Ebel's Blogmail

Hello Folks

It was a busy week in Hagen. I was in for training to become a Route and Strip training Pilot in order to help check in new pilots. So while I was working hard, Sue and kids were enjoying the break, catching up with friends and getting the shopping done. With our break come up in June there was plenty of planning and bookings to do as we prepare to come home for a “rest”. National elections are on in June & July and for those of us due a break we are all taking it when there is the most chance of unrest.

So like I was saying it has been a busy week and was looking forward to the day off. Being Sunday we were just about to get ready for church when Dr Mike called on the radio. There were two pregnant women at Balimo that needed to be medivaced right away. One suffering from preeclampcia (a condition that causes fits and possible coma) the other had been bleeding off and on for a few weeks and had now come in from the bush and was in labour and while the placenta had broken it was blocking the birth canal.

Nick (the other pilot here) his dad (visiting) & I got the airplane refueled and ready to go. Off we (Nick’s Dad & I) went it is an hour and a half to Balimo. There is a hospital there but no doctor seems no one is willing to work in such a remote place, limited electricity, no house, poor connections to outside world etc.

It was a great day no real weather issues, always nice, thanks Lord!

The patients arrived in two ambulances and we got loaded up. One patient was able to sit up the other would have to lie prone on the floor of the airplane on a mattress and tarp then strapped down so not to move.

We then taxied out in the light rain and took off.

Then it got interesting.

We had just got airborne when there was a commotion in the back of the airplane. I was a bit preoccupied so it was a few seconds before I could look back. The very excited midwife was saying the BABY is out, the baby is out, go back, go back!

So around we went and landed. One of the ambulances had seen us coming back so thankfully had returned.

After shutting down I opened the back door of the airplane to reveal the new mom still lying strapped down, lots of blood (glad I put the tarp down), and a very blue little baby girl, still breathing!

Well now the midwife, who was not really prepared for a delivery while enroute to a C Section, was now looking for a knife or scissors to cut the umbilical cord. Well, I have one on my Leatherman tool; you can use it if you want. Okay! So they cut some bandage to tie the cord then cut the cord with my Leatherman and put the baby inside the ambulance.

I do have pictures but you will have to wait until we can get to the internet again and update our Blog.

The rest of the story is a bit more normal as we eventually left with just the other patient and had an uneventful trip home.

Maybe I can get tomorrow off.

Thanks for caring,

HI Guys
Here is a picture of that snake bite child from Yehebi.

Hello Folks

Greetings tonight from Kawito! Usually every week I spend Wednesday night here as I help out down in the South fly region of Western Province. It is always an early night so it was a good chance for me to get an email off to you about our Easter weekend at Bosavi.



We had spent time in Bosavi soon after arriving in PNG in order to help us solidify our Tok Pisin language training. Some friends in Australia have purchased a projector and generator for use in western province for showing the Jesus Film and this was our first opportunity to show the film, along with a few other films.

We invited Dr Mike Parsa and wife Jennifer and their two small children to join us. Early Saturday morning we and all our gear loaded up into the Airvan and flew the 50 minutes to Bosavi.



Bosavi was hosting an Easter Convention and had people from the surrounding villages attending, I think for the weekend there were about 10 services planned. We arrived and were graciously welcomed and soon got unpacked into the missionary home there. Dr Mike, his kids and ours quickly rushed off to the creek for a cool down while we sorted out arrangements for the weekend. The pastor showed up with the schedule of events and asked if Mike could preach the next session, in 15 minutes. Mike still dripping wet agreed and went to grab a change of clothes and his Bible.



This was followed in the afternoon by our first movie the “Jesus Film for Children” in Tok Pisin, which filled up the hall, at least half being adults. I am not sure but we probably could have shown anything and still packed out the place.



Later that evening Dr Mike introduced “The Passion” a Hollywood movie focused on Christ’s crucifixion which was followed by the “End of the Spear” a new retelling of the five missionaries killed in Ecuador back in the 50’s. It was interesting for me to watch and listen to the responses from the people around me, while sitting among the people, about 400 in the little hall, as we watched these films. These folks have no “movie etiquette” so there is a constant stream of reading out loud the captions (the Passion is in Aramaic) and translating both into Tok Pisin for some or tok ples (local language) for others not to mention the hissing, clicking and murmurings which all varied according to the good, bad, or shocking things that happened throughout the movies.



On Sunday night we showed the original “Jesus Film” which once again packed out the hall, only it started to rain half way through and we had to stop while we packed even those who had been watching from outside, now into the hall. Those that had rushed to sit in the front were now squished up against the screen looking almost straight up.



Listening to the reactions and noises as I tried to gauge the response. We were not there just to entertain, rather encourage and challenge.



The Passion surprised people as they for the first time realized what Christ really may have gone through on the Cross for us. It was not longer just some words in a book.



With the End of the Spear it was interesting to see how quickly the Bosavi people identified with the Waoidoni (spelt wrong) Indians who had lived in a culture of fear and violence. In this part of PNG headhunters and cannibals were common and the Bosavi people know of missionaries who were killed and eaten. Within a generation back the Bosavi people were hiding during the daylight due to fear of attacks and reprisals from neighboring villages only to come out at night to prepare food and move around. A major theme in the movie is forgiveness which is a hard one to fully embrace here in PNG where payback and compensation are an entrenched part of the culture. While we were there a debate was raging over a compensation demand in the community, I wonder what affect the film’s message might eventually have on the outcome of that claim.



Feedback I received before leaving Monday was that many had been prompted to speak with the local pastors and that others had rekindled their faith. I look forward to hearing more about the after effects of viewing the films. They will certainly be talking many hours for many days and weeks about all four films.



Monday morning was a chance for Dr Mike to conduct a clinic for those needing to see a Dr but due to the isolation never get an opportunity. He was able to realign a little girl’s arm which had multiple fractures from an accident 9 days ago. That alone was worth the trip.



I had the less exciting job of replacing the drive train on the self propelled mower; it has been out of action for about 6 months. In the end, after a lesson on checking and refilling the gear oil in the transfer case, I had to take a wheel home with me in order to repair a hole it in. Should be able to get it back out there in a few weeks.



It was time to go so we packed up the airplane and prepared to head home. I called up Rumginae to get a weather report only to find out they had a medivac for me. A man had cut himself badly in the leg with an axe and the health worker was having trouble getting the bleeding stopped. Remember Yehebi, the snake bit child (see his picture below) from a couple weeks ago; this was the same place, same 4 hour run to the nearest working radio. So with both families already loaded we took off for Mougulu a place where the families could stay put so that Mike & I could get as quickly to Yehebi as possible. 45 minutes later Mike & I arrived at Yehebi, to find that the health worker had that morning sewn up the cut as the bleeding had finally stopped (it was now Monday 2 pm he had the accident Saturday). The tendon had been severed so unable to do anything more for him there, we took him with us, picked up the 4 kids and 2 wives at Mougulu and headed home after a very good weekend.



The plan is for me to show the Jesus Film in other communities especially on these Wednesday nights when I overnight down here in the South Fly. Mike and I are planning to go and do more film/doctor ministry in other isolated communities up around Rumginae.



Thanks for praying!

The radio call came in.
MIKE FOXTROT JULIET You need to pick up Dr Mike there is an urgent medivac at Yehebi.

We do medivacs often here at Rumginae and sometimes they really through a wrench in the works, sometimes stranding passengers or making a really long day even longer, sometimes causing long flights half way or more across the province to pick up a urgent sick patient.

This morning it worked perfect. Just the day before Nick (the other pilot here) had just finished installing a HF radio in his house, so when Dr Mike (Pioneer’s Mission doctor from the US) needed to get a hold of us he was able to call out on the company HF radio frequency and our Kiunga base was right away able to answer him and then get a hold of me in MFJ. I had just taken off from a place called Haewenai, which is just north of Rumginae, taking some health workers out, so 5 minutes later I was landing at Rumginae and Dr Mike was running up, 5 minutes later paperwork done, Dr & medical kit aboard we takeoff and fly another 10 minutes and drop my first set of passengers of at Kiunga. We put on fuel and headed straight to Yehebi where a 10 yr old boy had been bitten by a snake the evening before. A runner had to run 4 hours to the nearest working radio to call for help. (Yehebi has a radio but they had previously in the week sent out the mike to get repaired). It is a 30 minute flight to Yehebi, nestled in the curve of the river at the bottom of a shallow valley. It is an interesting airstrip with part of the approach running close along the ridgeline. Now while Yehebi is a nice place to visit, it is not one of the places I enjoy arriving or leaving as it is a short runway in a confined valley.

Without radio contact we didn’t know if we would arrive in time or if was too late. Once on the ground the health care worker, Harin, rushed up to the airplane, very relieved to see us. The boy is still alive but in bad shape. My part now done, it’s Dr Mike’s turn, he starts first with prayer, then a shot of adrenaline, followed by the anti venom treatment.

The aidpost is a hut made out of bush materials crammed full of curious people/family watching, there is the mother holding her son wailing and singing in their language. People are wailing outside, prospect of a good outcome were slim just a few minutes earlier now were looking much better. Just this week I heard of two snake bite victims who didn’t make it.

Harin had done all the right things and had kept the boy alive till we arrived. Now it will just be a matter of a couple hours and the boy should be well on his way to recovery. With Dr Mike’s part finished we could go and leave the recovery in Harin’s capable hands, Harin, I think would have been happier if we had taken the boy with us but there really was nothing else to be done but to let the anti venom work.

This was a God moment right from the start, had my day gone to my plan I would have at that time been much further away with a 400 kg cargo of vanilla plant cuttings for a community to start a small industry. It would have meant a long delay at a critical time. But due to fog at Haewenai, I was delayed this morning as I sat in my airplane for 30 minutes waiting on a good weather report before taking off. Thanks Lord!

The partnership between MAF and Rumginae Mission Hospital is crucial for the health of the people of Western province. Without us the hospital would be helpless as calls for help came in via the radio and without Rumginae Hospital we would have nowhere to take the many sick and dying. Please remember in prayer the hospital staff, mission drs and us pilots as we expect demand for medivacs to increase as two of the busiest aidposts close due to lack of health care staff. Please remember the health staff in the bush as it is a tough calling with little earthly reward and tremendous pressure.

As for us we are all well and healthy, it has been a very busy month, too busy, and we look forward to bringing some more balance to the pace.

Over Easter we are planning on returning to Mt Bosavi with Dr Mike and his family to show the Jesus Film.

Thanks for Praying!