Chimoio visit

Last week we went up to Chimoio again with a team from the US and South Africa, and visited many of the projects that ASAM and Mercy Air are involved with.

While we were flying up, Bill and Lu (Barbara’s brother and his wife who were visiting from the US) drove up. It took them two full days with a relatively swift 2 hrs at each border and they arrived hot and tired. In comparison we spent 3 hrs in the plane with less than an hour on the ground in Beira to refuel and do customs and immigration. No night spent in a dodgy bat infested B n’ B in Zim, no police roadblocks, no sweaty border queues to stand in.

The next day we took some doors to the clinic that the Harderwyk team had roofed only a month earlier and which has now been plastered.

We visited some of the schools that the mission runs and helped serve food at lunch time. They feed 260 children every day and for many it is their only meal. Some of the children walk up to 10km to attend classes.

In comparison we also visited an overcrowded government school. The mission has just obtained permission the local Government to allow them to paint it for free.

We saw the area that has been cleared for a runway that will enable us to fly directly to the mission in the future as well as another area where they have started to build a training centre.

We went to a very lively and hot (35 deg), African church on the Sunday.

Desire had a pensive look at the vastness of Mozambique on the flight back.

I'm sure we'll be up there again very soon.

Paul and Cathy

Mercy Air Mercy Flight

To use two weather related metaphors, the end of last week turned out to be a bit of a whirlwind, but it all turned out to be plain sailing.

Last Thursday we got a call asking us if we could re-patriate Os, a Zimbabwean, to Harare. He had come down to South Africa for medical tests and the results of these tests had revealed that he had cancer in his bones throughout his body, and particularly his spine. This meant that although he didn't require any medical attention during the flight, he was still in pain and had to travel on a stretcher, and as such couldn't fly with the regular airlines. They had originally contacted MAF in Jo'burg but as their plane was busy they suggested they phone us.

The family had received quotes for a transfer from various medical companies, which had been financially prohibitive. Doing the flight at cost, we came in at just over 10% of those prices and by doing so allowed the family the chance to have their father back at home with them during his final days.

As always with these types of flight, there was a lot of arranging to do, but MAF helped us with some of the practicalities at the Jo'burg end, and Cathy and I flew there late on Thursday afternoon.

The following day at 06:00 we met Os, his wife Brenda and Susan, their daughter, who had flown in from New Zealand, and after loading, were taking off just before 07:00, an hour earlier than I had anticipated. The three hour flight up was cloudless and as smooth as .... well, you know... a smooth thing, which really helped Os as he would of felt every bump in his spine. Even my landing in Harare was on the better side of average!

The turnaround in Harare was also smooth with the authorities being very quick and efficient, and an ambulance and crew waiting to unload Os.

We managed to get fuel in Zim for the first time in almost 10 years which was another bonus, as that meant that Cathy and I could fly direct back to South Africa without having to divert to Botswana to refuel.

Os's family were great and gave us a small hamper of food for our return journey. They also gave us a card which really touched us. Inside it read:

"Dear Mercy Air Angels (they must have known Cathy was coming up!).
We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for bringing our Dad safely home. Without your help and intervention he would not be able to spend the rest of his days at home with us"

No day here is ever just another day in the office. But knowing you can make such a difference in peoples lives by a relatively routine flight, makes all the rushing around arranging it, more than worth it.

Again, thank you to those who make it possible for us to be in a position to help in this way.

Paul and Cathy

Flown the Nest

Flown the nest is a phrase usually leveled at a teenager who have 'finally' left home.

We'll, our 51 year old left home last week when John and Holger flew our Beech 18 out of the farm for the last time, and on to its new home in Namibia.

I wasn't here to witness the event, as I was away on a missions trip in Moz, although it would of looked something like this:

I haven't delved back in the log books far enough to work out how many hours it flew over the 18 years it was with us, or equated that to how many times round the world it has flown. It would be difficult to count the number of passengers who flew in it, and night impossible to know how many people have been affected by the ministries of those passengers.

It might have just been a plane, a collection of mechanical parts (some of which we have got to know very well!), but as a tool in Gods work it has been invaluable.

We will miss flying it - although we won't miss operating it, but we will certainly miss its growl on take off and it's sheer presence in the hanger. We will retain the memories of the places it has taken us of course but for now though, we look to the future and what God has in line as its replacement.

P n' C

Harderwyk

Last week we flew a team from Harderwyk Church in the US, up to Chimoio in Moz, and as there were eight passengers, we did the flight jointly with ZUMAT, who used their recently acquired Piper Seneca.

We camped at the SAM Ministries mission site where Mercy Air are also building a remote base.

There were many things to do. The ladies spent a few days painting an orphanage whilst the boys put a roof on one of the Mercy Air buildings...

...as well as on a clinic, which had been built two years ago but had been waiting since then for its roof.

Even as they were working, people came to inquire when the clinic would be open - the need is so great there.

The team visited one of the local SAM workers who looks after the cattle and sheep for the mission. His name is Domingo and he lives a very simple life with his family and wife of 30 years, a few kilometers walk away.

He shared some maize he had grown and explained that when his stomach was empty he was poor, but when his stomach was full, he was rich.

As we left, he gave us a bunch of bananas and carried them back across the river for us.

SAM Ministries had built a school a few years back and still provide food for the students. We visited and helped out a little one lunch time.

They seemed pretty chuffed to see us.

At the mission, each morning starts at 06:30 with breakfast, and then devotions at 07:00.

In the evening the generator goes off at 21:00 which coincides nicely with the need to go to bed.
As it was hot and sweaty 24 hrs a day, and often rained heavily at night, I opted to sleep in a mosquito net tent in an open kitchen.

Lots of interesting creepy crawlies to keep us on our toes. This guy pitched up one evening whilst we were eating. He is a little smaller than your hand.

The team had bought some 'Talking Bibles' in Portugese - basically an MP3 player with the Bible on it. They presented some of these to a Pastor who regularly travels many 100 km at a time visiting churches that have been planted in the Zambezi region.
Before leaving on the Sunday we went to a local church. Some of the kids were fascinated by our presence finding any little hole in the wall to look through.

For the flight home we had a spare seat and were able to bring Bero back to South Africa where he had been offered free surgery. Bero had been badly burned as a child and had very restricted use of his arms and hands. Here we are getting out of the plane back at Mercy Air.

We take another team up to the same place at the end of March.

Thanks

Paul and Cathy

A Mission within a Mission

Next week we take a US team up to Chimoio, Moz, where they will work at an orphanage and help with the construction of the Mercy Air/SAM ministries base. We will be camping for the week!


There is a Mozambican guy named Bero who works up there, who was badly burned as a child during the war. The burn damage is great but with corrective surgery he can be set free physically like never before. A surgeon in SA has agreed to do the surgery for free, and this is scheduled for three days after we return from Moz.


As we are taking two aircraft and the team are leaving quite a bit of stuff up there, we have room on the return flight for him. This will save him about three days travel, a whole bunch of inconvenience, and money. He will also be able to stay with us at Mercy Air for part of his recovery period.

You can read some more about Bero's story on Lynn Lagore's blog at:
http://lynnlagore.blogspot.com/2009/11/wow-factor.html

Paul

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

Hot and Getting Hotter

WARNING! The following article may upset some readers in the northern hemisphere.

It was hot yesterday, and it is hot today - about 30 deg.

I casually clicked on the weeks weather forecast on the web to be confronted with the following declaration:

So tomorrow will dip to a mere 29 deg but from then on the week goes ballistic. I dread to think what it'll be next Monday when we take a team for a week into Moz - where it is usually much hotter!

Below is a pic of my watch, on my arm, submerged in the pool on the Mercy Air farm today. The temperature of the water is indicated on the bottom.

Paul

The smell of Jet A1 fills the air - again.

Good News.

Our helicopter flew at 10:30 local time today (see pics below).


This was the first time since last March when we took it apart for its 12 yearly 'C' Check. It now sports its new colours and some safety and performance upgrades.

Its first mission trip to Moz is this coming Friday!

Paul