PCM News: Cyclone Eloise

21 January 2021

Cyclone Eloise - January 2021

A few maps to show what will likely keep us busy this weekend and maybe for a while after that.

Cyclone Eloise will hit the coast of Mozambique on Friday night/Sat morning and then traveling westwards through Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.

It is slightly smaller than cyclone Idai two years ago - although still 1000km across. Winds will be in the order of 200kph and it will likely bring the same amount of rain to an area already waterlogged from heavy summer rainfall.

Our plan is for Paul to fly a team up tomorrow (Friday) just before the cyclone arrives to join our helicopter which is already up there. We will position behind it, sit it out for a day or two and then follow it down over the weekend and the early part of next week.

That way we'll be in a better position to respond by doing survey flights and flying in support of rescue efforts as they arise.


Bottom left to the middle of the cyclone is equivalent to the length of Britain.

Thank you

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.