Update post back surgery for Grady

If you are following our MAF prayer letters you will remember that Grady went off to Portugal for a surgery at the beginning of April.  His surgery went well and the recovery is progressing as it should.  Thank you thank you thank you Lord!  At this point it is still too early to know how much it will help the back pain he has been dealing with since the accident. 

Grady waiting for surgery

He was scheduled to be gone just over three weeks but after the surgery the doctor felt it would be best if he had several weeks of physical therapy prior to returning.  Thankfully the car driver’s insurance agreed to pay for a ticket change and the required therapy!  Our Africa regional director even came for a quick, encouraging visit up to Portugal to see him – what an amazing way to show Grady he is appreciated, cared for and valued.  Grady is now set to return on May 12^th.  And we are ready for his return as it will have been just over six weeks!  

The boys and I are doing alright.  We made it the first week and a half when Diego still had school and then my brother was able to come visit for two weeks!  It was his first time in Moz and in Africa and we were all beyond delighted to have him with us.  He was able to experience rats and power outages, a tiny bit of culture and normal life for us here, take a flight to the coast with me to pickup some passengers and swim in the Indian Ocean.  He did a great job keeping us (especially me) sane.  Now we are in the home stretch with a week and a half left before Grady returns. 

Diego in a relay race at end of term swimming event.

Swimming in the Indian Ocean with Uncle Cody.

Please keep praying for Grady’s recovery and for an uplifting time in Portugal for him.  Also for my patience with the boys.  I love them dearly but sometimes they are a handful that makes me fly up the wall in a less than loving reaction… :( Also for the boys, Diego especially is missing Daddy and just more emotional than normal. 

When he gets back it will be right into the frying pan because government inspections are scheduled for the week after his return!

Thank you all for your prayers and concern during this process – we appreciate you all very much.  

Hugs, Holly

Medical Flight to Niassa

We left Nampula early in the morning after confirming good weather conditions at our destination via internet phonecall with a conservation worker in the reserve (what a luxury!) and then flew the two hours north to Erevuka, which is located in the heart of the Niassa Reserve.  Our team of Christian Mozambicans: doctor, nurse and healthcare worker, were met by a large portion of the village including elders, conservation scouts and many women and children.  After greetings, we took to the trail walking the five minutes in to the clinic.  The medical team worked there with the local nurse to see a group of villagers with a variety of ailments that included a minor hand injury, sick children with malaria and prenatal checkups.  Then a second group arrived who were brought in from a neighboring village.  The healthcare worker met with a group of volunteers in the village school to continue community service training with them.  This training is done in Portuguese and then translated into the local language for the nonportuguese speakers.  A big goal to this project is to come alongside the local medical workers and facilities they do have, and not to take over or replace what is already there.  The nurse is doing a good job with what is available, but, frankly, there are very stark conditions.  The little clinic has a solar panel to power a tiny refrigerator for some medications, but I did not see a single lightbulb. 

Erevuka Airport

 We drew a colorful crowd!

 The clinic in Erevuka.

Over lunch we spoke with the village leader and nurse about several hernia patients, some of whom will require surgeries in Nampula.  It was inspiring to see the brainstorming and problem solving at work to coordinate this at a future date.  The patients will need transport (from MAF) as well as lodging, a caregiver at the hospital and during recovery in Nampula, food, etc. and it is a complicated process to gather all that together.

Erevuka's colonial era schoolhouse 

Before departing many of the villagers and staff requested photos with our team and the airplane.  Then we hopped 15 minutes over to the conservancy camp on the Lugenda River for dinner and the overnight (in really nice tents with attached waterfall showers built for tourists– we aren’t always so spoiled!)

Home Sweet Home for the night

   

Not a bad place for your quiet time reflections 

Who can guess what this is?

Classic Niassa Airstrip Visitors... Impalas

Not a bad view for AAL to fall asleep to...  

Another early morning saw us well-fed and off to Gomba, a village on the northern border of Mozambique, snuggled up against the Rovuma River with beautiful views of Tanzania for a backdrop. While the medical team went off to meet their patients, I stayed on the airstrip with a large group of curious and friendly bystanders.  My favorite time is often spent with the village children, showing them the airplane.  Since I was free until our departure I had a pleasant time giving every child an opportunity to sit in the plane and get a pilot’s view.  Some kids jumped in full of spunk and laughter, others climbed in for their turn literally trembling with fear (so brave) and still others were so little that I lifted them in where they were dwarfed by our small Cessna.  Everyone was dripping sweat in the hot sun so no one chose to stay too long in the airplane (aka winged oven) and when all the kids and a few adults had taken a turn, a young girl took me over to the clinic to await our departure.  I spent time “talking” with a couple ladies, one of whom had a baby with her.  It always amazes me what comradery mothers can communicate amongst themselves when speaking different languages! 

Gomba, by air

The grass was too long on one side of the runway so I had to find recruits for a quick trim... 

 Gomba's hospital 

Mozambique - Tanzania border - these particular mountains are in Tanzania

When the medical team wrapped up we walked back to the airstrip with a large escort of patients and villagers who waved us off as we began our uneventful, 2.5 hour flight home to Nampula that afternoon. 

A meeting of the Rovuma and Lugenda Rivers 

As this medical program progresses (it’s still in infancy) our desire is to forge strong relationships with these villagers, to aid them in building up the healthcare in their communities and to demonstrate the love of Christ to them.