Trouble and confusion would be good words to describe the later teen years of my life.  I wondered, “How can you be surrounded by friends and still feel alone?” I know I was not the only teen trying to navigate those years. I was not the only child to grow up with a dysfunctional home led by a single mother. There are many who, out of no fault of their own, face these circumstances.   I met a couple who offered me a safe and nurturing home. I...

2013  is a fresh start — a road never traveled. It has 365 days of hopes and dreams.  We all know it will bring its share of  challenges, but IFC/Hohidiai has always faced each year with optimism and hope.  Our passion is to help the poorest-of-the-poor as they come to our clinics and hospital asking for help. I so admire the leaders and staff at the base in Halmahera–they serve with compassion. They sacrifice so much to be a part...

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...

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...

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...

Thirty-five years is a long time. It is a lot of water under the bridge of life. Such is life when friends say good bye and new chapters open. High school graduations are a major event before the scattering starts. Those who spent almost every day together then are pursuing much different paths. I left high school to attend college. I had other friends who went directly to work and others got married. Whatever the reason, we all scattered and...

The little three letter word we use so often has so much power. It is the word “YES”. I can see myself as a child anticipating that word after asking a hope filled question. It might have been: Can I go to the lake? Can I have some candy? Can I stay overnight at my friend’s house? I can remember waiting to hear that little word — “Yes”. When you think about it, it is a very powerful word. It can bring a smile and the hope of a good...