MAG Open House & Facility Dedication

On April 22 over 300 supporters of Missionary Air Group descended upon the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport, in Burlington, NC, for the Dedication Ceremony of MAG’s new headquarters.

The MAG Open House and Facility Dedication was a day to honor those that were instrumental in the move into our new base and the office addition that happened concurrently. 

The new MAG World Headquarters features a 1000 sq. ft. operations wing, a 4800 sq. ft. hangar, and the newly constructed 1400 sq. ft. administration wing.  During the open house, the facility was prayed over and dedicated as a resource to advance the Gospel around the world. 

The new admin wing was built over the period of roughly one year. Manpower came from a total of 56 individuals, from 18 churches, from 8 states.  The result is a modern, welcoming, & functional space where MAG staff can support the international work.

The entire MAG Staff was on hand to participate- US-based teammates were joined by MAG international workers from Gabon, Guatemala, and Honduras.  Attendees to the open house were able to visit with the missionaries while touring the MAG facilities.

Another aspect of the day was highlighting needs where additional teamwork is necessary.  In this photo, one such need is highlighted- a new, $77,000 engine is needed for a MAG refurbished aircraft, so that it can start serving in the fleet.  Please consider becoming a MAG teammate 

and help in the effort.  

Visit www.SupportMAG.org.

A Cessna 206 training aircraft was on hand. MAG uses 6-seat aircraft such as these at our international service locations.  They are capable of operating from small, rugged airstrips, meeting the needs of remote people groups and demonstrating God’s love. 

The event was a good time for the whole family.  Our Kids Zone area featured fun and crafts designed to focus attention on the world and imagining life in those far off places.

Everyone was welcomed to explore our aircraft and imagine the types of missions MAG performs regularly. The majority of MAG efforts focus on gaining credibility among marginalized people through medical focused work, such that they become open to the message of the Gospel.

MAG is in need of more teammates!  Perhaps these young ones will one day join us.  Will you consider joining the MAG team?  We need YOU to join us in praying, in giving of resources, and in staffing our programs both in the US and around the world.   

Please visit the MAG website at www.flyMAG.org for more information or email info@missionaryairgroup.org. 

Bongolo Eye Clinic Story

Let me introduce you to Jean.  

Jean’s wife died 2-3 years ago, and then Jean went blind in both eyes from cataracts.  

His village thought that he went blind because he must have somehow been responsible for his wife’s death; his blindness was taken as proof.  (In the local culture, people often look for spiritual causes of physical problems.)  

It has really bothered him that others say this about him.  

When Jean arrived at Bongolo, we took out the cataracts in both of his eyes, and he can see clearly now.  

He is looking forward to going back to his village and showing them that he is healed, since that will convince them that he wasn’t responsible for his wife’s death after all.  He will be accepted by them again.  

He also has decided to receive Jesus as his savior because he is so thankful for what Jesus did for him here at Bongolo.   (story submitted by Eric H.)

Update

Thank you for continuing the journey with us!  Here are some updates:

1.  We are faith supported and currently in need of additional sustaining partners.  (www.teamupwiththestraws.org)

2.  Alace and Steve give oversight to member care and aviation operations for bases in Gabon, Guatemala, and Honduras.  Please pray as they are introducing new strategies, policies, standards, and pre-field training requirements that will help their teammates at Missionary Air Group to be well-equipped for living out God’s calling in those cross-cultural settings.

3.  Steve is working with national church leaders in Gabon on their project to clear land for a runway that will be a critical link at their new social works campus, just outside the Libreville, the capital city.  www.Wings4Africa.org  A group from the US is arriving in June to join the work.

4.  Joe, our oldest, is graduating from Moody Bible Institute (Chicago) on May 13th!  Please celebrate with us and pray for the next steps in his life.  It is a mix of emotions for him and he is praying for peace and guidance.

5.  Our family prayer remains the same- that we give evidence of our God who loves to do the impossible!

Bongolo Hospital Update

Bongolo Hospital has been far more busy and stressful of late than normal, due to a number of reasons.

First, the many of the government run hospitals are on strike.  This happens periodically in Gabon and, when it does, the word spreads, far and wide, that medical care is still happening at Bongolo.

Secondly, there has been a measles epidemic.  Normally, the government would have a vaccination plan, but it is not happening at this time.

Thirdly, medications at Bongolo are running very low and the resources to order more medications are somewhat dependent on a government insurance program.  That program is very far behind on their payments to Bongolo, so it's hard to keep the medicines stocked.

Fourthly, Bongolo is short-staffed, with some teammates on sick-leave and other positions waiting to be filled.  Please pray for speedy recoveries for the current staff and for new staff (especially a primary care doctor and nurse) to join the team.

Yet... yet... through it all, each person coming to Bongolo is prayed for and cared for in the name of Jesus.  Please pray for lives to continue to be transformed!  About 3000-4000 patients are, on average, coming through the doors of Bongolo each month.

The Bongolo team is celebrating the return of one of the former surgical PAACS residents, Dr. Anatole Nzanzu and his family.  He will be helping the team as a teaching surgical doctor as well as being a boost to the worship team as a talented guitarist and singer.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!  The AMB (MAG) Cessna 207 aircraft has a series of flights coming up to support the surgical training program at Bongolo (www.PAACS.org).  Please pray for continued safety.  Soon after, it will be time for the annual inspection.  We'll have more photos to post soon.

In Case You Missed It- New Year Mailing

In Case you didn't get our New Year update in your mailbox, here it is, below, page one and two.

If you would like to be on our mailing list to get these sent to your home, email us your snail-mail to gabon.pilot@gmail.com.

Newsletter 2017 Jan- Page 1 by Gabon_pilot on Scribd

Newsletter 2017 Jan- Page 2 by Gabon_pilot on Scribd

Seeing... Sometimes Believing

A story from Bongolo Eye Clinic

Fidele, a 34 year-old man, has been blind in both eyes “for a long time.”  

He was told in the capital city of Libreville that nothing could be done for his vision.  

He has a 2 year-old child that he had never seen with his own eyes.  

His wife’s friends told her that she should leave him because she shouldn’t be stuck with a man who is already blind at such a young age, when she is so young herself.  His wife was ashamed of him.  

He had affairs and drank too much alcohol; he had lost all hope.  

So when he had cataract surgery here last week and the patch was removed the following day, he felt like whooping and hollering when he realized he could see again.  

He suddenly had hope.  

This week, he decided that he would follow “the God of Bongolo Hospital – the God of Hope.”  Pray for a complete transformation of his life.  

Fidele- his name, by the way, means “faithful.”

Submitted by Eric H.; photo pahte

Gabon Shipping Container Update

NEXT CONTAINER:  STANDBY FOR DETAILS!!!

2022 UPDATE:

Please Email Gabon.Pilot@gmail.com for the latest updates and details to participate with supporting the Gabon team through the shipping container from the US.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAMWORK!!!

LAST CONTAINER DEADLINE :  MARCH 1st, 2020

Dear co-laborers in the ministry of the Bongolo Hospital,

There will be one shipment going out this year and the packages are to arrive at ARK Transportation by March 1st. The items listed below are some things that are more urgent.

You will notice that they now need some 3-4" rolled sheet bandages. Should you have a lot of rolled bandages to send, please e-mail Colleen Lofgren (coliemark@gmail.com)- our friends at C&MA's Hope Clinic, Jon and Anja Erickson, in Guinea also need some.

Urgently needed items at this time:

• MULTIVITAMINS: Centrum (or similar with all the trace minerals) multivitamins for children especially, but also for adults. Please don’t send the round, gumball like Centrum children, but the chewable ones or kids under 4 years old.

• TABLE SHEETS: Delivery room and OR table covers made out of flat sheets (see instructions below)**

• STERILIZATION WRAPS: sterilization wraps * (we don't need 12" x 12")

• GLASSES: new reading glasses, glass cases (homemade or bought), disposable pen lights.

• LAB COATS/SCRUBS: long white lab coats, new or slightly used scrubs sizes small and medium

• MEDICAL GOWNS: children's patient gowns (see patterns on Internet)

• PLASTICWARE: inexpensive sippy cups, baby spoons and shallow plastic small bowls.

• TOYS: There are a few of the missionaries that are requesting items to give away to children at the hospital and in other children's ministries, so when you send some of these, please mark the name of the missionary you want to get these items with a note inside the package. Dr. Wendy Hofman, the eye doctor would like small items like stickers, small toys; Pediatricians Dr. Deborah Walker and Dr. Renee Valach would like small dolls, small cars, coloring books and crayons; Meladee Davis would like small toys like the others plus the pillow case dresses and shorts (for boys) and also "Mama packs" that she hands out in the maternity ward.

• BANDAGES: 3 to 4 inch wide rolled sheet bandages. Any color accepted, but white preferred.

• ANTACIDS: TUMs or Rolaids (that are made of Magnesium trisillate antacids.

• TOWELS: blue OR towels used in surgery.

* Instructions for sterilization wraps: finished sizes wanted  are 12” x 12”, 24” x 24”, 36” x 36”. 48” x 48”.  You can make them out of gently used cotton and cotton/polyester material or  sheets or old cloth tablecloths. Don’s use flannel as it is too loose a weave.  Preferred colors are blue, green or white solid (others accepted though).  To make them, cut the material 1/2” larger than the size wanted.  They are to be double thickness, with the seams on the inside.  After sewing the two pieces of material, turn it inside right, then sew a seam about 1/2” around the entire square and then an “X” from corner to corner.  this way, when they are washed, they will stay in place.  Questions?  Call me at 218-245-2706.

**Instructions for delivery table sheets: use flat sheets twin or full size, any color, out of cotton or cotton/polyester. Fold sheet in half so it is 48” x 66” (twin) or 48”x 81” (full).  Sew or Zig-zag around the entire doubled sheet, including the folded side, close to the edge.   Then measure half way down (33” or 40.1”) and sew across the sheet.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  BOX SIZE: The packages should be no larger than a total of 72 inches (length + height + width) unless you have special permission.  Please limit different types of items to 3-4 per box and put each type of item in it’s own plastic bag for easier sorting at the hospital.

2.  COLLECTION LOCATION: Send the boxes to : ARK Transportation c/o Gabon Shipment Bongolo Hospital, 17830 Englewood Drive, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130  by MARCH 1st. You may also arrange for drop off by calling George Hurst, 440-891-0088.  If driving there, look for Unit 23.

3.  COMMUNICATION: Please e-mail Gabon’s shipment coordinator, Linda Chae at linda.chae@att.net and a copy to me, Coleen Lofgren coliemark@gmail.com with the following information:

-Church and address

-Contact’s name, phone number and e-mail address

-Total number of boxes sent.  Please label each box by letter and numbers, for example, if your church is in Plain View, Iowa and you’re sending 2 boxes, you might choose PVI#1, PVI#2.  Please include the two letter state abbreviation in your label as there are a lot of churches with the same name as First Alliance Church.

-The dimensions rounded to the nearest inch and the cubic feet of each package (multiply the height, length and depth in inches and divide by 1728)

-Category of items as one of the following: personal effect, medicine, medical equipment or food.

- List the items and quantities.  You can group items together.  For example, instead of listing 23 3” rolled bandages and 23 5” ones, just put 46 rolled bandages.  Linda C. will price the items, so you don’t have to do that. 

4. SHIPPING COSTS:  $15 per cubic foot.  Add up the total cubic feet that your boxes measure, multiply by $15, and send that amount to the Finance Department of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (8595 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO. 80920).  Include a note stating that the funds are for the Bongolo Hospital Med Supp./Shipping account, and write the number 09037-4340 in the memo line of your check.

5. OTHER: If you have items you think might be useful, but are not on the list, please e-mail or call Coleen L. at 218-245-2706. Please let other churches know about the shipment. 

Once again, that you for  your generous giving! Coleen

Gabon teammates work to unload the November '16 container at Bongolo

Help Bongolo Hospital Electrical Grid Upgrade

Project info:

Ok- the situation isn't this bad at Bongolo, but you get the picture!

Total cost of the project:

$300,000

Describe the project briefly:

This project will upgrade the existing three phase electrical supply and associated equipment in order to bring adequate and consistent electricity to the Bongolo Hospital. This upgrade will not only provide needed increase of electrical power to existing hospital structures but will also supply electricity to the mission station and to the new Eye Center currently under construction.

Tell why this project is needed and what will happen as a result of the successful implementation of this project?

The current electrical supply lines and accompanying equipment are not adequate for the electrical demands of the hospital. The three phase supply lines can become overheated and catch fire under current situations. The addition of the new Eye Center will put additional electrical demands on the supply which the current installation will not be able to handle.

What will be the consequences if this project is NOT completed/implemented?

The hospital will continue to have electrical outages due to inadequate wiring, money will have to be invested in replacing wires and electrical equipment that burns up, and the new Eye Center building will not be able to be used.  Also, the hospital will not have the electrical capacity to expand in any other way.

What specific group(s) of people will benefit from this project, and approximately how many people will be impacted by your ministry each year?

All staff and patients at the hospital will be helped by this project. Work and care will be positively impacted as adequate and consistent electricity is supplied to the hospital campus. There are currently 125 staff members and yearly about 40,000 patients are treated at the hospital.

Instructions for giving:

If you would like to give with a debit/credit card, you can give funds online using the following instructions:

Go to https://secure.cmalliance.org/give/, put in the amount you want to give under "Give to International Workers and Special Projects", and then in the box below that, enter "Bongolo Electrical System Upgrade".  Then click on the Give Now button (if needed) and complete the payment info on the page.

If giving by check, please make the check out to "The Alliance", and indicate that this is for account 43-40-09087 – Bongolo Electrical System. Please send it to:

The Alliance c/o Finance Dept.,

8595 Explorer Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80920