We are finally Home!
It’s so nice to be back in our home in Telefomin, we were greeted with smiles and flowers when we landed, and found more decorations around our front door. It’s been a busy few days unpacking and doing some maintenance, but we are home now!
Newsletter - March 2022
Our March Newsletter should be in your inbox.
Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve been in touch…
Washing the Balus
There are 2 aircraft based at Telefomin, and with the majority of the Bush airstrips that we serve being grass, the planes often get muddy, which keeps the base staff busy washing them.
Bible Sales
Shiv got the opportunity to sell Bibles to some bush people whilst covering at Telefomin base. This lady wasn’t quite sure why a phone was being pointed at her, but when she asked for the Bibles she was very pleased to hear we had them in stock again!
Building a Fence
Ryan’s been using his “office” days recently to build a new fence next to where we store our fuel drums and park our aircraft. Safety First!!!
Mama Nunta & Papa Markis
Meet Mama Nunta & Papa Markis. Shiv and the Ladies’ Fellowship at our local Church visited them after Markis had been unwell for some time.
Papa Markis is one of the earliest converts to Christianity in the Telefomin area. He suffers from pain throughout his body as a result of a beating he received about 5 years ago because he was accused of witchcraft. Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV) is a big problem still in PNG…
May in Telefomin
Walking around Telefomin in May is so beautiful as the red grass is in bloom all over the valley.
New Neighbours!
We spent a lot of May preparing the house next door for our new neighbours, so it’s great to have them here!
Preparing for New Neighbours
We had a super busy month of May, getting the house next door ready before our new neighbours arrived. We are very blessed to have had so many people come to help us.
Name the Fruit…
You might expect me to show you some rare or exotic Papua New Guinean fruit, but no, name this fruit…
It’s not what you think!
Ray the old-man Puppy
Ray turned 15 earlier this year, that’s very old in dog years! So we thought we’d share some piccies of our loyal friend, particularly as he looks so funny after he’s had a haircut.
More Telefomin Rainbows!
Ok, so I (Shiv) do a lot of blog posts about rainbows, but they really are quite spectacular here in our home of Telefomin!
Sadly, our cameras will never fully capture for you, the beauty that our eyes can see. You will just have to come visit us and see for yourselves! Or click on this blog post for a peek…
Happy Easter Newsletter!
Our Easter Newsletter went straight to inboxes just before Easter. If you would like to receive our Quarterly Personal Newsletters direct to your inbox, please sign up using the form at the very bottom of the page!
School Books for Telefomin High School
The High School has around 400 students, and a beautiful purpose-built library, but the shelves in the library are quite bare. These school books I helped to deliver will go a long way towards encouraging the students to read to improve their English.
Training Ground Staff in Telefomin
Last week was super busy as we hosted 7 members of the Ground Operations Department (Shiv’s new/old department) who came to Telefomin to do some refresher training. Everyone had previously passed each course they were receiving a refresher in, but to squeeze 5 courses into just 1 week was quite a challenge for Nawi. Shiv even took an hour of their time to share a devotion and explain the latest PNG COVID prevention measures.
Everyone passed each of their courses, so the week was a great success, even if it was very busy!
The First Neighbours Return!
After 4 months of being the only pilot family, we were thrilled to welcome our Aussie neighbours back to Telefomin last week!
Some of our local friends came out to welcome them with flower necklaces.
Telefomin’s Ambulance
Last month a helicopter lifted a new Ambulance into Telefomin. Previously, the closest thing that the Telefomin hospital had to an ambulance was a flat-bed truck. Although the vehicle, pictured, is not what you might imagine in the UK/Canada, for PNG this is a fit-for-purpose Ambulance, complete with stretcher, oxygen, 4-wheel drive capability, siren and flashing lights.
Ryan took these photos on the day he brought in a Medevac patient, the first time the ambulance was used for it’s true purpose.
Rainbow over the Balus
Balus is tok pisin (Melanesian pidgin) for airplane. In Telefomin we are often spoiled with beautiful rainbows around our home and our “balus”. Here are a couple of photos Ryan took recently… (Click to see more)
Click on the picture, left, to watch a video of our friend, Nurse Rhema, one of the local health care workers who MAF supports and we fly out of Telefomin.