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.
We, along with the rest of America, were saddened by the news of the Boston marathon bombings and followed the news coverage closely. As we watched the aftermath and the search for the suspects unfold, one phrase that the police spokesman used stuck out to me. He urged people in the Boston area to “shelter […]
“Anyone want to go to the pasar with me?” I occasionally ask the kids.
Their answer? No whoops of joy, no hollers of “yes, Mom, please!” Just moans, groans, and fists beating the floor.
I get it. The pasar, or open market, is not the most enjoyable place to visit. It stinks, there are puddles […]
This week marks one year that our family has lived in Papua, serving at the MAF base in Sentani … 365 days, every single one of them spent in this far-flung province of Indonesia.
I look back on the year, and it’s easy to focus on the struggles. The bout of malaria, the terrifying flash flood […]
Last week our family took a trip to the Big City for fingerprinting at the immigration office. Not exactly my first choice for a family outing, but hey, we take what we can get.
Luke getting his fingerprints taken at immigration.
Numerous times over the years, our family has waited in government offices, patiently trying […]
As if it’s not already hot enough here in the tropics, now we have Olympic fever.
I love watching the Olympics. It’s one of those events that shrinks the world for me. I feel connected to our home country as we – from the other side of the globe – cheer on our fellow Americans.
The Olympics […]
Where are you from?
A simple, innocuous little question, easy enough for most people to answer. Not so much if you were born in Singapore, hold an American passport, but have spent much of your life in Indonesia.
I’ll never forget being in Singapore a few years ago at the Night Safari, sitting with several hundred other […]