Davis and Autumn arrived in Fairbanks two weeks ago and came into our circle of friends. They are here to serve our community with their group of young people. I was surprised to meet an Indonesian couple in Alaska.  Davis and Autumn grew up in Jakarta and moved tot he U.S. for their education. We got to use some of our Bahasa Indonesian language with them–it was great to interact. Their English language is very good plus they speak three...

It started with a small ticking sound in the motor. We were going the speed limit and made it to Valdez where I spoke to a wonderful group of friends. We left that beautiful place with a stunning blue sky and climbed Thompson Pass and passed the crazies in the mountain climbing competition.  They called it an event but after seeing how high on the mountain those snow machine tracks were–it looked more like insanity to me. I am just not...

The flights do not always land at this outpost in Alaska. My flight landed after breaking through the cloud cover over the south side of the island. This is a very famous place for it’s beauty, world-class fishing and largest bears in the world. Kodiak is a town of just over 7,000 residents and the great Kodiak Brown Bear. I did not see any of the bears but I did meet some awesome people who call “the island” their home. I had...

This month, is the 15th year of IFC. Those years have gone by fast–with many great memories and some big challenges as well. The origin of IFC (January 2001) was working in refugee camps near the city of  Manado. In 2003, a new door opened to move to North Maluku to set up clinics to serve the families as they went home to rebuild their villages and lives. Since those foundational days there have been thousands of lives helped and even...

  You should have seen Hendrik’s face when he saw his new shoes. His was so excited to try on the new shoes for which he had waited. These shoes were fitted for him months earlier when he placed his feet into a foam box to make a perfect impression. As a leper, Hendrik’s toes are gone and his left foot does not move. It is “frozen” in a slight upward angle. No off-the-shelf shoe fits him. These were specially made just to fit...

It should be the rainy season on the tropical island of Halmahera. Unlike the northern hemisphere the tropical regions do not have four seasons–the tropics have wet and dry seasons. Halmahera is on the equator, set between Sulawesi and Irian Jaya, two larger island regions of east Indonesia. This year has been dry and concerns are growing. This is the island we know as the destination of Christopher Columbus–these are the famed...

It hardly seems possible the work of IFC began 14 years ago. It was not in our imagination that we would be serving over 10,000 sick and injured annually. The work has advanced quickly and to this day we have the challenge and blessing of helping those who suffer from HIV/AIDS, T.B. and Leprosy. It is an honor to stand with those who have infectious disease. In the last 14 years we have brought six children to receive expert medical care in...

Shocked, taken back, surprised or amazed would be the words I would use to explain what happened last week.  I was invited to speak to a church group about the work in Indonesia.  It was a beautiful day and the salmon were in the Kenai River. There were two very attractive reasons to enjoy the rare combination of this Alaskan summer instead of going to a church meeting. The crowd was smaller than normal but it was a sweet time to be together in...

The dream of a future is a wall for the poor in remote corners of the world. It is a dream for the future that we want the children in our care to reach for. The offer of an education and a dream are inseparable twins. I just returned from a visit to our base in Indonesia. It another awesome trip with a small team from Alaska. There were many things we say and experienced, but I will not forget the times I spent doing the after school homework...

The sky was brilliant blue and the snow and ice was melting. You could see the hope of change on the faces of the residence of Fairbanks. The spring seems to thaw more than snow. Today was a good day to express thanks to the gathering of Fairbanks Rotarian’s. Esther Scarborough spoke for IFC/Hohidiai as she highlighted the clean water project that this Rotary Club helped finance. The question we all asked was, how could a group in the...