out,” he said. The purpose of the trip to India was to meet with embassy officials to see if their country would be open to allowing orphans to travel with the Matsiko Children’s Choir next year. Selkirk reports that it was a success, and that they are looking forward to having children from India join the tour. From India the five traveled to Nepal. “It was cheap to travel there and we figured why no throw an extra country in the bunch,” said Selkirk.
“One of my goals is to know all the types of medicines,” he said.
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He is proud of his family and what they have accomplished to make a difference in people’s lives. “We can’t go anywhere without my mom trying to help,” said Selkirk. As for Heather, she said that the experience has given Selkirk a better sense of conservation and an appreciation of the life with which he has been blessed. “We won the geographical lottery,” she said.
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In Nepal there were five of them to one bedroom, and the nights were extremely cold. But that did not seem to bother Selkirk. “They did not have much to offer us (as far as accommodations), but they were so kind,” he said gratefully. There they also had to make do with a bucket of water and a cup to shower. “But it was so cold that we didn’t even want to do that,” he said.
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It was in Nepal where Selkirk was not sure if his life would be changed forever. His mother fell extremely ill. Unsure of what was wrong with her, Selkirk said Heather was in extreme pain and passed out while he was holding her on his lap.
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“She told me that if she died, she wanted me to complete the mission trip,” said Selkirk of the horrifying moment. In the end, it was three kidney stones that were causing Heather excruciating pain. “I did not think I was going to come home from this one,” said Heather describing conditions beyond belief in the place where she was treated. “I don’t think you’ve lived until you’ve traveled in an ambulance in Nepal.”
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Recovering in India, Heather stayed behind as Selkirk and the others traveled onto the Philippines. In the wake of an earthquake and typhoon, they were not sure of what to expect. “It turned out to not be as bad as CNN had portrayed,” said Selkirk. The orphanage they visited there was on an island and accessible only by a small fishing boat. Selkirk delighted in playing with the kids, climbing trees and playing simple games. So what have all these adventures taught Selkirk? “It’s made me realize how lucky I am and how grateful I am to live where I do,” said Selkirk who believes people here in the U.S. should not take things for granted because there are many people in the world who wonder where their next meal is coming from. Selkirk’s love of helping others has influenced his desire to study medicine when he is older.
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Grateful to be back home, Selkirk said that while it was a challenge, he would not change anything - except for his mom’s illness. Reflecting on the experience he said if an opportunity comes his way again and he feels he has something to offer, he would definitely go. “I feel exposed to the world and experienced,” said Selkirk. “If I were forced to be on my own, I know I could fly out of the nest.” The Pedersen family owns and operates Talus Rock Retreat in Sandpoint and uses the profits they earn there to help fund their mission trips and serve the less fortunate worldwide.
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