Since our last posting in September, the last few weeks of the month were filled with the usual daily activities and work we are involved in with some additional visitors.
FMS had invited a team from Mission International Safety (MSI) to do a safety audit and safety seminar the last two weeks of September. On September 22, Steve Quigg was sent to Maun to look over how our operation is functioning through interviews and observations. The rest of the MSI team stayed in Gaborone to evaluate operations there. Steve is pictured below on the far right of the picture with the FMS Maun team. It was a delight to host him for a few days, and glean from his experience.
We also got a brief visit with one of the Gaborone base pilots, Bryan Linder, while he was on a special charter for a day. Because we are removed from the main base further south, it is always nice when we can connect with other FM personnel. Bryan is pictured below as he relaxed for a few hours in our air conditioned office.
During that same week, we had a visit from Dr. Roy Bryan. He is returning to Maun after a four year furlough in Wyoming, and previously worked as a mission doctor for a number of years around Botswana. Roy stayed in one of the guest flats as he searched for housing. He has a wife and five children, so finding a large reasonably priced house here may take some time. Since the photo below was taken, he has returned to Maun once more to look. Nothing has turned up yet...The same night the photo below was taken with the doctor, we had a dinner for Matt and Jessica Cressman, who were moving back to Gaborone in a few days. More on their move a little later...In addition to the doctor, the Cressmans and us, Tuan is pictured behind the couch in the center. Tuan has fit in well with our Maun team, and we will miss him immensely when the time comes for him to also return to the main FMS base in Gaborone...Though hopefully by then, the Kowalskis will be back to fill the gap.
The next night after the send off dinner for the Cressmans, we were invited to a "Believers Braii" at some friends of ours that live about 10 kilometers from Maun on the Boteti River. The braii (BBQ) was in honor of a group visiting from South Africa, that travel to Botswana fairly often to do mission work. The evening was a really enjoyable time of fellowship with our friends and the team. It was also our first time trying to find our friends rather secluded property. We had tried once before about a year ago, with no success. The pictures below are of the location and gathering that night.
Above is the Boteti River from the yard.
The main house pictured above, is made from rocks found in and along the river.Below is the "lapa" (a thatch covered patio) by the river where we all socialized and ate dinner.
Early the following day, Colin and Tuan set off on the long drive to Gaborone to help the Cressman's move. Matt had flown the C207 down a few days earlier for maintenance and drove a truck back to use for their move. Matt and Jessica filled their other two vehicles with smaller boxes, and Tuan drove the truck with the larger items. All the pilots had to be in Gaborone for the MSI safety seminar the next day, so in addition to helping with the move, it was a way to travel to the seminar.
The drive was long, and about 12 hours later the group unloaded the vehicles at the Bell's plot where the Cressmans were moving temporarily. Jon and Alysa Bell came to Botswana just 6 weeks before us to serve with FMS. They have since had a lovely little boy, and have also recommitted for another two years of service here. Jessica and Alysa visited and held lanterns for all the guys while things were unloaded.
Needless to say, it was a long day of driving and first thing the next day was a comprehensive safety seminar. Not only were FM personnel able to benefit from the expertise of the MSI team, but also other aviation agencies were invited and participated in the two day event. There were close to 50 people in attendance.
When in Gaborone, it is always a pleasure for Colin to get time to visit and interact with many of the other FMS pilots.
Colin could even wear trousers while in Gaborone, as the climate is much cooler than in Maun.
Julie continues to teach Sunday school at our local church, and also a weekly Bible club at Okavango International School. The Bible club students have been learning the meaning of faith, in addition to what it means to trust and obey God. Recently, Julie taught an Old Testament story about Naaman, a general in the Syrian army who was healed of leprosy by following God's instructions given through the prophet Elisha. To introduce the lesson, Julie asked if the students would trust her even if what she asked them to do did not make sense. Of course they said yes, and she had them place their hands in wet mud and sit quietly while she taught the story.
The children never even questioned why they were asked to sit with the wet mud drying on their hands. They simply trusted and obeyed all through the story. Julie used the mud as an additional object lesson to help explain how we all need to be cleansed spiritually and ..."come near to God with sincere hearts and sure faith with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience..." Hebrews 10:22. The message taught was that just as Naaman had to trust God to be cleansed from his disease, we all need to trust and obey God by surrendering our lives fully to Him. Though it did not make sense to the students to sit with muddy hands, in the end they had a clear understanding of the concepts being expressed.Just for fun, here are a few more photos and stories of everyday life in Maun. All is quiet at the airport as the sunrises (below) over the Maun terminal and flight tower. Colin had an early morning flight to Gaborone.
Botswana's Independence Day was September 30th. The next photo is of a group of traditional dancers that were entertaining and celebrating at a local shopping area that day.
While at a local hardware store, Colin found this large beetle on our car when we had finished our purchases. It was dead, or you would have never seen him holding it. Usually, the large and strange bugs show up in abundance when the rains come in November. We were surprised to see this one during the dry season.
As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, it has been extremely hot. Everyday as we pass over a small bridge on the way to town, there are numerous children swimming in a creek that drains into the Thamalaklane River. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will also see a dog cooling itself in the lower left corner. Even the dog was too hot!
Our local news paper, The Ngami Times, had a couple of articles that we thought some of you may enjoy. You should be able to click on them to enlarge the scanned stories.
Finally, after three months of trying to get referred to a qualified surgeon in South Africa to do Julie's thyroid surgery we have a date in place for November 1. We will have to travel down a week earlier for a consultation, and will travel back to Gaborone for a few days in between. The drive to South Africa will take two days from Maun. Johannesburg is a four hour drive from Gaborone, so it will be easier and less expensive to just stay in Gaborone for a few days seeing other FM personnel while we wait. We would greatly appreciate prayer for safety in travel and for the surgery to go well. It will be really nice to have this behind us. Waiting to get the operation scheduled has been a test of trust and patience. But through prayer, the Lord has given us comfort and direction. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
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