Eager to invest their energy and time in a mission project, a dozen young adults from the Loma Linda Indonesian church spent five days in Hawaii last August.

Hawaii? Mission work in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States? It seemed like an oxymoron until the group arrived at the campground owned by Hawaii Conference on the dry side of Oahu. Operating with minimal staff and funding, the camp was definitely ready for helping hands.

To begin with, the young adults tackled brush and weeds and a general clean up of the site. But the major project was to solve a giant 3-D puzzle — how to turn a pile of steel pipes into a 44-foot geodesic dome.

“This portable dome was originally used by Adventist World Radio (AWR) to house exhibits at camp meetings,” explained Brian Neal, coordinator of the mission trip and director of the SECC commitment department. “ Camp Waianae will use it as a meeting place, something they really need. The only large building it has had is a cafeteria.”

With only a rudimentary “map” [a set of directions], the group tackled the pile of parts. “Fortunately, this was no ordinary group. The team included nurses, doctors and other professionals,” Neal said. “They were good at figuring things out. Even so, we had to dismantle and reassemble some sections when we got things mixed up.”

Once the network of pipes was bolted together, the “skin” that covers the dome had to be muscled into place. The group rightfully felt happy and proud to finish the project. They concluded their trip on Friday and Sabbath by participating in a creative Bible study seminar led by Neal — and, yes, by getting to the beach.