CHAPTER 19 COUPLE'S COMMITMENT AS SERVANTS OF GOD
One day, after serving for six years in several Advent Medical Clinics across the West Kalimantan Mission, Perry and Leries began reflecting on what truly constitutes “the work of God.” In every devotion, whether during morning worship or other occasions, the exhortation to diligently carry out “the work of God” was always emphasized.
They knew that the income generated from the medical clinics played a vital role in paying the salaries of mission workers—pastors, teachers, and other mission staff. Without the financial support from the clinics, the Mission would not have existed or been able to survive. Still, their hearts were restless with a lingering question: what exactly is “the work of God”? In the context of the medical clinic, does it simply mean healing the sick? If that were the case, then surely the public hospitals were doing more of God’s work. Every day, public hospitals were packed with patients, whereas the Advent Medical Clinic served only around 100–150 patients daily. From 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., they were fully engaged in treating patients. After hours, they also had to remain available for emergencies. This left them with virtually no time or opportunity to interact with others outside of their clinical duties.
To find a true answer, they prayed earnestly, even fasting for clarity. For nearly two months, they prayed about it, morning and evening, during home worship.
Eventually, a realization came to them: God’s work is proclaiming the message of salvation offered by Jesus Christ to all sinners—both sick and healthy. They should not stop at merely providing physical healing to the sick. Proclaiming the message of salvation is not the sole duty of pastors but the responsibility of all who have been called and have come to God. Those who are called and come to Him are then sent to share this message with others. Up to that point, they felt they had not truly fulfilled this responsibility. They felt a calling to become more involved in sharing God’s immense love with people from all walks of life.
Now, they were ready to commit themselves to fulfilling that call. This inspired them to consider doing it even without being officially employed by the Mission. In fact, they believed they could better carry out this task outside of formal employment with the Mission.
Eventually, they concluded that they would commit to this ministry of sharing the message of salvation for the rest of their lives, wherever they might live. To support this commitment, they decided to resign from their positions as Mission employees and open their own medical clinic, giving them the freedom to carry out their calling more fully. And so, after six years of service in the Advent Medical Clinics in Sedau and Pontianak under the West Kalimantan Mission, they left Pontianak and moved to Indrapura, North Sumatra.
With their commitment firmly in mind, they opened a private clinic in the city of Indrapura. This allowed them the freedom to offer treatment for free or at their discretion. Both Perry and Leries treated their respective patients, allowing them more time to interact with people beyond just medical consultations.
At the time of their move, there was only a Sabbath School Branch consisting of three families, including the pastor’s family, who often had to travel to serve the broader Indrapura District. Worship services were usually held at a church member’s home.
With Perry and Leries joining, the Sabbath School Branch became more enthusiastic and vibrant. Eventually, a temporary church was built for worship. As membership grew, the Sabbath School Branch was officially organized into the Indrapura Church. They remained actively involved in strengthening and growing the congregation. After 3.5 years of service in Indrapura and the organization of the church, they moved to Pekanbaru, Riau.
They spent 22 years in Riau—both in Pekanbaru and Duri. During this time, they never lost sight of their commitment. They dedicated themselves to church ministry, serving as Sabbath School Leaders, Lay Activity Leaders, and Church Elders for many years. Perry also served as School Committee Chair for both the Pekanbaru and Duri churches when a school was established in Duri. They were also heavily involved in community outreach through free medical clinics (charity clinics). Leries actively mentored women in their roles as wives and mothers.
Leries spearheaded fundraising bazaars to help build the school. At the time, the Adventist School in Pekanbaru, both elementary and secondary levels, lacked adequate classroom space. Over time, they succeeded in building proper school buildings. She also mentored women in the church, helping them fully understand their roles as wives, mothers, church members, and members of society.
The same was true for the Adventist Elementary and Junior High School in Duri, where they tirelessly worked to raise funds for needed school facilities. Alongside fellow church members like Brother Ir. Ivanto Haumahu, Brother W. L. Tobing, and others, they worked hard to advance the school.
They faced two urgent needs: first, to build classrooms and office facilities, and second, to increase student enrollment. In five years, they managed to construct multi-story classrooms and grew the student population from under 100 to over 800 students, with qualified teachers.
While in Riau, they never forgot their commitment—to share the message of salvation with all. In addition to developing the church and school, they regularly organized free medical clinics in various locations. After more than 22 years of service in Pekanbaru and Duri, it was time to retire from work. In 1995, they left Riau and settled in Bandung. Yet their commitment never “retired” and knew no pause. Once in Bandung, they remained active in the church. For several years, they served as elders in the Cihampelas Seventh-day Adventist Church. Perry even served twice as a member of the Executive Committee of the West Java Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was involved in various Conference-level committees, including the School Committee for Setia Budi Advent School in Bandung.
Old age may come, but their commitment must not be forgotten. Even though they are now over 76 years old, Perry and Leries refuse to sit idly and abandon their mission. In recent years, they have championed the use of activated charcoal as a natural remedy. To promote this, they have traveled to various churches across the West Java Conference, the Greater Jakarta Conference, and even to North Sumatra and Riau to hold seminars and workshops on the use of activated charcoal powder as medicine. They hope that every Adventist believer can use this remedy as a “tool” to bless their neighbors and others they encounter—thus opening the door to friendship and, ultimately, the sharing of the message of salvation. This is their dream.
They also continue to participate in ministry activities such as charity clinics and revival meetings in various locations, including Jakarta, Central Java, Sumatra, East Kalimantan, and other regions across Indonesia. They believe that as long as they remain faithful to their commitment to share the message of salvation, God will continue to give them strength and health. As long as they are able, they will keep using their gift as medical missionaries in the health field to support God’s work through their calling. May it be so!