South Sudan

 

Hello there!!  We're just back from a week in Juba, visiting the dedicated team and seeing international and national staff at their vital work in such a devastated nation!  We hadn't realised we already knew many of the lovely international staff.....

 

 

 

After their early start and before tea/coffee break each weekday morning staff meet to encourage one another from the Bible, share stories of answered prayers and to ask God for His input and guidance into their daily, personal and working lives and those whom they serve

The nation of South Sudan gained independence from the north in July 2011 but since then has known much turmoil and unrest; only last December further fighting broke out, MAF evacuating many.  Most of the  MAF national staff face their own memories of tragedies with stories beyond comprehension, yet they faithfully carry out their jobs, serving God with commitment, whole yet often broken-hearted..... with over a million internally displaced people there is a long way to go before this beautifully rich and fertile nation can be considered stable and established.  Here's an aerial view of one refugee camp, just outside the capital, statistics show 3 children a day die of acute malnutrition; disease is rife, men risk being shot, women are fearful to leave to collect firewood, medics treating multiple cases of rape and traumas

 

Over 150 NGOrganisations work tirelessly in the capital of Juba - it's the fasting growing city in the world apparently, even though 40,000+ folk fled this past December alone, adding to the 150,000 who previously ran, fearing for their lives and now living as refugees.  Daily MAF receives several more requests than it can possible handle, pleas for assistance..... it flies in medical supplies/personnel and emergency relief to the thousands of homeless folk, serving many mission partners/agencies/churches, bringing food, Bibles.....often needing to clear "runways" first

 

 

 

 

 

Peace is the cry on many peoples' lips, anti-government rebel forces and inter-tribal conflict continues to rumble around a country with civil war but in Juba much effort is placed upon the pursuit of peace...MAF flies Government officials as well as Church leadership, committed to finding a way forward for the nation and her precious people

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juba's Programme Managers' wife Corina (could be confusing!) shares principles of forgiveness and reconciliation amongst the MAF national staff and also local churches... we visited one "church" and the surrounding area, near where the recent conflict began - some pictures of the neighbours/hood

 

 

As you can imagine we have oodles more photos.... next week we'll share a little more on our trip if you're interested but for now we send you our love and greetings from a slightly cooler Dodoma, where we're enjoying daytime temperatures in the 30's rather than 40's!!  Happy weekendi!  God bless you.  Do pray for peace in south Sudan.. and Jerusalem!

 Jez and Carina xx

 

Chidudu

 

 

 

 

Hi there..

 

This week we'd like to share with you something from our a.maze.ing trip to an outlying village called Chidudu... it took 20 mins by plane from here on a hot, dry and dusty day: 42 degrees C on the ground, 30 degrees C in the air which meant we had to fly low, lots of hot air thermals to bump us along!

 

 

(..see the runway behind him!)  So we joined mama Kambanga and Pastor Timothy plus medical team to share Good News, run a pre/antenatal, mother and baby clinic and 'soak in' the atmosphere ... We brought with us loudspeakers and battery, bread, all important tea and lots of medical provisions: vaccinations, contraception amongst others

 

Jez met the village elder to hear of their news, their needs and their requests then the preaching and teaching commenced for the eager arrivals with approximately 300 more joining during the course of the day

Whilst the Good News was shared the Mums waited for hours for their babies to be weighed and receive injections, whilst mums-to-be awaited check-up, some having walked a couple of hours to get there in the hot sun, often with tiny babies or toddlers on their backs or trailing behind, finding little shade to shelter under....

 

 

 

 

I love this picture.. the Tanzanian folk are a peaceable, warm and generally happy people....

 

Whilst mums and babies received care and attention mama Kambanga and one or two others talked and shared with young and old, played games and taught Bible stories at the only place the mid-day sun couldn't frazzle, whilst Jez did an airstrip inspection with the men-folk (background to children)

 

 

It had been a fabulous day..... long, hot and tiring....Jarkko had the medical team to fly to the next town, then return for us

 

 







 

Before we left a choir sang for us all and honoured the 'special guests' - we did feel honoured as the elder surrounded us with a gift and prayed for us, inviting us to speak with the village...

 

 

 

 

 

 If you click on the link at the end you might be able to hear and see some of the singing/gift giving (it means we are now 'married' in Tanzania!).

 

Meanwhile "back at the ranch" it has been a very busy week, a high note for the final MAF Dodoma family, marvellous-Mckelvey's, on which to leave: after MUCH work and deliberation a number of 'achievements' have been made for which we cry Halelu-JAH; enormous strides have been made in securing the hanger handover, the garage sale is in progress as we speak and finally all the properties on compound A and B now sold... not before time eh, praise the Lord! 

 

Tomorrow we leave for meetings in Dar es Salaam then Monday 17-24th we fly to Juba and see the crucial work MAF does in turbulent south Sudan, wondering if this might be our next step ..... do pray with us!

 

 

See you in a couple of weeks, when we might have something to report... and hopefully the (short) rains may have commenced and cooled temperatures - p'haps we can ship some sunshine over to your part o'the world!  These are Flame trees, they bloom before the rains come... fab aren't they! 

 

Right.  Cheerio.  God bless you.  Kwa heri. Bye!

Jez and Carina xx

 

https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B10gwWJM4-h-d2VxWm11QldoNzA&export=download

 

 

Dodoma

 

 

 

 

 

Good afternoon from a decidedly WARM Dodoma!

 

Last week we joined with thousands of friends around the world to pray for MAF programmes across the globe.

Jez with our chief engineer Thomas (in his final working week in the hanger) and Heri who we trust will take over the hanger with the business we've all been working towards seeing set up: Central Aviation Services.  We pray and trust God to open doors, just like this plane has; with all it's preparation complete it left for Uganda, en-route for the vital work in Liberia.

 

As we wait for the official authorities to sort out all the government bureaucracy we're moving forward slowly slowly with the sale of housing/assets on compound B; we still have compound A in its entirety to sell, hampered by all the challenges facing CAS.  Here are some lovely sights we're still enjoying around our compound. 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

with avocados and mangos ripening in our garden 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We don't spend all our waking hours on compound...here's are a few local 'shops' 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I had a lot of fun at a school where the local children attend, often from families who have lost parents and siblings to HIV and AIDS, some being looked after by grandparents, themselves already overstretched - the children shown are aged 4-6 years.  Its mandatory to attend school by the age of 7, fines are imposed if they arrive late, added to the fees they already have to pay simply for the privilege of having (Government) education.  My prayer is that they'd all SEE Jesus, particularly realising a number of these precious wee ones carry sickness, sadly....

 

 

In closing we've attached a few maps: in a week or so we're off to Juba, to see the work MAF is doing in South Sudan, wondering if this is where our Faithful Shepherd is leading us next...so until next time: God bless you and bye for now, Jez and Carina  xx