The Lord carries on His work throughout the nations and to various people, including the small island of Sumba, Indonesia. This work dates back to 1998 when the local people asked if money could be supplied for a well to drill for water. The only water supply was an old polluted well from a nearby riverbed. When the HRC (Heritage Reformed Congregations) disaster fund provided the funds, Bill and Marion Sommer felt called to travel to Sumba and ensure that the project would actually be accomplished. Bill felt that if we were going to help the people with water they should help them in learning to work and to build things as well.

By 2000, the well was drilled, but much to the surprise of the Sommers, the Lord had other plans for them. While the well was being dug, Marion was caring for sick children and others in the community. Before they knew it, children who were ready to die were being left at their door step. Seeing a great need among this people who lived in this remote area, they decided to stay and minister. When Mrs. Sommer returned home the first time to give a report on the well project, the Lord inclined someone to give enough money to begin a children’s home to care for the growing number of children they were receiving. By 2002, the first part of the children’s home had been built and opened, large enough to hold 30 children. By 2007, this work had grown and a large addition was added. They can now accommodate 110 children. At present, 71 children live in the home.

As these children grew, they were also schooled in the children’s home. It was not possible to return them to the local school because they would have immediately been reintroduced to their pagan ideas and religion. Therefore, a school building was built and finished in 2009. The school building has seven classrooms and a library. This project, with God’s blessing, could help transform this area which is now infested with animistic and heathen ideas, into a place where God is feared and worshiped. We believe that as these children and young men and women eventually return to their local community, they will begin to influence and affect the local way of life.

The school’s effects have been noticed by government officials as well. There are five-year-old children from the home who can read, while in the local community some of the children who attend the local schools cannot even read by the time they are in fifth grade. However, there is great need at present to find qualified teachers. Please make this a matter of your prayers. In addition to the instruction given at the school, there is also Christian instruction taking place daily at the children’s home and through a Sunday school program. This program is held in a nearby church which was built by the Sommers for the local people. About 150-200 children attend. Additionally, the Word of God is brought to various churches in the surrounding communities at churches which Bill has helped re-establish.

We are thankful for the help and support which so many people have given for this work and are especially thankful to Word & Deed for their interest and initial support of the Christian school. The Lord has wonderfully upheld the Sommers in this work, and yet we realize that they are becoming older and there will be need for others to eventually take their place. To that end, we continue to ask the Lord to provide assistants to shoulder this burden for some time to come. We realize that this work lies ultimately in the hands of our sovereign God and that He is accomplishing His purpose also among this people so that there will be surrounding the throne of the Lamb, children, young people, and older ones from Sumba who will worship the Lamb eternally.