Forty-seven students and adults from Spokane and from as far away as Georgia and Canada took a mission trip in March to Borneo. They arrived in the remote jungle village of Mentu to construct a church, hold evangelistic meetings, and provide dental and medical services to the area.
Before their arrival, a crew of Sarawak Mission pastors and local members prepared the site and put up a framework and trusses for the new church. The Spokane workers hand mixed cement for the floor, sidewalks, and steps, as masons Don Blue of Lincoln, Neb., and Randall Allen of Calhoun, Ga., led in laying approximately 8,000 bricks. In just five days, the church was completed and the first service was held.
An extensive medical program was conducted by the group’s doctors, who saw hundreds of patients in clinics held in Mentu and even more remote villages. Marvin Gee, a Spangle, Wash., dentist, also held clinics with the assistance of his wife Karen.
In addition to the medical and building work, nurse Cindy Fuller and student Laura Grinnell from Spokane conducted a nightly Vacation Bible School for the village children, while Mark Cox, Ronan, Mont., pastor, conducted evangelistic meetings.
Even though war broke out during their stay, the group felt safe in their jungle location, encountered no indications of anti-Americanism, and were always treated with courtesy as they stayed in village homes and learned the Eban way of life. •
A beautiful new church replaces an old, termite-infested structure and serves the 16 Adventist families of Mentu, Borneo.
