Timor

We have been in Timor for a week but it seems more like a month. Sean and Sierra make it seem as if we have access to the express lane in life. They have a wonderful home that is secure, clean, well stocked with food and drink and they both have the ability to get almost anything done in short order. Sierra had two large grants due today so she has been very focused on those. Money to run Ba Futuru (for the future) is increasingly hard to find with the larger economic down turn and she still have a large staff and their families to be the provider for. Sean is very busy organizing the upcoming Tour de Timor bike race, and underwater photography contest and other events. He has, as usual, proven invaluable in every way. He even got us up at 5:30 a few days ago for a fishing trip down the north coast to the east. Did not catch any fish but saw hug pods of dolphins right beside the boat and flying fish that seemed to go right under the boat as we trolled along, popping up and flying for 30 of 40 feet beyond the boat. We have an invite to join the US Ambassadors family at the pool side tomorrow afternoon, I will likely go but Casey is itching to get into the mtns so will be taking a motorcycle to a town near the highest peak in the country and spending the night there.

Our real work is going very well. We have met with most of those that we need to, have got some initial data and made many new contacts. I believe we will have all the data we need for our study but some may not be available until November. The young man that I suggested come here from Bellingham showed up about 6 weeks ago and now is moving to the island of Aturo just off the coast and has been working for Sierra since he arrived. Ethan has learned fluent Tetun in about a month, mostly because he prefers to hang out with the locals rather than the expats. He is now an employee of the program and will be living in the house that Matthias and Andrea built on the island. We will head over there next weekend to visit.

I also met with Matthias and Andrea's friend Anders, that I had met on my first trip here several years ago. They are working on setting up Wide Area Networks so that folk in rural areas can have access to the internet and so that clinics can communicate and store medical information. Anders has developed a full electronic medical record system for the communities he is working in in Ermera. I could not be more proud as a parent than when I come here. One woman I met said, "Oh you are Matthias' dad!" He had helped here when he was here and made a very good impression.

I have posted a number of photos on Facebook, but will try to put some on my old website if I have time so that everyone can have a look at them. It is amazing how fast time goes by, we will be heading home in just 10 days!