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...

Tison spent 18 months in America where he received reconstructive surgery for burns to his face, arms, right hand, both legs and feet. While he was in the U.S. he became very special to his host family who sent with me several gifts in a big, Green Bay Packers bag for him. I got to take it and give it to him.  He was so excited to get his gifts and card.  He has grown a lot.  Each time I see him I notice he is becoming a young man. He was also...

Viktor in School Voices filled every corner of the room as each class sang to the visitors. This is the second year of the Hohidiai School and it is so amazing to hear the students singing in English. The preschoolers are doing hand motions to the songs and singing with loud voices–the school is doing well. The bright eyes and smiles are so encouraging. We have seen good progress over the last year. All the children have progressed....

The beautiful palm trees of the islands of Indonesia have greeted me some 30 plus times. I anticipate each trip and look forward to spending time serving alongside the amazing Indonesian staff. I have fond memories of the amazing experiences I have had with hundreds of volunteers who have paid their own way to touch the poorest-of-the-poor. Respect is too small a word to express my feelings for these volunteers. At the end of this month another...

More than eleven years have past since I first set foot in Indonesia. It was a life changing experience to walk in the refugee camps and witness the sad struggle of thousands of people. Now, a decade later, those memories set the direction of our work. We have a passion to serve the poorest-of-the-poor in the remote island of Halmahera. The challenges are always before us–funding–medical resources–training of...

Satellite Internet – If you think it is frustrating waiting for your slow computer to boot up, then try being in the middle of the jungle attempting to find a satellite somewhere low in the eastern sky. That was the dilemma Peter Scarborough and I were facing. We were trying to upgrade the internet connection in order to get the internet speed increased to a level where we could show detailed images of patients to doctors anywhere in the...

They come asking for help. They are poor and in crisis. Their needs range from illness to injuries. The one common thing about all of those who come is they all believe our medical staff can help them. Recently a little girl was brought to the clinic for examination. She had a growth on the right side of her head, including her right ear and it wrapped around to cover her right eye. The concern is that she was allowed to get to this condition....

When you live on the “ring of fire” you might see fireworks. There were many at the base who were awakened at around 2 a.m. yesterday by the rattling of windows as a volcano erupted. The volcano, Mt. Gamkonora, is only 20 miles from the base and it shook the place in a display of its power. The ash blasted over 10,000 feet and then showered the area with a white coating. This is not an everyday or every week occurrence but it is a...

The Delaware River has a lot of historic significance for the early years of the United States. Here I was with a band of over 50 men on the shores of the Delaware River. We could see Pennsylvania State just across the river on the steep bluffs that faced us like an impossible obstacle to climb.We were there for some historic landmarks of our own. We were gathered to have a time of refreshing from the Lord. We had the full cross-section of...

We have some amazing partners and our supporters are awesome. I have to tell you about the most recent gift we received. It comes from an unlikely donor and just blessed us so much that it brings tears to my eyes and the story will touch you as well. We serve the people that this culture considers the least and lowest of the region. The lowest and most rejected are the lepers who are considered worthless by the community and are even thrown out...