YWAM Medical Ship visits East Sepik Province.

Youth With A Mision (YWAM) Medical Ship, MV Pacific Link, visited East Sepik Province after six months in Madang Province. The crew comprises of doctors, students and the captain and his cabin crew. They were received into by East Sepik Governor, Honorable Sir Michael Somare, Lady Veronica Somare and the people of East Sepik Province on the 13^th of September 2016.

East Sepik Governor Rt.Hon.Sir Michael Somare and Lady Veronica Somare guided on tour of the ship

 

Their arrival was timely as the province is preparing to celebrate 41^st Independent Anniversary and is noted as a blessing for the province and signifies a memorable time in the history of Papua New Guinea when early missionaries came unto the shores on PNG not only to spread the gospel but to teach and heal people.

YWAM is a Non – Government Christian Organization which was started in Colorado and has extended its services to Papua New Guinea with personnel working in Southern and Northern Regions of Papua New Guinea.

Staff of YWAM Medical Ship, MV Pacific Link

 

They will be in East Sepik for another six months providing health care services free of charge to the people before heading to Sandaun/West Sepik Province.

During their stay they will work alongside Boram General Hospital and the nurses from remote health facilities as they go about visiting Wewak Islands and the Sepik River. Previous six months in Madang Province they saw a total of 48 000 health cases which is equivalent to a cost of K4.86 million and they expect a much higher demand for health care services by the people of ESP

They get their support from businesses, individuals, hospitals and from interest Provincial Governments and so far supports have been great.

So far existing reputable Christian NGOs working alongside East Sepik Provincial Administration to provide health care services and other relevant matters of development are Samaritan Aviation, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), New Tribes, Christian Books Melanesia (CBM) and Churches Health Services.   

Welcome dances by the people of East Sepik Province, Top and bottom

 

Samaritan Aviation: 390 lives saved, delivering 100 000 medical supplies, more than 300 hours of flight in 117 emergency flights

Samaritan Aviation operates the only floatplane in Papua New Guinea, serving those living in East Sepik Province through emergency evacuation flights, medicine delivery, disaster relief and community health program.

Mark Palm, Samaritan Aviation Director and pilot visited the area when he was 19 and saw the medical and spiritual of the people. He realized that a floatplane would provide access to those areas.

He returned to United States and to school, eventually earned a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and floatplane rating as well as aircraft mechanic certificate.

In 2000, Samaritan Aviation started as a non-profit Aviation Hospital Ministry and began raising awareness for its mission. Ten years later, he achieved his dream and in 2010 Mark Palm, his wife and three children came to Wewak to begin their flight operations with only one floatplane.

To date, Samaritan Aviation has delivered more than 100, 000 medical supplies and saved 390 lives, 60% of which are babies and mothers by flying more than 300 hours in 117 emergency flights.

A second floatplane has arrived in Wewak from United States and they are assembling it for its maiden flight in a later date. “This will ensure that a plane is always available if the other plane encounter mechanic problem,” said Mark Palm.

Currently 50% of their funding comes from PNG Government the other 50% from private individuals and foundations in USA.

Their team is s

New Pilot Family

Emergency flights along Sepik River Villages

lowly growing in size. In 2014, a new pilot family joined Samaritan Aviation, John and Carrie Smith and their family. John is a pilot as well as an aircraft mechanic. Both will be involved in Samaritan Aviation Hospital Ministry and Community Health Evangelism (CHE) Program. Another family, Forrest and Marlene Williamsons with their two children will depart US for Wewak next September to join the team. Forrest is a pilot as well while his wife is a nurse.

Emergency flight delivering a patient at Boram Airport, Wewak