Natalie and her husband David joined MAF in 2000 and spent 17 years in Indonesia in the provinces of Kalimantan and Papua. In 2018 they relocated to MAF’s headquarters in Nampa, Idaho, where David now serves as President/CEO and Natalie writes for MAF and the local newspaper. They have four children and a miniature dachshund.
There is something I do daily that gives me a small measure of joy. I fix a simple meal for our yard guy. It’s never anything fancy – noodles or reheated leftovers and instant coffee. I call him (and call him and call him – he’s quite deaf) to come and “Makan!” (eat!). His weathered […]
It was 3 a.m. on Easter morning, and I stood at the bottom of our driveway, shivering slightly, even in the warm tropical air. I was waiting to join a group from a local church that would soon pass by our house as they walked around town, “ringing in the Resurrection.”
I tilted my head back […]
Our oldest son Carter is a senior, and recently we were talking through an essay he had to write for a scholarship application. I suggested he write about some of the challenges of overseas living.
“Like what?”
I thought for a moment. “Oh, you know, like the electricity. How it’s always going off.”
He shrugged. “Then it comes […]
Last week our family went to a village interior. I walked with my friend Esther to her “palace,” a large wooden building where she watches up to 100 kids every morning. The parents of these kids are students at the Bible school where Esther’s husband teaches.
The scene was chaotic—toys, puzzles, and books scattered every which […]
“Good job, Mom! You didn’t cry!” my daughter Zoe congratulated me recently. We were visiting our old home of 10 years on the island of Tarakan, off the coast of northeast Kalimantan. It had been over four years since we left, and I think Zoe was worried I would repeat the great outpouring of emotion […]
The jet-lagged Holsten family at the start of their furlough.
We’ve been on furlough in the U.S. for a few weeks. It’s been great, but already I find myself needing to reassure my future self.
Dear Natalie of mid-August,
By now, you have enjoyed a few months of all the wondrous things that the Land of […]