A team of 14 volunteers from Park Ridge Adventist Church in Queensland recently returned to Papua New Guinea to continue a partnership supporting the Mt Diamond health clinic that began almost two decades ago.
The team spent two weeks at Mt Diamond Secondary School, carrying out repairs and upgrades to the health clinic and nurses’ quarters as part of the South Pacific Division’s (SPD) Adopt a Clinic program.
Work included replacing the clinic verandah’s main beam and joists, damaged fascia boards and sections of walls, as well as replacing handbasins and cabinets. The team also installed an elevated water tank, concrete slab and pressure pump.
Park Ridge Church first partnered with the Adopt a Clinic program in 2007. Two years later, its first fly’n’build team travelled to Mt Diamond to construct a dedicated health clinic on the school grounds. Since then, teams from the church have returned approximately every two years to carry out maintenance, repairs and extensions.
Fly’n’build team leader Alan Aldridge said the ongoing project involves support from both the volunteers who travel to PNG and the wider Park Ridge church community. Team members fund their own flights and travel expenses, while project costs are supported through fundraising by the congregation.
“Mt Diamond Adventist School has become part of our wider church family,” Mr Aldridge said. “It’s a privilege to be invited to return every two years to work with the leaders of Mt Diamond school to support the SPD Adopt a Clinic initiative.”
Park Ridge senior pastor Greg Campling also travelled with the team and led a Week of Worship for students and staff. He visited classrooms and spent time with students throughout the week, with the program concluding with 17 baptisms on the final Sabbath.
The Adopt a Clinic initiative was developed by the SPD Health Ministries department to support 56 rural health facilities operated by the Church across the South Pacific.
