PCM News: Morning Cobra Anyone?

12 February 2010

Morning Cobra Anyone?

We opened the office door the other morning to catch a glimpse of a medium sized snake slithering along the floor and under a desk. We didn't know exactly what kind it was, but we knew a man who would and so gave him a ring.

He arrived 30 mins later armed with a stick, a cardboard box and a lot of knowledge of how to handle these things.

We rediscovered it in amongst some files and it didn't take him long to coax it out. Turns out it was a Snouted Cobra and quite a bad boy if you get bitten by one. He said he knew of one person who had died 20 mins after having been bitten by one.

Anyway, he was taken away to be released somewhere less threatening, where he could continue his search for frogs and mice.

Paul

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: I guess this sort of thing really encourages you even more to get down to that pile of filing!! ????
Probably best to leave the file S for Snake undisturbed...; 22 February, 2010

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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.