A Voice in the Jungles

The downpour of refreshing rain is falling here in Manado Indonesia. I have been on the remote Island of Halmahera in East Indonesia for three weeks with two teams. We are back in the big city with malls and crazy drivers. We are on a slow trip home--departing in six days.

The time at the Hohidiai base was awesome--I will have more to write later. I have a few minutes before the team comes back from lunch and then we are on the run again. A total of eleven amazing people joined me on this adventure--each one brought gifts and lots of energy. I have been blessed to travel with some of the best people on the planet.

I just wanted all of you who keep up with our efforts to know I am still alive and will soon be home in Alaska. I go from above 90 degrees to minus 20 in Fairbanks.

Keep praying for Jien, the eight year old child with T.B., she is holding with little weight gain. This is the voice in the jungle coming back to the snow and cold.

Soon to Leave

Three teams will be going to the Hohidiai Clinic in Indonesia this next month. The first team has a variety of interests--medical, children's work, English language training, video editing training and counseling. This will be a very rewarding time for our workers at the base. This first team is very skilled and prepared to give a lot of their skills and expertise.

The second team will be leading a staff retreat for our leadership. There will be about 30 leaders who will attend the retreat. The retreat will be a three day event. The theme is working together and understanding the differences we have. We want this to be a time of encouragement and refreshing.

The third team will be led by Jim Aldrich. They will be working in the medical, mechanical and micro-enterprise programs. Our fleet of vehicles will be upgraded. The processing of coffee for sale will be another step closer. A roaster has been purchased and we need two more pieces of equipment to have all we need to process the coffee from our 200 coffee trees.

Please remember these teams--there are a total of 15 people represented in these three teams. They have a lot to give and will come home with more than they imagined.

Friends

I just returned from a trip to Springfield, Illinois. I was reflecting on the time that I got to speak to several groups. I also stayed at three homes in the 10 days I was there. I can only come up with the word friends. I met a lot of people and made a number of friends.

I especially liked the opportunity to speak to a group of men and to a group of teens. They were interested and open to what I had to share. The work in Indonesia was presented and more partners are helping us in these efforts.

I see us making friends of all the people who join us in our work in Indonesia. We appreciate the many people who believe in our work and have stood with us. We have partners who have been supporting these efforts for nearly 10 years. It is just amazing to me that they have been so faithful in their support.

L.A. and Illinois

What does L.A. and Illinois have in common? Tomorrow--IFC will be represented in L.A. and in Illinois. Esther Scarborough is in L.A. and will be speaking at the fundraiser for Grossman Burn Foundation. I am in Illinois where I will be speaking at several events.

Esther will have the privileged to speak to a group regarding the burn care in the North Maluku region. She is passionate and will share the dilemma we have with so many people being injured as a result of accidental burns. We need a better program to provide care for them--preventative as well as after accident care.

I will be speaking to a men's group tomorrow night and Saturday. Sunday I will be speaking at several meetings and a youth event. I have had an amazing time and I look forward to more chances to share about Indonesia.

I will be back home on October 12 and then to Indonesia on the 20th. I can't wait to take the two team to Indonesia.

Making Friends

Tison has been in Alaska for ten months. He is speaking English very well and has made a couple good friends. His friend, Isaac, spent the night--they played and watched movies. This is a new concept for Tison--to have a friend spend the night. What a life--watching movies, eating popcorn and drinking soda. He is having fun and building friendships. Tison is a good friend and is kind to the other children he knows.

He has several surgeries ahead of him. His visa extension application is in process. After consulting his plastic surgeon--we believe he needs to stay until June 2011. He is improving and also growing taller. He does miss his family but understands he is here to be fixed and then he can go home.

Ester In America

Esther Scarborough, the medical director for IFC in Indonesia, will be in Los Angeles to speak at a fundraiser. Esther has already been to Singapore and Hong Kong. She is an inspiring speaker and advocate for the poor. Esther was invited by Rebecca Grossman of the Grossman Burn Foundation (GBF) to speak at her fundraiser on October 8.

IFC has many partners and friends in L.A. This will be like a homecoming for Esther. She knows so many people and will find other doors to open while she is there. She is interested in the proposal of a burn unit at our base. This is a dream and the partnership with GBF could result in the ability to care for burn injuries at our base in Indonesia. This would be great news for those in the remote North Maluku and North Sulawesi region of Indonesia who are injured due to a burn accident.

Well--Esther arrives tomorrow. Is L.A. ready for Esther?

Mia--cerebral malaria

Mia is a young mother who has been a staff member in the medical work for many years. She is very petite and has a beautiful smile. She is a wonderful mother to her young daughter. She recently had a serious reaction to what the is believed to be cerebral malaria. Peter wrote, " She was unconscious for 40 minutes and is now semi-conscious. Mia is a faithful team member, she is small in stature but has a big heart--one of her specialties is caring for terminal cancer patients. We are also trying to contact her husband who works an hour and a half away from here."

She is well known by many American and Australian short-term team members. Mia has received the medicine she needed. It was brought in as an emergency response to her illness. She is now doing better--she is conscious, sitting up and talking. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.