PCM News: Hospital Aid

25 July 2012

Hospital Aid

Paul recently flew a team from the UK who support a particular children's project at a hospital in Durban. They come out to work with another organisation near Nelspruit called Hands @ Work, but take the opportunity to fly to Durban with us because it saves them a two day round trip drive which they otherwise wouldn't have time to do.

Fueling in Nelspruit we parked by an old classic DC4.

We have done this trip for them three years in a row now.
Paul didn't visit the hospital with them but as there was a spare seat, Cathy also came along and we spent some time with our son Matthew who lives in Durban with his wife Annie.

So, no dramatic photos of the hospital visit - which apparently went very well, but a few of the flight instead.

Just before boarding.

Looking forwards...

...and backwards. We always think it a compliment when our passengers sleep during the flight, and we don't mind if they look a little silly whilst doing so.

The weather at 10000ft on the way, and the way back was cloudy - but only beneath us.

Paul and Cathy

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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.