THe Tengkano's Projects

MINISTRY: The Tengkano’s Projects

LOCATION: Indonesia

TYPE OF MINISTRY: Satellite, medical missions, aviation, city ministry

WHO IS BEING HELPED: The people of Indonesia

MISSIONARIES INVOLVED: Ramon and Shandy Tengkano

Satellite Television Over Indonesia

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Health Retreat for Indonesia

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Aviation for Indonesia

Community Outreach

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Satellite Television Over Indonesia

Indonesia is a collection of more than 17,000 islands. How will the Gospel go to all those people disconnected by miles of open ocean? Satellite is the best way as it covers all the islands in the national language of Bahasa Indonesia, which people in Malaysia can also understand. It only costs $10/hour to operate the satellite and produce programs that reach the people’s hearts.

Many of Indonesia’s islands have no Adventist church and no missionaries. Getting to these vast islands is challenging. But the satellite can cover all the islands all the time!

Ramon and Shandy Tengkano sold everything they had to build a TV studio and satellite uplink station to broadcast the Three Angels’ Messages to all of Indonesia and Malaysia! They are passionate about the Spirit of Prophecy and advocate the benefits of a simple, healthy lifestyle. (learn more about their story here).

With the help of a small, dedicated team of Indonesian missionaries, the satellite ministry has now been running for 13 years. The programs center around practical Adventism with programs on family, faith, education, prophecy, and more. In addition to teaching non-believers, these programs also provide spiritual encouragement to believers living in remote areas, far from any SDA church.

The cost of the satellite that reaches the entire country, plus the production of programs in Bahasa Indonesia, is only $10 per hour!

Can you sponsor at least 1 hour of Gospel media?

TESTIMONY FROM THE SATELLITE MINISTRY:

A lady named Esther called our ministry. Her visiting daughter had recently found the ministry’s TV channel and told her about it. At first, Esther was skeptical about Adventist television because her family belonged to a Pentecostal church. Still, she gave the programs a try.

Esther appreciated the programs because the presenters shared the Gospel practically, and the messages did not condemn other beliefs but brought conviction to her heart. She also started watching health videos from Barbara O’Neil. When she called, she wanted to thank us and find out how to send a gift from her island: Coffee beans.

We told her we do not consume coffee. We were unsure whether she was uninformed or simply testing us to see if we lived according to what we were supposed to know. We told her we’d be glad to take the gift if she would allow us to use it for therapeutic and medicinal purposes, not for drinking. She realized different uses for coffee and started using her crops more for medicinal purposes and less for drinking.

Aviation for Indonesia

Within the United States, cities and towns are connected by over 4 million miles of roads. But in Indonesia, a country about the same size as the U.S., there are only 203,000 miles of roads spread over 17 thousand islands. That is less than 5% of the roads the U.S. has. Some islands do not even have paved roads serving their people, making land travel time-consuming, if not impossible. The best way to reach more remote areas is by airplane.

The Tengkanos knew it would not be easy to get an aviation program going, but they moved forward, believing God could break through any barrier. Buying an airplane is costly, and in most cases, Indonesian air space authorities try to keep private pilots from flying freely from one location to another. But those obstacles only showed that when God intends for something to be done, even nations can’t stop Him. He’s the ultimate Owner of the sky and has a mission to be fulfilled!

In 2021, God provided an airplane for Ramon Tengkano, a licensed pilot, to use as a ministry tool to go to hard-to-reach areas, visit Indonesia Satellite viewers, provide aid to locals, and bring in teachers, medical workers, and Bible Workers.

It currently takes an average of $67 per day for storage, fuel, registration, and other things to keep the aviation ministry going strong. Please keep this brand-new ministry in your prayers.

Health Retreat for Indonesia

When Ramon and Shandy Tengkano were younger, they were absorbed in the lifestyle of the upper class of Jakarta, Indonesia. But after they surrendered their lives to God and became missionaries, they moved out into the countryside to separate themselves from their former life.

Over the past few years, God has opened many doors for them to reconnect with their old friends through various activities, such as biking, running, and hiking clubs.

Many of their people began asking them why they chose their new way of living and how they were doing so well, especially as a family, when this world was in chaos.

These questions inspired the Tengkanos to create a health retreat center on their property in the country. At the center, people from the city could come to rest or exercise in nature, learn more about health, and learn how to find the purpose and meaning in life that the Tengkanos have found.

The health center will offer lodging, a gym, a running track, a swimming pool, a futsal (mini soccer) court, hiking trails, and health and spiritual talks.

Community Outreach

The Tengkanos’ property in the country is near a poor village. They have been reaching out to the villagers in various ways to provide assistance and build meaningful relationships with them. Some avenues they have used to do this are offering free health and dental care and opening a barbershop. They are also planning to start a music school to teach young people a type of traditional Indonesian instrument.

In addition, the Tengkanos hope the health retreat center will encourage local youth to exercise and explore athletic possibilities, get involved in stop-smoking programs, and improve their lives in other ways.