The last couple of months have seen quite a few interesting and challenging flight days. There seems to have been a larger than usual number of medical evacuation flights needing done. These medivacs have ranged from mothers with complications during labour; a man with an infection in his hand that had turned septic and the poison was starting to spread up his arm; a lady with multiple wounds to different parts of her body and these were turning septic; a man with probable TB and he was so weakened that he could hardly walk anymore; and a lady with a broken arm.
One of the real challenges in Papua New Guinea is that many of the villages do not have a clinic, or only have very basic level medical care. The challenge for MAF is often trying to decide which of the calls for a medivac a genuine, or urgent, and which of those are just trying to find a way for the plane to come to their area because we have not been able to get there for a while, and there is no real medivac need, (this has occurred before).
Another big challenge is that in many remote areas of PNG are the communities are very poor and people do not have the money needed to pay the seat fare for a medivac. MAF has a fund that can be used to help communities pay for the fare, however it is often a case of again trying to work out if the need is genuine or not.
There have been a number of conferences in Mt Hagen that MAF has been able to help transport the pastors from the bush into town in order for them to attend. It is always a joy to know that we can help out the local churches in this way. It is not glamorous work, but it is rewarding and worthwhile.
I have spent a bit of time recently on my regular flights, talking with missionaries who live in the bush areas. These families really do live in challenging situations and environments. Listening to some of their stories about tribal fights that occur around them; or about the steady progress of translating a book in the Bible; or how a few more people have responded to the gospel; or how witchcraft still has a big hold on people’s lives. I realise what a joy it is to be able to spend a short while talking to them, encouraging them and being encouraged by them, I realise that the small box of vegetables that I deliver make their life a little bit easier.
It is because of all the above that MAF exists and that we as a family are working here with MAF, it is about serving and caring for others. It brings us great joy, and it is such an honor to serve our fellow Christians and the remote communities in PNG, and to hopefully be a witness for the Lord in what we do. Please pray that God would sustain us in our work, and give us wisdom and patients and His love as we operate in this challenging place.
Please also pray for more pilots and engineers to come and work on our programs around the world.
Sandy.
