London - Luanda - Lubango

Christmas greetings from Angola!

Local "unreached people group": the Himba tribe

We made it, "just" a 28 year journey to get us both here :0) so, not a moment too soon to join the dedicated team and the work which began about 28 yrs ago, to provide essential support for NGOs, missions and churches! Over 1.5 million lives were lost, 4 million displaced in the 27 yrs of civil war where an estimated 10 million landmines were laid in strategic locations, many remain today, encircling communities and endangering roads... flying is essential.  MAF can reduce a doctor's all-day trek by foot to a mere 20-min flight.



Meet Pastor Cesar and Anastacio, our MAF Luanda staff: they showed us a little of the capital with its population of over 2.8 million people.

According to the World Economic Forum Luanda is one of the most expensive places in the world for ex-pats to live.  High oil prices raised expectations, only to be dashed on its decline.  Half of Angola's population live on less than a meagre $2 per day.

We took British weather with us apparently, arriving to one of many, daily heavy downpours that causes havoc and chaos on the roads. We enjoy! phenomenally lively thunderstorms during this rainy season.  Roads are often awash... with mud, etc..., sometimes open sewers flooding streets.  Our road here regularly floods and becomes a river which runs through our compound.

The Chinese influence is greater than we imagined...

We took an hour and a half commercial flight south-east'ish from the capital, to our new home: Lubango (not quite Hollywood!) where, once out of the sprawling city, there are some absolutely stunning views.  There will be more pictures following, in another blog.

Cristo Rei, arms outstretched, visible from our apartment, particularly when lit-up at night, when city power is on!

Jez discussing work with ex-MAF pilot Mark, currently seconded as CEO to the fantastic, life-saving work of the CEML hospital, headed up by Dr Stephen Foster in a country of 21 million and almost no modern healthcare.  MAF assist the doctors/surgeons in serving over 2.5 million people in this area, where statistics state life expectancy of Angolans is the shortest of any nation on earth: 38 yrs!  It also has one of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.  Angola has less than 2 doctors per 10,000 people, (UK 28/10,000)  http://www.ceml.org/

Mark and wife Jana kindly took us to visit the hospital, meeting his assistant plus several dedicated staff, including our multi-talented neighbour (down stairs) Annalise, probably one of Angola's top surgeons.
You may have seen Dr Sarah Hudgins marvelously insightful post "clinic in the bush" if you follow us on Facebook, from Tchincombe, an out-post where Dr Tim Kubacki also serves relentlessly, splitting his time and energies between there and the main CEML hospital, where Dr Steve Collins has done a fantastic job performing critical eye surgery, to over 22,000 Angolan cataract patients thus far!


But before getting onto "greater things" we quickly sourced supplies for our apartment: bucket 'n' bowl, scrubbing brushes, detergents and bleach (and non surgical gloves!)   We were richly rewarded by the warm welcome party the team gave us over at "Mitcha," a 15 min treacherous drive to the other compound where the 4 international MAF families live, alongside SIM and Wycliffe staff.  In addition we have approx 18 wonderfully loyal Angolan staff, all of whom speak (several of the local, tribal languages as well as) Portuguese and who enjoy our attempts to converse! As Programme Manager Jez survived his first big meeting, all in Portuguese, up in Luanda with approx 200 other NGO/delegates and government officials.

So, thanks ever so much for journeying with us these several long months, even years!  We shall endeavor to keep you posted monthly with news and pictures.  Meanwhile thank you for praying with us; we are looking to our Heavenly Father with these current needs:

~ Carina's 30 day visitor visa to be changed into a "temporary permanent" variety
~ for our second pilot Marijn, an absolutely vital need for him to have his visa renewed, immediately, to enable he and the family to remain for the ongoing work here in Angola.  
~ Of less importance, but value to us is the arrival, intact, of our "stuff" from Tanzania to Lubango





~ Family back in the UK:

Oli returning to the UK from RAF deployment overseas;
Asher, Louise and the childrens' well-being;
Great Grandma Margaret's declining health.
A challenging time to be away from family at Christmas.

(Here we are for a last evening with some of our lovely little family before we left London.)


~ Finally, Jez/MAF NEED continued favour with officials for permissions to open "life-line" runways to take doctors and Good News into  "isolated areas, both spiritually and physically, transforming them in Jesus' Name"

Sending you fondest of love and happiest of Christmas and Chanukah greetings :0)

Jez and Carina xx

TWO visas and TWO plane tickets

Hello there!

After a long wait and lots of praying we are so pleased to report that these two smiling faces shall be off to Angola next weekend, thank the Lord!  .... and thank you for praying with us.

In Mid October we were kindly invited over to the MAF Canada office to meet the splendid team (approx 18 staff) who so work hard in facilitating 50 Canadian families (plus us as well now!!) in 17 different nations, to serve the Lord through the work of MAF.                                                                                                                                                         Here Jez is working with Lowell Deering, Chief Pilot and Ops Director for the MAF Angola Programme where we are heading off to shortly!   

Whilst across "the pond" we visited Toronto's CN Tower

Niagra Falls were an amazing sight!

Fika time - On our brief return to Portugal to finish up work, studies and pack up our stuff, cousin Barbro and Bo also came over from Sweden for a brief visit.

Then commenced our drive back from warm sunshine to wild, windy, wintery weather... we made the ferry crossing, with the aid of angelic snow ploughs and gritters.

Asher introduces Lily to little JJ who has a wonderful new family! 

So, a final few days remain in Blighty to pack one finalllllll time, see some of our lovely family and friends before our departure! Angola here we come!!  See you from there soon, God willing!

Sending you our fond love,

Jez and Carina xx

Three things

Its hard to believe we've been here almost 3 months now....the weather doesn't seem a whole lot better than when we arrived!  We are in Portugal, aren't we?!

 Windy day with snow in the background

Although we have had a preview of summer, albeit briefly, spring definitely remains upon us, all the rain serves to make this a beautifully lush and green nation, really only in two halves: the north with its snow-capped peaks...... 

My 'friends', making our apartment bearable!

View from our little balcony, looking up the road.... plus hail!

The other half is the south - or is that the "west" as Algarve means west! (ongoing Arab/ Moorish influence) We had the absolute joy of spending a few glory-us days there celebrating Jezzie's 50th birthday, thanks be to God and to former house-group leaders from our Leeds days!!

Also celebrating a special Birthday was HRH Queen Elizabeth and whilst on a fact finding trip into Lisbon that day, MV Britannia floated into the harbour...how timely! 

To commemorate the bloodless revolution of 1974, freedom from dictatorship, a bank holiday was instituted, with a bridge renamed after it: April 25th Bridge!!

Back in our apartment we have been brave and moved our bed back into the bedroom, from the front room; we have lived a privileged lifestyle really, in houses rather than high rise flats ... as such sleep has been a rare commodity here, not conducive to language learning.  We're now readjusting our nights to fit in with the nocturnal habits of those Portuguese we live in close quarters with.

Look closely and you may see Jez on the lower balcony, with umbrella

We continue to stretch our brains and our tutor's patience with daily lessons and copious homework, now 'living in the past' having commenced Portuguese preterito perfieto do indicativo .... sometimes worked on at a local (warm) coffee shop or two....notice its name?!

We have also had the joy of visitors having felt a tad lonely... and are very much looking forward to the arrival of Asher, Louise, Lucas and Lily very soon, who are hopefully bringing the sunshine with them!

Finally, a reminder why we are here (away from family and friends and community): to use our waiting time wisely in gaining language skills, to enable us to work in Angola with Mission Aviation Fellowship.  Please pray for our language acquisition.

Unfortunately there seems to be some difficulties with 'the paperwork' due to changes in government procedures in Angola.  Please pray for MAF Canada and Angolan administrators who are trying to get these in order so that we can enter the country.  Third request for prayer is for Angola specifically as the recent falls in the oil price will have serious repercussions on the economy of the country and, as can be imagined, this is felt most in those areas that MAF are working: isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in the name of Jesus Christ.

     

     Sending our love and grateful thanks to God for you

     Jez and Carina xx 

We're expecting!

Did that grab your attention?!  Well, twice previously in Portugal "we" were pregnant, the first time was in 1990 and expecting Oliver, then again in '93 with Asher, both times whilst working with Youth With A Mission... now we are with Mission Aviation Fellowship and "pregnant" with Angola, having carried the vision for a few decades now!

A week ago we left these precious little people, departing Portsmouth for Caen.  Stormy weather meant we couldn't sail across the Bay of Biscay to Bilbao, so we took the short ferry route, followed by a long but agreeable drive down through France, across Spain and into Portugal, to Loures - a suburb of Lisbon.   We enjoyed alot of blue skies and snow along the way, around 1200 miles of road ....

Language class began on Wednesday with the lovely Eunice who has patiently tutored students since the '80's, including pilots now in Angola, amongst others....we have 1.5 hours tuition each week day, with a heap of homework to reinforce the studies. We hope we don't share these rotten colds with her!

Here's the view from our teeny balcony.  Our apartment is fine, more than adequate, a half hour walk from class... can you believe my beloved IKEA is also walking distance, along with several warm cafes (much UNlike our place which is no doubt fabulous for keeping the summers' heat out, ch-ch-chilly at this time of the year indoors tho') where we have found it great to do homework whilst enjoying galo coffee at 60p a mug ;o)


So friends, many thanks for your prayers for all our paperwork and passports to be sorted and also for our safe arrival here ... we hope to study the language until our Angolan visas are granted, or Jesus returns....  We may blog again before then of course, hopefully once we have grown and expanded our brains and hearts but not waistlines what with the abundance of local pastelarias, tho not gluten free so only one of us is safe ;o)

Ate logo!...see you later
love Jez and Carina xx

Well hello again!  Greetings from Essex, England innit ;0)    It has been 7 months since our last blog, sent from our MAF assignment in Tanzania, so we thought it was about time to put fingers to keyboard and say hi!

We have had 6 super months here and are now preparing for our next assignment: Angola!!  It was 31 and 28 years ago that we sensed our first call to go, with some reminders along the way .... it would seem it has taken a life time of preparation so we are believing our great God for great things, when we eventually get there, this time on secondment to MAF Canada.

Before we depart these shores we have numerous administrative tasks to complete, in order for the Angolan government to "invite" us and provide visas.  Each task takes time; its a rather torturous series of events - once completed, notarised and legalised, translated and finally authenticated we can then submit it all and be free to commence language classes, in Portugal no less - our last stays there were in the less salubrious areas, on outreach with YWAM and our boys were tiny!

Meanwhile our suitcases are packed and time with family, friends and cuddles with Lily and Lucas are to be cherished just a little bit longer ... recent picture of them with mommy Louise:

So that's a brief update...we shall be in touch from Portugal, soooooon, God willing!  Visas for Angola apparently take from 4-10 months, learning Portuguese might take longer.....

Until then, thanks for your prayers and kind words.  More welcomed!
The Lord bless you.
TTFN
Jez and Carina xx

Hearty hello there.... well here we are, final blog from Tanzania!

O lots has happened since we wrote last.....you might remember we were preparing to go to the international conference with 30 or so other MAF staff/programme managers in Thailand: strategy, discussion, prayer, fellowship and food - we'll not eat another Chinese meal without remembering the vast numbers of 'interesting' street traders in Bangkok!

 

 

...and they seem to cook any/everything, each night as darkness fell so the streets would come alive with sights, sounds and smells!  Folk would plonk themselves down on plastic picnic chairs/tables and munch away: with so much heat and humidity I guess this must be the sensible way to (not) cook! Oooh but the litter! It was the kirb side mess in the morning that turned ones stomach!...not a stray cat, dog nor rat in sight!

 

 

 

Statues and temples a-plenty....

 

 

 

 

Next stop: Papua New Guinea which was amazing, particularly as I recalled asking the Lord back in 1982 whilst visiting Jerusalem and reading a significant book ("from Jerusalem to Irian Jaya") if I might one day go to Irian Jaya, only recently realising it is Papua!! 

The local people are fascinating...mostly bare foot, very smiley and appearing friendly (despite reported as a nation with 100% domestic violence against women!) - couldn't get over most folk resembling hamsters with cheeks FULL of betelnut which they chew seemingly allllll the time, then spit the bright red contents of their mouth gaily about : ewwww :o(

The MAF work is brilliant as are the many staff who make up the Programme there; as for the terrain, well these photos speak for themselves - it's no wonder MAF aircraft are vital in reaching the isolated communities with their 850 different language groups!!!!.....

 

...and all their suspicions of one another.  We heard stories to curl your toes (head-hunters, cannibalism...and current tribal warfare, some villages with residents who had all killed another villager... ) and testimonies to make you weep and rejoice!  From mud-men to lavish headgear this nation is truly "the ends of the earth" and Jesus told His Disciples that when the Holy Spirit had come upon them they would preach the Gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth ..... so does this mean WE TOO are to go......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So if you're wondering where PNG is:

 

 

Did you know that PNG has 700 airstrips and only 680 km of tarmac'd road!?  Air travel is necessary and MAF are involved in delivering essential supplies around the nation, along with transporting people in and medevac'ing others  out..... Wycliffe Bible translators have their hands full and do a magnificent job!

MAF also works closely with CRMF, a Christian radio station that brings Good News to a nation that has grown exponentially since the discovery of gold, iron and much more, good and bad.

 

 

Here Jez is being shown one of the classes church pastors are offered: it's a super way to break down tribal as well as denominational barriers and trains them a little in some very basic technology, equipping them with the means to communicate in the trade language of Pidgin. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Most exciting for us was to see tiny wifi boxes that MAF planes are trial'ing: along with "buk Baibel" they take on board to the various isolated villages, people flock to receive the Word of God - they can download onto their phones.  They might have little else by the way of essentials/possessions but all do seem to have mobile phones and receive the opportunity to listen to the Bible... Jesus films are shown too.

 

 

 

As you've guessed there are loads of piccies to share, below shows local housing ... that's a story in itself.... and we've not included any of the BEAUUUUUUTIFUL trees, flowering bushes, blooms galore-ious!  With (incredible amounts of) rain and sunshine each and every day it's a veritable garden of Eden - even sticks popped into the ground to hold up fruit bushes for example, often take root, bud and grow!!  A gardener's paradise! 

 

 

 Ariel view of Goroka (of coffee fame)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Wilhelm stands at over 14,000 ft, drawing many intrepid climbers to attempt to scale it and is PNG's highest mountain, part of the Bismark range..... it was quite something to see the Bismark sea too - war time TV films memories came flooding back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The clouds were phenomenal in PNG!

We had 24 peaceful hours up here on Mount Hagen to celebrate Jez's birthday and enJOY the scenery..... the lodge had loads of masks, tumbuans, statues, fetishes, and other nasties... but we enjoyed Gods Creation....and felt a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.  We later discovered that our Oli was about to join the Chinook helicopters in aiding the Nepalese... 

 

 

 

Here's our 10th departure (out of 13 flights round trip!)

 

 

 

When not too tired Jez used his time wisely... 50+ hours in the air, alone!.. plus waiting time in between, with a 10 hour time difference to GMT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our final leg of the journey was made bearable via a 23 hour layover with lovely family/YWAM friends in Hong Kong, also "out" from our home church in the UK ... brunch and high peak sight seeing!

 

 

Since our return we've got stuck into finishing up all the nitty gritty, including packing our world into cardboard boxes...again... our 7th time in 4 years (of 4 months stay or more).... and our hearts are jam packed with experiences myriad!

This weekend I finish my time here with the Programme Review where we all come together to reflect, rejoice and look to God for His future here .... then its a couple of days work in Dodoma/final goodbyes, and a weekend at Dar es Salaam coast before I zoom off to Sweden to lovely family and friends, leaving Jez for the month of handing over and joining me in Blighty forrrrrr (crescendo!) Asher and Louise's wedding !!!!

 

By then it'll be time for a UK blog. 

 

Although Jez has another month of work here we send you love and final fond farewell greetings from this beautiful nation of Tanzania where we continue to ask for Gods blessing on her.. it.. them.. you :o)

 

Jez and Carina xx