Fond farewells

Up, up and away, a MAF flight out of Dodoma ... This past week we've had further fabulous folk to say farewell, thank you and goodbye to..... four families in fact, starting with our pilot Jarkko and his Finnish family, driving 8 hours north to the new Operational Base in Arusha, then our wonderful Wycliffe Bible Translator/SIL neighbours off on furlough to the States.

Some of the treats makes goodbye sweeter...possibly!?

Here are the terrific Thomsons, leaving imminently for 6 months in Uganda to work on more avionic upgrades on the 208 Caravans before returning to their homeland in Australia:

Before everyone leaves Dodoma we had another farewell, this time for the marvellous Meders from Switzerland; although they aren't leaving Africa just yet they are transitioning with a six month project down south in Mbeya

We're all praising the Lord for the successful completion of LOTS of hard work and nail-biting moments with H-OPE! Here it is, with Mat Thomson's terrific team, about to take it on its final test flight early Friday morning

Meanwhile there are still one or two planes to finish upgrades on and essential checks to be carried out ... and more important decisions to pray through/make..... properties and other assets to be sold, new staff to be recruited for the Arusha office and international admin to sort, to name a few tasks for the week ahead

Last weeks staff/prayer meeting, Jez and team sorting out some practical details first.

By tomorrow we shall be the only MAF couple on the compound, with patient Pierre awaiting his visa for Uganda.. two other lovely MAF families remain a wee-while longer, thankfully, within walking distance ... plus half a dozen locally employed staff working in the hanger, quite a scale down from earlier days eh! We might have to write the next blog in Kiswahili, English is definitely in the minority language around here!

Salamu
J&C xx