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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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.

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