WUNDERLI WANDERINGS

Simon had the privilege of flying into Mogulu, Western Province of PNG where he met up with Sally and Ian Lloyd.  They are Australian missionaries and community development workers.  They established the Nomad Mogulu High School and provide life skills to local communities.  They do an amazing work and Simon was able to chat briefly about their work in the video below.    

Please keep this lady in your prayers as she recovers in hospital from a snake bite. Pray also for her family during this difficult time. May God grant wisdom, skill, and compassion to the medical team and all those caring for her, and may He bring her healing, strength, and peace throughout her recovery.

On 30 May, we celebrated the marriage of Joshua and Georgia. It was a truly wonderful day spent with family and friends, many of whom travelled from near and far to share this special occasion with us. While we missed those who were unable to be there, you were certainly in our thoughts. For those who aren't on social media, we've included a few photos from the day below. Thank you to everyone who made the journey to celebrate with us—we're so grateful for your love, support, and the memories we created together.                   

Simon is back in PNG for a month.  This time he is being checked out to fly IFR (instrument flight rating)  with Volkher Jacobson.  He was also doing some training with Ricky Poki whilst he was in Balimo and celebrate Ricky's first solo flight for MAF.   Simon and Volkher take to the skies for some IFR training    Beautiful landscape   Well done Ricky!      

Simon and Joseph ended up at the same airstrip together and Joseph took the video below of Simon coming into land. (Thanks Joseph :) Simon did training with Joseph a few years ago and its good to see  them catch up again in PNG. These two have fun together.  Can you tell? Simon flying Joel and his family back to their MAF base in PNG.  Here’s the short version of a much longer story and thanks for the reminder Andrea :) Twenty-one years ago, Simon and I were in Bern, Switzerland for MAF Tag (Day). While we were there, Joel reached out to Simon. It didn’t seem like a big moment at the time, but it turned out to be significant. That connection (among others) led Joel to volunteer with MAF in Madagascar for four months. From there, the journey continued, eventually leading both Joel and Andrea to join MAF. We are glad they did :) Simon later played a role in some of Joel’s training in PNG, and now, years on, they’ve been able to continue that connection in person in PNG...

We are so thankful that Joshua finally has a job. He applied for around 250 roles without much success, which was tough at times. In the middle of that, he offered to help MAF on a short-term basis but in the end it wasn't needed. However, his CV was in the system and matched a new role that was coming out and the rest is history.  He had an interview a couple of weeks ago and was offered the position. He started this week and is currently in Cairns for an induction.  The role is Digital Learning and Content Coordinator and is under the Learning and Organisational Development Department. We’re really thankful to those who have been praying. It is a big answer to prayer, and a reminder that things don’t always come together in the way—or timing—we expect. It’s also pretty special that his first job after university is with MAF.  Who would have thought?

Last week I had the opportunity to fly up to PNG with Simon and see where he lives and works.  It was good to be there and have some context. Also great to meet old and new friends.  I am thankful for the time spent there and to get a glimpse of the impact that MAF has in PNG. Arriving in Mount Hagen   Kagamuga compound where we are staying "Home"!   View of the compound Simon picking up his manifest and getting ready for the day. MAF Hangar in Mount Hagen Wee chicks on their first flight - so cute! Freight ready to be loaded Anyone for noodles? Two non paying passengers :) What an office view Simon has when the weather is clear. Mount Hagen town - nice road (fairly new) It wasn't sunny all week and when it rained it rained in buckets!  

Simon had the incredible opportunity to fly into a newly opened airstrip and witness firsthand the joy and celebration that comes after a year of dedication and hard work resulting in this brand-new airstrip.

Simon is currently in Papua New Guinea and has been spending some time in Telefomin to get checked out in that area. I’ve included two videos below so you can get a feel for what it’s like where he is, along with some photos. There’s also a map showing roughly where he is in the videos compared to one of our main bases, Mount Hagen.    Later start out of Telefomin due to fog  

Joshua and Georgia were engaged just before Christmas. Enjoy the photos of their special moment.  We are looking forward to the big day - 30th May 2026 here in Australia.      

Happy New Year to you all! We’ve been a little quiet over the past few weeks as we’ve been focused on managing Zara’s health issues and prayerfully working through possible solutions. As part of her healing journey, we were able to travel to Scotland and Switzerland to spend time with family. Those weeks were a real gift — it was deeply refreshing for all of us to be surrounded by family, and to experience their love, care, and encouragement. We are now back in Australia and beginning to plan what this year may look like. We would really value your prayers for wisdom and guidance as we step into this season, which still carries some uncertainty, but also much hope. We also have some exciting news to share! Joshua became engaged to Georgia just before Christmas 🎉 They are planning their wedding for this coming May, so it’s a busy and joyful time ahead for them as they prepare for this next chapter. Engagement photos to come. 😊 Looking ahead, Simon will be heading to PNG in a c...

Simon is currently in PNG and being checked out in various airstrips.  As always there is a story to tell and adventures to be had.  I will let Simon share some of these in the videos below.

Update from Our Family It’s been a little while since we last shared an update — we’ve been waiting on some test results for Zara. She’s improving slowly and continuing to manage her fatigue levels as best she can. Please continue to pray for her full recovery and complete restoration. I returned to work at the beginning of September, and it’s been good to be back with the People Care team, supporting MAF staff around the world. As many of you know, we were originally meant to be in PNG by now, but due to my surgery and Zara’s ongoing health challenges, our plans have had to change. The hope is that I’ll be able to travel to PNG in the new year, depending on how Zara’s health progresses. Simon is waiting for confirmation of his training in Mareeba later this month, and then plans to head to PNG in November for about three weeks. His time there will include both training and programme flying. Joshua is in his final weeks of university — it’s hard to believe how quickly these pas...

I wish I had better news to share but the health issues continue for Zara and me. We are hoping that the meds will kick in especially for Zara so she can be relieved of the pain and fatigue she is experiencing.  This has affected her ability to work and study but we hope to see change soon. I will have surgery in September so prayers for that to go well would be appreciated. As we said before our plans for going to PNG have been disrupted and there are no plans for me to go before the new year with everything that we have going on.  We are in consultation with MAF about Simon going earlier so we will see what happens. We are thankful that we are together as a family as we go through this season and look forward to being on the other side of it. We did manage up to Cairns earlier in the month as we had to go through our belongings that we had stored there. We are thankful for those who hosted us and offered their car to enable us to get this done. It was also a blessing to catc...

"Struggle season” is what Zara has named the last couple of weeks due to life not quite going as we had all planned.   All of us have dealt with some health challenges since arriving in Australia from physio appointments, medical investigations to unplanned surgeries.   Due to these unexpected events our time frame for arriving in PNG will be delayed. We would appreciate prayers as we navigate this time.   It is not easy to have plans upended and there are feelings of disappointment, but we are taking one day at a time and trusting in God’s timing for it all.   We are thankful that we have the time to address these issues and for the medical provision we are receiving in Australia. Great news and an answer to prayer — Joshua has been accepted for the placement he applied for and has started volunteering with the clothing company. They've even asked him to contribute some design ideas, which is a fantastic opportunity. Please pray that he gains valuable experie...

It’s hard to believe it’s already been five weeks since we left Scotland. A lot has happened in that time. Thankful to all of you who have been praying for us on this new adventure - we appreciate you all. Many of you knew that our plan to go to the States was so I could complete security training for PNG and Simon was to be part of the MAF Disaster Response conference.  Unfortunately, the conference was cancelled for various reasons but I was able to complete security training.  It was intense at times with different scenarios played out which felt very real - car jacking, shoot outs to name a few.  Thankful for those who invest in offering this training and preparing people for going into countries where security can be an issue. We were also able to catch up supporters, friends, and those who feel like family. After such a long time apart, it was really good to reconnect face-to-face. There were lots of meaningful conversations, shared meals, and moments that remin...