Blog
A Family
He came to our open arms when he was an infant. Moses arrived at the Hohidiai Children’s Home same time as two other boys and they were the same age. These three grew up together and were inseparable. If you saw one, you knew that the others were close. Moses was the quiet one in this trio. He watched and was more thoughtful than the other two who would jump in and ask questions later. Moses went thru a challenging time last year. A Hohidiai staff family wanted to adopt him last year. He struggled with it and started acting out in...
read moreTopography
I could see the new elementary school site near the city of Tobelo had a sight slope to it. Little did I know, it is way more detailed than that to have a site map. Jim, an engineer from Alaska, volunteered to complete a topographical survey of the six acre new Hohidiai school site. Remember this is tropical island with jungle. It has a beauty but is hot for Alaskan volunteers. The team worked with modern instruments–transits, tripods, GPS and levels. The land will be the future site of the new elementary school. This school began as an...
read moreHelp is Coming
It is one of the saddest things to see–the suffering of an HIV/AIDS patient. I recently became acquainted with Paul Schneider Jr. who leads AID for Children. They have been working with AIDS affected children in Africa. His efforts have been recently studied in Kenya where 250 AIDS children were given a vitamin supplement that has shown positive results. The Health Department of Kenya partnered with Aid for Children in a blind study to gather results from the use of this supplement. The results of a five month study showed improvement...
read moreApple
Anita was a puzzle. She came to the Hohidiai Children’s Home as an infant. She was a puzzle because she was so tiny and never seemed to thrive. She was beautiful and had apparent great needs. The thought was that she was failing to thrive due to her tough physical start. She would cling tightly to her providers but seemed very happy. She did not speak a word. It was recently discovered that Anita cannot hear. She has been living in a silent world. She has very special needs. A team from Alaska is currently at the base where they are...
read moreNew Year–New Hopes
We are starting a new year with fresh hopes and dreams. The mountains we climbed in 2013 are memories but we have new mountains to face. The biggest mountains are building a new school for the beautiful children who have been in our care and our hearts. Another mountain to climb is the growing challenge of treating HIV/AIDS patients. A fresh hope is the arrival of Dr. Nius from seven years of medical school and internship. He will be coming to serve in the hospital this year. Nius is dedicated to stand with the poor who come with their...
read moreGrateful
Grateful is too small a word to express how I feel about the landmarks of this year. The children in our care are at the top of my list. I have watched many of them grow up into talented and caring individuals. Their laughter and hugs are worth more than pure gold to me. The staff of IFC/Hohidiai are a treasure–beginning with our leaders. Peter and Esther Scarborough have served faithfully over the last 12 years. They are close friends and co-founders in this work. They are a perfect examples of living for others. The Indonesian leaders...
read moreMade With Holy Hands
She has suffered more than almost anyone I know. She has seen unspeakable violence and the loss of her oldest brother. Her village was a target of attack back in 2000 where over 200 people were killed in one day of violence. Winda was only 13 years old and defenseless in the attack. She is one of the strongest individuals I have ever met. The many atrocities she has seen and yet she is stable emotionally. Winda believes it was God’s help that allowed her to survive and face the challenges in order to move forward with her life. She...
read moreBaasee Cho
Baassee Cho is an Athabaskan phrase that means a deep thank you. It is set apart from the general thanks to express a warm and special thank you. That is the name given to the new house built on our base. The funds to build it were given by a very loving group in Alaska. The house is being occupied by an amazing couple–Dr. Leo and his wife, Dr. Deni. Dr. Leo and Dr. Deni will be expecting their first child in April. We are thankful for their gifts and their commitment to working in our hospital and clinic. They both could be making...
read moreAirports
I am waiting in another airport in the U.S. It really doesn’t matter where. There is a distinct commonness to them all. You check in at the counter outside the security area to a hopefully smiling agent, then find the security line with your boarding pass in hand. You are being examined for any suspicious behavior as you pass security. Once you take off your jacket, belt, and shoes and then get the nod to proceed past the security zone, you feel a small sense of relief. Then you check for the boarding pass, phone and wallet. I have done...
read moreNew Hohidiai School
Hohidiai School — Architect’s rendering of the new school grounds. Hohidiai School Floor Plan The new Hohidiai International School will be built in modular stages or “Pods”. This will allow immediate use of portions of the facility while the rest of the building is under construction. Modular Construction – A typical ‘Pod’ A typical pod will consist of two classrooms. The Partition design may be re-arranged for other uses such as cafeteria or administration. View of a Typical Classroom...
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