A dedicated volunteer team has spent 13 days at Betikama Adventist College in the Solomon Islands completing a wide range of improvements to support the school’s infrastructure and learning environment.
The group was led by Wahroonga Adventist Church member Carl Erceg, joined by his son Brad Erceg, grandson Liam Andrews and brother Kelvin Erceg. The family’s connection to mission work runs deep: the Erceg brothers’ parents, Robson and Maria, led numerous fly’n’build teams across the South Pacific and New Zealand in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Volunteers on this year’s trip came from Sydney, Gosford, Cooranbong, Newcastle and New Zealand. They were joined by Talia Vula, from Fiji, who attended Betikama as a student while her parents served as missionaries in the Solomon Islands.
Significant fundraising paved the way for the project, covering building materials, guttering and AV equipment. Wahroonga Church’s annual Sing Praise concert contributed financial support, alongside a combined Waitara–Wahroonga fundraiser featuring music and a “buy your dinner” evening.
Working across three specialist teams, volunteers tackled essential upgrades:
• Group 1 installed water tanks and roof guttering for five staff houses.
• Group 2 undertook internal and external renovations on a double-storey house.
• Group 3 upgraded the church’s audio systems and restored the school’s computer lab.
The computer lab was a particular priority: of the school’s 25 computers, only three were operational. By the end of the mission, all but two had been restored, and 10 additional donated computers were installed—greatly improving students’ access to technology and supporting lesson planning.
Each day began before sunrise to avoid the intense heat, with work often continuing until late afternoon or sunset. Volunteers carried out masonry, carpentry and site preparation, demonstrating resilience and strong teamwork in challenging tropical conditions.
The mission trip achieved major progress toward improving Betikama Adventist College’s facilities, directly supporting staff, students and the wider school community.
