by Marlene Flom

If you asked four Islanders, "What did you do this summer?" they would respond, "We went to Bali, Indonesia to open an orphanage - Bali House - for Orphans International!" Here is their story.

Jim Luce (founder and president), Marlene Flom (trustee), Ethel Romm (advisory board), and Nurit Marcus (child sponsor) were the four happy travelers. Jim urged each of us to take an extra suitcase filled with toys, books, and clothes for the children. He gave us red bandannas to put on the suitcases and we looked like a troupe of traveling gypsies. We arrived at JFK for the 24-hour trip, stopping in Vancouver and Hong Kong; we lost a day. There is a 12-hour difference between Indonesia and Roosevelt Island!

We were met by Dani Sirait, the founder of Bali House, when we landed in Denpasar, Bali's capital. You may remember that Dani lived on Roosevelt Island for the last two years. He gave up his journalistic career for a year to dedicate himself to Bali House and see to its smooth daily operation.

Dani and Jim worked through Orphans International (OI) America for two years to build the foundation which would one day hold Bali House. The opening gala was spectacular, with 140 in attendance, including civil and religious leaders as well as performers, visiting orphans, and an international delegation. Dani went on to coordinate our successful first World Congress in a sun-drenched hotel near the orphanage, in Sanur, where Marlene spoke about houseparenting and Ethel spoke about financial advice, respectively.

Jim and Dani stayed at the orphanage while Marlene and Nurit stayed at a lovely cottage hotel in Ubud, an artistic colony one hour from Denpasar. Ethel stayed with an artist friend of Dani's. There is a gentle spirit in Ubud, coupled with greenery and flowers. One-lane roads become two lanes of hair-raising driving - but there is no road rage, only patience. The population of Bali is 95% Hindu, and the living is mellow. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees with pockets of humidity. The Farmer's Market on Roosevelt Island would want to buy the fruits and vegetables here. Outstanding!

Getting back to the opening: people gathered inside the front gate as Balinese dancers performed a welcome dance and Jim and the Hindu president of OI Bali cut a red ribbon, bringing the crowd through Bali House for a tour. Dani served as co-master of ceremony. Jim gave the keynote address, which was simultaneously translated into Indonesian, although he opened with the Hindu greeting "Om swasti astu" and ended with "Om shanti shanti shanti" (a wish for peace individually, collectively and universally). Jim credits the training he has received through the Roosevelt Island Toastmasters for his ability to speak to audiences.

Children of both Hindu and Christian orphanages nearby performed and played When the Saints Come Marching In. After a wonderful catered lunch with a cool green melon drink, chicken sate, and more, we all sang We Are the World. And then we danced around the courtyard in joy for the birth of Bali House.

There was a surprise birthday cake for Jim, whose birthday it was - his 45th! Dani presented Jim with a tremendous oil painting, done by a collective of Indonesian painters, of what the orphanage campus would be like in five years with more houses, a library, and a computer lab. Elaborate!

Bali House is a beautiful six-bedroom dwelling with four bedrooms for children, one for two staff members, and a spacious guest bedroom. Three other rooms serve as teaching and play areas. There is a full-time cook. This is no Oliver Twist story: the children live only two to a room and can have second portions of any food they want. When you enter Bali House you feel serene and happy - as though the house is blessed by good spirits who are watching over the children.

And speaking of the children - we have eight beds in Bali House, and five are currently filled. The children include Fauzan (7 years old), Andre (11), Robert (10), Elsi (8), and Rizky (8). Two of the children are Catholic: Robert, a refugee from East Timor, and Elsi, from the neighboring island of Negara. Three of the children, all from Bali, are Muslim: Fauzan, Andre and Rizky. Fauzan is a first for OI Worldwide as he is defined as a "pre-orphan" - his mother can no longer care for him, and is expected to die shortly. The children are bright and get along well together.

Our thanks go out to Dani Sirait for his excellent handling of so many details to accomplish the opening of Bali House. He also made our stay as comfortable and varied as possible. We miss Dani, but he is needed in Denpasar to oversee the smooth functioning of Bali House.

Back to reality in New York. OI has plenty of work to do - contacts to make and funds to raise. Interested? See our website at www.internationalorphans.org or e-mail Jim at JimLuce@aol.com.