My Maiden Medical Mission to the Riau Archipelago - Pasir Panjang ...

My Maiden Medical Mission to the Riau Archipelago
In The Beginning
It all started with a calm and reassuring voice calling out to me a few weeks ago. It said,
“Cheng Chong, I want you to go on a Medical Mission to Batam.” With great faith I answered,
“Yes, no problem”. But, unlike Abram of Ur, I thought I should ask a couple of questions, just in
case. So I asked where we were going to stay and what to expect of accommodations. The
reassuring voice replied, almost nonchalantly, “We will be staying in a Five Star Kelong.”
I had seen pictures of kelongs and they looked pretty exotic and exciting, especially from afar.
However, I had never been on one. As for the “Five Star” part, I thought after years of
traveling on company business and staying in the likes of Hyatt, Marriott and Shangri-la hotels,
I knew what to expect. Putting two and two together, (kelong and Five Star), I was sure this
mission trip would be a great getaway.
The day for me to leave for Batam came soon enough and I was the first to arrive at the
meeting point. Soon the whole team was there, including a small sending away party of elders
and a deacon. After elder Simon said a prayer for us, we proceeded to board our ferry.
“Elder Adrian, come with us lah!”
“Hey, don’t forget to buy some kropok for me”
The Journey Began
The hour-long ferry ride to Batam was uneventful and fairly comfortable. We all cleared immigration
and customs except for the medicine. Initially, I thought nothing of this, as it was
common for custom officers to take upon themselves the responsibility of adding some misery
to the lives of the travelling public. Besides, it was probably a slow day and they wanted some
amusement at our expense. However, minutes went by and soon it became an hour of waiting.
When I saw our good doctors, Boo Chye and Li Shing and our fearless leader walking in and out
of the customs area and our Indonesian brothers talking earnestly on their cell-phones, I
realized this was no ordinary delay.
When the customs officers asked for original invoices from the drug manufacturers, I knew this
would be a problem. How were we to produce such documents to clear the medicine in time for
our mission This requirement was impossible to comply with even under the best of circumstances.
The success of our medical mission was now in the hands of our Lord.
Our leaders decided that we should move along and not keep our interns waiting any longer. We
piled into the vans and soon arrived at the top of a hill where the SIBI School was located. The
school offered a great view of the surrounding residential area and stood out prominently. It
was great to see all our interns waiting enthusiastically. We had a quick tour of the school and
after our leader, Elder Beng Chuan (aka “the Voice”) presented some gifts to a couple of SIBI
folks and some photo-ops, we were on our way to catch the water limousine to our Five Star
Kelong.

Olivia presenting a gift to brother Winston Bolt
A group picture before we start off
As each of us settled down in our favorite spot on the boat, the prospect of a medical mission
without the “medical” portion set in. Despite the gravity of the situation, I was pleasantly
surprised to see that spirits remained high. The conversation focused on solutions and not the
problem. It was time to turn to our Father and I could see many of us, especially our interns,
praying quietly for help.
Meanwhile, I had a little reality check of my own. I asked elder Beng Chuan if he could assign
me to a non-smoking room on the kelong. He said, “No problem and by the way, brother Cheng
Chong, I forgot to tell you that we are all going to sleep dormitory style in one room.” I almost
choked when I heard this information given to me in his calm and reassuring voice. I quietly
kicked myself, realizing that it was now a little too late to ask him for his definition of “Five
Star”. Well, I thought, at least he had the sense to separate the men and women in different
rooms. It would be disastrous if he had us all sleeping in one big room. I began to doze off on
the boat wondering what else elder Beng Chuan had forgotten to mention to me.
Introducing…. Our Fabulous Couple:
Daisy and Lincoln Ong
Our hosts Lincoln and Daisy Ong, who had met
up with us at the Harbourfront Ferry Terminal
were not only our hosts as owner and operator
of the Blue Mountain Kelong, but were also
one of the pillars that contributed to our mission’s
success. Having spent the past decade
in this area, Lincoln knew his way around the
villages and more importantly, the villagers knew
and trusted him. He took care of all our logistics,
right down to tables and chairs for a surprise
beach picnic somewhere in the Riau Archipelago.
Daisy certainly knew her way around
the kitchen, making sure that we were all happily
fed. No two meals were exactly the same.
Clearly, they had put a lot of thought into our needs. It was a great blessing for us to have
them.
Setting Foot On Blue Mountain
There was a slight drizzle when our water limousine pulled alongside the Blue Mountain Kelong.
I was the first one out for I had appointed myself the official photographer of the mission. A
welcoming fresh coconut drink awaited us when we disembarked. After I helped myself to a few
more glasses, I was ready to meet my bed for the next three nights. I fancied the one by the
windows and claimed it for myself. We settled down quickly as a sumptuous lunch was beckoning
and we stuffed ourselves unabashedly with fresh “gong gong”, crabs, squids, etc. The chilli
belachan was out of this world.

Our Lord Reigns
During our welcoming lunch the good news came
over the cell phone that all the medicine had
cleared customs and was on its way to us
that very afternoon. Praise our Almighty God.
With God on our side, who can be against us
Getting Down To Business
We wasted no time in getting down to business,
planning for our first medical mission to
Jemara Village the next day.
Our welcome lunch and our happy doctors
Exploring The “Five Star” Kelong
Our planning session
No wonder everyone was walking around with
smiles on their faces. My thoughts turned to
Hong Siok, my usual travelling kakis and the
PP brethren we left behind in Singapore, thinking
“Boy, they will never know what they have
missed!”
I had some time to kill before dinner, so I took
the opportunity to check out the facility. The
“openness” of the kelong gave me a feeling of
being closer to God and His handiwork. The
nearest neighbor and his dog were at least
two hundred meters away. The steady cool
wind, fresh from the sea, was truly invigorating.
The emerald sea below and the clear blue
sky above were scenes from travel brochures.
It was time for a nice hot shower and to dress
for an evening with good food, devotion and
fellowship. I started to look for the freshly
laundered towels and toiletries you expect in
a Five Star establishment. Couldn’t find any!
From his bed, elder Beng Chuan spoke like he
knew what was on my mind. He said, “Cheng
Chong, there are no towels. Didn’t you bring
Presenting a gift Pak Jali, head of Jemara
your own” This stopped me in my tracks. I
turned around and caught the disarming smile on his face. I knew I couldn’t hurt such a nice
chap. I had to think fast. Ah! I could use the piece of towel that I brought along to separate
my clean clothes from the dirty ones. Off to the shower I went. To my horror, there was no hot
water! I called out to elder Beng Chuan, “Elder Beng Chuan, are you sure you and I are from the
same planet”
My First Kelong Night
Dinner could not come soon enough after such an eventful day. It was BBQ tonight. Food was
excellent and the conversation was equally enjoyable. Everyone was in high spirits (not the
liquid kind) and looking forward to the maiden medical mission tomorrow.
After dinner, we gathered for a round of singing, devotion and sharing. During the singing, I
discovered that we had in our midst, sitting next to me, a fantastic voice. Every time I heard
her, I felt like I was at a Broadway musical. Seriously, I could not have enough of her singing.

Sorting, classifying and packing the medicine
The team all raring to go
With all the stars in the sky, wind on our faces and the distant light of the fishing boats, the
night was too good to waste. We sat around to yakity-yak. Our host, Lincoln, casually dropped
a bombshell. By now, I thought nothing could surprise me anymore. I almost died when Lincoln
said that there were rats on board and they were of the suitcase eating kind. He suggested
that we take out all food items from our rooms and leave them on the table he provided. I
reminded myself that I had to wash my mouth thoroughly and not to leave any food between
my teeth in case rats decided to drop in.
A New Dawn And History In The Making
Sun on the horizon, birds in the sky and cool sweet air to stir our lungs, early morning time was
best for Bible study and quiet time. Each one of us had our favorite spot. It was so inspiring.
What a wonderful way to start a new day.
Jemara, our first port of call, was a fifteen minute boat ride away; not counting the time we
took to start the outboard motor. Jemara, we found out, had thirty-seven families and a
population of about 150 people plus some chickens. Apart from this, we had no idea what
awaited us. By now, our motivation was so high that we were ready to face anything.
Access to Jemara was by sea only and we could see practically the entire village from our boat.
The people were mostly local Muslims plus some Hainanese and Teochews. They had very few
possessions apart from boats and TVs. To city folk like us, they seemed to lead idyllic lives
under the swaying coconut palms. It reminded me of my childhood days in the kampong. The
villagers were friendly and full of smiles. We were assigned to the village school and a room no
bigger than the hall we use in PP for the youth classes.
Our Real Heroes and Heroines
No amount of words can do justice to the dedication, love and care of our two doctors, five
nurses and the rest of the medical team. The entire operation was divided into areas for

Reception and Preliminary Screening, Waiting,
Doctor Examination, Dressing and Dispensary.
Due to lack of space and a bit of language
difficulties, the first few hours were rather chaotic,
but settled down quickly. The bottlenecks
were no different from any medical center. They
were at the Registration and Preliminary
Screening and Waiting areas.
Our team worked non-stop until everyone who
needed medical attention was attended to,
including two house calls. From the faces of
the villagers, I could tell that we touched their
lives and made a difference. It was not only
Smiling village children
expensive but also a very long journey for these
villagers to travel to Batam to get any medical treatment. I estimate that our team attended to
about forty people from Jemara. We finished at about two o’clock and decided to go back to
the kelong for lunch.
First Day Debrief
After another Blue Mountain sumptuous lunch of fresh seafood, green papaya curry, etc. we
settled down to a serious debrief. We found a couple of areas that we could improve on for the
following day’s mission. The rest of the afternoon was free for each of us to do our own thing.
I went searching for a new towel.
A Million Dollar Sunrise
We woke the next day to a beautiful sunrise. In my years of travelling, I have not come across
such a picturesque sunrise. The one that I waited for hours in Angkor Wat was no match for
this. What a glorious day this would be!

After this and a fantastic breakfast of the
most fragrant Nasi Lemak that I have ever
tasted, I was ready to go to Subang Mas, our
next village of call. Subang Mas was a bigger
village, almost twice as big as Jemara and further
away, about a thirty minute boat ride.
We were told that there would be twice as
many people for us to see, so we decided to
leave a little earlier.
The villagers in Subang Mas seemed to be a
little better off and better dressed than the
ones in Jemara. We were allocated a classroom
in the school, almost similar in size to
the one in Jemara. This time round we were
better prepared and more organized as we
knew what to expect. The assistance provided
by the Assistant Area Governor was most
helpful. She helped by making sure that everyone
queued up in an orderly fashion. Within
the medical center, our operation also went
smoothly, now that each of us knew exactly
what to do.
Here our medical team treated about seventyfive
people. No one who turned up failed to
receive the needed attention. The enthusiasm
of our medical team members was heart
warming.
Night of appreciation and camaraderie
It was time to get ready for another wonderful
evening of singing, devotion and sharing.
Dinner was a nine-course affair that included
all our favorites such as fried calamari, gonggong,
green papaya curry and several new
dishes.
After dinner, we had a final round of review
and comments. The Big Question was: Would
we do this again
Following is an excerpt of notable remarks:
Brother Boo Chye: “We should expand our
next medical mission to include a few more
doctors with expertise in other areas such as
dentistry, Obstetrics and gynaecplogy, etc.
Also in a few years time, we should involve
our youth who are currently studying to become
doctors.”
Brother Li Shing: “It makes me want to
come back”
Brother Clarence Lim: “It makes me think
about changing my ambition.”
All Work and No Play
After this, a surprise and well-earned picnic
lunch of coconut water, fish & chicken curry
that we shared with some irritating flies was
provided by Blue Mountain kelong on our own
private beach.
A Time To Rejoice and Praise Our Lord
We returned to the kelong at around five in
the afternoon. The weather was great and
everyone was on cloud nine and really proud
of what the team had achieved over the last
few days. Our hosts, Daisy and Lincoln, also
played no small part in making this maiden
medical mission a most enjoyable and rewarding
experience.
Brother Joel Goh: “Even though we did not
accomplish our goal of sharing the Gospel and
touching their spiritual needs, we nevertheless
made a difference in the villagers’ lives.”
Sister Peggy Phua: “It was a very good start
for us.”
As for me, no pitch darkness, no cold water
and no suitcase-eating rats can keep me away.
Brother Muller summed up our medical journey
very well. He described what we did over the
past two days as serving God because this
was His work that He was doing through us.
What a blessing for us to be used by God this
way!
28 February 2009

Batam Medical Missions
by Louise Yeo
Continued from Page 1
The day came when all of us were to gather at
Harbourfront centre before boarding the ferry. I did
not not know why I was unable to sleep the night before.
That made me worry a little as I was afraid I
would not be able to wake up on time to board the
ferry. Another of my worries was seasickness..
Fortunately, my seasickness only lasted for a few minutes.
The owners of the Bluemountain Kelong, uncle
Lincoln and aunt Daisy met us at Harbourfront centre.
They were very amiable and friendly. They went the
extra mile to bring us from Singapore over to Batam.
I was touched.
Upon reaching Batam, all of us cleared through
the immigration except for the medicine we brought
for the medical trip. I did not expect the clearance of
medicine to hinder our plan for the day. That taught
me not to take things for granted. This was the major
setback for the trip. We decided to proceed on to pick
up the interns from the SIBI school while waiting for
the outcome from the Batam immigration. After we
had picked up the interns, we took vans to the jetty.
Then we took a boat to the kelong. On our way there,
it started to rain. The rain made the journey seem
longer.
Finally, the kelong was within sight! We were welcomed
with refreshing coconut drinks. Oh, that brought
back memories of the first time I drank coconut
drink many years ago when I was overseas! Shortly
after we had reached the kelong, we received news
that the medicine cleared customs. That news came
really timely as we were about to have our first meal
at the kelong. The food was so fresh! I learnt from
Aunt Daisy the easy way of shelling a crab. It was the
first time I had ever shelled a crab! We also had fellowship
with one another during the meal.
When lunch was over, we were showed to our respective
rooms. For the females, it was five to a room
while the guys were four to a room. In our room, we
had two beds and three pull out beds. I was sure almost
all the five of us wanted the beds. However, that
was not possible. There, I learnt the meaning of being
sacrificial and able to live out of our comfort zones.
That night, I was sleeping on the pull out bed which
was not pleasant. I was so afraid I would get bitten by
insects and rats and I was not mentally prepared for
all these!
That reminded me of my virgin camping trip to a similar
place, Pulau Ubin. At the kelong,the flies were buzzing
and singing at my ears while I was trying to sleep,
and sandflies bitting my legs. The unpleasant sleep
made me regret going for the trip a little. The thing
which got me out of this mindset or pulled me through
the trip was I could finally do something for God! I
decided to make the best out of the trip.
I was looking forward to the second and third days of
the trip because I liked having devotions in the morning
as well as at night. On the second day, we arrived
at a fishing village. To me, the village houses looked
shabby. The living conditions were pretty poor. The
school did not look at all like my primary school. We
made do with what we had, helping to rearrange and
clean the furniture as well as unpacking the medicine.
Soon after, we had patients coming in for consultations
and check ups. I was at the dispensary station
helping to countercheck that the right drugs were given
to the patients and to label the names of patients correctly
as well as the drug dosages. The heat was sending
beads of perspiration down my cheeks. I felt sweaty
all over. However, for God's sake, I perserved on. At
the end of the day, all of us felt tired after doing our
best for the patients.
On the third day we travelled to another fishing village.
This time, the village population was bigger than
the previous one. The environment was also better. I
felt the warmth within my heart when the patients
made the effort to thank and shake our
hands individually. I really felt that my effort was not
in vain.
Very soon it was the end of the medical outreach. I
felt worn out physically. Honestly, I wanted to go home
badly to rest. The last meal at the kelong was a feast.
We had eight dishes. It was mouthwatering! We bid
the staff at the kelong farewell as we took the boat
back to the island. We did some shopping at the Mega
Mall at Batam which had an overhead bridge linking
the immigration centre to it. The students from the
SIBI school came to see us off, and we were off to
Singapore!
I faced a few setbacks. Firstly, I thought I was prepared
enough for the trip in terms of clothing. To my
horror, when I stepped into the bathroom, there were
no bath towels at all! Fortunately, my eldest sister
brought an extra one! Secondly, we had cold showers
for four days. I still remember how I shivered during

customs. I believed it would be just a matter of time.
I prayed to God about it. With the medicine still at the
customs, we went to meet the interns and then proceeded
to the kelong.
When we reached the kelong, I was expecting a 5 star
kelong as we had been told during the meetings for
the medical trip. But it was a kampong kelong. However,
I thought it would be a good experience for me
to stay in a kampong kelong because we don’t have
such experiences in Singapore. Initially, I thought I could
adjust to the kelong life easily. But there were rats,
bugs and flies that I had to put up with.
the first night of my bath. It was quite a hard but
enriching experience for me. Thirdly, there were insects
and rats that caused me to wake up in the middle
of the night hoping and praying that they would
not disturb me. I had some insect bites. Fourthly, the
heat tortured me but I felt especially good after having
a cold bath. Lastly, I was not accustomed to the
Indonesian time though their time was only one hour
behind Singapore.
I have a lot to be thankful for this medical trip. I thank
God for seeing us through the trip and making the
impossible possible. He provided us the way out when
there seemed to be no other way out. The setbacks
could not bring us down. In fact, it strengthened our
faith in Him. I also thank God for His divine plans for
me. I had heard this in church, 'God has not
forgetten you in His plans'. Previously, I did not fully
believe this. However, I now believe, God knows how
to work wonders in ways which Man cannot foresee.
Since I was in secondary school, I had aspired to be a
medical nurse with the purpose of helping others. This
trip made me realise it may be God's plan for me to
do my nursing course. I felt good rendering help to
the needy patients on this trip.
Therefore, I can now confidently say that God has not
forgetten me in His plans. I can use my knowledge
and skills to administer to the sick. He empowered me
with the confidence and enthusiasm to lend a helping
hand to others, especially the sick. I will definitely want
to go for another medical outreach if possible.
Batam Medical Missions
by Sarah Yeo
Continued from Page 1
As the day for the medical trip drew nearer, I was
excited and yet worried because I am a dental surgery
assistant and not a medical nurse. Dental and
medical procedures are quite different. But I believed
God would see me through the trip.
When we reached Batam, everybody was worried
because the medicine could not get through the customs.
I do not know why, but I just felt it would clear
The food was delicious and the meals, sumptuous.
We were very happy with the food. I was very touched
by the good food that Uncle Lincoln and Aunt Daisy
had prepared for us. After a while, we received the
good news that the medicine had cleared the customs.
We really thanked God for the good news. When
the medicine arrived, everyone started to pack the
medicine into individual plastic bags. I enjoyed packing
them.
The next day, we reached the first village of our medical
trip. When we reached there, we started to prepare
everything ready to see the patients. When I saw
the first patient coming towards me, I was a bit scared.
But I managed to get over it. It was quite difficult to
communicate with the patients as we do not know
their language. I was thankful that there was an interpreter.
Our first medical outreach at the first village
was quite a success though the weather was rather
hot. When I saw the happy faces of the villagers, I felt
very happy. To me, it was worth coming for this trip.
The following day, we reached the second and the
last village for this medical trip. From the briefing the
night before, we improved on our procedures for seeing
the patients. The doctors treated more patients
here than the previous village. After seeing the patients,
we had to go back to the boat. When we were
walking to our boat, we had to cross a difficult bridge.
I wanted to cry but my sister held my hands and crossed
the bridge with me. I really appreciated her understanding.
I also thanked God who watched us during
this medical trip.
I hope I can go back again to help the needy again and
I am thankful for this opportunity given to me by God
and His church.

Page 4 PP’s First Medical Missions in Batam FOCUS
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