News and updates from Paul and Cathy Middleton, serving in southern Africa.

25 December 2009

Happy happy and all that!

It’s hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of 2009. Looking back this year started with a flurry of flights including medivacs, mission trips and shed loads of office work. During this year you may remember praying for us as we both applied for work visas which God sorted out for us, 3 years each!

Cathy had a busy year heading up the hospitality ministry at Mercy Air and was often down to just 2 staff running everything. In between she taught at Africa School of Missions and delivered babies - not much time for sunbathing!

Cathy and Matthew made an unscheduled visit to the see her family in the UK after her dad had a major illness, but by God’s intervention he made an amazing recovery. Sorry that she didn’t get to see many of you but it was a very short visit and she had great quality time with the family.


Paul’s dad came to visit us in October and invested his time with us and our home by painting most of the house and making a veggie garden for us. It was brilliant to spend time with him!


Matthew has been back and forth from Durban a few times during the year and Cathy really enjoyed the time with him in the UK. He’s gradually building up a photography portfolio and reputation (as a photographer) in Durban where he stays with his girlfriend’s family.


The year has ended with a week of remembering and celebrating 20 years of Mercy Air’s existence. It’s interesting that when you remember the things that God has done in the past His future plans somehow become more clear and exciting! Mercy Air has some exciting plans for next year with at least 12 funded mission trips and possibly a new aircraft.


Thank you again to those who pray for, and support us.


You really do make a difference. Merry Christmas.


Paul and Cathy

16 December 2009

A Working Holiday

Zululand Mission Air Transport (ZUMAT) are another Christian flying organisation we work very closely with, and last week Cathy and I got to do a shared flight with them.

They operate a Flying Doctor service in northern Natal and fund it by doing commercial game lodge transfers, and it was one of these flights we were helping with.

It worked out really well as there were six passengers - too much for one plane but leaving plenty of room (enough for Cathy anyway) when we split them up. We initially took them down to N. Natal where they spent two nights at a fancy lodge. We stayed about 20 mins flight away with our friends and got so spend a day in a local game park where we saw all sorts of things...

and some things we'd never seen before - probably just as well!
I think the one was stuck in the mud and the other was giving it a push!

Two days later we picked the passengers up again and took them to Durban - another stroke of luck - that's just where Matthew stays! Two nights with him and Annie, before a slow leisurely flight back...
Don't touch the red button!

taking in the new Footy World Cup stadium near Nelspruit just before home...

So, a working holiday - not quite, but at least a bit of a holiday whilst working. My kind of job!

Paul and Cathy

30 November 2009

Mercy Air no longer a teenager!

Wow, what a week that was.

Numerous times in the Bible the Israelite's were told to remember what God had done for them. If they couldn't remember they were to ask their fathers and the old people - but they weren't to forget. Looking back is more than just nostalgia. Cathy and I get as much encouragement from relating our testimony of how we got to where we are, as the people we tell it to.

As part of Mercy Air's 20th celebration we decided that we too should also look back, as much to share and understand our corporate identity with people, like us, who have joined Mercy Air comparatively recently.

We set aside a week and invited many of the people who were instrumental in Mercy Air's birth from Europe and the US as well as missions that have joined us in our work and people that have benefited from our ministry over the years.

Everybody got a chance to tell their story of how God led them to be involved with Mercy Air.

Some of the staff prepared audio visual presentations from old scanned photos to help us remember how each aircraft came our way, how the hospitality ministry started and how the farm came to be ours.

Some evenings we finished with a meal together outside which left plenty of time to catch up with each other and those visitors we hadn't seen for a while.

At the end of the week we had an open day ...

and offered flights to people from the local community as well as some of the Africans and their families that work on the farm with us.

We finished off with a short service in one of the hangers.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable and very worthwhile week. Here's to 20 more years.

18 November 2009

The Long and Short of it

Paul did a long short trip last week.
The flight only took two days but covered 1700 miles (2700 km).


He was up there last week to collect a family who had worked in Cuamba, N. Moz for the past eight years, but who were now returning to Australia.

Having Mercy Air pick them up saved them a 10 hr Land Rover trip, a border crossing, two nights in a 'hotel', and numerous internal domestic flights - all for about the same cost.

They also spent five nights staying with us on the farm and were able to go to Kruger Park for a day - during which they saw loads of stuff apparently.

We had both been to Cuamba in 2005 and, being a military airfield, were kept waiting over an hour after landing whilst officials 'checked' the paperwork. This time however, there were no such problems and the military didn't bother us at all - except for the payment of over inflated landing and parking fees as well as navigation fees, despite there not having been anyone in the tower for years.

The weather was good on the way up, and back down the next day, which was just as well as it's been really grim ever since.

Praying before leaving.

Well on our way.

Paul

07 November 2009

Not quite the Iron Man - more the Tin Man!

Another attempt at a full body work out at a local triathlon with about 40 other competitors.

Paul's energy conserving breast stroke ensured he was second last out of the lake, narrowly beating a 10 year old boy.


Then there was a bit of biking which he did a bit better at...


Followed by a little run...


All this effort won him a water bottle and a pair of socks for second placed veteran, although we're not sure there was a ever a third!

P n' C

29 October 2009

The second coming of the Ancient of Days

My dad last visited us about eight years ago when he spent two weeks with us in Lesotho. His second visit has just finished, and he was here for the last three weeks to see what we do and check up on us!

We got him out flying a few times...


And had to dress him up once to make him look official!


We got out a few times on the mountain bike...


and a mate of mine took him fishing.


We also spent a day in the Kruger Park and saw a shed load of animals, including more Rhino than you could shake a stick at.


We also got a pic of a lion from about two feet away.


On the day before he left we went to Blyde River Canyon


Not being one to sit still for long, in his spare time he decided to wash our planes, dig our garden and paint our house - which did need doing.


In return Cathy made sure he went back looking smart...


Other than that he met most of our friends, came to our church and took us out for lots of meals.

Good old dad!

09 October 2009

Back in Black

Just in case you think life here is all play and no work, this is just to let you know that last week ended up being quite busy.

Paul did two last minute flights to Mozambique. The request for the one was very late in the afternoon and he ended up coming back in the dark. There was no moon and in that part of Moz there are no towns, so just like AC/DC he spent two hours coming 'Back in Black'. Very black as it happens so the only notable view untill the aproach lights at the end, was of the cockpit.

Paul

07 October 2009

Top ten finish in local race!

As winter recedes into the distant chilly past, the weekend race calendar starts to fill up with opportunities to test your mettle against other like minded exponents and of course, oneself.
Being able to get out for a ride in the morning for an hour before work, and even sneak in an hour after work in the light has helped, and in one of the first races recently Paul was able to record a top ten finish.

Jostling for position at the start.


Sounds impressive but the race in question was a low key triathlon - so low key in fact that only six people bothered to enter the 'big' race (800m swim, 20km bike and 5km run).

The agony of the low key triathlon runner.

Despite being joint last at the end of the swim, Paul battled hard on the bike, and managed to hold his position on the run, to narrowly finish fourth.

He commented after wards that all his training in the bath didn't seem to have paid off, and the fact that it was only a 100m walking commute to work each day likely hampered his preparation for the run.

01 October 2009

Durbs

Last Thursday we went down to Durban to see Matthew and his girlfriend Annie for the weekend.

It was a long drive (8 hrs) but then getting to most places in SA involve a long drive.

We did a few toiuristy things including going to a Sharks v Cheetahs rugby match.

During which Cathy had a hard time concealing her excitement!

We went to uShaka, a big aquarium near the harbour.
Here's Cathy getting up close, but fortunatley not too personal with a hammer head shark.

We saw Matthew's new car - a GSM Flamingo, and one of only 128 ever made.

Then it was a long drive back home again on the Monday.

Paul and Cathy

11 September 2009

Hippo birdies two ewes

September 11th.

Famous for many things:
1297 - Scotsman William Wallace defeated the English forces of Sir Hugh de Cressingham at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
1609 - Explorer Henry Hudson sailed into New York harbor and discovered Manhattan Island and the Hudson River.
1910 - In Hollywood, the first commercially successful electric bus line opened.
1974 - "Little House On The Prairie" made its television debut.
2001 - World Trade Centre attacks.

And the birthdays of:
D.H. Lawrence 1885
Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines) 1917
Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) 1943
Phil May (The Pretty Things) 1944

and the lovely Cathy Middleton 19??

Happy birthday Cathy.

09 September 2009

Trailing the Otter

The last time we went away together for any length of time (on a non work related trip) was almost two years ago. It was brilliant therefore to get away last week to do the Otter Trail with some friends. This is a five day, 45 km walk along a secluded bit of the south coast and South Africa's most popular trail which needs to be booked a year in advance.

It was a 1600+ km, 18 hour drive through the night to get there - and back again, but it was well worth it.

The scenery is spectacular and rugged.

And good for sunsets.

Also pretty good for long exposure, moonlit night time shots.

You stay in basic huts right next to the beech, but have to carry everything else with you (food, sleeping bag etc). Each night we cooked outside round a fire.

It might only be 45 km but the going is often tough - especially with big rucksacks.

The trail is noted for many things but one of the most daunting is a river crossing on day four. When we did this walk eight years ago one of our group had major problems here.
We crossed at low tide but still needed to swim about 100m. Trouble was that low tide was at 08:00 and it's a four hour walk from the hut. This meant we were up at 03:15 and had to walk 2 1/2 hours in the dark to get there.

Day three huts are on the right in the pic below and also required a river crossing to get to them.

We saw wales, dolphins, shed loads of birds, buck, some big insects

and a scorpion!
Oh, and we even saw an otter!

Cathy felled a small tree with her bare teeth and then wrang the sap out so we could use it for cooking later that evening!

After the walk we took a day to do a mountain bike trail and then drove back - on our wedding anniversary.

When we left we were having a fire each night to keep warm. We get back to find the day time temperatures are over 30 deg. I guess spring must have arrived!

P n' C

22 August 2009

Happy Anniversary

Today is sort of special for us.


Not just because of it being a very pleasant sunny Saturday with a calm breeze, birds twirping in the trees and the local troop of monkeys entertaining us by playing chase across our roof.

No, today, 22nd August 1994 was the day we drove to Manchester Airport to start our journey to southern Africa courtesy of a big fat KLM 747.


FIFTEEN YEARS - and we only originally came for three!


We would venture to say that it feels like a lot less – less than ten perhaps, but if we do think back we can't believe how much we've crammed into the last 15 years. Four years with the Durham LINK in Lesotho, then the years at flight school and now over six years with Mercy Air in South Africa.

There have been many ups and downs (mostly ups as we remember them) but we must give God the credit for sticking by us and leading us through the maze of life in Africa and blessing us beyond belief. After arriving in Lesotho in the middle of a military curfew in 94 we didn't for one moment ever envisage ourselves sitting here in White River doing what we're doing now.


We must also, of course, say thank you to those of you who have prayed for us and given so generously to make it possible for us to continue here.


So how are we celebrating this event? Not with any pomp and ceremony I'm afraid. This last week Paul has been busy in the office getting a lot of paperwork sorted. Cathy has been working at the rural clinic and teaching at Africa School of Missions’ School of Health. Matthew, probably blissfully unaware of the significance of the date (we will write later and remind him though), is still in Durban taking photographs.


He has done very well. He completed almost all of his formative education in Africa. From a skinny eight year old in primary school, all the way through high school to now having surpassed his parent’s academic achievements and trawled his way through university, emerging with a Degree.


The early Africa years:


Somewhere in-between:

More recently:


Unfortunately we haven't been able to scan any pics of when we first arrived but just so you can know the effect that all this has had on us:


Thank you again.


Paul, Cathy and Matthew

20 August 2009

The other side of the coin

As we detailed recently with the landing gear incident, things don’t always go as planned.


We like to tell of how we make a difference in southern Africa and of how peoples lives are changed for the good because of the work Mercy Air does.


I was mentally formulating another blog after the phone rang last night, asking whether we were available to transfer a man with a broken leg from Beira to Maputo in Mozambique.


I went back to the office to do a quote and fax it off to the medical company in Maputo. I also had to apply for an emergency flight permit to enter Moz as well as Air Force authority to fly in South Africa, as we are in the middle of a test week for flight restrictions around the stadia that will be used for next years footy World Cup.


A whole bunch of other things needed to be sorted out. Headsets, GPS, airport fees money, sat phone, food and drinks, blankets, survival kit, check the weather etc. I did the flight planning at home whilst having my dinner.


At nine o clock we got a call that the quote had been accepted and that the flight was definitely on. That meant bigger alterations to the plane. Seats had to be removed and a stretcher fitted but all this by torch light as the hanger has no lights. All that took time but we were in bed by 11:00.


Half past five this morning I was up again – breakfast, check the weather, when just as I was leaving the house the phone rang. It was the paramedic in Maputo saying that the patient had died during the night so the flight was off. Apparently he had two broken femurs and internal bleeding. I had expected someone with a badly broken ankle so this came as quite a shock.


All dressed up with no-where to go. The 210 this morning before taking the stretcher out.


So, no dramatic story or photos of another successful mercy mission accomplished against the odds. Just a tired head and another hour spent this morning returning the plane to normal passenger use.


You get quite psyched and focused when preparing for these last minute emergency requests. But when they are called off at the last minute you can feel very flat, especially when time hasn’t even given you a chance to help. Although uncommon, it’s just another aspect of the job that usually doesn’t usually get told.


Paul and Cathy

18 August 2009

Ministry play time

We would admit that we do get to have a fair amount of fun.

Depending on your view point, my 60 km and Cathy's 35 km mountain bike race this last weekend would prove that.

The week before though saw another opportunity for frivolity when Julian and Annie Bullen and two of their friends visited us. We arrived in Lesotho within 3 weeks of the Bullen's in 1994 to work for our respective missions and have been good friends ever since. They are currently living in Angoche way up in Mozambique working with the Koti people, but have to leave the country every three months to renew their visas.

This is where Mercy Air really comes in handy for many missionaries as we are an ideal place to stay whilst paperwork, meical visits, vehicles etc are sorted out. We are also in a good area to chill out and partake in some serious R n' R, which can be as refreshing as staying in bed all morning - I'm told!

So, we chilled in the evenings, had some meals together, chatted, prayed a little... and then we turned our eyes to the hills.

We have a friend at our church in White River who runs the local adrenalin spot called Induna Adventures, and we arranged with him for a two hour blat around the forrests on quad bikes. Considering the lifestyle in Mozambique this was a real oportunity for Julian and Annie to let their heir down - and for Cathy to tie hers up!


So, ministry? - of course. Every one needs their batterys charging somehow. Fun? - need I say more!

Paul