Mobile Clinic
The Mobile Clinic travels to a remote island by outrigger
Warm Waters of Kindness
The location was a small island with only one village off the remote island of Halmhera. The medical team of Hohidiai and the Western volunteers boarded three boats for the 20 minute boat ride to our destination. It was a hot day that had threatening rain clouds in the sky. An hour after we arrived on the island the rain came in buckets but by that time we were already seeing patients. This was a mobile clinic to this village. The mobile clinics are important to the more remote villages because the sick or poor do not have the means to come to our clinic or they are too sick to travel. The clinic staff not only treated 90 people who came to be examined but also spend time with the children of the village. There were lots of games and plenty of laughter. The children’s staff just stayed out in the pouring rain as the children wanted to play jump rope and some local games–everyone was soaked but no one complained.
This village is surrounded by the most beautiful blue water. The island has a nice beach and the locals say there are an abundance of fish. It would be a quiet life to live on this island. The children looked in good health and they were all smiling.
Kindness is too small of a word to describe the way we visitors were treated. The leader of the village and his wife made sure we were all fed. The local 
fruit and fish were our treat as we broke for lunch. Kindness was shown to us and we were all humbled by how they always thought of our needs. The fish for lunch had a very hot spice ove
r it and the rice was just enough to offset the fire in the mouth.
There were two serious cases that came to the clinic. The medical staff recommended these patients come to our hospital for treatment. It was well worth the trip to find these two patients who would have suffered even longer if they were not treated. A little boy could not go to school because of the disease he had–fortunately he could be treated with medicines and would make a full recovery within three month.
The day ended with a swim off this beautiful beach. The boat ride home across the water was full of thankfulness. We made friends and helped those who were suffering. It is the definition of a good day–a boat ride to a beautiful tropical island–the memory of children laughing–bringing hope to people who were suffering and a late day swim in the warm waters of kindness.