It was the only day we got a reprieve from the tropical rain. It was a beautiful night for this celebration. The Tamarista, Leper Center, had two four-plex buildings completed. We were there that night for a ribbon cutting and celebration of the completion of these leper houses. The children danced a traditional dance and we enjoyed a nice dinner. I shared the story of Mephibosheth who was a lame boy who was a relative to Jonathan. King David...

Children were being left at our clinic. There were some who just were not wanted but others were orphans. The number started to grow and we had to make a decision about how we would care for them. We decided to not only care for them but to provide a future for these little ones. They had no idea their lives just made a turn for the best. These were the seeds being planted for the future. They are like the oak seeds that were planted to provide...

In Indonesia you do not just go to the “emergency room” for treatment. You must have the money in advance for the treatment. It makes it very hard for the poor to get medical help. The IFC Clinic offers free care for the poor. This is a way for the poor to get examined and then treated for their injuries or sickness. If the patient needs surgery we try to help with that if we have the funds. We have provided many surgeries from...

The hospital being built on the Medical Base has a roof, walls and the interior work is being completed. It will be a 16 bed facility with a birthing center on one end. This is will provid needed in-patient care for this region. It is located next the clinic and will compliment the out-patient work there.This project is being funded by Rotary (Australia). There is a helicopter landing pad and an ambulance that will add to the versatility of the...

The poverty in this region of Indonesia can be so bad that even the cost of transportation to a hospital or clinic can be more than most can afford. The mobile clinics that go to remote villages bring help to those who cannot access health care. The Alaska Team went to a village on the Island of Halmahera. This clinic was to be just a one day event. IFC have sent teams to remote areas and they stay for three days to as much as three months....

Jeremy has curly hair and seems to smile all the time. He is plump and looks very healthy. When he was born he was rejected by his mother. She wanted a girl. His mother was a prostitute and she was not willing to keep him. He could not advocate for himself and ask for life but she was talked into giving him to us. His future is bright and he is just adorable. The future would have been dark if he was raised by a mother who would provide little...

This nameless eight-month old girl was brought to our medical base in Kusuri. She was examined by Dr. Nichole Anderson from New Zealand and by Esther Scarborough, IFC Medical Director in Indonesia. Dr. Anderson said the cleft palate is the worst she has seen. I will try to see this child myself when I arrive in Indonesia.This is another child we ask you to pray for–we hope and pray we can see a door open to help her. The best option is to...

Our team went out to a wooden hut; they described it as more like a dog house or chicken coop. The patient was an old, thin woman. The team had come to care for her wounds as she was a leper. She told them how when she was cast out to the jungle by the other villagers when she was younger and separated from her children and loved ones, along with 6 other leprosy sufferers.Thirty or so years later a pastor went out to find them and bring them...

Dr. Stella is now our full-time doctor at the Island clinic. She is an answer to our prayer and will allow us to go to another level in our care of the poor. Dr. Stella is young woman who is very committed and has such a calming way about her. She came to us just in time to get us prepared for the new hospital. The hospital is now getting its roof built. It will be a 16 bed facility with radiology and a birthing center. Next to the hospital is...

Esther Scarborough wrote about a child she was told was unwanted. He was on another island and it took quite an effort to get him. The new born baby was found discarded in the garbage pile. He was heard crying by an old woman (grandmother) who rescued him.Here is Esther’s note:The baby has just arrived at our clinic. Vikki & Yenni who collected the baby from the island of Obi expected to be away just one week, I think they were away...