Nearly 50 Upper Columbia Academy students arrived in Sarawak, Borneo, in March to assist in the building of two churches for the Iban people. The group arrived in Kuching and from there flew to Sibu. After 36 hours of traveling and a much-needed night’s rest they boarded buses and began another long journey through the mountainous jungle. They switched to a pickup truck for the final leg of their journey and finally arrived at the longhouses where they would be staying.
Students and staff were organized in two teams. Every day one team walked to the closer church to work, while the other team experienced an often exciting and treacherous truck ride into Julau to reach their building site.
UCA faced the challenge of building the largest churches they had attempted in the more than 10 years they have been going to Borneo, and with a smaller group than in the past. Throughout the week students, staff and local volunteers toiled side by side, undaunted by rain, sun or even collapsing walls. Their determination and hard work paid off, and by the end of the week they had accomplished their goal.
Before leaving, they had the privilege of participating in the dedications for both churches.
The students enjoyed fellowship with the longhouse residents, forming friendships to last through eternity. It would truly be difficult to judge who received the greater blessing—the grateful believers in Borneo or the students and staff from UCA.
UCA students from left: Abby Hochhalter, Chelsea Shinner and Danielle Schull stand with local church members in Borneo.
