Participants: Narrator: Chet Damron
Series Code: OTG
Program Code: OTG000040A
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00:01 Narrator: Scattered across the globe Adventist World Aviation
00:04 has mission outposts situated in extremely remote areas, 00:08 that were established to help minister to local 00:11 indigenous people. 00:12 Most of these locations are so difficult to reach that aviation 00:16 is the primary means to reach them. 00:18 Adventist World Aviation can deliver the gospel message 00:21 as well as provide lifesaving med-evac flights to hundreds 00:25 by using the tool of Aviation. 00:29 The mission of AWA is to provide quick and reliable 00:32 transportation to many parts of the earth that are almost 00:36 impossible to reach. 00:37 The aviation base in Nicaragua is no different. 00:41 It has become an essential component of the 00:43 infrastructure that brings aid for the Miskito people 00:47 of this area. 01:33 Clint: I'm Clint Hanley and I live in Northeast Nicaragua, 01:38 in the upper corner along the boarder of the Rio Cocoa 01:41 with the boarder of Honduras and I live here with my family, 01:48 2 children and my wife, who is a nurse and we fly this airplane, 01:52 a Cessna 172, for medical work, all around this region, 01:59 covering about 150 miles in all directions. 02:03 Narrator: Adventist World Aviation has a mission outpost 02:06 situated in the north eastern part of Nicaragua 02:09 in a small village named Tronquera. 02:12 Here, the Hanley missionary family work endlessly serving 02:17 the Miskito people. 02:18 Clint is a pilot and offers med-evac flights to all the 02:21 neighboring villages that need to transport patients 02:25 to a higher level of medical care. 02:28 There are no safe road systems from the thick jungles 02:31 to Puerto Cabezas, which is the closest 02:34 hospital equipped to handle critical injuries. 02:37 Clint: We devote a lot of our attention and time 02:40 to humanitarian aid. 02:42 The right hand arm of the gospel is being able 02:44 to help people medically. 02:46 And being able to offer them this help, and being able 02:50 to give them the hope that they can have a better medical care 02:57 by transporting - there is none - none other available 03:01 in all of Nicaragua doing this. 03:02 So it's a vital piece of help that the government and 03:07 no other aid agency was able to offer to the people 03:11 to save lives in transport. 03:13 I have flown 530 patients from remote communities, 03:16 or from hospital to hospital. 03:18 Narrator: Clint stays very busy flying med-evac flights. 03:21 But despite this demanding flight schedule, the Hanley's 03:25 are not satisfied with only offering aviation service. 03:30 Their ministry in Tronquera is so much more. 03:33 The family keeps busy finding new ways to help 03:36 the local Miskito people. 03:38 Ultimately their goal is to point others to the gospel. 03:41 Clint: This church down here was built by the ultimate workout 03:45 group with Maranatha and right now we are putting the walls, 03:48 cement walls and roof and floor in it. 03:55 That's been our latest project, that we've been working on 03:58 for the last 6 months or so, is building on this church. 04:05 Santa Rita is about 250 people, about half of the village 04:09 is Seventh-day Adventist. 04:11 Narrator: Today, Clint and his young son Brendell are doing 04:15 that in a very tangible way; they are going to finish 04:18 the construction on a new Adventist church 04:21 in the neighboring village of Santa Rita. 04:25 Jud Wickwire, Vice President of Operations for Adventist 04:28 World Aviation is visiting the project in Nicaragua. 04:32 He also offers to help work on the construction 04:35 of the new church. 04:38 The church construction site is a short drive 04:41 to the neighboring village. 04:42 This region of northeastern Nicaragua has a terrain called 04:46 Pine Savannah. 04:49 A few clay roads, which are very neglected and full of 04:52 pot-holes wind through the trees Traveling these roads 04:57 is very slow. 05:00 Once they arrive, Clint jumps out of the truck 05:02 eager to get started. 05:04 He looks over the finished work on the building. 05:06 Clint and his crew will work on the roof 05:09 of the front porch. 05:11 The last step in the construction project. 05:14 Clint pulls himself up on the roof framework 05:17 and goes straight to work. 05:19 He re-measures everything to make sure that his calculations 05:22 are correct for the roofing material, 05:25 that he brought with him. 05:26 In this remote village, there are no construction supplies, 05:30 or hardware stores to obtain materials. 05:32 Everything is brought in with them in the truck. 05:36 This simple church building will be a lovely place 05:39 for believers to worship. 05:41 Finishing this construction project brings great joy 05:44 and happiness to all this village. 05:46 Jud begins unloading the zinc metal roof panels 05:50 and hands them up to Clint. 05:52 These roof panels are the most durable and long lasting 05:56 roofing materials available in this part of the world. 05:59 Often churches in jungle areas use natural materials, such as 06:04 bamboo and palm leaves to make thatched roofs, 06:07 which only last a short time, before the weather and elements 06:11 cause them to deteriorate, ruining the entire church. 06:16 Using zinc guarantees a longer life for the church building. 06:23 Tools and equipment are scarce in this area. 06:26 The village doesn't even have a ladder to loan 06:29 for the construction project. 06:31 Being accustomed to work with limited supplies 06:34 and the lack of ladders, or scaffolding 06:36 does not phase Clint and his family. 06:39 Clint even feels secure enough to have Brendell, his son, 06:44 join him up on the roof. 06:46 Ever since Brendell was old enough to walk, 06:48 he was climbing trees and anything else he could scale. 06:52 He is right at home climbing the rafter beams alongside 06:55 his father. 06:58 The head elder of the church comes out to watch the men 07:01 work on the roofing. 07:02 He talks with Clint in the native Miskito language 07:06 and asks questions as they work. 07:08 When Clint and his family moved to Nicaragua, more than 07:11 10 years ago, their top priority was learning the native 07:14 language of the people in this region. 07:18 To the Miskito people, speaking their language 07:20 is an acceptance into their circle. 07:22 The entire Hanley family has been accepted into the Miskito 07:25 culture, simply because they took the time to learn 07:29 the language of the people they are reaching. 07:32 Jud: The core of any mission work is building relationships. 07:37 And the Hanley's have been here for almost ten years 07:40 and they have, not just built relationships, 07:44 but they've become part of the community. 07:46 Become part of people's families in a way that no one 07:49 else ever has done here, as far as I know. 07:52 By learning the language, and of course those relationships 07:57 are what builds into sharing your faith. 08:00 Relationships are the foundation of mission work. 08:03 And the Hanley's are a prime example of building deep, 08:07 heart-felt relationships with the Miskito people here. 08:10 And of course without relationships, without trust, 08:13 it's impossible to share your faith. 08:14 So that foundation has now been laid. 08:18 To begin more ministry, more sharing of faith, and more 08:22 of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with the people 08:25 here in this area. 08:26 Marilyn: We learned Miskito and we talk to them 08:28 in their language. 08:30 We have children, who talk in their language. 08:33 And to them, this has been the ultimate sign that we love them, 08:44 and that we care, and that we are willing to live 08:47 here with them. 08:48 Is because we can talk to them in their language. 08:50 We took the time and energy to learn it. 08:52 As far as they're concerned, my children are Miskito. 08:55 Because according to them, my children speak perfect Miskito. 09:01 However, my children speak without an accent. 09:04 And to them, that is a huge message that my children 09:08 belong here in this culture. 09:10 Obviously this is where they are supposed to be. 09:13 Narrator: Having Brendell working alongside him 09:16 is very important to Clint. 09:19 He wants to show and train Brendell, what it means to be 09:23 a missionary and to teach him 09:25 the importance of helping others 09:27 Although he is young, Brendell is a missionary to his peers. 09:32 Clint wants his son to gain the experience and knowledge. 09:35 He always teaches him about the importance of serving others. 09:40 Brendell is eager to help and soaks in 09:42 all his father's instructions. 09:45 He is proud to be working with his father today. 09:51 One by one each metal panel is slid into place and secured 09:54 to the wooden beams. 09:56 The four men work together efficiently 09:58 to get this project completed. 10:01 There is no room for error or miscalculations as they have 10:04 the exact amount of roofing metal to cover the porch. 10:07 Each piece must be precisely and exactly placed. 10:11 All who witness this family cannot deny the dedication 10:14 and love they have for the Miskito people. 10:18 As with other AWA missionary families, 10:21 the Hanley's primary objective is to show the people 10:24 in this area, that Christ loves them. 10:27 This construction project is a tangible way the Hanley's 10:30 share the gospel with this village. 10:33 Piece by piece the metal roofing is placed and secured 10:36 to the church structure. 10:38 The construction has drawn a crowd and the villagers come 10:41 out to see the missionaries work 10:43 One of the neighboring villagers even brings a ladder 10:46 from his hut to help the men continue their work. 10:49 Today, Clint's work only took them a few hours to complete, 10:53 but the impact will leave a lasting mark on Santa Rita. 10:58 This AWA mission aviation air base does far more, 11:01 than just fly sick patients from the jungles. 11:04 Each day, if there are no necessary flights to be made 11:09 you'll find them working within the community they live. 11:12 The Hanley's never miss an opportunity 11:14 to help the Miskito people. 11:16 Yet, with all the work that they do in this area, the Hanley's 11:20 realize they cannot do it alone. 11:24 Marilyn: We cannot do this, and we did not do this, 11:29 to live in Nicaragua, and to build what we have. 11:33 We are supported by financial supporters, we're supported 11:39 by prayer warriors, we are supported by the village, 11:43 that we live in, other missionaries, the list goes on 11:47 and on about the amount of people, time, energy, that has 11:53 gone into making this mission a help to the Miskito people. 11:59 And ultimately, it is through God's power, that anything 12:04 has been done down here. 12:06 Through His permission, through His allowance, 12:09 through His divine directions, things have happened 12:15 and allowed this mission down here to grow. 12:17 We have been His hands. 12:20 Narrator: Through the generous gifts of donors in North America 12:25 AWA mission air bases are able to do 12:28 similar projects and ongoing missionary work 12:32 in remote parts of the world. 12:35 Often this work involves aircraft, however there are many 12:39 days like today, where the work of the missionary 12:42 is dedicated to service and delivering the gospel message. 12:48 As early afternoon approaches, the men finish their work 12:51 on the new church construction. 12:53 The new metal roof gleams in the afternoon sun. 12:56 The head elder and church members are overjoyed to have 12:59 this church one step closer to completion. 13:03 As a gift to the congregation, Clint has ordered brand new 13:08 hymnals printed in the Miskito language. 13:12 The hymnals were translated and published to commemorate 13:15 this new church building. 13:18 The head elder is overjoyed to hear this news. 13:21 He can't thank the mission enough for all their help 13:25 He is so grateful for all the work done today, 13:28 and even personally thanks young Brendell. 13:32 Joy gleams from the elder's face as he stands back 13:36 and marvels over the church. 13:53 In this missionary family, everyone has skills, that 13:56 can contribute to the mission. Marilyn Hanley plays many rolls. 14:01 For instance, she is a nurse for the neighboring village. 14:05 Marilyn: I am a registered nurse and with that has brought 14:11 the availability of helping people understand 14:15 how to live healthier lives. 14:17 I will see anywhere between ten and fifty patients a month 14:22 on average. 14:23 As a registered nurse, I have more medical training than 14:26 most of the nurses, that are attending to the cares here 14:29 in the Miskito villages. 14:31 And what it has done is allowed me to understand 14:35 what is happening behind the symptoms and the other 14:39 problems that they are having. 14:41 Which has given me the opportunity to explain to them 14:44 and using those explanations when at all possible to draw 14:48 them back toward the lifestyle, or diet that the Lord has 14:54 originally given to us. 14:57 To be able to use those things to their health. 15:01 Narrator: Sadly this part of the world doesn't always have access 15:04 to basic medical care, or education about simple health 15:08 principles, such as drinking clean water, 15:11 or how to take care of a newborn. 15:14 Marilyn does her best to help fill this void in healthcare. 15:18 The Hanley's open up their mission base for sick 15:20 and pregnant patients. 15:22 They built a small clinic on the base where Marilyn 15:26 can properly examine and treat patients. 15:29 She also has a small pharmacy stocked with the essentials 15:33 she needs to alleviate pain or cure a simple illness. 15:37 Marilyn: This is our medical store room. 15:39 We have different types of medicines here. 15:42 A few, a couple years ago we bought up to I think six 15:48 thousand dollars in medicine and so we are still using up 15:51 that right now. 15:53 We have pain medicine, antibiotics, children's liquid 15:58 medicines, gastro medicines for the intestines and worms. 16:03 Cold, cough, flu, vitamins. Skin and all kinds of skin 16:09 topical treatments, that we have too. 16:13 The amount of medicine, that you see here 16:15 using at the current rate, that I am using it will probably 16:19 last a couple years. 16:20 However, occasionally I have been a little more busy 16:24 in mobile clinics and when that happens, we go through 16:28 the medicine quite more quickly. 16:31 It is dispensed rather, rather fast. 16:34 The Miskito people, that live in small villages typically have 16:40 very little medical care available. 16:44 There is a nurse sometimes in their village or another village 16:47 nearby, that is responsible for their healthcare needs. 16:53 However, the nurse is limited by the amount of medicine, 16:57 that they receive from the government clinic. 16:59 So they end up at the clinic with colds, fevers and diarrhea 17:04 are the most common ones. 17:06 Aside from the prevalence of pregnancy. 17:09 Narrator: While Clint and son are away working on the church 17:13 construction, Marilyn is working at the mission base 17:16 tending to a patient, who has stopped by. 17:19 The flow of patients is steady at this mission, 17:22 often Marilyn will see 4-5 patients a day. 17:26 Many of these patients travel great distances 17:29 to the mission base, seeking medical help. 17:32 Today a family has walked over four hours 17:35 to visit Marilyn. 17:37 A mother, her daughter and her child are feeling sick. 17:41 The baby is just 3 months old and has worrisome symptoms. 17:45 Marilyn examines the child first and listens 17:48 for repository sounds. 17:50 She asks the mother a few questions to try and narrow 17:53 down the baby's ailment. 17:55 Marilyn: The baby was sick for a little while and is not eating 18:01 and losing weight. 18:03 It has a little diarrhea, but no repository infection. 18:11 And just the look of the baby, he's very white, he's very light 18:15 skinned, but his mother is light skinned too. 18:18 So he is probably anemic. And he is probably having 18:23 diarrhea, but exactly at what level he needs medication 18:27 I am still not exactly sure. 18:29 She's also complaining, that she doesn't have any milk 18:31 for the baby. 18:32 And that comes from two things. 18:34 One is, three things. She doesn't drink enough water, 18:39 the Miskito people don't drink enough water. 18:42 They don't feed the babies on a schedule. 18:46 They just give them breast whenever they cry, or every 18:51 now and then and so they never, the babies never 18:53 actually drain the breast, so the breast refills with milk. 18:57 So they are not getting good milk. 19:01 Narrator: With Marilyn's understanding of the Miskito 19:03 culture, Marilyn can better diagnose the baby. 19:06 She knows that the baby isn't receiving the nutrients it needs 19:10 and is dehydrated. 19:13 Miskito mothers are uneducated on the importance 19:15 of drinking enough water and their children often suffer. 19:20 It seems in this culture, they intentionally avoid drinking 19:23 water for several reasons. 19:26 Marilyn: One, they're not thirsty. 19:27 So they don't think, that they need it. 19:29 And secondly, if they drink, then they have to go pee, 19:32 which, it's not always great conditions out here. 19:35 People have to go for long ways in the jungle, or they have to 19:39 go on the bus for a long time. 19:41 If they are children, if they give their children a lot of 19:44 water, that means that their children will pee in their 19:48 diapers and then they have a lot more laundry. 19:50 So it's a thing from childhood, that they've learned 19:54 to just not drink so much water. 19:57 Narrator: After speaking more with the mother, Marilyn feels 20:00 confident in a diagnosis. 20:02 The baby isn't getting proper nutrition from the mother 20:05 and is also not getting enough to drink. 20:07 The baby's symptoms all stem from the mother's poor 20:10 education on basic health principles. 20:13 Marilyn: I'm probably going to go ahead and give her vitamins. 20:25 The baby is only three months old. 20:28 So you don't want to give him too much medication. 20:31 Just in case anything. And I don't hear 20:33 any respiratory problems. 20:37 And he makes eye contact with his mother and smiles 20:41 and is looking around. 20:44 So I'll probably just go ahead and give her vitamins 20:47 at this point. 20:49 With some instructions on better breast feeding 20:54 and the mother drinking more water. 20:58 And signs to watch for if the baby is getting sick again. 21:06 Narrator: Marilyn redirects her attention to the mother. 21:09 If she can get the mother healthier, the mother can then 21:13 pass on the healthy nutrients on to her baby. 21:16 Natives here do not have access to vitamins or prenatal care. 21:21 So Marilyn goes to her pharmacy closet to gather 21:24 a few items to give the patients to help strengthen their bodies, 21:28 which will also help the baby. 21:31 Marilyn: Iron and some oral re-hydration salts. 21:41 We're going to give her some re-hydration salts, 21:44 so that she has this to drink for a little while. 21:47 She's dizzy and her blood is not rebuilding itself as fast 21:54 as it needs to and so I'm going to do some education 21:57 about good diet too. 21:59 As well as, I talked to her already about drinking 22:03 more water. 22:06 But I'm going to be pretty generous. 22:08 A lot of times I give just thirty, but they've come 22:10 from a long ways away. 22:11 They're from a village it's only about half an hour drive away, 22:17 but it will take them about four hours walk to get here, 22:20 and another four hours to get back home. 22:23 So I am going to be pretty generous. 22:25 She's nursing a baby and her daughter is also nursing a baby, 22:30 so I am going to send plenty of vitamins for them for prenatal 22:35 vitamins which include iron and calcium and folic acid, so that 22:39 they can try to get the mothers to be as healthy as possible. 22:43 Narrator: Nurse Marilyn takes some time to talk with the 22:46 mothers and educate them about the importance of 22:49 nutrition and how to take care of not only of themselves, 22:52 but their young babies. 22:54 Sadly, the diet of the Miskito people is limited to 3 staple 22:58 items: white rice, cassava, and beans. 23:03 Which leaves giant deficiencies in what their 23:07 body needs to stay healthy. 23:09 Marilyn: They only have white rice and white cassava in their 23:12 house from their plantations right now. 23:15 So that means, that she is not recovering from her anemia, 23:19 because she really doesn't have any protein or any vegetables, 23:22 or any vitamins coming into her. 23:25 So I am going to make some suggestions about some of 23:28 those things that they can do, because they don't have the 23:30 resources to be able to buy them. 23:31 And they would have to go to Waspam or Port 23:34 to do that, because they are not available in the village, 23:36 so I am going to make some suggestions for her on that. 23:41 Narrator: The Miskito people are poor subsistence farmers. 23:45 They eat what they can grow on their plantations. 23:48 If they have any extra crops, they sell that small amount 23:52 to get extra money. 23:53 Unfortunately, often their crops yield just enough 23:57 to supply them with food, leaving no extra money 24:00 to buy any other type of food including vegetables. 24:03 Marilyn: So I did a lot of education on what foods would 24:08 have protein in them and what foods would have 24:10 vitamins in them. 24:12 And that she needs to eat more of that. 24:14 Less of things like top ramen, which they are scrapping to try 24:20 to buy, because they think that it has vitamins and stuff in it. 24:24 But it doesn't, so you know they are spending their money 24:27 on things, that don't have as much vitamins in it, 24:31 because they think it's good for them. 24:32 So encouraging them to not buy those things and look for 24:39 some of the other things, that were good for them. 24:43 Narrator: Before they leave, Marilyn gives them a few more 24:45 supplements that should help get them and their babies 24:48 strong again. 24:49 After spending a bit of time educating the ladies on ways 24:52 to strengthen their bodies with nutrients and a proper diet, 24:56 Marilyn directs their attention back to the importance 24:59 of staying properly hydrated. 25:03 Many of the ailments they complain of, such as headaches, 25:06 dizziness, and fatigue, all stem from one cause, 25:10 not having enough water. 25:14 She gives them each a glass of water and instructs them 25:16 to drink plenty, before they have to begin back 25:19 on their 4 hour walk home. 25:22 She also tells them, how their water intake can help 25:26 their babies as well. 25:29 The Miskito people are so thankful for Marilyn's advice 25:32 and information about how to properly take care 25:34 of their bodies. 25:36 As a token of appreciation and payment for the vitamins, 25:39 the family brought cassava from their plantation. 25:43 It isn't much, but it's all this family has to give. 25:47 Marilyn has sent this family home with vitamins, 25:50 re-hydration salts, and powder supplements to help them 25:55 regain their health. 25:57 But most importantly, she has educated this family and shares 26:01 with them information that could save them 26:04 from many sicknesses in the future. 26:08 The simple idea of drinking enough clean water 26:10 can save their lives. 26:12 The Miskito people suffer from being uneducated 26:15 about their need for clean water 26:17 Many illnesses and diseases stem from people drinking 26:21 dirty water from a river, where cattle drink, or where 26:25 women wash their clothes. 26:27 Known as the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes," Nicaragua has 26:32 abundant sources of freshwater, but little of it is safe 26:37 to drink, or readily accessible. 26:39 Half of this isolated area is without access 26:42 to clean water or toilets. 26:44 About 900 thousand people live without safe 26:48 drinking water. What a pity. 26:51 Water-related diseases exact a huge toll on family health, 26:56 keeping children out of school and stifling economic growth. 27:01 Sadly, nearly 300 children in Nicaragua die each year 27:06 from diarrhea, caused by unsafe drinking water 27:10 and poor sanitation. 27:13 The child that came to visit Marilyn today, could have 27:17 been part of that statistic, had his parents not come 27:21 to the mission airbase today. 27:24 The information they received about drinking plenty of clean 27:27 water, could save this young babies life. 27:32 To fight against the epidemic of unsafe water, the Tronquera 27:36 mission airbase installed a well to provide access to clean 27:40 water to the neighboring villages. 27:43 Clint: This is our well in Santa Rita. 27:45 This is for the whole village. And it's 75' deep. 27:49 And this is a pump, bison pump in Maine. 27:54 About a $1,200 pump. Stainless steel. 27:58 It should last them for a lot of years. 28:02 It supplies them with clean water, especially crucial 28:04 for the babies and older people. 28:07 They were drinking out of the river down there. 28:09 And out of hand dug wells. They dig wells that are about 28:12 twenty feet deep, that basically collect surface water 28:15 and that's what they usually drink out of. 28:19 Narrator: The mission in Nicaragua helps 28:21 the Miskito people in a wide variety of ways. 28:25 The Hanley's fill their days with service. 28:28 Whether they are flying sick patients, providing basic 28:32 healthcare, or constructing a new church, 28:35 the goal is the same: to spread God's love and share 28:39 the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ unto all the earth. 28:44 The Hanley's enjoy the work God has set before them. |
Revised 2017-02-28