03 August Flights- To & From Bongolo!

They all loved Bongolo so much they're back!  Here are repeat teammates- Dennis and MaryAnn S. and Annalise O. behind me.  Since they are staying a bit longer than most, I removed the 3rd row of seats and piled their luggage up high.

Still dry season in Gabon, so low clouds are always a part of the flights.  On this flight, we cruised down to Bongolo at 7000 feet and on the way back, it was 8500 feet.  The "dry season" overcast hangs out around 2000 to 3000 feet.

Arrival at Bongolo airstrip.

After a some calculations we're ready to drop off the passengers coming to Bongolo and load up the new load.

My co-pilot for the ride back to Bongolo- Amanda M.  She's a new teammate at Bongolo helping with the nursing school.

The other passengers were (R to L) Ching-See (med-student), Joan M. (Doc), and Dr. Tchoba's mother-in-law and daughter.

Back to School Blues...

My children (Joe-17; Megan-16; Sam-14 next week) absolutely love their school.  For Alace and I, it's a love-hate relationship.  We love it because it is, without a question, one of the best high schools on the continent of Africa and because the environment is one that nurtures their walk with the Lord.  We've really seen them grow at Rain Forest International School.  However, we do hate it in that, it is not located in Libreville, but rather in Yaounde- a two hour airplane ride away.   For weeks at a time, we are empty nesters... way too soon for Alace and I.

 Here are some pics from back to school this year: 

Dinner at UBAC house!  12 students live there.

Here's Megan with her roommate, Krista.

A day before classes, the boys headed up on campus to set up some soccer.  Joe is on the left with his friend Jon.

Megan also headed up to campus to walk around and catch up with a friend, Rachael, whose family was on furlough in the states last year.

Sam also got in on the soccer action.  He'll be 14 in a week!!!  (25 Aug)

All in all, we are so thrilled that the kids have such a great place to attend.  With skype, facebook messaging, cell phones, and frequent visits, we stay connected.  It's never how we thought our kids' teenage years would look like, but our Heavenly Father knew this.  He is taking care of us!

I Lied To My Daughter

Subtitle:  "Megan's Sweet 16 Party"

I have a confession... I lied to my daughter!  After spending two days back in Cameroon getting our kids settled in to the new UBAC dorm house , we kissed our kids goodbye as they headed off to their first day of the new school year.  However... that was a bald-faced lie!  Joe and Sam were in on it, by the way.

Alace and I set the stage in the UBAC dorm house living room.

... the dining area was readied as well...  Joe had actually made a facebook page (somehow kept it secret from Megan) to announce the party and invite everyone. 

The plan was to have everyone come to UBAC right after the final bell (the house is adjacent to the campus) and get ready for Megan to arrive.  Joe and a friend had a plan to keep Megan distracted for a bit on campus.  It all worked!  About 50 or so showed up!

THE BIG MOMENT!!!  SURPRISE!!!  In the end, she had sensed something was up, but was still not expecting what happened.  We are so blessed to have a wonderful, beautiful daughter who is maturing into a Godly woman!

Air Evac- 06 August

 I was called on Sunday night by the president of the national church saying that a terrible accident after the conclusion of the Alliance Woman's annual conference in the east of the country had left many injured- some of them seriously.

Eastbound from Libreville to Makokou at 9000 feet.  This is what Gabon looks like during dry season- a lower solid overcast all day long.

 

Using the "jungle jepps", I descended on the prescribed course and broke through the overcast nearing the village.  It's was my first time to this village runway where regional airline service lands 2 or 3 times a week.

Descending for runway 0-6 over the village.

The ambulance was waiting as well as quite a crowd- almost two dozen.  The first load from the ambulance were two ladies with head and arm wounds mostly.  They sat along the left side of the aircraft while the right side was left for the woman that would come and need to remain laying down.

I was blessed to have Yolande, a Bongolo-trained nurse and also an Alliance Woman, along to assist during the flight.

This flight had another first- landing at Bongolo the opposite direction then normal... runway 2-7.  You can make out the airport ahead- we're on about a 4 mile final approach.

Upon arrival, Steve H., a Bongolo doctor, jumped into action, treating the woman laying down first.

Bongolo Hospital's ambulance driver, Philippe, was on the spot, waiting to load up the injured, along with Karen F. who used her personal car as well.

We all pitched in and got the ladies loaded.  Our hospital administrator, Pastor Serge B. has his back to the photo.  His wife, Jackie, is closest to the airplane.  When's the last time you visited a medical facility and the director was there to meet you?!? Now, that's service!

August Flights- venez numbreux!

Fueling Progress Update!

Many of you remember that, last October, we launched the "FUELING PROGRESS" effort with a big event near Indianapolis. 

Since that time, we've been blessed to see the sponsorship of the barrels of AvGas (100 low-lead) has continued to grow.

This summer, we were contacted by a friend who committed to sponsoring the last of the 78 barrels!!!  WE'VE DONE IT!!!

Here is what the stack of barrels now looks like...

We are so very blessed!  Thank you to everyone who prayed and gave to see this stack of empty barrels become full barrels!!!

We will be contacting the sponsors soon to alert them when we are ready to get the container ready and on it's way to Gabon!

This shipment will help us cut our fuel costs in half!!!  Read all the details HERE.

Future Runway!

Subtitle:  Men versus Jungle!

Here is the site plan for "COSAC" - a campus that will be the home of many of the social words of the local Alliance churches, here in Gabon.  Notice the gray band across the top- this is will be the airstrip!  They have invited me to counsel them on the construction of this airstrip.

From time to time, it's nice to load up and go do some "hackin' away" at the jungle.  Some day, a big machine will make quick work of this, but, for now, the Straw men (Joe, Sam, and I) are happy to fight the jungle back, little by little.  The hot pink arrows show where we hiked to to find the corner post and start clearing this past weekend.

You can see the corner post behind the tree that I'm chopping on.

Success!

The clearing starts to take shape!

Sometimes, just for fun, Sam would simply push trees over!  Notice the brute, Straw strength!!!

Next to the clearing was a dead tree still standing to about 20 feet high.  We made a burn pile at the base and thought we might see it weaken and fall by the time we departed, but, we waited... and waited... flames shot up the tree and even through the middle of it!  But... it still stood.  We're going back soon to see if it's still standing.  Did I mention there's no such thing as "forest fires" in Gabon?  It's rumored that, here in the jungle, you can even pour gasoline in the jungle and you will not succeed in lighting the jungle on fire.  (not that I'm going to try!)

Men versus Jungle!?!  I think, in this instance, "MEN" win for this 10 foot by 10 foot space!  Of course... give it a month and you'll never know we were there!

FLYING STATS from 1st Half of 2012

Thanks to your team work, all this is possible!  Private funding from the US and around the world is what assists the airplane to fly and my family to have the funds to direct this non-profit work.


Please pray as we need to build a team to carrying on the growing work in Gabon, and as we build the critical team of prayer support and financial support from all over the world.