Training Medical Workers in Remote Tribal Areas

Malaria runs rampant, indiscriminately takes its toll on young and old alike. Painful boils incapacitate even the strongest men. Chest infections due to almost constant smoke inhalation are common. Neonatal care is almost non-existent. Run-away ear infections cause permanent hearing loss. Traditional first-aid treatments are more counter-productive than just doing nothing. Poor hygiene habits breed germs and disease. These are some of the realities in the Nakui world when it comes to health care.

Beginning in the 1980’s, NTM brought major improvement in medical treatment and training to the Nakui area. An aid post was first established in Iteri, and later in Nakui where indigenous volunteers were trained in first-aid and basic medicine. The result is that infant mortality has been cut from 50% to below 5%, and fatalities from malaria is now exception and not the rule. People in all directions cross mountains and wade through jungle swamps to receive treatment from these trained volunteers. Populations are growing, and the sound of groups of children playing can once again be heard in these villages.

But the question always remained … what happens to these medical programs after NTM moves out of these areas? With no official certification, how will these remote villages gain access to medicine and supplies? Who will help train the next generation of medical volunteers? There have always been more questions than answers. Until now.

This past year, in cooperation with the Sepik provincial health department, NTM began organizing and sponsoring a 6-week village health volunteer (VHV) training program. Upon graduation medical volunteers in these remote villages are certified to receive medicine and supplies from the government and to perform basic medical and neonatal treatment. Presently a VHV course is in full-swing at the Iteri airstrip, with approximately ten medical workers in training, including two Nakui men (Auiyo and Kibo). Though this may seem like a small development, this is the very first time these tribes have received ANY kind of medical education or training from the government. More importantly, this program puts these remote people groups on the health department’s radar, and means access to free medicine (although the airplane freight cost sure isn’t free!) and ongoing government-sponsored training. Windows of hope like this are rare for the Nakuis … I hope and pray both they will take full advantage of it.

Challenging days for the Nakui church

We heard from Greg and Heidi Greenlaw last week, who recently moved back into the tribe after covering leadership needs at the Wewak base for 6 months. The news out of Nakui is not overly encouraging. For the G-laws personally, they returned to find a good number of their solar panels had blown off the house and their power system down. This, in turn, shut off the 12-volt fridge which meant a freezer full of rotten meat greeted them upon arrival. Most of the next week was consumed with repairs and maintenance in order to get their home livable again. We've done that one before and let me tell you, it's not very fun.

One of the keen Nakui believers who has showed promise as a Bible teacher is struggling. This man has been a key figure in the church and was very intstrumental in the outreach to Yabu village last year. After many months of accusations, it has finally come to light that he has been in an adulturous relationship with another woman. To make matters more complicated this woman, who is another believer, is his wife's very good friend. There is now pressure on this man (from her family) to take this woman as his second wife (polygamy is not only common but a sign of status in Nakui culture). This man's wife is beside herself and making life miserable for everyone around her. What a mess. When God's people live according to the world's ways and not surrendered to the Lord, there is always a cost. In this case the Nakui church is paying a heavy price.

Another struggle in the church has to do with the death of Tunawe's daughter Sien. Although Diana spent much time in June nursing her back to health, she died in July of a mystery illness. I'm sure Tunawe, who had just recently lost his father Imo, was devistated. Nakui animistic beliefs require someone or something be blamed for death, and this time the blame was cast toward Yabu - the very village the Nakui church did their outreach. Relationships with Yabu had already been strained. Now they teeter on the brink of war. A few days badk a band of Nakui men left to attack Yabu, but were talked out of it by a man who lives in a village half-way village. During a church meeting the following day it sounds like Greg was able to initiate some healthy discussion centered around 1 Thessalonians 2 where Paul describes being holy, rightous and blameless among they young Thess. believers. This is indeed a key time in the life of TWO churches in the Nakui language group -- they need our prayers.

Watch "Kibo's Story", a 5 min video where Kibo tells of the Gospel coming to Nakui and its impact on him

Watch an 11 minute video about the Nakui church outreach to Yabu village

Fear

I read in this morning's paper about the smell of fear. It turns out scientific researchers report labratory mice were able to detect with their noses the "alarm pheromones" emitted into the air by other mice that were subjected to stress. It also turns out that we humans have the same nerve mechanism at the tip of our noses. Although I've been told my sense of smell isn't overwhelming, next time I find myself in a room of nervous tension, I'm going to take a deep wiff and give see what fear actually smell like. :-)
Not that fear and anxiety are laughing matters. I recently read where nearly a quarter of the adult population in the US will have an anxiety disorder sometime in their lives. That's a lot of stressed out people. Fear certainly isn't unique to our corner of creation. In the Nakui world it's an overwhelming theme in the lives of men, women and children. Fear of the unseen world ... fear that even a close friend from outside the village could be a sorcerer sent to attack ... fear that an unsuspecting illness could take the life of a loved one ... fear of a recently diceased relative roaming the village at night looking to take someone with him. It's no wonder that when Nakui believers meet, it's not long before the subject of heaven comes up. There is a genuine longing for what God has prepared for us once we trade in these imperfect bodies living in this fallen world. In their prayers, as well, it's a major theme. Below I pasted a recent prayer by Tuti, one of the Nakui believers and up and coming leaders, before sharing the Lord's Supper.
"Thank you Papa, you are always helping us. You have given us your Word, it’s no small thing. It is the talk that opens up Heaven’s road to us. Our ancestors did bad actions, they went to the place of fire. We are glad we will go see you in heaven. Your talk of getting us back from the fire is good. Jesus didn’t come to this ground for nothing; he came to help us by throwing away our sins. He came and did this work, then he went back to heaven again. When he knew he was about to die, he called his followers together and he ate with them. He said the wine water was like his blood and the bread was like his body. He told them to eat like this over and over again so they would remember him. Oh God, this is very good. When we do this in Jesus’ memory it is good. Thank you to you, God, for sending Jesus to us. His blood spilled on the ground, his body got broken. He did this for so we can live forever and ever with him in heaven. We say thank you to Jesus."

Moved Again!

We're getting way too used to this. By now we're pretty much able to sort through stuff and move it from one place to the next in our sleep. Our most recent move took us from Univ. City up to San Marcos where we will hopefully be able to settle in for a while. Well, for about a year anyway. In the midst of moving life the pace of life is picking up as school nears for the kids. Bekah is now in volleyball two-a-day practices at Tri-City Christian, and the 4 trips back and forth mean everything else is scheduled accordingly. Diana is in the midst of registering at Palamar College to take some prerequisite courses she will need for nursing school. I am getting the office set up and hopefully will be getting into Nakui Bible translation work before long.
For those needing our address, it is now 671 Corte Loren, San Marcos, CA 92069. Phone # is 760-597-0728.

We're Home !!!

Yep ... we're here! The trip home wasn't without some ticketing hassles in Port Moresby, but thanks to some last minute heroics by the Qantas lady we got out of PNG as scheduled. All was quickly forgotten as we enjoyed the next two nights on Denarau Island in Fiji. Tough but someones got to do it :-). These past two days in SD we've been unwinding, recallibrating our clocks, and buying a minivan. Today we got out for a bit of shopping ... it took about 20 minutes for me to pick out a stick of deoderant, and killed the afternoon in clothing stores.

It's great to be here and great to be with family. When I can connect on something more than dialup, we'll be posting some pictures from our recent Nakui trip.