Time for an update

It has been a while since I have updated you on what we are up to. I don't quite know where the weeks go. They seem to evaporate. Below is a brief synopsis of what has been happening in the Wunderli home.

Simon continues to lead a full life with his MAF responsibilities. He has to juggle his time between a full time pilot, Security officer and Health and Safety officer. Along with all those jobs he is also a check pilot which means doing 6 monthly flight checks with the other pilots. Fortunately, at the moment, there are two other pilots who can also fill the role of check pilot which helps a lot.

A few weeks ago he did a medevac for a man in Sudan who became very sick. He was way up in the interior of Sudan and not close to any medical facility that could help him. MAF Sudan flew him to Juba where Simon picked him up and brought him to Kampala. He was then transferred to the International Hospital here.

Below is a short email that MAF Uganda received to update us on Moses' condition.

....Along with an update on Moses, I am writing to thank you and your team for the wonderful service you provided in getting him to Kampala and the hospital. It means the world to those of us deeply concerned and so far away. You may simply see it as doing your job, but it really is so much more. Blessed we are by goodness of people around the world like you!

Moses seems to be stable and feeling more comfortable after a surgical procedure on Thursday to drain an abscess. They are treating the infection as systemic. We have been able to speak with his physician and feel comfortable with the care he is receiving. We appreciate your recommendation of The International Hospital.

Again, many thanks for your service extraordinaire.

Then from Thursday:

FYI, Moses remains hospitalized and is being treated for a very serious infection necrofasciitis. Certainly, he was hours away from losing his life. Your role in getting him to medical help is very much appreciated. This, along with the skill and knowledge of his doctors, has saved his life. At this time, he is stable but his recovery will be months in length. We are contemplating how and when he will be transported to the U.S.

It is always encouraging to get such emails as it is another confirmation that MAF is making a difference.

This summer is going to be a busy one for MAF Uganda as we have various families on furlough and also our Chief Pilot, Gerrit Pap and his family will be moving onto a new MAF Programme. They will leave at the beginning of July and head to Canada then the States for training before heading to Indonesia. This is a big transition for them as a family but one they are very much looking forward to. I am sure they would value your prayers if you think of them.

We currently have 7 pilots in the MAF Uganda programme but there is always usually one away on furlough, holiday or on a training course. However, this summer we will be down to three pilots for five planes. An interesting challenge for those concerned. We do have a relief pilot coming in for a couple of weeks to help out but i am sure it is still going to be a challenge to keep up with all the flying and extra jobs that will need doing. We would value your prayers that God would give wisdom to the Pilots and the Operations staff when booking flights.

I have been really busy with the Guesthouse recently as Jacqueline has been on furlough for the last few weeks. As always when one of us is gone the challenges come. I have had my fair share of challenges these past few weeks including dealing with a very difficult landlady. There have been some tough choices to make and so for anybody reading this who has been praying for me and the guesthouse I am grateful. God has really helped me through it all and it has been a good stretch for me :)

The Bible studies have been also going well. The MAF wives group has been enjoying the new study in Bible Characters. So far we have covered Gideon and Hannah and this week we will be doing Jonah. Lots to learn from these people and hopefully put into action.

Last week Luan and I finished our teaching in the Book of James for the ladies in the MAF Office. We have learned a lot through this study and have had a lot of fun doing it. Next week we will start a study on the Names of God in order for us to know God and His character better.

I am also continuing with my studies in Counselling. It is a very useful course and one that has proven to be of use even in these past few weeks. I just need to try and fit in more study time which is always a bit tricky.

Joshua just turned 7 on the May 1. It is difficult to believe that I have a 7 year old already. Where has the time gone???? We enjoyed a double birthday celebration at Kajjansi Airfield as Zara turns 5 on May 28. We enjoyed a BBQ and games with some friends to celebrate their special days. The highlight was the construction area for the new hangar as at the moment it is just a big mud pit. The kids had fun sliding down the mud walls and splashing in the puddles. Each one of them was covered from head to foot in mud. Thankfully we had warned parents to put them in old clothes. I will follow this post up with some photos so you can have a visual of the experience.

Joshua also had exams this past week which was a bit of a surprise to his Mum :) He didn't seem to worried about most of them except the mathematics one. Math doesn't come as easy to him as spelling, literacy and writing. However, Simon loves Maths so he was able to sit with him and show him a few other ways of doing things which made more sense to him. By the end of the week he said he had enjoyed the exams and even Math so hopefully that continues.

Joshua is our little thinker so you are never sure what he is going to ask next. At the moment he is into making things, drawing and being very creative with his lego. He also has some good friends that he enjoys playing with.m They make up games with swords, arrows and shields. Sometimes it is better not too watch :)

Zara does well to keep up with her brother in "boy" games and still play princesses at other times. It seems I have a pink tomboy! She is starting to read now which is fun and both her and Joshua really enjoy books which we encourage a lot.
She continues to do well at school and seems to show a keen interest in computers and math. Maybe she takes after her Dad in this. However, this can change so we keep an open mind. :)

Zara has a special friend, Ruben, whom she loves to play with. Ruben is in her class at school as well as being a "MAF kid". Usually once a week they get together to play. Ruben calls Zara "my Zara" and us, as parents, get a laugh at all their antics. It is a bit too early to know if this is going to be a marriage made in heaven. :)

As always our house is open to guests. We had Christine and Fritz Peter from Simon's home church in Switzerland visiting us for a month. They were able to go on two safari trips and then a trip to Tanzania on the coast while they were. It was fun to get to know them a bit better and to introduce them to the African experience.

In the month of June we will also have someone, who used to be in Simon's home church, visit with us. Lukas Fürrer is doing a backpacking trip and so will arrive from Ethiopia at the beginning of June for a three week visit in Uganda. It will be interesting to hear the differences he will see between the countries.

After that we will be taking a three week break. We have a special opportunity to visit some friends who we know from our Moody days who are working and living in Dubai. It will be fun to visit another part of the world and experience a new culture.