Tag Archives: PNG

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A Saturday that We Didn’t Expect – But Saving a Life – It’s “Totally Worth It”

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It was Saturday morning the 19th of March. It had been a long week with many very early mornings and late nights. Connie and I were moving a bit slowly on this particular morning. I had just stepped out of the shower and was headed to the kitchen to make some coffee for the two of us (I try to give Connie a break and handle the weekend coffee.) It’s a ritual we have each morning, sitting together in our chairs in the living room, reading our bibles and spending quiet time with the Lord, gathering the strength for another day.

The ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at the Caller ID, Dr. Ben Radcliffe from Kudjip Nazarene Hospital. With Dr. Ben calling at this hour on a Saturday morning, I had a fairly strong feeling that this day was going to be quite different from what I was expecting. But then, that is our motto for PNG. The Land of the Unexpected! And that is why we are here…to serve!!!

And so it was. Dr. Ben quickly relayed to me the situation, that of a national team member suffering a life-threatening emergency during the night, necessitating a medical evacuation to the capital city as quickly as possible. There are no roads between Mt. Hagen and the Capital City. It is a one hour jet ride or two hour flight by MAF aircraft across the tropical rainforest of this rugged island nation.

And so…plans were put in motion! I would like to now transition to a post by our PNG National Pilot, Joseph Tua (Initials JET), and let him describe the day…

TuaFlyingForLife: Woke up at 7am and had a cup of coffee and the weather was absolutely beautiful outside and we thought “What a nice day to fly!”😍

And then the phone rings and it’s our Country Director… “Joseph, are you checked out on the Hagen – Moresby Route?”

“Yes sir, I am”

“How soon can you get the plane ready? We have a medevac patient who suffered a heart attack at Kudjip hospital and needs to go to Moresby right away”

“I’ll have the plane ready to go by 8.30am sir”

“Good. They’ll be here at 9am”

And boom! We scrabble into the shower, grab our overnight gear just incase… Headset… Water… EFB… Phone… Etc etc and off we went to the airport! 🏃‍♂️

We were ready to go by 8.30am…Patient and Doctor arrived at around 9am. Loaded them all up, strapped the patient down as comfortable as we could. And off to Moresby we went. It’s a 2-hour flight and the weather was great the whole way😍

PIH ambulance was already there waiting. We transferred the patient from the plane onto the stretcher/bed that PIH had brought and basically handed over everything to them. We returned to Hagen with no issues. Weather was absolutely beautiful! Thank you to whoever was praying for this flight! ❤️

Totally Worth It!!

JET

We got a message just around 6.30pm that the patient received whatever care and attention he needed and was stabilized at the PIH ICU in Moresby. Totally worth it! 🤩

Thank you for the continued prayer and support fam! Have a great weekend! 🤩🤙

This was an awesome day. I had the opportunity to fly with Joseph on this flight and work side-by-side with this incredibly capable and competent young pilot. It’s hard for me to explain how proud I am of this young man who willingly forgoes the lure of greater money and fame to pursue the the call of the Lord to serve his people here in Papua New Guinea, flying with MAF.

JET (as we affectionately call him) is also a great writer and frequently posts of his experiences “Flying for Life” here in PNG. If you would like to live life through the eyes of one of our pilots, I would encourage you to follow him on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/tuaflyingforlife/

Current News, PNG Updates

From Here to There and Back Again

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Life – how does it get so busy? When will I ever find time to just get caught up?

I don’t think we will ever be caught up, life just has a way of moving along at an alarming rate of speed. And then all of a sudden……. as you are speeding along trying to get somewhere……… they close the freeway!

Freeway closed across the Blues

Last November we were working along here in PNG and then were advised that if we wanted to get a break – out of country in the next 12+ months – that we needed to go immediately. So we quickly called our trusted travel agent Journey’s by Jan who once again found an incredible deal – and within a few days we were on an airplane to the USA arriving the night before our only grandchild’s 7th Birthday. What a special time with family and a few local friends.

It was a whirlwind trip which included American Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and then thanks to a last minute flight cancellation due to snow in Boise, Idaho. We found ourselves in a rented 4 wheel drive heading across the mountains in the snow to get to the international airport so as to make it back to PNG in time for the 70th Anniversary Celebration and mini-staff retreat to be held the first weeks of January!

We felt that driving from Boise, Idaho to Seattle, Washington was the only sure way we could reach the airport in time……and then they closed the freeway! Wait – What? Yep! Closed the freeway! We sat waiting for a few hours shivering in the cold then attempted to find a back road to get around…….only to find a Sheriff Deputy’s car parked across the road turning folks around……. He took pity on us and looking at the 4 wheel drive we had rented, decided we could make it across ok, and let us go.

On the Plane headed home to PNG

We made it to Seattle after midnight – found a hotel close to the airport and slept a few hours. After the 12 hours across the snow we needed it. Got to the airport – many travelers were being turned away at the check-in counter for not having the correct paperwork/entry permits/documentation of vaccination etc….but thanks to the great work of our team in PNG – we had everything in order and didn’t have any major hold ups. On to Doha then Singapore then Port Moresby and on to Mount Hagen. Including the 12 hours across the snow, it was 78 hours from leaving Caldwell, Idaho to arriving in Mount Hagen.

Watching Ends of the Earth from near the Ends of the Earth!

We landed and went right into meetings – what a blessed time to have all of our expat staff together in one location for some spiritual nourishment and some good old fashioned fun! One of the highlights was that we purchased a viewing of the Ends of the Earth movie that came out in America a few months ago. Although it is about the work of MAF on the other half of this island, it deeply impacted each one that watched it as we sat together with our teammates that have given so much to be there flying and doing their part to reach the isolated. It was a sacred moment. (Well hour and a half.)

Gluten Free communion option

Another special time was sharing with the entire MAF team from across the country as we gathered to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of MAF’s presence in PNG. We shared communion together as a team and it was a special time as we reflected on what Christ had done for each of us.

National Ladies Conference

With everyone from all of the bases across the country gathering for the 70th Anniversary Celebration – we took advantage of the situation and had several different gatherings including Ground Ops and Pilots Meeting and National Ladies Conference. Fiona Stevenson, who has been our Finance Manager for the past several years, but is moving to the South Sudan Program, was our main speaker and it was a wonderful time of sharing together with these incredible women of Faith! We also took advantage of being together by getting photos albeit with masks.

Things have settled down a bit now, back to just the normal busy schedule. Up before dawn and out the door early, trying to get things accomplished before everyone else gets to the office – and typically not enough time, so staying a little later after everyone else has gone home for the night to get caught up. It is a daily way of life for us.

The Team that God has blessed this program with is incredible! They are so caring and compassionate, helping each other out when needed. Praying together and doing whatever it takes to keep things rolling along. We have had several new staff arrivals so we are all busy helping them get oriented to the program and the country with the unique way of life here. We have hosted several Sunday morning Brunch/Church gatherings as we wait for Covid numbers to go down so we can meet together at our different churches indoors. Such a blessed time as those who come don’t seem to want to leave and a simple brunch turns into a day event where people laugh and story together for hours.

Staff Gathering on our veranda

Will we ever feel caught up? I doubt it – but isn’t it wonderful to know that it is not just up to us to carry this program. We are here to do what God has equipped us to do and to do our best to encourage others as we work alongside them. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement, it really helps! We are so grateful for the way the Lord has laid it on the hearts of so many to pray, encourage, and partners with us through financial support. We are so RICHLY blessed!

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So Much to Be Thankful For – Heading Home to PNG…

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It is Thanksgiving evening here in the US. Connie and I have been reflecting on how much we have to be thankful for – the Lord’s blessings have been beyond abundant.

This year has not been without its challenges. Connie arrived in the States for her surgery in March and then…COVID. She would remain until her surgery was finally scheduled for the 26th of August. I would arrive in August in time for the surgery, only to become quite ill and we would spend many more days separated while I isolated…I quit counting at 150 days… We were scheduled to return to PNG on the 25th of October…the airline cancelled the route. The next option was to depart on the 8th of November. With bags packed and ready to go, I was diagnosed with Covid on the 7th.

It would be easy to become discouraged, but truly the Lord is in control. Nothing of this surprised Him. He had a plan. 

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4 NASB

The Blessings:

  • Connie has recovered so very well from her major surgery!
  • I (Todd) have recovered well from my encounter with Covid.
  • We were able to get our “negative” Covid tests just in time to purchase airline tickets and make all of the required submissions for travel to PNG.
  • We have been able to spend some tremendous time with our family.
  • The Lord has been providing financially to-date for all of the added expenses of flights, cancelled flights, Covid tests and medical bills.
  • Technology has allowed us to remain engaged and continue to fulfill many of our requirements from a distance.
  • We had a chance to experience some cold and snow…something I (Todd) have missed greatly. (Connie is just as happy in the warmer climates!!)
  • Too many more blessing to list.

The Return:

Lord willing, we will be departing Boise, Idaho on Sunday the 29th of November at shortly after 7am. We would so greatly appreciate your prayers as the journey is long. It will take us from Boise to Los Angeles, to Qatar, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where we will wait for approximately 16 hours and then continue on to Port Moresby on 2-December. We will quarantine one night in Port Moresby and then travel on a MAF flight from Port Moresby to Mt. Hagen, where we will then quarantine for 13 more days.

Thank you so very much for your continued prayers and encouragement. We echo the feelings of Timothy, thanking the Lord that He has strengthened us and considered us faithful, placing us into His service in PNG. (1 Tim 2:12)

We are looking forward to getting back to our team in Papua New Guinea!!

We will post updates along the journey as we are able.

Current News, PNG Updates, Prayer Requests

Disaster Response in PNG

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IMG_7722Five days after returning from my time in the US to say goodbye to my brother @curtlandreth and spend time supporting my family after his loss, we experienced the most severe earthquake PNG has had at 7.6 on the richter scale.  We woke around 3:42am to the bed shaking and soon realized the whole house was shaking severely.  We thought we would ride it out and stayed in bed for a few more seconds.  When we realized it was not ending and the shaking actually intensified, Todd suggested we get out of the house as it is on stilts and perhaps not built to withstand such a force.  I grabbed my cell phone and torch (flashlight for you Americans) put on my robe and headed for the door.  Todd was trying to get the keys into the locks while swaying with the quake as it continued to roll.  One door open, then working on the metal security door, finally getting that open as well and we were outside!  We quickly went down the stairs and away from the house as the earth continued to shake.  It slowly started to quiet down and our pulse rates with it.

Todd headed to the other compounds to check on staff, and called others.  Thankfully we were able to get back to sleep as the power was now out and so an early morning in the office was not going to be very productive, and with that severe of a shake, the possibility of fissures in the road was likely and so traveling in the daylight was deemed to be much more prudent.

IMG_7811

The aftershocks continued and were at a level of 4.0-6.0 and are still occurring three days later as I write this update.

Tuesday morning I was briefed on the need for photos of the area and so Mandy Glass who is the Comms Officer for our Base and I climbed into a Caravan with her husband Mathias flying along with Luke Newell and three Government Disaster Response Team members.

The photos were sent to MAF I Disaster Response and Security to review and issue a press release.  You can see that below, along with a link and directions on how to view the images on a google map so that you can see the exact location where the picture was taken.

Please keep PNG in your prayers! Pray for safety as our pilots continue to do med-evac flights and for those on the ground helping people dig out from the numerous land slides. Pray that MAF will continue to see isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in the name of Jesus as we work with different agencies and organizations in the response to this disaster.

 

173 Earthquake Survey Flight[2]173 Earthquake Survey Flight[3]

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When you find out that God is all you have…you realize that He is truly all you need!

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Jungle Airstrip In West Africa with "Friendlies"
Jungle Airstrip In West Africa with “Friendlies”

Over the years throughout our various ministry assignments, we have faced situations that have definitely “pushed the envelope” on our comfort zones.  Most people have!

Whether that was flying through the feeder bands of a typhoon with a medical evacuation patient while Connie was in a small village clinic giving birth to our daughter, or whether it was coordinating the evacuation  of 25 missionaries out of a city under rebel siege, five at a time with our small mission plane; we have more than once been granted the opportunity to place our trust entirely in God.

Perhaps I had become a bit comfortable…or perhaps God was needing to prepare me for what is yet to come.

Flying over the interior of Papua New Guinea
Flying over the interior of Papua New Guinea

I’m not sure, but during my recent trip to Papua New Guinea, one of those “situations” presented itself yet again.

Just getting oneself to Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea is no small feat. It requires juggling several flights, covering some of the most expensive air miles found anywhere in the world, landing at Port Moresby, taking a smaller plane to Mount Hagen, and then riding in a Toyota Land Cruiser for another hour over roads that some would consider less than smooth (editorial understatement here).

Some of the greatest guys you will meet!
Some of the greatest guys you will meet!

When you finally get there, you find some of the most gracious, committed, compassionate souls on earth.  Both expat mission personnel and nationals await with smiles, open arms, and generosity beyond measure.  They are a tight knit team…and given the situations they face on a regular basis…they need to be.

One night while eating dinner with Tim and Karla Deule, Global Serve Missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene, one of the other mission team members came knocking at the door.  “Todd, Connie has been trying to reach you, she just sent me a message, you need to get in touch with her as soon as possible.”   Those kinds of messages are seldom good news.  “Can you tell me anything else,” I asked.  Hesitantly and carefully, the team member said, “Your daughter is in the emergency room in Idaho and possibly has a blood clot in her lungs.”

My medical training kicked into overdrive.  Pulmonary embolisms (blood clot in the lung) are never something one hopes to experience.  My mind raced to the knowledge of a dear friend’s son who in his late 20s passed away of just such an issue, just a few years ago.  Then the pilot side of my brain kicked in plan A, Plan B, …what flights were there out of here…how would I get to Mt. Hagen, Port Moresby, Manila……

As I left Tim and Karla’s house to go find a way to connect with Connie for the whole story, the reality of the situation set in.  Me…whose top strengths include “arranger” could arrange nothing.  There could be very few more remote areas in the world from which to try and respond.  Limited phone, internet, travel…I was beyond my ability to fix it…and then the reality came that it wasn’t my job to fix it…it was my job to trust.

Peaceful Early Morning Sunrise, Dusin Mission Station, PNG
Peaceful Early Morning Sunrise, Dusin Mission Station, PNG

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again; Rejoice! Let our gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-7

God provided in so many ways.  I am so thankful that He allowed me to be with some of the greatest brothers and sisters in Christ.  Thank you so much Kudjip family for gathering together and praying, encouraging, and believing.

Whatever your “situation” God is truly all you need…because He will provide what you need…when you need it (thanks honey…I have heard you say that many times).   He provided for Jess…as she is doing much better now…for Connie with peace in Manila…and for me…with peace and a team that took our daughter to the arms of our heavenly father in prayer when this earthly father was not able to “fix it.”

Thank you all for your continued prayers, encouragement, and commitment to being part of our team!