july highlights

I thought that summer would be slow and boring, but boy, was I wrong. It has been so busy and so full that I’m not sure I can even remember everything we’ve done! I just know that there hasn’t been much time for rest, or blogging.

A lovely day for a lunch date with my hubby! 📷: Erin Verdonck

July was super busy for us. The flight department is usually busier in the summer, what with people both coming and going for breaks, furlough’s, or new assignments. This means that Josh has been working full-time, and sometimes more, since he has two full-time jobs that he is doing right now. Pilot and flight coordinator. He’s been doing more flying lately, which is so encouraging, and he’s really enjoyed getting the experience, as well as seeing and encouraging our bush missionaries when he gets to see them, or fly them out for a break. The flight coordinator position is harder, since it requires organizing cargo, passengers, airplanes, fuel, weight, and personnel.

Amazing sights! An active volcano and a beautiful waterfall. 📷: Josh Verdonck

Just one of the many missionary families Josh gets to fly and encourage! 📷: Josh Verdonck

July also marked 1 year since we arrived in Papua New Guinea, and the first time in 3 years that we’ve lived in one place for more than 3 months. Woo! To celebrate, we went out to lunch with our E2 Orientation class (all 2 of them) and just hung out; there’s a special bond between us, since they were really our first friends in this country, and the ones we learned language and culture with.

Our E2 Orientation people. Me, Josh, Freddy, and Melanie. Just missing Brooks and Nina! 📷: Melanie Keeney

July also meant no doctor at our clinic: one is on furlough, and the other went to see his son get married. There was a temporary doctor who came to check out our clinic, and to get her feet wet in third-world doctoring. In hindsight, the Lord was in it all, because she came just in time and for just long enough, to help with a very serious and very scary medevac to Australia. During a medevac the medical clinic, headquarters, and NTMA all work very closely to complete all of the necessary (and enormous amounts of) paperwork: securing an accepting doctor in Australia, communicating with insurance companies, getting the airplane prepped, and keeping the patient alive (an wayyy more). During this medevac, it seemed that whatever could go wrong did go wrong. It was long hours of waiting, lots of prayers, and countless phone calls. It was chaos and tears. But it was also incredible: our team here is amazing, jumping to do what needed to be done and then some; and I think we’re all a little bit closer now. It probably sounds heartless since a woman was dying, but I felt alive during the whole thing, and I truly believe it was the Lord using it to show me that I am right where I should be. In the end… it was vibrant life, unspeakable joy, miraculous recovery, and glory to God.

The flight side of the medevac. This is the transition as our medical staff hands-off the patient to the hospital. 📷: Josh Verdonck

The medical clinic office side of things. Jessie, Me, and Dr. Shelly working together. 📷: Josh Verdonck

Another exciting thing that July held: cream. Yes, cream. Do you remember my post about how grocery shopping here is a lesson in hoarding? A lesson in appreciating what you have when you have it because you never know when it might disappear again? Well, it’s still true today. There has been no cream (the beautiful heavy kind for whipping, or pouring in your coffee) in the whole country since March. Have you ever tried baking and cooking with no cream; it eliminates a huge number of recipes. Well, it just came back into the store, and I definitely did a happy dance right there in front of the cooler. Luckily, everyone else was just as excited as I was, so my insanity wasn’t so obvious. I’ve learned that happiness comes in all forms, including a blue box of cream.

Insert all the heart eyes and happy faces.

Labels: aviation, bible, home, husband, josh and erin verdonck, missionary aviation, missionary life, new tribes mission, new tribes mission aviation, ntma, papua new guinea, quest kodiak