Blog
Blessed
In two weeks I will be traveling to Indonesia with another team. This team will work in the clinic and school. The gems that will be deposited are in the form of expert training for the medical staff and the patients who come to the clinic while this team is on site. I can see the faces of the children as they sit at their desks in their classrooms. Four members of the team will be assisting in the classroom and in the after school programs. The school is really doing well and the children are progressing at grade level. The land for the...
read moreHitting the Wall
Everyone reading this blog has faced challenges in their lives. Challenges come in many forms–some can be life changers others just ruin your day. A grandmother came to our clinic and asked for help for her and her granddaughter. When she told her story, she unfolded a story of the struggle to survive. She was poor–not U.S. poor. Her challenge was NOT about living with only one family car or having basic cable service. She could not ask for a free phone. She was destitute. She had nothing. Let me put that in caps — NOTHING....
read more“96”
There must be something about the life of a farmer. Ray Giles has farmed near Adelaide, Australia, for most of his life. His life has been filled with hard work, and he has been an inspiration to many over his 96 years of life. It has been said he can fix anything, Ray recently volunteered at the IFC/Hohiodiai base and so the challenging projects at the base were given to him. He came with a team from his church in Adelaide and is an example to all of us to ‘not give up’ but live our lives to the full. Peter Scarborough, the IFC...
read moreTwo Amazing Servants
Joanne Klaver and Emily Miner visited the IFC/Hohidiai School in January 2013. Their time and effort is deeply appreciated. Here are their comments: By Joanne Klaver — “Having spent most of my life in the medical profession, I was surprised and truly blessed when I was assigned to help with second graders at Hohidiai School. Their enthusiasm in academic work, the high standards presented and met by the students, and the Christian caring for each other and even for me were overwhelming. Many students have had very...
read moreSchool Starts Year Three
When he first arrived at the IFC/Hohidiai clinic Viktor was seven months old and weighed only seven pounds. Malnourished, sick, and near death, he fussed and cried constantly. His two other siblings had died of malnourishment, and he, too, was struggling to live. Little by little, Viktor recovered from his sickness and now, at 8 years old is doing very well. He is a normal little boy full of energy. He is loved, accepted and is now thriving. He is a leader and has his own following of friends. When the IFC/Hohidiai School opened two years...
read moreThree Superstars
In almost any sport there are those who stand out who are ‘just gifted’. In music there are prodigies and virtuosos. It takes a lot of natural talent and hard work to become one of these ‘best in your field’ stars. We all had the kid in college who walks into class on the first day, and everyone knows the grading curve just got harder. We have three stars that I want to highlight. They are all in medical training. Nius has graduated from medical school and is doing his internship. Antoinetta and Adrian are getting...
read moreDr. Chris
Dr. Chris is from a lazy country town about 60 miles east of Melbourne, Australia. As an average kid he had searched for the spark in his life that would make him feel alive and valued. At 15 years old , Chris’s parents wanted to widen his worldview and took him to the Hohidiai medical base in Northeast Indonesia on the island of Halmahera. Chris got an eye full of the challenges faced by those living in poverty. He saw the medical team at the clinic put in long hours with limited resources to help the suffering. It was a watershed...
read moreFamily Dinner
A Night to Remember It was a night to remember, a landmark for IFC/Hohidiai. It was an evening with 300 of our closest friends and supporters. We all gathered to share the update and story of IFC/Hohidiai. The décor was Indonesian; the tables were set and decorated with Batik cloth, the traditional cloth of Indonesia. The platform had a wide display of baskets, paintings and ‘cakalele’ sword and shield from North Maluku. The dinner was an assortment of very delicious Indonesian chicken, beef and fish; everyone enjoyed the meal....
read moreOne at a Time
Semi had a broad smile as he put the sand and concrete mix into the mold. It is a job for a plodder – someone who doesn’t mind repetition. It can only be done one at a time and takes time to get a nice sized stack. This is an important job because we need every one of them to do the smallest building. We need huge numbers of bricks to do the larger building. Bricks are made one at a time in a press with a long handle. The mix of concrete, clay and sand are shoveled into the press. The operator then shaves the excess off and pulls the...
read moreA Day at the Beach
The excitement level was high with the three boys from Alaska. We were all going to the beach to enjoy the tropical warmth and splashing with the children and staff of the Hohidiai School. We all boarded the work truck for the long drive to the dock where we would get on traditional boats to make the 20 minute run to the island. The truck ride is the favorite ride of visitors. We were all squeezed into the back of the work truck with its five foot high side walls. The tallest had to watch for sweeping limbs and duck quickly just to miss a...
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