Poison Man to Pastor

November 8, 2015

In some parts of the world they are referred to as sorcerers or witch doctors, here they are known as poison men. Men who can, through the use of incantations and potions, cast spells to either help, harm, or even kill other people. Kiung was one of them. He used to be sought out my […]

Reading Between the Clans

February 23, 2015

The program and curriculum had been designed for Patpatar adults who were unable to read and write, but that didn’t seem to matter. Now truckloads of the most highly educated folks in Patpatar were arriving to attend the week long training workshop. A month earlier, I had been visiting with the local elementary teacher. We […]

A Hike, A Helicopter, and A Hiccup

September 15, 2013

After several hours in the pickup we reached the northern tip of the island. From there we bounced along in a small fiberglass boat with a 40HP outboard motor for two hours with sprays of saltwater acting as a rhythmic timer counting off each wave. Finally we reached dry ground. Dry ground is figurative, for […]

Holding a Book

March 22, 2013

When we first started the literacy classes in Patpatar one of the students that attended was a young man who had a wife and several young children. He was a hard worker but quiet and reserved. His struggle with what might be anemia often causes him to be bed ridden on a mat in his […]

Say What?

November 7, 2012

My confidence in cross-cultural experience and knowing multiple languages was fading about as quickly as the line I was standing in. The visa office in the small African country was cozy especially considering there were about 20 of us taking up temporary residence in it. The line now resembled more of a football huddle around […]