India

Vanuatu Project

Since 2004

In 2004, Laymen Ministries began the Vanuatu mission project on the remote island of Gaua. Vanuatu is one of the most remote places on the planet. Dr. Mark Turnbull, his wife Naomi and their daughter Kay, teamed up with Laymen Ministries and left the comforts of Australia for the tropical jungles of the this volcanic island chain. Our work began first as a remote and fairly primitive medical clinic, basically serving just the Island of Gaua.

We started getting requests to help people on other nearby islands. Realizing how difficult travel is among these islands, as there are no ferries or any other means of transportation, we realized an airplane was needed to serve these "bush" locations. We prayed, and within a matter of weeks a brand new Maule M7 airplane was miraculously donated just for this project. Learn more about this amazing story by clicking here. It's like this airplane was custom built for this project — even down to the colors of tropical ocean blue and lava orange!

Next up was to build a hangar/home for the Turnbull family. The hangar serves as protection for the airplane during storms and cyclones, and an upper level of the hangar provides adequate living space for the Turnbull family. As the medical work grew we added a new clinic building with a sterile operating room. The clinic sees 100s of people every week, so a patient recovery building and an outdoor kitchen was added so families can feed their loved ones while they are recuperating.

As word spread about our medical work and how it has impacted the island of Gaua, many neighboring islands, especially in the Banks/Torres Province of northern Vanuatu, requested our help. Local residents labored hard to construct primitive bush airstrips for our Maule airplane. Almost daily the plane is out delivering or picking up patients. Dr. Mark also serves medical emergencies with the airplane to nearby islands: Motalava, Toga and Merelava, with more possibilities in the future. This medical work is recognized by almost everyone in the country, including the President of Vanuatu!

Reaching these untouched islands in the northernmost area of Vanuatu was our objective from the start. The dream of someday landing on these islands and reaching these people with the Three Angels' Messages is now a reality. Our work on Gaua has continued to expand with the addition of a grade school teeming with children, and a wood shop to teach the older students practical work skills. The shop is now receiving orders for their goods, not only on Gaua, but from some of the neighboring islands, as well. A nice church was built, and every Sabbath a good-sized group of people participate. The church not only serves as a place of worship, it is a type of a community center and communication hub with parents of the school children.

We invite you to pray with us for this work. The costs of operating the airplane, fuel and maintenance, is super high. We recently replaced the original, worn-out engine. We are constantly having to replace parts due to the corrosion of salt air, water and coral sand. Lives depend on this plane! We thank those of you who have made possible this amazing progress!



Make a Difference!



Jim & Moni Webb Our hangar/home and medical clinic. Nestled behind some coral rock formations, this provides shelter from the huge typhoons that blow through this region of the South Pacific.

Katatubo Tribe Surgery in our small but well equipped and fully sterile operating room is almost a daily occurrence.

remote vilage school Ben and Jana Meldt, from Australia, recently joined our team to lighten the load on Dr. Turnbull and his wife Naomi.

recently acuired land Our schools are full of students.

jeepney Ni-vans, the people of Vanuatu, greatly appreciate Laymen Ministries’ presence. So many have come to love Dr. Mark and Naomi Turnbull.