In December 2007, a team of five specially trained acupuncturists flew to Indonesia toting heavy bags of needles, herbs and other Chinese medical supplies with the sole intention of helping as many people as possible with the resources of their own hands and the contents of their suitcases. They were self-funded volunteers who wanted to share their skills and wealth of knowledge with people who had no access to healthcare.

The question being asked by this journey was: would it be possible to bring capable practitioners from the United States, who had very little experience in international humanitarian aid work, directly to people in need of healthcare and have a sustainable impact on those communities?

Less than a month later, when the team of practitioners returned home after providing more than 2,400 treatments to needy villagers, the answer was a resounding yes!