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Our Mission Statement: The Dream Machine Foundation is a Christian non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and families in Fiji with medical, dental, educational and farming programs to improve their quality of life.  Click here to read all about the Dream Machine Foundation.
 

  • We are now set up to receive stocks as donations.  Ask us how.
  • You can make a tax-deductible donation with PayPal

      You will receive a tax receipt.

    Most Commonly Requested Fiji Info  

  • To join a mission trip check out these pages: Participant InformationParticipant Mandatory Requirements and Calendar links.
       
  • Click here for Physician, Dentist and Nurse-needs, information and schedules.     

If you would like Stephen Arrington to speak at your church or academy call or email him steve@drugsbite.com.   There is no charge, his is a faith ministry.  He would do the church service and a Saturday night vesper program; it is only at the vesper program that he would ask to take an offering for Fiji.

Steve's Speaking Schedule:

  • Camino SDA Church, Camino, CA
    July 11 at 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM
  • Laguna Nigel SDA Church, CA
    July 18 at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM

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How Project Fiji began:
The morning song of an exotic bird stirs me gently from my sleep. The melody drifts through an open window on the back of a warm tropical breeze. It is still dark outside here in the South Pacific as I listen to the drumming sound of an approaching rain squall. The cascading water marches in rapidly from the ocean, hammers across the tin roof, then it tramps up the mountainside leaving a moist freshness in its wake.  Click here to continue...


News Flashes: (Updated July 1, 2009)

Urgent: Please read our July email newsletter below, there is a critical need for your attention.  This is a chance to make a huge difference for families in Fiji and may indeed save lives...

 

Dear Friends of the Dream Machine Foundation                       

 

I have good news and bad news, but the bad news has an excellent solution.  I am leaving for Fiji on July 19 with a team of six physicians, one dentist and a support staff.  We will be manning the new free clinic in Buca Bay, Mission at Natuvu Creek, built and funded by Doctors Tom and Marta Tooma.  There is a full-time trauma surgeon and nurse at the clinic that sees patients five days a week.  However, there are many Fijians who cannot afford…or are too sick… to make the journey to the clinic using the limited public transportation, (one bus, once a day that the patient may need to walk several miles to reach).  With this large of a medical/dental team we are making a very big effort to reach out into the more remote villages to those who have little hope for help.  We are making a large financial commitment by hiring Fijian trucks and boats with drivers to bring these particularly needy patients to the clinic.

 

In early July, a mission group is preceding us from Calistoga, CA.  They will do construction at Rabi Island and identify patients on that island.  We will also have patients coming from Taveuni and Kioa Islands.  Our Project Manager, Roger Lutz, who was a medic in Vietnam, will travel to other outer villages looking for those with the greatest need.  We give priority to children and the elderly.  Any patient who uses public transportation to reach us will be re-reimbursed for their travel expenses when they arrive at the clinic (about $3to 5 USD).  This is necessary because Fiji is suffering from extremely hard financial times, the coup in 2006, combined with a 20% devaluation of their dollar has hit the families hard.

How critical are the needs in Fiji?  The closest government hospital only has electrical power for two hours a day, at which time they run the pumps to fill every water container and power the X-ray.  When the power goes down for the rest of the of the day and night they use flashlights and kerosene lanterns to treat patients.  The morgue is closed…lost loved ones are placed directly into the ground.

If you could help us with the finances for this project your donation will help to save lives and give medical and dental attention to those who need it the most in rural Fiji.  Our clinic sees patients from five islands.

Now for the bad news.  I already advised everyone last year that Fulton Adventist College has been evicted from the land that they have leased for over sixty years.  They must vacate the property by December 31st of this year.  We offered to sell them 150 acres for $1 to relocate to Buca Bay, ours is the second largest island in Fiji, however the Trans Pacific Union is opting to lease 200 acres that is close to the international airport on the main island.  Now, we have just been advised that the Fiji Mission will not be renewing the lease for Vatuvonu SDA School because the land owners have drastically increased the rent far beyond the mission's budget.  The DMF has assisted in keeping this school running for twelve years, but now it has no more options.  Vatuvonu School was established in the 1930's and now its doors are closing forever.  Now for the solution!

Our companion foundation, Mission at Natuvu Creek, owns 750 acres, the Dream Machine Foundation owns 100 acres.  On the DMF property we will build a vocational school, i.e., wood and medal working, outboard engine repair, vehicle and boat maintenance, and we will teach Fijian traditional canoe making and roof thatching (these skills have been dying out and are important to their heritage).  On the Mission at Natuvu Creek property we are going to built a K - 8 Christian elementary school.  We already have the full cooperation of the Fiji government.  Since we already own the land and we have the water and power system in place we simply need to build the classrooms and do the wiring and plumbing.  Later we will build a cafeteria and library.  Our immediate need is funding for the classrooms.  We will use missionaries, Fiji volunteers and Fijian builders for the construction.  Note: We can hire Fijian builders for less than a dollar an hour.  It helps the economy and gives the local people pride at a modest cost.

Our time frame is critical.  I am going to Fiji on July 19 and if we have enough funds we can begin the planning and building process and hopefully be ready for the 2010 school year, which starts in January.  If you would like to help, send your tax deductable donation to Dream Machine Foundation, PO Box 3234, Paradise, CA  95967.

A last piece of excellent news to share is that the other SDA school that we help is called Nagigi.  The Fiji Mission had to let it go in 2006 for financial budgeting reasons.  At the time there was sixty students at the school when it was turned over to the local community to run.  With the help of the DMF it has now grown to over one-hundred and fifty students and has added two more grades. 

Thank you for your time and please feel free to share this newsletter with others.

 

May the Lord bless you and yours richly,

 

 

Attention all Physicians, Dentists, Nurses & Physical Therapist The Mission at Natuvu, the new eye and dental clinic is now open five days a week and we are looking for volunteers.  You can come out on your own schedule.  The need in the area is huge!  The closest government hospital only has power two hours a day, during which time they have to quickly fill every water container, then when the electricity is shut off see patents using flashing lights, kerosene lanterns and candles.  We can get you full government approval to practice in Fiji and they are eager for your help  For more info, call or email steve (stephenarrington@msn.com) .

Looking for Mission Groups.  After the powerful cyclone that hit on Jan 28 we've had some children in the villages come down with typhoid fever, which prompts the DMF to step up our water filtration projects for four villages.  If your church would like to accept one of the villages as a mission project please contact us.  We are also eagerly seeking mission groups to help us develop the DMF 100 acre property.  We need to build housing (bungalows and tree houses), a shower house and other projects.  Steve and Cindy want to film documentaries of life and soul saving mission work in Fiji and show them worldwide on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network.  Having a mission facility with a Swiss-Family-Robinson look to it would help to capture the attention of the world, particularly Christians who have never done mission work, and un-reached youth.  We are youth oriented and very much like to see young people come to Fiji for a life-changing mission trip.

Catch Steve & Cindy on our weekly half-hour Satellite Television program on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network:  High on Adventure is a youth and family program that seeks to inspire youth and young adults to go for their dreams through positive choices, to encourage a commitment for doing good and to cement a sincere working relationship with Jesus Christ.  Cindy's and my goal is to share our path to adventure, challenge and satisfaction in life.  As the name implies this is an adventure quest with whales, dolphins and sharks, but it goes way beyond that as we dive into life quests that lead to a purpose-driven life.  We'll talk about health issues, examine exciting careers, spend time tramping around beneath the ocean and go on mission trips to Fiji.  Fun for the whole family!  If you don't have the satellite connection, then catch it all on the internet at http://www.llbn.tv/  High on Adventure airs six times a week, this is the Pacific Daylight Time: Sunday 2:00 pm, Monday 6:00 am, Tuesday 12:30 am, Wednesday 8:30 am, Thursday 10;00 pm and Friday 5:00 am

The DMF has almost completed its first bungalow, which can sleep 20 people.  This has been a real financial challenge for us because the coup of 2006 has pushed-up the prices of construction materials and we had to hire the work out instead of using volunteers.  The take over of the Fijian Government by the military meant we had to cancel our 200708 mission season.  Note: no one was hurt in the coup, which went forward with the permission of the Fijian president.  All remains calm in Fiji and we expect to begin our 2008 mission season as planned.  The only reason we had to cancel for 2007 was because we could not obtain Accident Risk Management Insurance from the GC.  Our relationship with the Government of Fiji is excellent.  The Ministry of Health is particularly interested in our continued support and free service.

 

 

Terrific news, the Fiji Mission has decided to renew the lease for Vatuvuon School.  There was a very real threat of the school being closed because of the financial crisis.  The Fiji Mission is receiving less tithing because salaries are severely reduced.  Fiji has been expelled from the British Commonwealth and is receiving no foreign subsidies due to the current government takeover.  The DMF will provide financial assistance as we can though we are still modestly in debt.  We also help to support Nagigi SDA School which now has an enrollment of over 180 students.

Cyclone Gene hits Fiji.  A powerful cyclone has struck Fiji knocking out electricity to much of Fiji and contaminating fresh water supplies.  Buca Bay has been particular hard hit.  Buca Village has been evacuated and is flooded with four feet of water.  We are receiving many requests for urgent assistance.  For more information on the situation in Fiji please visit Fiji Live or Fiji Times on the internet.  We are hoping for rapid financial assistance.  If you can help, please label your donation for Buca/Fiji Assistance Fund.  100% of your donation will go directly to help the people in Fiji devastated by this Cyclone.

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