The entire IHS team, including all their equipment and supplies, was flown in on the MAG Cessna 206.

The dental clinic saw plenty of action. For many of those receiving care, this was their first time ever seeing a dentist.

Dr. Doug Pflaum, the IHS Team Leader, put the operating room to work for minor surgeries.

Walking for a day or more, then waiting for a day or more...still everyone was happy to see a doctor. The people of Rus Rus were excellent hosts.

Twice a year, doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and technicians from all over the world form an all volunteer force under the banner of International Health Service (IHS) and spread out across the country of Honduras to deliver care to the impoverished.  (see www.ihsmn.org)  In February 2011, IHS came to Rus Rus!

The word went out throughout the jungle villages that a free medical clinic would be held at the Rus Rus Hospital.  People were invited to come – and come they did!  The medical and dental team of 13, led by Dr. Doug Pflaum, saw over 1200 people over the course of 7 days.  They also did a lot of work assessing and servicing medical equipment in the hospital and even got the operating room up and running for some minor surgeries.  The newly operational dental clinic saw a lot of action as well.

Most people arrived on foot, many having walked for an entire day – some for two days – coming from villages all along the Rio Coco, including many from Nicaragua.

The numbers looked like this:
Adult medical visits = 580
Child medical visits = 364
Dental visits = 328
Eye glass recipients = 171
Total visits in 7 days = 1443
Total individual people served = over 1200
That’s over 200 visits or procedures per day!

Just as impressive as the numbers was how the tiny village of Rus Rus jumped into action to help even as they were quickly outnumbered by those arriving for medical care.  Homes were opened.  Vacant houses were made available.  People’s yards became makeshift campsites.  Cooking fires were started.  Over the course of that week, it became clear to the people of Rus Rus that their village had became a hub of “Help and Hope” such as it had not been since the late 1980’s – since the war and the refugee time and the hospital’s “glory days”. The IHS visit served as a wonderful testimonial to the people – that better days lie not behind but ahead!

The IHS visit was also particularly timely in light of the recent dysentery outbreak faced by the area reported in the January 21, 2011 MAG Blog post.  We are happy to report that the care and supplies delivered (free of charge) by the IHS team in addition to the medicine and flights funded by MAG donors, seem to have brought an end to the crisis as no new cases or deaths have been reported since the team left.

The team is reportedly hoping to make the partnership with the Rus Rus Hospital an ongoing part of their annual commitment to the people of Honduras.  We suspect that Denise Wiles’ cooking has something to do with it!

“The weather has been absolutely beautiful” reported MAG missionary Westley Wiles, “but that has caused a real problem – and we need some help down here!”

Rus Rus Hospital

December and January have been unusually dry months in eastern Honduras which has cuased water levels to drop. When water levels drop and rivers and streams get slower and dirtier, the immediate consequence is increased dysentery and water born illnesses, especially among children. Such is the case now and villages surrounding Rus Rus have continued to report children dying as a result of severe diarrhea and vomitting. Those who have made it to the hospital have received life saving IV fluids and medication. Many unable to make the trek through the jungle, or unable to contact us for airlift have not been surviving the illness. Dozens of fatalities on both the Honduran and Nicaraguan sides of the Rio Coco have been reported.  Without rain, more are expected.

The hospital at Rus Rus, operated by Missionary Air Group, has responded to the epidemic and is treating as many of these young patients as possible. “The hospital is full but the supply room is empty” said head nurse Geraldina Coleman.   The problem has not been limited to children – several adult deaths have been reported as well – but the little ones are particularly vulnerable, unable to recover from the dehydration that comes with just a few days of diarrhea.

The children of Rus Rus greeting the MAG air ambulance.

As bad as this all sounds, a greater threat lurks on the horizon.  It’s almost harvest time and if “dry” turns to “drought”, then dysentery will be compounded by crop failure and famine.  This reinforces the urgent need for deep wells in order to provide a sustainable clean water supply.  Missionary Air Group is working to establish long term partnerships to aid in community development, health, and water projects for this area.  However, emergency funding is needed immediately to fund additional evacuation flights and to restock the pharmacy in the face of the current crisis.

Will you help?

1. Sean works to construct the primary truss for the hangar’s 50 foot open front span. (April 2010)

After a full year of planning and prayer, the new MAG mission base in the remote jungle village of Rus Rus, Honduras is ready to house missionary staff and aircraft to begin the flow of “help and hope” to the Miskito people of the Rio Coco. There’s still a lot more to do, but a steady stream of volunteer work teams over the first six months of 2010 has yielded a beautiful new airplane hangar [photo 3], water and electrical systems, and an extensively renovated missionary house – all ready to begin serving the people of this isolated and neglected region.

It has been amazing to watch God miraculously bring together the people and resources needed to make this project a reality. In the span of only six months volunteers came from churches in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine. Tennessee, North Carolina, California, and even Honduras can be added to the list of places providing financial and other support. Major milestones came quickly as the hangar foundation was poured (by hand) in March, and the structure itself was erected [photos 1 and 2] and most of the utilities installed in April by the “Common Ground” team [photo 4]. We’re so grateful for everyone’s help and generosity, but the work is really only beginning. Rebuilding the hospital comes next!

Several critical components are needed and/or on the way. A new 8KW diesel generator and a satellite communication system are still critically needed. Despite this, Westley and Denise Wiles and their family are ready to move in – even without any furniture for the house – and begin serving the people in Rus Rus and the surrounding area.

2. The truss, re-assembled piece by piece in place, is made from wood cut by hand from the surrounding jungle. (April 2010)

3. Completed side and corner room for parts, tools, and generators mean the new hangar is finally “open for business”. The remaining sides and opposite corner room will be closed in later. (June 2010)

4. The “2010 Common Ground Missions Team” prepares to depart Rus Rus after two hard weeks of work in 120 degree heat. (April 2010)

MAG’s new airplane (provided through our partnership with Harvesters International Mission – see September 2009 MAG Field Report ) is now in Honduras and is already impacting lives. In fact, it made its first life saving emergency medical flight on only its first day in the country. A young boy, in critical condition from a gunshot wound needed to be evacuated to a hospital in the city, about two hours away by air. [photo 5] The only missionary airplane in the area that day, Westley responded to the call and the boy’s life was saved! While we rejoice over this life, we also face the sobering reality that our ability to deliver medical care will remain quite limited until more work is done on the hospital and a stream of medical personnel and supplies can be permanently established.

Even without yet being “fully operational” however, the mere presence of all this activity, construction, and especially the airplane with “Ambulancia” painted on the nose, has brought a new sense of hope to the people of Rus Rus. Having just returned, MAG President Sean Donnelly recalls: “Hope was evident on the people’s faces. I think this was because they could see and touch these tangible expressions of God’s love and care for them. They no longer felt abandoned. But the greatest encouragement came”, says Sean, “when I got to tell them that, just like the biblical concept of ‘firstfruits’, this was only the beginning. The best is yet to come!”

5. A mother comforts her son as they are airlifted to a hospital in LaCeiba aboard MAG’s new airplane“7AC”. (June 2010)

Please contact MAG if you, your church, or civic group would like to provide any of the critical items still needed to complete the Rus Rus facility. Check out the MAG website to learn more about Rus Rus and the Miskito people of eastern Honduras.