Blue Screen

I am sure anyone reading this have seen the dreaded blue screen on your computer. Unless you own an Apple--as some of my Apple friends have reminded me. Yes--I had the blue screen and my computer would not open. I immediately took it to the computer repair shop and they gave me that look. It will be about 10 days to two weeks before they will let me know the verdict.

I have had to use other sources and I found that if I access the server I have still answer incoming emails. I am far from a computer guru--I just use email and check the news pages. The dependence on these electronic pieces of our life show us how we are all connected. I still have my cell phone--so I am still communicating with those on my phone.

After contemplating for a moment about all this--I could remember a time when we lived without computers. Life was a lot more simple then--we interacted on a much different level. We did not have Facebook or Skype--we talked face-to-face with our family and friends. There was a more personal touch to our interaction.

If I lose my hard drive then I lose a lot of documents and photos. Now I just wait and hold my breath. We will see how it goes with the blue screen episode.

Good People

After three weeks on the road, it was good to sleep in my own bed last night. I went to Boise, Phoenix and Springfield (Illinois). I spoke to several groups and met with supporters. The temperatures were very hot--110 plus in Phoenix.

Meeting people and talking about the work in Indonesia is such a blessing. I meet some of the most amazing people on the planet. I met Jim in Springfield--he and I found a lot in common. We could have talked for hours and we did. I loved his passion and the many experiences he shared. This is what makes traveling very worthwhile. Jim was a father of two and had a wonderful wife who was on the same page with him. It is the good people who stand with us as we serve the people of Indonesia.

Our Best

You would have to meet Dr. Naomi to know how what an awesome woman she is. She is a skilled physician and has the highest character. She is one of the lead doctors at our base in Indonesia. Naomi has been in the U.S. for the past couple months for an intensive training course on pediatric eye care. She is upgrading her medical skills by study here in the U.S.

She is one of our best. What a blessing to have her as a part of our team. She could make a lot more money if she was in private practice. Her heart is to help the poor and to give the best years of her life to help the helpless. We are all very proud of her and the hard work and compassion she offers her patients.

A Chill in the Air

It is early August and there is a chill in the air. It is the closing of the Alaskan summer and the greetings of the short fall season. I have had the opportunity to travel to many places and meet some amazing people this year. We have new partners and new doors have opened.

I am very hopeful and determined to walk into a new seasons of serving the poor in Indonesia. We have been so blessed to be able to continue the work in spite of economic challenges in our world over the last several years. We are blessed to have many faithful partners. We are entering a new season--more world economic challenges. Poverty doesn't stop because of economic woes around the world's stock markets-- disease doesn't take a break--abandonment takes no vacation when our exchange rate goes south. We continue to serve the poor--the sick and the abandoned.

Travel

I just got back from a little more than a week of travels. My wife and I drove over 1,000 miles with no incidents. We felt fortunate to see such wonderful views on this trip. We went to Seward (Alaska) where we spoke to a wonderful group of new and old friends. We saw our dear friends, Al and Donna, where we stayed up playing games and just talking. It was like we had never been away at all--we just picked up where we left off. The fellowship was amazing.

We also stopped to see Dennis and Janae. I have known Dennis for over 30 years. We so enjoyed the time with them--we went to their lake house and did some fishing. Cathy was amazing--she caught several nice red salmon. Our friends mean so much to us and we treasure them.

Seward is a port city here in the far north. There were thousands of vacationers who came to catch a silver salmon or halibut. This is a place where the visitors out number the locals during fishing season. We met some of the locals and just had a wonderful time. I consider these times as special blessings. I get to talk about our efforts in Indonesia and at the same time I get to meet new friends and see old friends.

Heavy Hearts

Baby Junita fought a good fight but lost her battle for life. We are all heavy hearted about her passing. Our hopes were high and the help that was offered to her was monumental. She was given every ounce of help we could give. She faced a domino effect of the tragic burn--dengue fever--a twisted bowel. It was just too much for her to overcome.

Jien is the nine year old who had T.B. and was severely malnourished. She was shockingly thin at around 15 pounds. Our medical staff assessed her battle was due to damaged organs that just could not process the food she consumed. She got weaker and weaker even though she was given an enriched formula. She was at our base for about a year. During that year she received lots of love and attention. This week her father came and took her back to their village. He could see she was not making progress and needed to be with family as her tiny body was not getting stronger. I think it will be best for her to be with her family during these days. She is a fighter and proved the power of the human "will to live". She touched many lives and was an example of tenacity.

Reality

I just reported the passing of baby Junita. She fought a good fight but just had too much for her frail body to overcome. If the burn injuries were not tough enough she got Dengue Fever and then a twisted bowel. The internal bleeding due to the Dengue Fever and the emergency surgery for the twisted bowel was a huge challenge to survive. She came out of the surgery but could not fully recover. This is the reality of the medical work. The staff and all our supporters put everything into saving her life. Even with the huge effort, sometimes a patient does not survive.

Jien is also a real concern. I recently saw her and spoke to the staff. She was not doing very well. She is very thin and is fighting for her life. This is reality. We want the best outcome but we have to walk in an understanding of what is actually happening.

We just continue to pray and do everything medically to join the fight to live.