The next step for Tison, the nine year old burn victim, is to get all his letters of support to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. We have organized and sent all the these letters from Alaska. We sent the package by Fedex to Indonesia. This Fedex package full of the letters he needs went from Fairbanks to Anchorage to Memphis to Anchorage in four days. It winged it way to China and was in and out of the distribution center in an hour and a half...

Tison recently met his parents in the city of Ternate. They had not seen each other for around a year. This was not just a get together, this was a time to set a direction for Tison’s future. Tison has been at the clinic on the island of Halmahera for the past year. He is burned over 40% of his body. He has missed his parents but his village in about 200 miles from our medical base. They left him at our clinic where he receives daily...

In many remote regions of the world the poor use kerosene lamps to light their homes at night. A common simple wick in a can of fuel is used in millions of homes. It is very dangerous because it can easily spill and start a fire or in the process of filling the lamp it can explode. It is a serious hazard and we have seen numerous injuries due to kerosene lamp accidents. There is always a lot of pain and suffering with each burn.IFC has arranged...

I got a note from Peter Scarborough asking for prayer for Tison. Tison has burns over about 40% of his body. His right leg has had an open wound on it that has a very bad infection. He has been so brave and has endured the daily changing of dressing. The hospital staff have done a wonderful job on all his wounds. He needs our prayers and support at this time.Tison will meet with his parents tomorrow. He has not seen them for nearly a year. They...

I just got home from Indonesia. It was only a month but it seemed like two months–there was a lot accomplished. One of the most important projects in the works is bringing a nine year old Indonesian child to American for reconstructive surgery.Tison is badly burned and needs major help. He is an awesome little boy. He is full of energy and is normal in every way except he was involved in a accidental fuel spill. He was brought to our...

I got a call from someone representing the Fuji T.V. Network of Japan. She was working on a proposed program which would include a testimony from Yulce. Yulce is the girl who came to the U.S. from Indonesia following her tragic burn. She received help from Dr. Peter Grossman and was transformed by the 12 surgeries in one year. She has a bright future and will be a story of hope for anyone who gets to hear about her life. Fuji wants to focus on...

Billie is the four year old boy who went in for emergency surgery at a Manado Indonesia Hospital due to an obstruction in his bowel. He had come to Portland, Oregon when he was one year old for the needed surgery to save his life and now he was facing the same emergency. So many of you prayed and gave to help him in his latest chapter. Liz Wood made a valiant effort to organize help and monitor his care long distance. She advised the IFC...

I am in Indonesia and have been too remote to get on the Internet–here is the latest news.Nur the young Muslim woman we have tried to get to the hospital in Kalimantan was able finally get to the hospital. She was so weak (due to her extensive burn injuries) when she arrived that in only two days she died. She fought for her life and everything was done on our part to get her help. Now we need to remember her husband and 13 month old...

I leave with a team of nine for Indonesia in less than seven hours. It is exciting and also a very long trip. I have done it many times and I always have the an excitement about going to serve at our base and to see lots of my Indonesian friends. The team of volunteers is the bonus. What a privilege to be with such amazing people.I have an update on the two burn victims (I mentioned in an earlier post). Yulens and her husband have made it to...

Yulens and Nur are two woman who share a tragic past–they are both burn victims. I am not talking about a burned finger or even a hand. These women were badly burned–their photos are so shocking I have not included them in this post. They are both as bad or worse than Yulce (read her story on our web-site).A door has opened for both of them to go to Bethesda Hospital in Borneo for treatment. They will need extensive skin grafts and...