Friends From Iowa Foundation provides many avenues for help and services through Friends From Iowa Foundation: housing or building materials, physical and occupational therapy, psychological care and services, a safe and structured learning environment for special needs kids and an … Continued
Magdalena Corcios is a 37 year old woman, who spent most of her adult life working in San Salvador as a house keeper. I met her and her mother this year when our Physical Therapist, Gladis and I started to … Continued
Thanks to all who have continued to offer support and prayers for Wendy. She has completed her first follow-up with her surgeon since her surgery. All is looking good and her healing is advancing ahead of schedule (so, again, thanks … Continued
Have you ever heard your phone ring, looked down at your caller ID, and wondered if you should answer? After looking at the name, have you sighed and thought, “Do I have enough time to answer this call?”, “I wonder why … Continued
Does poverty have a face? I am told there are people living in poverty right here in Waukee, Iowa; the place that I have grown up and lived in for 62 years. I can truthfully say that I do not think I have … Continued
While most pray, there are others that prey. It was a typical Wednesday evening in Berlín, Usulutan. The streets were quiet, except for an occasional person still walking home from their long day working probably at a coffee finca. There was the … Continued
There are no words to describe Alexander and his wife’s emotions when they stopped by the Foundation after returning from his appointment with the cancer specialist in San Salvador. He spoke non-stop from 5:00 to 6:00pm with every emotion available … Continued
I want to introduce Alexander. When I first met him, he was strapped into the back of a pickup truck with his young daughter embracing him, giving him a kiss, and not wanting to let him go. Alexander was getting … Continued
“Sometimes it is just about putting a smile on a face.” I want to introduce you to Natalie. She is one child out of millions that live in extreme poverty; the only difference is that I know her, her family, … Continued
“I hate it when something that I have repeated over and over gets thrown back at me in my face.” When my kids were growing up and things were not going their way they would complain about something not being … Continued
I am still in Berlin after three weeks; it seems like three days. There is so much to do and it seems that we never get caught up. When I first got here, Reina had been released from the hospital and we … Continued
“It is repeated many times by people of faith that “GOD never burdens us with more than we can handle.” It gives me great pause to wonder why such pain and suffering would be laid upon such a young and … Continued
Donʼt look back; that is not the direction that I am going: A year end reflection while looking forward to 2016 at Friends From Iowa Foundation. I always liked the phrase, “Don’t look back; that’s not the direction I am … Continued
Celebrating LIVING Christmas. One of the first things I ritually do when I arrive in Berlin is visit the families who live in the homes we built and gave to them. There are currently sixty people living there, and it consumes most … Continued
An update on Jose Maravilla: Jose is a 59-year-old gentleman who had been wandering aimlessly looking for help for his severe leg and feet problems. For those who have not heard about him, you can read earlier posts about him … Continued
I feel like I am on a mental teeter-totter, not knowing if I am feeling somber or blithe.
Reina is able to begin chemotherapy treatment TODAY and may be able to save her arm and more importantly, her life. “WHY?” Many of us have this God thing all wrong: believing and stating that if we have faith in God, everything … Continued
AM I ALL IN? That is a question I seem to be internally asking myself more frequently as time goes on. Hopefully, this happens to others, or I am giving an inside glimpse at how my brain works. My passport is full; there … Continued
There is a correction, lost somewhere in translation, that Mr. Maravilla is 59 years old and not 70. I am sure the 15 years of suffering he has endured has felt like an eternity compared to the 11 years I was … Continued
Medical Lip Syncing, just as I expected. We, here in the U.S. are truly blessed to live where we have a health care system that does not discriminate because of our net worth. Unfortunately, there are many places in the world … Continued
Today is Sunday, and I didn’t go to Mass (church). I am glad I didn’t. The service would have been in Spanish, and while I can usually follow along and know what part of the Mass it is since the Catholic … Continued
“There is a saying in El Salvador: The wealthy have the freedom to live, and the poor have the freedom to die.” What are your feet or legs worth? How about your back? What is the ability to be able … Continued
“Sometimes it is difficult and hard when you see and become aware of other people’s problems.”
“Sometimes, It Takes More Than Prayers…” This is a recurring theme that I have often used when encountering frustration by the lack of an apparent solution, or its expediency, or the lack of attention by others to an issue that … Continued
