My Job

   I will take you through two recent flights to give an idea of my job and the mission we are engaged in...First of all though, take a look at our new paint job and how nicely it goes now with the quad tug!

     This is the account of the flight just recently highlighted in our newsletter.  The mission:  Dan, my checkpilot, and I were to land at Mitwaba to drop medical supplies and a motorcycle for the Congolese mission doctor based there; fly to Lwamba (also spelled Luamba if you are looking for it on a map) to drop off a new baby and mama; then to Mulongo to drop a doctor and rendez-vous with three other doctors, a seminary teacher, and mission administrator; then, depart the next morning for surgeries in Luanza.

     Here at Mitwaba, we are greeted by armed police.  My first thought was to "gun it" and retreat back to friendlier skies.  But, this is where I first realize how much more in depth my checkout is than just assuring I can safely fly the plane.  This is a ministry of relationships... oftentimes, even with those wielding fully automatic machine guns.  This guy's name is Paul, and he greeted me with a big smile and handshake.

     This picture also documents my biggest faux pas to date.  Notice the green bucket and the black duffle next to it: that is all the baby gear for the next stop!

     In Lwamba, there is much rejoicing over the return of the mama and in welcoming the new baby into the village.  But, soon there was the question: "excuse me captain, do you know where the baby bag is?"  Dawn and I feel totally exposed to all sorts of catastrophe if we even go to the store without the diaper bag; now I've just separated this new mama in a remote village, from her newborn baby's bag by more than a days journey by car...and making a quick-fix run to Walmart is not something they could even fathom.  Fortunately, a little over a week later, we passed by the same route and delivered the bag...and there was once again much rejoicing.

     So, after covering just over 300 miles in just over 2 hours of flight time, we put the plane to bed here in Mulongo.  The mission hospital vehicle picks us up to bring us to our lodging for the night. There, we also meet two visiting Irish doctors; Serge, the local doctor and medical director for this mission network of hospitals; and Murray, the mission administrator, a New Zealander who has lived in Congo much of his life.

      Dan and I take the opportunity before dark to walk through the village.  Apparently we stand out a bit, and there is no shyness when the camera comes out.
     Dr. Graham, one of the Irish doctors, found us here and took us on a tour of the hospital.  It is both impressive what they are able to do with the humble facilities they have, and sad to see the cases, especially amputations from otherwise preventable infections...But here, many of the patients live so far away by foot, they either don't come, or don't make it, until it is too late to save the limb.

After a great conversation over dinner with these guys, Dan and I bunk here for the night, along with François, the Congolese seminary teacher who was part of the mission and who would also be along for the flight in the morning.  It is pretty humid here (Lubumbashi is not at all), so it took a while to fall asleep...and then the snoring began.  While I love these guys, I prefer my usual roommate.

The pre-dawn walk back to the airplane.

    
The title picture for this blog is us on the runway here in Luanza, a 45 minute flight, or well over a day by ground from Mulongo. 
     These are the mission hospital facilites where oftentimes thousands are treated in a month.  The gray building on the left is the new operating "theater" that is probably just about finished as I write this.

Recovery beds...

     Now the real work begins...Dr. Serge (center), Dr. McAdam (left), and Dr. Graham (right) begin screening all the patients that have been lined up for them.  Most of the issues are women with shockingly enlarged thyroids, or "goiters" that engulf their neck.  Dr. Graham decides to take all 12 of these cases.  Another is a fistula, followed by this man who had a large cyst in the back of his head.  Dr. McAdam agrees to take these two...and then the problem of where to do the surgeries when there is only one functional operating room.  Dr. McAdam decides he will remove the cyst in the exam room, but another problem arises: it is severely underlit for such a procedure...suddenly, all eyes turn to me, the inquisitive pilot; I evaluate my constitution and take up the flashlight.
     It was very rewarding to watch these guys teach and mentor the local doctors, having them do the surgeries much of the time so they would have the expertise to continue these procedures after the visiting doctors left.

After my 30 minute career as surgical light-bearer, I retire to the beach.  On the way down the cliff trail, I find these guys camped out on the rocks watching family members fishing down below.

Spoils of a day at sea...

The feast!  Dr. Matthew, the Congolese doctor who mans the Luanza hospital invited us all over to their house at the end of the day.  In the bottom right corner is Dan, who has since parted us for Cameroon; and just above him is Murray.  Dr. Matthew's wife is serving us up.
     A note on Dr. McAdam in the top right corner.  On this trip, he and I discovered an unlikely bond.  I never would have thought that far into Congo's interior, I would work with the doctor who manages the Chitokoloki hospital in Zambia.  The very hospital my childhood churchmate Jay just began flying for.  Sadly, within a week after this meeting, Jay and his wife Katrina both lost their lives when the plane Jay was flying crashed.

   We are routinely flying with Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) as they are known here.
     They are a relief organization serving several communites where measles, malaria, and cholera are out of control.  By definition, "relief" is temporary and they have just closed down this location at Kikondja that we had flown into many times.

We land up hill and park at the top.  There are local MSF workers that line the runway to keep it clear, since most runways are also ideal thoroughfares for the community.

Each stop for MSF involves a lot of loading and unloading.

This is actually a shot at Shamwana, a location that MSF was in the process of closing when a few thousand displaced people arrived into the area due to militia activity. 

I didn't notice it before, but the box I'm holding says "Plumpy Nut".  I'm not quite sure what cure we're going for with this one...

This is one big reason we're all here...

There's something thought-provoking about a guy sitting on turbine engine haphazardly tossed on the side of the runway.

 

Before departing Kikondja, the MSF team must change the freeway back to a runway.  One time, just as I was pushing in the power, a dog ignorantly came running from behind, right in front of the plane, gleefully dodging rocks chucked at it from all the people lining the runway until he was out of site at the end.

And, back home again to Lubumbashi, where something's always burning.

Thanks for sticking with me throughout my day.  I am still waiting for my Congolese license, it is camped out in some black hole called "in process"...so until then, I have the luxury of flying with Nate, whose family is our MAF teammates here.

What Are We Doing Here?

     How many times have you asked yourself that question, and in how many different contexts?  Honestly, I don't think we can do much here ourselves in the Congo, the issues are so complex.  but, it is evident that God is working and "doing" many things in the lives of the people here in Katanga province, in many different ways.  And I believe HE has placed us in a very unique position to observe and learn from the middle of several diffent avenues of ministry...all of which give us the opportunity to "do" for the glory of God.  Here are some of them in no particular order:

1. My job: Flying: assisting in the ministry of those being flown; and a ministry to those being flown, as well as to everyone else involved. 
2. Internal Staff:  Learn from and encourage eachother. 
3. You:  We realize we have an opportunity to show to you what God is doing in a very different place in the world.
4. Our Children:  To help them gain the most possible from where they are. Even if we never impacted anyone else for the Lord, we have 3 people right in our house.
5. Church
6. Community:  Everyday life, including everyone we interact with (even the police).

     I also believe these areas are no different than anyone elses.  We all live in a little bit different contexts, and that gives us a great opportunity to learn from and encourage each other.  God has placed you in a very unique position, because it is you, His child, His representative, that He has offered the privilege of doing what you are currently doing for His glory and for His purpose.  Meaning "ministry" is not a job to add to your life, but rather, your life is your ministry...we then live our lives for the glory of God.

     I will try to take the next few posts to highlight what each of these areas look like, so far, for us here in Lubumbashi, DRC.  Remember, we've been here for only 2 months now, so there is infinately more to learn.