Reaching Out - The Penan

This was my second mission trip to the Belaga area to give support to our missionaries stationed there and the Penans'. It was a survey mission and we went with two four wheels vehicles consisting of my pastor, Pastor Law of GMC, Pastor Ling from Sibu, the other driver from Bintulu brother Hii and two brothers from Miri, Joseph Tan and Afred Sibat. The missionaries stationed at two longhouses separately have been doing a tremendous job teaching the kids how to read, write, prayer and sing. They are all ladies and most are very young and come as far from Kuala Lumpur to teach and improve the life of the Penan in Jungle of Belaga. They are truly amazing.
Feedback and responses form this Penan folks and kids can be viewed positively good. Those longhouses who have our missionaries, spread news to other longhouses and that's why we have made trip to them to survey their need. Most of the settlement areas we visited will eventually give way to the Bakum Dam. We also visited Long Urum where there is a boarding school, SK Long Urun, and was informed 70% of the pupils are Penan and the number can be estimate to be around 100 pupils all together in the school. Pastor Law would love to see  more and more the parents of the Penan will send their kids to the government school. Like always I photoshoot some of the Penan hoping anyone who have not seen or unable to venture in the interior Sarawak forest in the Bakum dam and I hope my photos will give anyone some insight of the Penan.

Pupils washing and cleaning up at SK Long Urum boarding school.

Rumah Tua(head) at one of the longhouses.

A child and mother's affair bathing in the river.