The doctor is in...

The first flight out of Fiyawana to Yifififiki with Teresa on board.

Friday, June 8th started with the sounds of roosters waking up the entire village, followed by the sounds of the helicopter landing just down the hill from Jonathan's old house.  Teresa, Dr. Stephanie Doenges, Dr. Becky Morsch, Susie McGough, Matthew Galman and Joel Funfun were on the first flight out to Yifififiki.  It took the entire morning to shuttle all of us, our supplies, and jet fuel by helicopter from Fiyawana to Yifififiki.

We were met at the dirt helipad on the edge of a cliff by nearly a hundred of the Hewa and neighboring tribes who had shown up to hear us teach them and to treat their medical and dental problems.  We were so happy to walk up the muddy path from the helipad to Jonathan and Susan Kopf's house.  Susan had meat rolls and plenty of water waiting for us for lunch.

Teresa counting pills in the
pharmacy corner of the clinic.

Matthew Galman, Joel Funfun and Dr. Becky Morsch started the Community Based Health Care and Village Childbirth Attendant class immediately after lunch.  A Hewa man named Feinbot translated from Pidgin to Hewan.

The medical clinic was a tiny room, about the size of a large closet, built on the back side of the teaching area.  Dr. Stephanie, Teresa and I started up the medical clinic and began to see patients.  Teresa did a fine job as our pharmacist, and Susan Kopf translated from Pidgin and English to Hewan.

Dr. Stephanie sees a patient in the clinic.

We treated several people for pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, pregnancy, abdominal pain, backache from carrying large loads on their backs, and malaria.  Dr. Stephanie Doenges was amazing and the people immediately took to her.

That night we set up a small projector, speakers and a laptop to show the movie Jesus of Nazareth in the outdoor teaching area.  The Hewa people had only ever seen a movie crowded around a small laptop computer.  The large image that we projected up onto our screen thrilled them.  I didn't realize that it was a 2 DVD movie, so we finally had to call it a night about half way through the movie and explained that we would finish it tomorrow night.  We poured ourselves into bed, physically and emotionally exhausted.

Hewa woman waiting to be seen
in the medical clinic.