Participants:
Series Code: OTG
Program Code: OTG000020
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00:01 Adventist World Aviation is an aviation based ministry.
00:03 It's a mission of reaching the unreached people 00:06 all around the world. 00:07 currently they have mission outposts in Guyana, Alaska 00:11 and the Philippines. 00:13 today we travel to the Philippine island of Palawan. 00:17 Adventist World Aviation has an airbase 00:22 Adventist World Aviation primarily focuses their efforts 00:26 on aviation operations and support, 00:29 however they also do much more to minister to the local people. 00:34 Evangelism is an important component of what 00:37 Adventist World Aviation does both internationally 00:40 and domestically. That is building the kingdom of God in 00:44 the hearts of people is always the first and foremost objective 00:49 That is just what they're doing here in Palawan today. 02:03 Today on Off The Grid, we travel to the Philippine island 02:07 of Palawan where Adventist World Aviation has an airbase. 02:11 This airbase was started 8 years ago to help service the Palawan 02:15 island with med-evac flights, airdrops and ministry projects. 02:19 Today Jud Wickwire AWA's director of operations 02:24 has traveled from North America to Palawan to do some 02:28 field research about the possibility of expanding 02:31 Palawan's airbase by placing a new aircraft in this area. 02:36 Adventist World Aviation historically has solely focused 02:39 it's efforts on using fixed-winged aircraft to fly 02:43 to remote parts of the world and deliver life saving supplies 02:46 and services. 02:48 However this new opportunity here in Palawan 02:51 calls for something different. 02:54 I am the director of operations for Adventist World Aviation 02:57 I am really interested in the logistics and the mechanics 03:01 of the work that we do. And of course with the emphasis 03:05 on the use of aviation. There are other things that we use 03:09 to reach people. Vehicles and boats and variety of things, 03:13 but aviation is what we are about most. 03:14 Of course I am a pilot. I fly helicopters and airplanes. 03:19 Flown in the mission field and I just have really seen the need 03:24 myself first hand. And I've seen the difference that aviation 03:28 can make reaching people in the most remote places. on the earth 03:34 I just want to do my best to find ways to support 03:39 those missionaries, those workers that are in places 03:43 that aviation can help them do more and do it better 03:47 and do it more safely. 03:50 Adventist World Aviation was founded as an aviation ministry 03:53 to support the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 03:56 and humanitarian work as well in the course of that. 04:00 So, what we really want to do, is do aviation well, we want to 04:06 do it safely, we want to do it effectively and efficiently. 04:10 We have other ministries that are on the ground and doing 04:14 close in work like the AFM missionaries are doing here, 04:18 on the island of Palawan. And for us to be able to come in 04:22 and support the work that they are already doing, and make 04:24 what they do better. Make what they do more effective and safer 04:28 is what we really want to try to do best. 04:30 Stationed at Brooke's point our Adventist Frontier Missionaries 04:34 Kent and Leonda George. They have been working here 04:38 in Palawan for over 18 years. They live amongst the Palawano 04:42 people in the mountains. However there is a large challenge 04:46 that greatly hinders the George's ministry. 04:49 There are no roads to get into the mountains. The only way in 04:53 and out of the mountains is by foot. Adventist World Aviation 04:57 has a great interest in providing air support 05:00 to Kent and Leonda. 05:01 However airplanes cannot be used here, since there is no flat 05:05 place to use as a runway. The only option here is a helicopter 05:10 I am Kent George, and I am a missionary 05:14 living in the Philippines. 05:15 On the island of Palawan. Deep in the jungles of Palawan. 05:19 3 hours hike into the mountains. 05:22 And we work with the Palawano native people here at clinics, 05:26 at schools, churches, all those kind of things here. 05:31 Our tribe or group predominantly live in the mountains. 05:37 They live in very rugged terrain Accessible mostly only by foot. 05:44 The Palawano people, who are the natives 05:46 the original inhabitants of Palawan. 05:49 live in the mountains, they are very, very poor. 05:52 They are animal and devil worshippers and basically 05:56 we are coming here and work with them. We provide education 06:00 we provide medical help, we provide teaching. 06:04 We share the gospel with them, so they don't have to live 06:10 in fear of the spirits, which are very very prevalent here. 06:14 It's sort of like they become our family. 06:17 And of course when somebody becomes family, 06:20 you want to do your best for them. So our objective is 06:24 do all in our power to aid and help them and to just allow God 06:30 to become real to them to know Him and to live in the joy. 06:40 and the happiness of being Christians and to leave all this 06:45 fearful things in the past. The devil worship 06:49 and everything behind. To know that 06:50 God is stronger than the devil. 06:52 The Georges have had an enormous impact in the mountain village 06:56 they worked in Cabigaan. 06:58 The George's ministry has grown tremendously 07:01 over the past 18 years. 07:02 They operate a clinic that sees well over 7,000 patients a year. 07:07 They also have an elementary school, a high school, 07:11 and an adult literacy program, that teaches adults to read 07:15 and do simple math. 07:16 There is also a Seventh-day Adventist church 07:19 that meets weekly. 07:20 The George's ministry has completely transformed Cabigaan. 07:24 They have shared the love of God with these Palawanos 07:27 and that love has infiltrated and transformed the village. 07:31 The Georges would like to expend to neighboring villages 07:35 However they physically can't. Without aviation support 07:39 they cannot continue to expand into neighboring villages. 07:43 The terrain of the area they work is extremely limiting. 07:47 In order to reach the next village, which may only be 07:51 a few miles away, it takes them hours and hours of hiking. 07:55 It is for this reason that Jud has come to see 07:58 if Adventist World Aviation might be able help 08:02 expand this ministry. 08:04 The hike up the mountain is a very strenuous and challenging 08:07 climb, ranging from 3 to 6 hours The trail covers dramatic 08:12 inclines over muddy slippery terrain. 08:15 All food, medical supplies and building supplies must be 08:19 carried into Cabigaan. 08:21 Today, Jud will be making the climb with Kent. 08:24 So he can get a better understanding of the topography. 08:28 Before they leave, everything they carry must first be 08:32 packaged and wrapped in plastic. 08:34 Rain is also a very real possibility. 08:38 After packing they drive to the trail head. 08:42 OK, we are here at the trail head to Komatian 08:46 Kent is going to guide us in. How far is it? 08:50 Well, it all depends, anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours. 08:58 Depends on your physical ability If you are a marathon 09:01 who does ballet, you're going to do it real quick. 09:04 And it's all uphill, that we have to commute 09:07 I go in and I work there until there is a crisis 09:10 then I hike out. 09:11 I work there until there is a crisis in the mountains 09:13 and then I hike back in. That's how it works. 09:19 Let's go and see how this trail is today. 09:22 What I want to tell you is, 1 hour on foot, 09:24 if you're in ship-shape, that's equal to 09:26 1 minute in a helicopter 09:28 I've tried it both ways, so I know it's true. 09:32 One is a little faster than the other. 09:34 The terrain here is just it's incredibly rugged. 09:39 Now it's not like straight up and down cliffs, rocky cliffs, 09:42 but it's all, it's vegetated mountains, heavily tree-d 09:46 But it just goes straight up, and it goes straight down 09:50 to a river at the bottom and you're up on the other side 09:53 again. It's up hill, down hill and side hill. 09:58 There is no flatland what so ever and it's like that for the 10:03 entire center of the island. You have a flat part where the 10:08 majority of the population lives and then just suddenly 10:10 the mountains begin then you just crossed this barrier 10:14 into the areas where indigenous people lived and have had 10:21 very little outside support and infrastructure. 10:25 They are not building roads in these areas. They're living 10:29 very much the way that they may have lived 100 years ago, 10:31 or longer. Just the logistics of reaching these areas 10:37 is so - so difficult. 10:39 You know when I tell people that you have to walk for 3 hours 10:42 they sort of have this idea of these paths they have 10:46 in the national parks in the US, they look like freeways to us. 10:51 If I were to describe the terrain here, I'd say 10:54 the terrain here is like this and like this. 10:57 There is very little... where I am standing right now, 11:00 is one of the flat places in the mountains here. 11:03 And when you walk on trails, that are at their best maybe 11:07 6 inches wide, many times almost nonexistent. You just walk 11:12 in the side of the hill. it's just common for us when 11:17 we are hiking here. Whether it's a Palawano, or somebody else 11:21 could be hiking along and suddenly the trail gives out 11:25 You find yourself sliding down the hill grabbing onto trees 11:28 trying too stop and then when you finally do stop, 11:31 trying to figure out how you are going to get back up 11:32 on that trail up above you, where you fell off. 11:37 It is a challenge and I tell people, if you want to hike 11:42 these trails, you need to be a marathon runner 11:45 and a ballet dancer and that works out pretty well, 11:48 because it's a challenge and it's a lot of work some times. 11:55 Just coming in to where we live on this trail in here we've had 12:01 Oh I guess, it's hard to say 3 or 4 broken bones 12:05 just from walking into here. 12:07 Various people broken an arm, broken a leg, broken an ankle 12:12 broken a rib, you know. It's always a challenge. 12:17 When ever you get out of the mountains and you haven't fallen 12:21 and you don't have any blood to show for it, you always feel 12:24 as if you've... really that was a successful day. 12:28 You did really well. 12:30 The trail is very dangerous, but the missionaries have 12:33 no other option. They must make the hike despite the dangers 12:37 if they want to reach the Palawano people. 12:40 This has become a regular commute for Kent. 12:43 He makes this climb once, sometimes even twice a week. 12:47 Back and forth between the mountains and the lowlands. 12:50 Because he makes the trip so often, Kent has become friends 12:54 with the people living along the path. He stops in to say hi 12:58 and talks to the people on a very regular basis. 13:02 Not too far into the climb, Jud has a realization. 13:08 As you come up the mountain as you leave the flat lands behind. 13:12 With the productive rice fields and you come up and you just 13:16 suddenly realize that you just abruptly left that behind. 13:21 You've come into an area that is pristine, it's protected 13:25 Just by that physical barrier, that mountain. 13:28 The hike up the mountains takes the men a few hours to complete. 13:32 Their path leads through thick jungles and rivers 13:36 It begins to rain, making the path even more difficult 13:39 to manage, but finally they have reached 13:42 Cabigaan without incident. 13:53 The clinic here has had a profound impact on the community 13:57 When the Georges first arrived 18 years previous, 14:00 the people here didn't even have a basic understanding 14:03 of cleanliness and how it relates to health. 14:06 They were sickly and initially resistant to the clinic. 14:09 But over time the Georges have been able to bring education 14:13 and basic health principles to the community. 14:16 Now they see over 7,000 patience a year. 14:20 Big things, malaria, typhoid, TB, of course worms, 14:25 that's a really common one. Even up here one of the killers 14:32 is alcoholism. Those are some of the major things we run into. 14:39 And of course maternity is a... 14:41 Absolutely, that's a big problem these young women dying 14:46 in child birth, because we just can't get them to where 14:49 they need to go. We can't get the medical attention and 14:53 by the time they realize there is a problem, by the time 14:56 somebody walks all the way here and tells us there is a problem. 14:59 By the time we hiked all the way back there, it is just too late. 15:04 Nothing you can do. So jah we keep busy. 15:09 There is no doubt about it. 15:10 That's an astounding number of patience to see in a year. 15:12 A clinic is a major operation 15:14 so one of the things we thought of, if we had 15:16 the capabilities like a helicopter would be to have 15:20 certain spots where we hold clinic, like on a weekly basis. 15:24 or something like that. 15:25 AFM has been here for many years and the work that they are doing 15:29 is transforming the communities over the long term. 15:35 It's not something that happens quickly. It takes years to 15:37 make the changes that they see in the community here. 15:44 The difference that they can make in the lifestyle 15:47 of the people they help. 15:49 The clinic is another large part of what we do and gives us 15:54 an impact in many many communities where people that 15:59 come from miles and miles around even from the lowlands. 16:03 Palawanos from the lowlands will come in to avail them selves of 16:08 the care that they get there. 16:09 One of the reasons that they really like the clinic is 16:13 we all speak palawano, so they're easily understood. 16:20 We respect them. 16:21 When we first came, people would hardly come to the clinic 16:24 Because they wanted to go to what you'd call I guess 16:29 in English you call them the shaman or the which doctor 16:32 or something like that. So they didn't want to come to us. 16:36 They wanted some demonic thing to, some demonic ritual 16:40 to cure them of this sickness. So it was very very hard 16:45 for people to come. The witch doctors didn't like us here. 16:49 We were a threat to their authority. 16:51 All this kind of stuff and to a great extend a lot of that 16:55 has just totally disappeared. 16:58 Currently there is no way to transport emergency patients 17:01 in these mountains. 17:03 If someone is injured, in order to get help, they must walk 17:06 to the clinic with their injury, or be carried over dangerous 17:10 terrain on a stretcher. It is not uncommon for patients 17:13 to die in route to the clinic. Or as they are being carried 17:17 out of the mountains. 17:18 they simply cannot get to help fast enough. 17:21 Transportation of patients are several ways 17:23 One is, they go on foot. I've seen patience that are almost 17:29 incapable of walking, but they very slowly staggering their way 17:33 down the trail, somebody supporting them. 17:35 That's pretty tuff on the patience, pretty tuff 17:39 on everybody and unfortunately we have some of those kind of 17:44 people, who never make it, who die on the trail. 17:46 Another one is carrying them out We have backpacks made out of 17:49 rattan and we can carry patients in that. 17:52 The other one is to carry them on a stretcher. 17:55 And we do that some of the time, but they 17:58 have to be really gone to do that, because it's rather 18:01 terrifying to travel on a stretcher, on these trails 18:04 because you're bounced on this stretcher and looking 18:07 over the edge realizing that if somebody stumbles or falls 18:10 you're going to be pitched over the edge and who knows where 18:13 you'll stop. So usually if a patient is really gone, 18:17 they're unconscious or really so sick they don't even care 18:21 then we just strap them on really tight on the stretcher 18:24 and try to get them out that way. 18:32 Early the next morning the clinic begins to buzz. 18:35 the student missionary nurses receive a phone call about 18:38 an emergency patient, that needs to be brought to the clinic 18:41 from the neighboring village. It seems a pregnant mother has 18:45 gone into labor. And she is having extreme complications 18:48 with the birth. At this point the mother can no longer 18:51 walk the dangerous trail. So the nurses send out a stretcher 18:55 to bring her to the clinic. Transporting patients this way 18:59 is less than ideal. The terrain is very dangerous 19:02 narrow and difficult to climb empty handed, let alone 19:07 with a patient and stretcher to carry. 19:09 In the past patients being carried have been dropped 19:13 or fallen off the stretcher. Since it is so difficult 19:16 to maneuver. 19:18 The neighboring village where this woman lives, is only 19:21 a few miles away. However it will take hours to reach her 19:25 and bring her back to the clinic It is an uncomfortable journey 19:29 and it is clear that the woman is in a great deal of pain. 19:32 She holds unto the stretcher as she is bounced through 19:35 the thick jungle. Although the solution seems less than ideal. 19:39 Currently it is the only option to save the woman's baby. 19:43 Traveling the few miles of steep mountain side 19:47 takes over 3 hours to cross. 19:49 Thankfully she reaches the clinic in time. 19:52 She is quickly taken in by the nurses, 19:55 as they assess the situation. 19:57 Once the woman is safe in the clinic the nurses and birth 20:01 attendants quickly situate her in the clinic. 20:04 It was a long bumpy journey to the clinic 20:07 and the woman is very uncomfortable. 20:09 There are many harmful old wife's tales that are 20:13 customary practices during childbirth, 20:15 very often these traditions result in death. 20:19 Traditionally, births are done at home. with a traditional 20:23 birth attendant, if they are available, or with the husband 20:28 or one of the older members of the family in attendance. 20:34 It usually takes number of people to take care of 20:36 a pregnant mom, because their belief is that if you're not 20:39 putting significant pressure on the upper part of the abdomen 20:45 the baby inside they call it can come up and choke the mother. 20:53 They believe that - that's what the baby could do. 20:57 They don't understand about the organs and all, that's actually 21:01 a physiological impossibility. Again through education many 21:07 of them started to believe that really really can't happen, 21:11 but still many of the woman find it to be a comforting thing 21:15 is to have pretty extreme pressure put 21:17 on their upper abdomen. 21:20 They live in very remote villages and usually within 21:29 a couple of months of delivery they pretty much staying close 21:32 to home they don't come to the clinic, they don't come 21:34 on the market days. They just pretty much stop hiking 21:40 around very much. So it is an uncommon thing unless they 21:45 are having problems. To come to the clinic 21:49 is pretty unusual thing. 21:50 Typically the native women prefer to have their children 21:53 at home and sadly, very often a death occurs. 21:58 Over the next 6 hours, the patient is well cared for 22:01 in the clinic. 22:02 Just before evening she finally gives birth to a healthy baby. 22:07 The baby and mother are both healthy and well. 22:10 Thanks to the nurses and the clinic, this patient 22:13 and her child are very lucky, they were able to reach 22:16 the clinic in time. 22:18 Unfortunately this is too often not the case. 22:22 and patients die along the path to the clinic. 22:25 Well, I can only estimate, but before AFM came here, I would 22:30 guess that child mortality rate children being born 22:35 the mortality rate is at least 50%. Either they died in 22:40 child birth, or they died shortly afterwards. 22:44 It's amazing to me that anybody survives because to have a place 22:49 rampant with malaria and no medical help at all. 22:52 And it's just seems incredible that anybody lived. 22:55 But obviously this was a place of the survival of the fittest. 22:59 Now that the clinic is here we've really changed that. 23:04 Even at that we still have kids die, we have mothers die. 23:09 Just because, very often because we can't get 23:12 the medical help quickly enough. 23:14 Most all of the problems if they were able to get 23:17 to medical help on time. Most of them could be resolved. 23:21 Invariably if people die, it's almost always because 23:25 they get to medical help too late. 23:27 Adventist World Aviation would like to greatly assist the work 23:31 currently being done here. By supplying the Palawano people 23:35 with life saving med-evac flights, hundreds of lives 23:39 can be saved. The tool of aviation can greatly impact 23:43 this area, that is so hard to reach and so hard to travel in. 23:47 Within just a few minutes flight patients can be airlifted to 23:52 a higher level of medical care. And essentially save 23:55 many, many lives. 23:57 The need is clear. A helicopter would open many doors 24:01 of opportunity here in the mountains. As Jud sees all 24:05 that has transpired today. He is without a doubt certain that 24:08 Adventist World Aviation needs to do everything they can 24:12 to provide this mission base with air support. 24:15 The unique circumstances of their location require 24:18 air operations. 24:20 As a result of my own field survey here, just seeing 24:25 first hand, just really how rugged the mountains are. 24:28 And the fact is getting in here is 24:34 uphill, down hill, or side hill. 24:36 There is virtually no flat ground what so ever. 24:42 Which just leaves no place for our planes to land 24:44 The only solution to reach these communities to support the 24:48 AFM missionaries here is with a helicopter. 24:51 What makes a helicopter particularly effective 24:53 in this area is that the distances are so short. 24:57 The time to walk between the communities is hours and hours, 25:02 but the distance in a straight line, straight across the valley 25:05 around the mountain is just a very few miles and it just takes 25:10 a few minutes in a helicopter. 25:11 Helicopters are designed for close end support. 25:14 They're not designed for flying long distances. 25:16 We have airplanes to fly hundreds of miles, 25:18 We have helicopters to fly in this case 5, 10, 20 miles. 25:23 It's kind of the distance that we are looking at. 25:27 Which is really the close end support that helicopters are 25:29 best designed for. 25:30 The opportunity to save lives deliver life giving supplies 25:34 and help bring the gospel message is the goal of every 25:37 Adventist World Aviation operation. 25:40 This is no different here in Palawan. 25:42 The needs here are great. 25:44 The need for aviation support is unarguable. 25:58 I believe that God has told each of us as believers as Christians 26:05 to spread the gospel to all the world. That's our mandate. 26:13 From Matthew. But I believe that God has given each of us 26:18 different gifts and different talents and different resources. 26:23 It takes all of us in all the various ways that 26:26 we can work for the Lord. Working together we'll be able 26:29 to eventually realize gospel to all the world. 26:33 We know that not everyone can go into remote tribe like we have. 26:40 And live there, but we do know that God has many more people 26:46 on His heart that He would love to send people to. 26:49 And we just trust that God will impress your hearts on how 26:55 you can be a part of this work or you be part of God's work 26:58 no matter where it is. 26:59 So Adventist World Aviation is proud to support 27:02 Adventist Frontier Missionaries. You know we are not just about 27:04 Adventist World Aviation, we don't have to be 27:06 the star of the program, or the show, if you will. 27:09 We are happy to support AFM and ministries like AFM. 27:13 They have been here in the main island of southern Palawan for 27:18 I guess over 20 years now and we've been scratching our heads 27:22 wondering, how can we help them? Well, just recently we sent 27:26 our director of operations up on the mountains to look and see 27:29 what we could do. The answer comes back - helicopters. 27:32 And so we are happy to be able to support them. 27:35 Again, we are about logistics. We're about 27:37 getting the work done. Sometimes we're involved 27:40 in getting the work done. Sometimes 27:41 we're about helping others get the work done. 27:44 The important thing is that this work gets done. 27:47 The message of Jesus Christ, the Gospel message 27:50 of Matthew 28:19-20. The three angels message of Revelation 14 27:54 chapters 6 through 12. How do we get that out? 27:58 Unless we deliver a messenger to do just that. 28:03 Jesus said in the great Gospel Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 28:09 That we are to go into all the world. 28:11 Well, Adventist World Aviation is dedicated to doing just that. 28:15 They are now over seven billion people that live on planet earth 28:20 2 billion of them have never heard of Jesus Christ. 28:24 Out of that 2 billion, 800 million of them are only 28:29 accessible by means like aircraft, 28:31 or through aviation support. Adventist World Aviation goes 28:35 into those unreached areas of the world, 28:37 bringing the good news of Jesus Christ. 28:40 Through aviation we are able to bring health, hope 28:45 and life eternal. 28:46 Through aviation we can spread the gospel message 28:50 to the far corners of the world, and show them the love of Jesus 28:55 The message that we bring them is absolute hope. 28:57 We do not do this alone. Jesus calls every one of us to be 29:02 a part of this great work of reaching the unreached 29:05 of this world. We desperately need your prayers! 29:08 If you would like to get involved or find out more 29:12 information about Adventist World Aviation, please call 29:16 Three Angels Broadcasting Network and ask for 29:18 Adventist World Aviation. |
Revised 2015-07-29