by Roy Seals and Deidlra Brown

Southern Venezuela is home to 15,000 Yekwana Indians who live throughout the Northern edge of the Amazon jungle. It is with these people that BIMI missionaries Clint and Rita Vernoy are serving.

The Vernoys live in the village of Chajurana. The dialect that the Indians speak is called Maquiritare or just simply “Mike” by the missionaries who live and work with these people.

In September I took a Medical/ Dental team to work with the Vernoys and the inhabitants of Chajurana. This team consisted of eight people. A doctor, two nurses, a dentist and two dental assistants gave one week of their time and paid their own expenses to make this trip. Our purpose was to provide much needed medical and dental services to people who do not have access to even the most basic of medical and dental care. Through this, doors were opened for the Vernoys in their mission work.

The ministry of the Vernoys is having an impact in the lives of the Yekwana Indians. I saw great improvements in the lifestyle of the Indians from previous trips that I had made to Chajurana. In such basic necessities as more clothing, a greatly reduced rate of malaria, and a new, improved airstrip in the village, it was evident that the presence of a missionary family in this village had made significant changes.

However, the greatest change that I, as a Field Director for BIMI, noticed was the spiritual impact that has been made in the lives of these simple but earnest Ye’kwana Indians. When we first arrived, the Indian people were reserved and somewhat timid, as they have been on my previous trips. Some of the men greeted me warmly as I got out of the plane and made my way to the missionaries’ house. These were men who remembered me from previous visits. However, for the most part, the Indians did not show any emotion as our medical team began their work among this village of 450 Indians. They came to be treated but rarely smiled or showed emotion, including pain.

By Sunday, though, things began to change. As we attended two services on the Lord’s Day in Chajurana, we began to detect smiles of friendship and gratitude on the faces of the Ye’kwana people. By the evening service, seemingly emotionless faces had turned into beautiful smiles, and eyes twinkled with expression as they approached us with greetings.

The church service was a wonderful opportunity to observe how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can make a difference in a group of people who are all but shut off from the modern world that you and I know. The Indians sang quietly at first, but then, with great enthusiasm as the service progressed. Some of the songs were familiar tunes that had been translated from English to Spanish to Maquiritare! Others were songs that belonged to them. One such song was obviously their favorite as they sang louder and more harmoniously than they did with other songs. The beautiful but simple tune seemed to match their simple, jungle lifestyle.

The Ye’kwana pastor spoke in Maquiritare to his congregation. The message was then translated into Spanish and then into English for the benefit of the Medical/ Dental team that was present. Homiletically, the message was delivered simply but with great passion.

In the evening service several of the children and young people sang special songs and gave testimonies. It seemed that the adults were either too shy to express themselves publicly to us, or maybe it was the young people who found it easier to verbally express gratitude towards the team. Whatever the reason, there was no doubt that these young people spoke for the village when they thanked our team for coming to serve them.

I was moved by the fact that this medical team was able to demonstrate Christian love and care for people whom they had never met. The hardships of a tribal lifestyle rob the Indians of most natural and physical attractions. Physical demands are endured by these people, and by early adulthood, they begin to look aged. Young attractive Indian girls marry in their mid-teens. Ten years and three or four children later, they look as if they leaped over their 20’s and 30’s. The doctors, nurses, and dental personnel cared for these people with love and attention. For this, the village people were grateful.

On this trip, I saw greater evidence of Christian growth and maturity than on my previous visits. There is no doubt that the Gospel work of the missionary is having its effect. The Christians were greater in number and bolder in their witness. Modern Medicine and Technology provide useful tools to present the Gospel. I was riding in the Cessna 206, I was amazed at God’s creation: the waterfalls, the trees, the rivers and the rainforest. We flew for one and one-half hours before I saw the first sign of life, the village of Chajurana, complete with mud huts and thatched roofs. Reality set in; I was in the jungle. As we landed on the new airstrip in the middle of the village, we had quite an audience. It took three planes to bring the Medical/Dental mission team and all of our supplies into the village. BIMI missionaries Clint and Rita Vernoy and Bryan and Kristen Baggett greeted us. The Vernoys work in the village of Chajudana while the Baggetts work in the city of Ciudad Bolivar. I was just beginning to think I was in a National Geographic special when I heard a motor running. Then, I saw Josh Vernoy driving the tractor with the attached trailer to deliver our supplies to the house. We were all so excited that we set up the clinic immediately.

I am always amazed at how missionaries adapt anything and everything to meet needs. The dental department, consisting of dentist, hygienist and assistant, began to arrange the dental clinic. What had been the Vernoy’s living room chairs quickly became the dental chairs. Jim, the dentist, realized he had forgotten the amalgamator (the machine that shakes the silver for fillings), so a toothbrush holder shaken rapidly in someone’s hand quickly solved that problem. No suction attachment was easily resolved with a big spit bucket. The dental clinic was ready for business. At first the people were intimidated by a lady with white skin holding sharp instruments, so the interpreter had to go first to show that she was there to help and not harm. The people quickly followed.

In the back of the house, the medical personnel were getting organized. We had two large tables already full of medicine and supplies but the suitcases were only half empty. We located another table so we had two tables full of medicine (one for pediatrics and one for adults) and one table full of supplies, gloves, syringes, sutures, and balloons. Lina, the doctor, had an exam table in a private room (Rita’s laundry room) if needed. The medical clinic was now ready to see patients. People gathered each day as we began the clinic. We were always amazed because none of them own a watch but they would begin to arrive by the position of the sun. The waiting area was the red, mud bank outside the house. Somehow, they knew which person was to go next, whether it was to the dental or medical clinic. They had a great system and no one seemed to get agitated. The people were very patient. Several people had waited all morning but when we saw that we couldn’t see them all before our lunch break, we told them to come back after lunch. They kindly left and returned in the afternoon in their same position. Americans could take some lessons in patience from the Indians.

As soon as one person was out of the hygienist’s chair, another was waiting to have his teeth cleaned. I think having their teeth cleaned was the highlight of our team. They kept thanking Jennifer for “washing their teeth.” Jim and his assistant, Kathy, filled and pulled many teeth during our week’s visit. The long roots on the baby teeth and the high pain tolerance of these people were incredible. All patients, four years old and above, sat down in the chair, opened their mouths and didn’t whimper. The dental clinic treated about 110 patients. Each person received a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a silver cross and chick-a-lets (sugarless gum) as he/she left. What a privilege to help the Indians with their dental needs while sharing the love of Jesus with them.

On the medical side, we finally got our patient flow going. The first stop was the triage chair. At this point, Missionary Clint Vernoy would write down the patient’s name and his chief complaint. He was elected for this job because none of us could spell their names. The next chair was the nurse’s station, where the patient’s blood pressure, pulse and temperature were taken. The highest blood pressure recorded was 124/86. I guess exercise and less stress really do help. The following chair was where the patient talked to the doctor. It was definitely not the most private situation, but the doctor had a room available if the patient needed more privacy. The closeness was very convenient when drug therapy needed to be discussed. I was only a chair away with a table full of medication to take care of most physical symptoms. The most common complaint was back pain. Most of them, beginning as a child, carried huge loads of wood or yucca on their backs. Because they are accustomed to pain, one ibuprofen works wonders for them. Pediatric and women’s health issues were prevalent as well. We were thankful to have a pediatrician to help all of the children. However, many of the mothers were only children themselves. If someone came in for only a check-up or didn’t need medicine, they received at least a pack of vitamins. The vitamins were a definite need as malnutrition was one of the two most common problems. We praise the Lord for enabling us to treat 250 patients in the medical clinic.

We treated two tribes, the Ye’kwana and Sanama Indians. The Vernoy’s work with the Ye’kwana tribe. They have a school and a church and appear cleaner and healthier. The girls in the Ye’kwana tribe usually get married when they are 13-14 years old and begin having babies immediately. The Sanama Indians speak another tribal language and do not have missionaries in their village. In this tribe, the girls usually get married between the ages of 9 to 11 and have babies as soon as they can. We treated several girls 15 to 17 years of age with two or three children. I was amazed at how the Sanama mothers comforted their babies. I’ve always seen American mothers console crying babies by patting them on the back but the Sanama mothers rapidly rub their baby’s head, usually in one particular spot. Most of the babies had very little hair due to malnutrition but they all had one bald spot where their mothers attempted to soothe them. The part that bothered me the most was that it didn’t work and the babies cried constantly. Most of the Sanama babies that we saw were malnourished, with tiny wrists and ankles and a huge belly. It was heartbreaking to see them and hear them cry. We gave them all vitamins. Rita fed a few of the mothers and babies; however, she knew that sending food home would only benefit the dad.

The last stop was the most vital stop in the entire clinic. Antonio presented the gospel to each patient. He used a piece of candy to explain the gift of salvation. It is available to you, but you have to receive it. For some of these people, it was the first time they had ever heard about Jesus Christ. Even though everyone in the village didn’t believe, they all knew that something special was happening every Sunday morning and evening as they heard the church bell ring twice for each service. The first bell rang to alert the people that it was time to get ready for church. The second bell was to tell the village that it was time for church, that Christ was being celebrated.

If you are thinking that we could not do very much in one week, you are correct. However, we use medicine as a tool to share the gospel and to open doors for the missionaries to continue ministering to the people. As we were leaving, the people were hugging us and telling us good-bye. I remembered that when we arrived those same people were without expression. I believe medical missions is an effective way to strengthen church planting and present the gospel of Christ, just like Jesus did in Matthew 9:35, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Matthew 6:21

Walter & Thrasilla Hornung -  GERMANY
J Paul & Laura Hostetler -  MADAGASCAR
Douglas & Carolyn Lee Howard -  SOUTH AFRICA