He has a thick beard and is always ready to smile. His tall figure almost reaches the top of the door which is 2 meters high. One can detect from his brown eyes a sense of calmness. He is soft-spoken and speaks Indonesian fluently.

Yaahowu! he greets Tempo in the common Nias salutation as they meet at the Nias Heritage Museum, Jalan Yos Sudarso in Gunung Sitoli last month. Smiling, he writes his name, Father Johannes M. Hmmerle OFMCap, in Tempo