PCM News: Oh Happy Day

23 July 2009

Oh Happy Day

All days are slightly different depending on the criteria one uses to measure them, but today was a good day.

Firstly, I got my wife back from two weeks visiting her family in the UK.

Secondly, we went to the Department of Home Affairs in Nelspruit and was told that my application for a work permit had been approved.

I have been on a volunteer temporary residence permit for the last six years (two, three year visas), which is the maximum they allow. The only way to go from here then, was to advertise and apply for my own job and get a work permit. This involved a small mountain of paperwork that would send shivers down even the most liberal tree huggers spine. The desired result was achieved however, and the relevant piece of green paper that allows me a further three years sojurn in South Africa, is now firmly affixed in my passport.

Paul

2 comments:

Izzy T said...: Wahaaay, am stoked for you!
Enjoy :); 23 July, 2009
Paul and Cathy said...: Pretty stoked ourselves.
Now C and I both have three years.
Perhaps we're meant to stay here!; 24 July, 2009

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A short history of us

Not long after we were married we felt that God had some full time work for us overseas. This initially began with a move to Sheffield in 1992 to work for a Christian management training company. Three years later we felt the Lord's prompting that another change was imminent and this led to a move to Africa where we helped set up a youth program with the Lesotho-Durham link in the capital Maseru. An initial three year commitment turned into four after which the youth work was handed over to the nationals.

Then, after feeling God was moving us into mission flying Paul enrolled at a flying school and completed his South African commercial license with an instrument rating in December 1999.

We moved from Lesotho to White River in South Africa in June of 2003 where we now work with Mercy Air. Mercy Air was borne out of Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and is a sister, although smaller organisation to the more well known Mercy Ships. We are situated near Nelspruit and provide a service to missions and the development/aid community in the southern African region but mainly serve Mozambique.

We operate four aircraft at present - a Quest Kodiak, a Cessna 310 and two Airbus 350 helicopters which are often used for the relief flights.

When not flying Paul is responsible for flight operations and is Mercy Air's Safety Officer.

Cathy, who is a registered Nurse and Midwife works part time at Africa School of Missions which is a bible college preparing missionaries for overseas service. She teaches in their School of Health and is part of a team which visits a number of rural clinics during the week. She is also helps with the hospitality ministry that Mercy Air runs.

Matthew spent four years at Rhodes University in Grahamstown where he studied photo journalism. He has now flown the nest and is living with his wife in Durban. They have a young daughter named Isabella.