September 17 - A Love Story on the Amazon

A Love Story on the Amazon

Female #1 - Tayana - Mission
Dentist My name is Tayana

Nascimento da Silva.

I am a dentist, and I
live in Belém in Pará.

Male #1 - Íris - Mission
Doctor My name is Íris

Sena. I am a physician,
specializing in family medicine,

and I live in Belém, Pará.

Female #1 - Tayana
- Mission Dentist I am

training as a dental surgeon,
but my routine involves academic

study. I am studying
medicine as well.

Male #1 - Íris - Mission
Doctor I am a doctor in

a town in the interior of
Pará, called Vigia de Nazaré.

We assist families in a health
center called The Family Health

Strategy. Male #2 -
Narrator As a doctor and a

dentist, Dr. Iris and Dr. Tayana
were excited when they heard an

invitation to join
the Luzeiro 29.

Female #1 - Tayana -
Mission Dentist I have

seen people sitting in a plastic
chair, in the middle of the

countryside, living in poor
conditions, and we did what we

could. Sometimes we could only
make fluoride applications and

essential services.

When I arrived on the boat, I
almost fell back when I entered

and saw this clinic structure.

I was so excited; I would make
videos and send them to my

family. I would say, "Guys,
there's a whole office inside

the boat." I thought I was going
to get here and not find that.”

Male #1 - Íris - Mission
Doctor A very capable

structure for the services.

There is a lot of collaboration
with donating medicines, with

supplies for the work
in my area and others.

It was very encouraging.

Also, the work itself,
which is the best of all.

Male #2 - Narrator In
the most remote places,

there is a lack of basic health
information, so an essential

part of the doctors' job
is to educate people with

good health practices.

Female #1 - Tayana - Mission
Dentist The most common

thing that comes
in is decayed teeth.

We do a lot of restorations, and
unfortunately, we do a lot of

extractions. If I find someone
without cavities, I think they

are infrequent,
just a few cases.

I think I can count
them on one hand.

Male #1 - Íris - Mission
Doctor The most common

in children, young
people, is germs.

We talk about the purification
of water, about the correct way

to wash your fruits, vegetables,
legumes, and everything else,

to avoid contamination.

There is no point in
giving medicine today.

Next week, they eat poorly
again, use untreated water, and

unfortunately, they can
get the disease again.

Female #1 - Tayana
- Mission Dentist

Sometimes, one toothbrush
is used for the whole family or

more than one
person in the house.

That's common.

Then, "No.

Look, here's a toothbrush for
you, one for your father, one

for your mother.

Don't let everybody use the same
brush because the disease you

have will pass on to others."
The lack of information is so

significant that this
information, super simple for

us, that we were born knowing,
practically, for them, it's new.

Male #2 - Narrator
Íris and Tayana's

stories began in
different places.

They first met on this
Luzeiro 29 adventure.

Their story is about how they
cared for people, but it is also

a story of love.

Female #1 - Tayana -
Mission Dentist I came as

a dentist, and he
came as a doctor.

We met for the first time in
the van, going to the boat.

Male #1 - Íris - Mission
Doctor There, we started

talking and
started a friendship.

When we left Luzeiro, we did
academic work with the data from

here. The friendship continued
until we started dating a few

months later.

Female #1 - Tayana -
Mission Dentist Then,

after that, a little bit
later, we got married.

[music]

Female #1 - Tayana - Mission
Dentist Sometimes I feel

like I'm inside a dream.

I don't know if you have ever
had that feeling -- like you’re

looking at your life
from the outside.

You look, and you say, "Wow,
it even looks like a dream.

Is it really true?" When I look
at the opportunity to be working

here, I feel like an
active part, like being an

extension of God's arms.

I can tell you that it is a
very great feeling of gratitude.

Male #2 - Narrator
From Dr. Íris and Dr.

Tayana’s perspective it’s
heartwarming to do good.

However, they recognize that
there are still thousands of

lives that need care
and the love of Jesus.

It will still take many miles
of sailing and many years to

continue seeing, feeling,
and living Project Luzeiro.

Male #1 - Íris - Mission
Doctor At the end of the

day, however, when we lay our
head on the pillow, we feel that

sense of mission
accomplished, of duty fulfilled.

Female #1 - Tayana -
Mission Dentist To be

able to remember that I was
able to help someone, that there

were people who left here
smiling, thanking me because

they weren't feeling pain
anymore, because they were going

to be able to sleep at night,
that's the best payoff, I think.