The remote village of Amboin, along the Karawari River, has been without a working health center or aid post in their area for over seven years. Since we arrived in early 2010, we have often assisted the two village health volunteers, training them to recognize the medical signs and symptoms of patients requiring an emergency life flight. Earlier this year, we had a successful medical outreach in Mendam with our partners YWAM Ships, and we were eager to expand this aspect of our ministry. Medical outreaches not only allow us to distribute life-saving vaccinations, but they also give us a chance to connect with people from the villages.

Amboin recently had outbreaks of measles and whooping cough, which took the lives of several young infants. Due to the lack of medical services in Amboin and these outbreaks, we recently held a vaccination clinic, which had not been done in over seven years. We administered up to five life-saving vaccinations to 100 infants; 90% of those children got vaccinated for the very first time! We were even able to give two-year-old baby Samaritan (whose mother we picked up in December of 2014) vaccines as well! When we’d given the very last vaccine, over 200 children were still waiting to be vaccinated! We’ve already made plans to return at the end of May for a second clinic to serve those who were unable to be vaccinated last time and to give some follow-up vaccines. For the people who live in these remote areas of Papua New Guinea, the reality is that many of their children are vulnerable to one of these fatal illnesses. However, with just a few vaccinations, they can be protected from them. How many lives and future emergency life flights were prevented by this one outreach? It is overwhelming to think of how many lives were forever changed. Please pray for continued success in this exciting new aspect of our ministry here in Papua New Guinea!