Irian Jaya, Indonesia

The forests are so thick and the mountains are so steep in Irian Jaya that a two-hour flight may amount to 10 days walking. That's why Julius Surjadi doesn't do business like most doctors. There is no clinic building bearing the Luke Society name. There is only a suitcase full of medicine sitting behind his seat in the airplane. His clinic is located wherever that suitcase is, whether it's in a hut or on an open grassy clearing. From the moment the landing gear touches ground to when it leaves, the doctor is in.

Because of the rough terrain of Irian Jaya, flying is the only option. Julius relies on Cessna airplanes and helicopters flown by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) pilots. There is a huge risk in flying, however. Because Irian Jaya is made of mostly islands, the surrounding waters create quick weather changes. There is no Doppler radar to monitor the weather, so the pilots rely on spotters on the ground that keep an eye on the clouds. Some areas are limited to landing before 9 a.m. because wind currents won't allow a later landing. For these reasons, the villages of Irian Jaya remain very primitive.

Traditional dress consists of grass skirts and gourds. The people gather food from wherever they can find it. Not only is the dress and food very primitive, the culture is steeped in tradition that would shock most North Americans. The definition of family is unhealthy in the villages. The women and men live separately. The wives are recognized by their husbands as possessions used only for mating purposes. Children have no souls until they reach age six. It is then they are valued enough to be given a name. Perhaps the most shocking belief is that the possession of pigs is worth more than the possession of women.

It was after Julius had been providing medical care that he realized the distorted view that local people have regarding family values. Because the evangelists are from various locations within Irian Jaya, they too believe the same traditions. Julius initially focused on teaching biblical family values to these evangelists.

Soon, Debby, Julius' wife, will be traveling with him to reinforce the idea of family values to the tribes.

The evangelists are grateful for Julius' presence. Living in the rural tribes comes with a great health risk for them and their families. Many evangelists have lost family members to various diseases because there was no medical help available. Not only have the evangelists welcomed Julius for his clinical care, but they have also embraced his ideas on health education. It's hard to make health education important. When Julius approaches a tribal chief about doing medical work within the village, he accepts his offer. However, the chief tried to convince him to build a clinic within the village. There is a traditional sense of medicine, that medical help is needed when they are sick or injured. The concept of learning health education to prevent disease is hard for them to accept. Julius understands their desire for a clinic, but visiting the villages and teaching health education will continue to be his focus. By training them to live healthier lives, he hopes to see a decrease in the mortality rate and fewer devastating effects of disease.

Although Julius and Debby are experiencing positive responses to their ministry, they are struggling with finding personal support. They have been visiting many churches in the area to raise support for their ministry, but have yet to find a church family to call their own. They moved from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia to the small town of Nabire, which is about a five-hour flight. In spite of these obstacles, Julius and Debby continue to draw comfort from the fact that God is always near, and He will provide.