Fresh Perspective

On Thursday my phone rings, this time it is my friend Patti. Patti and her husband have served here for over 20+ years.  They are deeply immersed in loving people to Jesus.  My admiration for them run deeply.  Patti apologizes.  Not wanting to assume that I, or our medical team would or could help.   She goes on to explain that one of their young Papuan friends gave birth 3 days ago.  Apparently she bled heavily for these 3 days after the birth and had now been moved to ICU at the hospital right behind our home.  The baby was healthy and already home.  AB+ blood was needed, otherwise this ladies death was imminent.  For a change my afternoon was free and I assured Patti that I would go up to the hospital to see what I could do and that if the blood donor place was still open that I would give blood because I am 0 negative, a universal donor.  Relieved, I found the blood bank room still open.  At 2:45 this was a surprise to me,...

Warning:  This blog is not for the faint hearted. A text arrives to my phone at 12:15 from Wendy. “So you ready to be a patient advocate (cause I know you are so bored!)?  Gary is bringing in a lady and is asking us to go.  Don’t know diagnosis or exact arrival time but around 1.” Before I could respond, the next text comes in. “OK ETA 1240. Diagnosis 10 days (?) post miscarriage gangrenous mastitis.” I scurry around in the kitchen trying to get lunch on the table.  Racing against the clock.  Racing against the now familiar sound, the drone of an approaching airplane.  I’m excited.  This is what I want to be doing.  I’m also overwhelmed.  The timing could not have been worse.  My list of important things to do was long and now this……    For a change, I remember to take my overwhelming feelings and give them to the Lord.  Asking Him to ordain the rest of this day and the things He would have me to do.  Pots...

In the past 7 days there have been 28 earthquakes in Indonesia (www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes).  I decided to write about earthquakes because they happen here in Papua, Indonesia where I live.  I have experienced a few little earthquakes in the past 4 years, that have only been around 5-10 seconds long.  They have made windows rattle, doors shake and people tattle.  Tragically earthquakes can be much worse, causing devastating homelessness, despair and even death. Earthquakes are caused by the tectonic plates pushing against each other.  At first they are stuck and then pressure builds up and the plates tear apart.  This causes violent ground movement otherwise known as an earthquake.  Scientist call this epicenter, where the ground tears apart, the focus point.  In a video I watched a seismologist dug a deep hole and looked at the sides of the dirt wall.  He found charcoal there, from perhaps where there had been a prairie fire in th...

How does a Missionary Kid go on a mission trip?  You may ask, “Aren’t you already a missionary?”  Yes, however, this will help me become a better missionary kid!!!! I am going to Thailand to learn how to make videos.  Hopefully soon I can create videos for my Dad, and others, featuring the work here and maybe simple gospel messages.  This will help the people of Papua, Indonesia to learn about God and Jesus.  Also it can help with future fund raising projects.  It will help the people of Papua to see in a whole new light because they love seeing and hearing videos, especially the people in far places. The workshop that I will be attending is in Thailand.  Thailand is a central place for most of Asia so people will be traveling there from all over Asia.  Not only will they be teaching videography, there will also be radio, animation, multi media,  story telling and many more  tracks.  I feel excited about going to Thailand. ...