Yulens and Nur are two woman who share a tragic past–they are both burn victims. I am not talking about a burned finger or even a hand. These women were badly burned–their photos are so shocking I have not included them in this post. They are both as bad or worse than Yulce (read her story on our web-site).A door has opened for both of them to go to Bethesda Hospital in Borneo for treatment. They will need extensive skin grafts and...

Vino and his family are on their way back to Indonesia. I remember when Vino’s father brought him to our clinic (see photo) with some very bad burns–his chin, chest, ears, neck and right arm were effected by the kerosene fire. Arrangements were made to bring Vino to L.A. where the Grossman Burn Center would provide the needed surgeries and therapy. He was accompanied by his father to America. It took about four years and several...

It was not the food booth on a busy Indonesian street but it was lots of fun and the Soto Makassar was excellent. Jim and Cindy Aldrich did a great job with all the preparation and hours of cooking the soup. They wanted the participants to get a taste of Indonesia. Jim showed slides from the recent trip and detailed the work in east Indonesia.The tables were set up just like you would have if you sat down at the place we enjoy going to get this...

Soto Makassar is an outstanding soup that I have come to enjoy very much. I have taken many of my friends to the roadside booth in Tobelo where the best Soto Makassar is served. The soup is a broth with beef cut into small pieces. It is served very hot in a large soup bowl. You have the option of putting a small block of sticky rice, a hard boiled egg, squeeze a lime slice, a spoon of hot pepper sauce, and salt. You can add whatever you want in...

I am in awe of the goodness of so many people who volunteer to help the people of Indonesia. These volunteers are gifted and well prepared for the investment of their time. They are the true American Idols. They do not need to sing the the latest hits for millions on network broadcasts–they just quietly give of themselves.I am getting ready to take another team in February. It will take three days travel to get to the remote region of...

Adrian an Antonetta are both very smart and committed young adults. I have admired both of them and knew they had high potential. They both took the entrance exam to medical school and passed. We already had two of our staff in medical school. Nius and Melly are doing well and now will be joined by these two. It is very costly to start school. We are planting seeds for the future. Someday we will have four amazing doctors running our clinic and...

What a challenging year we have experienced in 2008–our world has changed in these few months. Now we face 2009 with it’s own challenges and hopes. I have found that even with the ebb and flow of the world economy there are things that do not change. They do not move aside when world markets crack under their own weight. Like the false assurance that may come while taking the first few steps on a frozen lake–soon it will begin...

When I look back at 2008 I am amazed at the forward steps our work has made. I credit the awesome staff led by Peter and Esther Scarborough. They are the real heroes and have worked with integrity and compassion.Here are some of the highlights:Building and dedication of new 21 bed patient ward.We now have 28 children in our care. These are orphaned and abandoned children.Three new vehicles were purchased giving us reliable transportation.The...

The roads on the remote island near our base are narrow. Those of you who have been there and know what it feels like to pass an oncoming truck understand the sense of relief after both vehicles pass untouched. There is no shoulder and it is not uncommon to have a pile of sand or even road crews on the road without any warning–no signs or flagmen. The dogs are the worst–they just lay down in the road daring you to hit them. Pigs,...

It was the afternoon before our team was to leave the remote island of Halmahera. Our team was scheduled to leave on a flight in the morning. We were in town purchasing some of the last items before we were to leave. We were just getting ready to drive to our base some 20 miles away but we were flagged down by the ticket agent who had sold us the tickets a week earlier. She told us that our flight had been canceled. That meant we had to work...