No bunnies here!

Bom dia!!.... hello.... happy Easter 2017.... happy Passover.... greetings from Lubango!

It has been a long time since our last blog, it was the end of January in fact....  we shall try to catch you up, short and sweet 😊

We thank the Lord for answered prayer: our long awaited "caravan" plane has its new engine and is being put to good use!  

We also praise Him for answered prayer regarding Kalukembi air-strip being re-opened.  Another one Jez is working hard to get operational requires government permissions and partnering with local church leaders.  Cavango is key to developing medical ministry toward the east of the country which will bring benefit to many thousands of people.  

Dr Annalise (shown under the H of Wings of Hope) with some of her team/medical students have now been able to fly to remote communities, offering help, healing and HOPE to isolated folk needing medical care and loving attention. In rainy seasons "roads" are often impassable... flying also saves valuable time and energy, perhaps making the impossible possible!

Dr Tim and wife Betsy have returned from furlough to continue with their amazing work amongst the rural communities in and around Cavango.  It is truly an inspiration and their blog gives tremendous insights: https://kubackisinangola.com

In addition to CEML hospital Jez has been able to meet some of our other Angolan mission partners, seeing the marvellous work they are doing, assessing and offering  MAF's assistance where it would increase efficiencies.  His other duties have included so far preparing to upgrade the accounting system to a cloud based version bringing many benefits to internal reporting and accountability , liaising with airport officials and Church leaders, leading staff prayer meetings...    

Also in February...   and ongoing...Carina has been visiting the "fistula ladies" at CEML hospital, assisting the dedicated medical staff, serving to improve these dear womens' lives, who have faced harrowing journeys, often repeated surgeries following multiple excruciating long and painful still births, offering them some skills to improve their quality of life, many having sadly been disowned by husbands, cast out from families, villages, stigma following them, minus the very sad loss of their little ones.

She also enjoys teaching English to trainee church pastors at ISTEL: the Bible Institute here in Lubango.

The symptoms of sciatica continue to lessen with care, daily exercise and avoidance of unnecessary journeys and dreadful potholed roads.  Air travel seemed not to have exacerbate the discomfort.  😌 Thank you for those prayers.


Onto the month of March ...

Following just a short stay in hospital Great Grandma Margaret Rose passed away.  The photo shows her first and last aeroplane flight, up to visit Jez's sister and husband in bonnie Scotland, just this past year - an amazing feat at 83 years of age!   

     

We returned to the UK, to Shropshire, to celebrate her life with family and friends.  We remained in England for a couple more weeks to sort domestic affairs.

Celebrating Oli's and Lizzy's birthdays

Beautiful Creation/s...Asher, Jez and Lily

Jez's brother Jon with Lily Rose

The unexpected trip gave us the opportunity to spend time with precious family and dear friends, thankful for glorious Spring weather .... daffodils and lambs..... our first Spring in the UK for a few years.

Rooftop view of Luanda's harbour

Also in March we were able to celebrate our wedding anniversary, Jez combining meetings with MAF staff and Church leaders, with our flight out from Angola's capital to England.  In addition we were able to sort and transport the final consignment of our personal goods from Tanzania, just two years since we packed them all up!

Dust comes earlier as we move towards the dry season. but no long light evenings

Finally, we continue to bring before our Father the needs of this beautiful country: poverty, malnutrition, sickness and disease, landmines, uncertainty with the upcoming elections.

We pray for the timely return of our pilot Marijn and family with VISA's to enable us to maximise the planes' potential in reaching isolated communities, venturing further into the interior.

The country continues on with economic uncertainty, falling rates of exchange (some 50% since we arrived!!!) and ongoing fuel crisis'.  We are grateful for the generator, fitting our work and lives around when we have power.

In closing we would like to send you thanks for thoughtful messages of condolence and assurance of ongoing prayer for us and the work here in Angola.

We send our love and greetings, grateful for your input into our lives and service with MAF to see Mark 13 fulfilled: "this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come".

May the Lord bless your health and energy levels with Resurrection life:  Christ is Risen.

Jez and Carina xx