Courtesy Daily News Record, May 1, 2012
Dan Terry devoted his life to helping Afghan people.
For nearly four decades, the humanitarian aid worker coordinated small-scale community development projects throughout the struggling country until his murder in 2010.
鈥淚 never know how to describe what my dad did. Every time I called him, he was doing something different,鈥� said his daughter, Anneli Terry-Nelson, 30. 鈥淗e was a networker. He knew someone who could do something someone needed to be done and could link them up over a cup of tea.鈥�
The 64-year-old was among 10 humanitarian aid workers murdered on Aug. 5, 2010, as they were returning to Kabul from a medical relief trip in the northern part of Afghanistan.
91短视频 alum Glen Lapp and Harrisonburg resident Brian Carderelli also were killed in the ambush.
On Friday night at the MainStage Theater in University Commons, 16 91短视频 students from the university鈥檚 visual and communication arts department unveiled a 57-minute documentary, 鈥淲eaving Life,鈥� which portrayed Terry鈥檚 life.
Paulette Moore, a media arts and peace building professor, thought of the idea for the documentary after one of Terry鈥檚 friends, Jonathan Larson, spoke during a university chapel service.
鈥淭hose killings affected our community, the Mennonite community, greatly,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淲e were part of that story.鈥�
Kelby Miller, a 22-year-old senior from Sarasota, Fla., served as the senior producer for the project.
The film depicts Terry鈥檚 unique approach to humanitarianism.
鈥淚 hope the documentary shows people Dan鈥檚 different ways of doing things,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 just worried about giving them things but [also] making relationships.鈥�
Justin Roth, a 21-year-old senior from Bettsville, Ohio, served as the project鈥檚 editor. Roth said he learned a great deal about Terry鈥檚 life during the semester-long project.
鈥淲e learned a whole lot about Dan through the stories of other people,鈥� he said.
MennoMedia, which produces documentaries through the National Programming Committee of the National Council of Churches, plans to prepare the film for airing on ABC television stations this fall.