Storms come but they also go...PTL!

Phew it has been quite the ride the last couple of weeks.  Simon returned home from Switzerland on the early hours of Christmas Eve after spending a week with his family.  It was good for him to spend time with his Mum, Dad, sisters and other family members.  His Mum has continued to go downhill healthwise and is now no longer reponsive.  Her time left on this earth is very short but she had communicated in these last days that she was ready to see Jesus.  Oh what a glorious day that will be for her.

Please continue to pray for the family as they care for her at home that God will give them all that they need.  Simon will return for the funeral when the time comes.  Pray that they would all sense God's comfort.

While Simon was gone the challenges continued.  Our dog, Chewy, was very sick one night to the point of being paralysed on one side.  Thankfully, she survived the night and I was able to get a vet out to help her.  He gave her medicine for tick fever and a couple of other injections.  She has recovered well and so we are thankful for that.  You don't realise how much a part of the family she is until we thought we were going to lose her.

One of the other MAF families had an attemped break-in on Christmas Day whilst they were celebrating Christmas with friends next door.  Thankfully the thieves were disturbed and didn't get in the house.  Please continue to pray for safety in this area.

Christmas Day came and we enjoyed celebrating this special time of year with friends.  However, the day after my Mum became very sick.  To cut a long story we discovered she was suffereing from dysentery.  She spent the good part of  the day at a small hospital and has been recovering at home since.  Pleae pray for a full recovery for her and that she can enjoy the rest of her holiday with us here in Uganda.

Looking forward to 2014 and a year of better health for all  :)

Romans 12:12

Prayers needed

Due to the deterioration in Simon's Mums health we made the decision this morning for Simon to fly home to Switzerland to be with her.  He will fly out tonight and arrive tomorrow lunch time.  It is also difficult to know when the time is right but after praying about it Simon felt it was right to go now.  Please pray for him as he travels that all would go smoothly.  Pray for Simon's Mum in these days as the pain is great.  Pray for her to sense God's presence.  Pray also for the rest of the family as they go through this time with her.   Will keep you updated as and when we know more.

Sad news about baby Christine

I posted last week about the medevac that Simon did for Baby Christine who had inhaled a stone and was flown to Kampala for treatment.  Sadly, Christine died on arrival at the hospital.  They tried to resuscitate her but were unsuccessful.  The parents returned to their home upcountry with her body for burial.  Please pray for this family in the loss of their child.

Break-in

This weekend we had the unpleasant experience of being broken into.  We had left Saturday morning to go and spend some time with friends who were leaving to return to Germany.  When we arrived back at the house after a few hours we found the door lock had been broken off and some of our items taken.  It was a bit of an eerie feeling knowing that somebody or people had gone through your things and helped themselves to computers, kindles, nintendos etc.   However, we are grateful that they didn't come when we were at home and that none of us were harmed in the incident.  Simon spent some time at the Police station and driving the Police up to our house so they could do an "investigation". 

Joshua and Zara were very upset to find some of their things taken but are doing well now.  They haven't had trouble sleeping since it happened so we are thankful for that.  We assured them that they were just "things", even although they were precious to them, but can be replaced in time.   Zara ran straight into her room to make sure Dolly was still there.  She was very relieved that they hadn't taken Emily :)

Simon happens to be on leave this week which is good timing as we will need to review our security at the house.  I am also thankful that he is home and has no overnights this week.  Last week he was overnighting in Sudan so I am grateful its not this week.  God is still in charge and is a God of perfect timing.

A couple of friends sent Psalm 91 to us this weekend.  Great words for such a time as this.  Thanks to all of you who contacted us this weekend.  We are doing fine and taking one day at a time.

A night to remember in South Sudan

Simon flew up to a place called Malualkon, South Sudan on Wednesday with a bag of vegetables, fruit and sweets.  Malualkon is located just south of Darfur and not exactly a metropolis as you can see from the photos below hence the food items that went up for the family living there.

That night a puff adder happened to pass the front door of the house they were staying at.  A puff adder's venom can kill you within an hour of being bitten.  One child in the region had been killed recently by a spitting cobra so its not a place for the faint hearted.

Simon and another MAF Pilot, Greg Vine flew up solar radios for the FM station that has been set up by the mission there, Every Village.  It operates like a radio station with Christian content being broadcast in the local language.  You can check out Every Village's website at http://everyvillage.org/ for further information on what ministries they are involved in.

The following photos tell the story of Simon's night in Malualkon.  The photos of the snake aren't too clear due to everything being done by torch light.

It is not easy to purchase fresh vegetables and fruit in this area so we flew some up along with some sweets for the family's wee boys. :)

Simon flying over the Malualkon area - no Walmart, Tesco's, or Migro to be seen!

The puff adder that had its final night.  You can see its lost it head at this point.  Simon said as they gutted the insides it still continued to move. 

 

The snake was over a metre long!!!

 

Gutting the snake so they could keep the skin.....this is what happens when the "usual" forms of entertainment are lacking in certain parts of the world...you create your own.  :)

 

The underside of the snake skin was rubbed in salt to preserve it.  It was then rolled and left to dry.

Definitely not something you really want to meet on a dark night in Sudan!  Look at those deadly fangs!

 

One of the missionaries houses.  He teaches at the local school and is a missionary with Cush for Christ.

Baby Christine

Medical Evacuation  from Matany - Report from Simon

 

"I landed in Matany for a scheduled pick-up of a doctor who’d been visiting for one week. On arrival I was asked if I could take a baby and her mother back to Kampala as a medevac. The baby must have been chewing on a stone and accidentally “inhaled” it. The stone got lodged in the wind pipe and so she was struggling to breathe. We rigged up an oxygen bottle and then loaded up the baby’s mum along with the baby. The doctor manually pumped oxygen along with the bottled oxygen the entire trip down (1.2 hours). In Kajjansi we moved the whole contraption into the taxi and off they went to Mulago Hospital where they had surgery scheduled this afternoon to remove the stone. Pray all goes well. (picture taken at 10500 ft cruising altitude!)"

Give thanks that God provided that Dr. to be on the same flight as baby Christine.  Hopefully we will hear soon how she is.  Once I know I will be sure to post an update.