Blog
A Chill in the Air
It is early August and there is a chill in the air. It is the closing of the Alaskan summer and the greetings of the short fall season. I have had the opportunity to travel to many places and meet some amazing people this year. We have new partners and new doors have opened. I am very hopeful and determined to walk into a new seasons of serving the poor in Indonesia. We have been so blessed to be able to continue the work in spite of economic challenges in our world over the last several years. We are blessed to have many faithful partners....
read moreTravel
I just got back from a little more than a week of travels. My wife and I drove over 1,000 miles with no incidents. We felt fortunate to see such wonderful views on this trip. We went to Seward (Alaska) where we spoke to a wonderful group of new and old friends. We saw our dear friends, Al and Donna, where we stayed up playing games and just talking. It was like we had never been away at all–we just picked up where we left off. The fellowship was amazing.We also stopped to see Dennis and Janae. I have known Dennis for over 30 years. We...
read moreHeavy Hearts
Baby Junita fought a good fight but lost her battle for life. We are all heavy hearted about her passing. Our hopes were high and the help that was offered to her was monumental. She was given every ounce of help we could give. She faced a domino effect of the tragic burn–dengue fever–a twisted bowel. It was just too much for her to overcome. Jien is the nine year old who had T.B. and was severely malnourished. She was shockingly thin at around 15 pounds. Our medical staff assessed her battle was due to damaged organs that just...
read moreJunita Update
Junita Update: June 27, 2011 A Good Fight I first–want to thank all of you who prayed for 10 month old Junita. I just got the sad report that she did not survive her fight for life. She suffered injuries from a tragic hot oil spill. Her mother was desperate for help—they are very poor and had no way to pay for the help she needed. Her mother was even injured in the oil spill but not as bad as Junita. Junita was badly burned on her head, neck and upper chest. We do not have a surgical center at our small hospital to do skin grafts (Some...
read moreReality
I just reported the passing of baby Junita. She fought a good fight but just had too much for her frail body to overcome. If the burn injuries were not tough enough she got Dengue Fever and then a twisted bowel. The internal bleeding due to the Dengue Fever and the emergency surgery for the twisted bowel was a huge challenge to survive. She came out of the surgery but could not fully recover. This is the reality of the medical work. The staff and all our supporters put everything into saving her life. Even with the huge effort, sometimes a...
read moreTwo Worlds
The transition Tison is making is best described as the tension between two worlds. Tison was born and raised on a remote island in a remote region of Indonesia. His father is a fisherman and lives a subsistence lifestyle. His life was simple and in some ways attractive. Tison came to America and lived with a wonderful family for 18 months. He was so amazing even during the toughest time of surgery and recovery. Tison was smart and learned to speak English pretty well. He loved chicken nuggets, snow boarding, computer games, movies, jet...
read moreTears in My Eyes
I seemed like I just finished an around the world non-stop flight. I actually left the island of Halmahera in remote Indonesia on Monday. I have been traveling ever since–either in transit or on the flights. It is good to be home.The purpose of the trip was to take Tison home to his family. He was unsure of himself and how he would react once he got to Indonesia. He got off the last flight and saw his father waiting for him. He just hugged his father–I had tears in my eyes. There is nothing like a child and his parents. Tison was...
read moreWhat It Is About
I reflected today about “why” we work to serve the poor. The root of the question is “what is it all about”. Tison is going home soon after being treated here. He was here for a year and a half and had eight surgeries and nine procedures. He was welcomed into a host home and came to be loved by them. When you consider the passport and visa application process and the many cost–you have to ask “why” are we doing this. The reason we do this is the importance of the individual and the prospects of a...
read moreParty Time
Tison had many of his friends at his big party on Sunday. He had a fun day and enjoyed all his friends coming to celebrate with him. Tison will soon be leaving the U.S. and going home. There has been plenty of tears shed as the days count down. It is hard to thank everyone who has had a part in helping him because there have been so many. His main physician came to say goodbye to Tison. It was a joyous event with plenty of food and cake. He made an agreement with his doctors–to get an education. He is a smart kid and could do very well...
read moreAmazing People
I just came home after over two weeks on the road. I was in Boise, Seattle and Phoenix. The highlight to me was how many amazing people I met. Steve in Phoenix had begun a season of prayer. I just loved the time with Steve and his church–Bud and Janet in Seattle were so interested in what we were doing–David, a friend of mine for over 30 year, just accepted the leadership of a church in Seattle–Greg and Jeanette were so kind to me, they are great friends and supporters–Caleb, my son, let me sleep at his apartment and...
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