values that will impact the rest of their lives.
Howard and Jeneil Legoh-Munson visited several Adventist schools and classrooms in Indonesia during their summer vacation tour.
More schools on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, are ready to be adopted by sister schools in the United States.
Howard and Jeneil Legoh-Munson interact with school children during a summer vacation tour of Adventist schools in Indonesia.
Indonesian children are asked at very young ages about their career interests.
Howard Munson (second from right), PSAA teacher, learns about Adventist education best practices from his Indonesian colleagues.
