CHAPTER 11 JUST FORGET ABOUT MAKASSAR
Six months had passed since Perry received a call from the leadership of the South Sulawesi Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to lead the Adventist Clinic in Makassar. The wedding, which had been the reason for postponing the move to Makassar, took place on February 20, 1963, officially uniting Perry and Leries as husband and wife. Now, it was time to answer the call and begin their service in Makassar. Everything had been properly arranged. The call had been communicated to the leadership of Bandung Adventist Hospital, where Perry and Leries were employed, and they had agreed to release them for the assignment in Makassar.
Matters with the South Sulawesi Mission also progressed smoothly. Perry had contacted and informed them of their departure plans, and the Makassar side had provided instructions regarding transportation expenses. The rented house they had been living in was returned to the owner, and even their mattress and pillows had been sold. Their furniture was neatly packed and ready to be shipped to Makassar. Household items that could not be brought were sold or given away to friends who might have needed them.
They also prepared a farewell gathering with their supervisors and colleagues at Bandung Adventist Hospital. That evening, they bid their goodbyes and officially announced their new address: Adventist Clinic, Jl. Durian No. 28, Makassar, South Sulawesi.
The morning after the farewell in Bandung, Perry went to meet the President of the Indonesia Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Wendell L. Wilcox, at his office on Jl. Tamansari No. 40, Bandung. He came to say goodbye and to request a travel loan to Makassar, as instructed by Brother Maruli Sinaga, then Secretary-Treasurer of the South Sulawesi Mission.
However, what awaited him there was a completely unexpected turn in God's plan. Pastor Wilcox said, "Just forget about Makassar!" It was like being struck by lightning in broad daylight. What he heard was unbelievable—shock mixed with panic rendered him unable to process what Pastor Wilcox was saying.
All he could hear was Pastor Wilcox repeating again and again, "Just forget about Makassar!" He tried to understand the leader’s words, but he could not comprehend what had happened in Makassar that prevented him from going. A fog of confusion settled over him. Perry’s mind wandered to the farewell they had just held the night before. They no longer had a place to stay—if not Makassar, then where would they go? What were they supposed to do? He could only think, "Where do I hide my face now?"
Mustering all the strength he had left, he asked, “So what now?” Pastor Wilcox replied, "Just calm down, nothing to do in Makassar." Perry responded, "If you said I should forget about Makassar, it will be OK for me, but I have to go." Upon hearing that, Pastor Wilcox immediately said, "Very good, Siboro. You have to go—but not to Makassar. You go to West Kalimantan."
It felt like being struck by lightning a second time in the same spot. West Kalimantan! A place that had never crossed his mind. He vaguely remembered hearing the name before, a place where his senior colleagues, Brother George Mandry and his wife Elsye Pangkey, once lived. But he had heard no news from them in a long time. He didn’t know any of the church officials in that region—not by name, not personally. Meanwhile, in South Sulawesi, he knew people like Brother Maruli Sinaga, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Union, a UNAI alumnus he knew well and had already been in contact with several times. Even the director of the Adventist Clinic in Makassar was his senior, Brother Wim Sumarandak, whom he was supposed to replace because Brother Wim was planning to return to Bandung for further education. Perry still couldn’t accept what had just happened. West Kalimantan, Pontianak! What would become of him and his wife, Leries?
Pastor Wilcox then briefly explained the situation in West Kalimantan. He said that there was an Adventist Clinic in the interior that had been closed after its previous staff left and returned to Manado. He also mentioned the names of the current regional officers: Pastor N. G. Hutauruk as Regional President, and Brother Daud Sakul as Secretary-Treasurer. Trying to reassure him, Pastor Wilcox described the people they would meet there. With no alternative but to leave Bandung, Perry agreed to take the assignment in West Kalimantan.
After Perry confirmed his willingness to go, Pastor Wilcox instructed Pastor Gordon Bullock, then Treasurer of the Indonesia Union Mission, to provide Perry with a loan for his travel expenses to West Kalimantan. A letter was also sent to the West Kalimantan Union Mission, informing them that Perry and Leries were coming to serve at the Adventist Clinic there. However, the exact posting location was not yet disclosed. According to Pastor Wilcox, the local leadership in Kalimantan would inform them later. The letter was not handed to Perry directly but sent by post.
Once Perry received the loan, he returned home and informed his wife. When he told her they wouldn’t be going to Makassar but to West Kalimantan instead, she was stunned and couldn’t believe it.
Eventually, they left Bandung for Jakarta, and from there traveled to Pontianak, switching course from their original destination, Makassar. No one in Bandung knew of this change. As far as their friends were concerned, they had gone to Makassar—not Pontianak.
A week later, Perry and his wife arrived in Pontianak. He immediately reported to Pastor N. G. Hutauruk, the Regional President. But the surprises were not yet over. Instead of a warm welcome, their arrival shocked the regional leader. He said he had no knowledge of their coming and did not even know who Perry was. Perry patiently explained everything that had happened at the Union office, which ended with his sudden reassignment to West Kalimantan. He also mentioned that the Union President had sent a letter informing them of his and Leries’ arrival. Unfortunately, the letter had not yet reached the Regional President. With so little information, it was understandably difficult for Pastor Hutauruk to understand the reason for their presence.
What followed was a long wait for clarity. Their belongings remained outside the Adventist Clinic in Pontianak for hours as they waited for a decision. Eventually, the Regional President asked them to remain in Pontianak until the letter from the Union arrived. In the meantime, they were temporarily accommodated at the home of Brother George Mandry’s family at the Adventist Clinic in Pontianak.
For more than a week, they waited again—this time for the letter that would answer all of West Kalimantan’s questions. Finally, the letter arrived, and Perry was summoned back to the Regional President’s office. In that meeting, the president confirmed everything Perry had previously said. He then said, “Prepare to go to the interior.” It turned out they would be assigned to the Adventist Clinic in Sedau, Singkawang, about 120 km north of Pontianak.
At that time, the situation in Sedau was even more underdeveloped than Perry’s hometown of Sidikalang. Preparations for their departure were made. Upon arrival in Sedau, they were introduced to the family of G. A. Muntu, the Clinic’s Cashier and Administrator, where the clinic had long been closed.
Eventually, they were officially appointed to lead the Adventist Clinic in Sedau—the only clinic in Sedau, a small fishing village on the banks of the Atap River (Atap Kong). By God’s providence, they were placed in this tiny village, one that at the time had no electricity. When night came, the entire village would be enveloped in darkness and silence. At that moment, Perry wondered why God, in His mysterious way, had brought them there. Truly, it was unimaginable. But Perry was confident—this, too, was part of God's greater plan for his life.