Latest COVID-19 Test
We took our 3rd COVID test this afternoon, not because we’ve had symptoms, but because PNG requires a negative test result within 7 days of departing Canada. Our previous tests were negative, but they were too long ago to be valid.
Please pray these results come through by FRIDAY as we can’t enter PNG without a print-out to say we are negative! Thanks!
Zoom with our MAF PNG Family!
Isn’t technology brilliant!
Our colleagues in PNG had an update from the MAFI CEO, Dave Fyock, and thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we were able to join them along with friends in the UK, Australia, Switzerland, Norway, the USA and even Suriname!
The MAF PNG team really is a global family!
Updated Newsletter for Print
Our July Newsletter went out on 10th July, but the details changed within 24 hours when we got kicked off our flight, so we’ve written an update for our friends and supporters who do not have emails. For those of you who do have emails, we thought we’d put this on our blog in case anyone would like to read the latest…
3rd Anniversary!
On 22nd July we celebrated our 3rd anniversary! It feels like the last 3 years have really flown by…
Update: Our return to PNG
We are still in Canada!
Sadly we were bumped off our flight from Doha, Qatar to Brisbane, Australia. We are trying to re-book our tickets, but we may have to wait another month.
The Cole Special Communiqué
This Newsletter was sent out on Friday 10th July - sorry I didn’t link it through our Blog immediately, I’m still learning all the tricks to our new website.
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!
To all our praying friends,
We just got a phone call to say we would be denied boarding on one of our flights due to new travel restrictions allowing only 30 passengers per flight landing in Australia.
We have since had confirmation that we are booked on all of our flights but this has left us rather shaken up about the possibility of getting stuck en route…
Please PRAY that we do not hit anymore bumps in the road and we would be allowed to board each of our 4 flights without further issue. Thank you!
Enjoying the Alberta Countryside
We’ve had some beautiful weather the past couple of days, so we thought we’d make the most of it. On Tuesday we ventured out to get a COVID-19 test, which is one of the requirements for getting into PNG. On our way back home, we stopped by our friend’s field to enjoy the beautiful view of Canola in bloom.
So much yellow!!!
We have our plane tickets!
This morning we got our plane tickets through, so on Sunday 12th July, almost 8 weeks later than we had originally planned, we will be leaving Canada and starting the long journey back to our home in Telefomin, Papua New Guinea.
We will be traveling for approximately 60 hours and flying for just over 33 of those hours, a lot longer than usual! But we are so relieved to finally have our tickets in our hands!
There are so many new procedures and regulations as a result of COVID-19 so we would REALLY appreciate LOTS of prayer over the next 2 weeks. Thanks so much!!!
PNG Coffee for Sale
We have 17 bags of PNG ground coffee which we have not been able to sell due to not visiting people in person. $5 per bag, available for collection/personal delivery only in the Brownfield/Coronation, Alberta area.
All proceeds will go towards helping pay for our luggage to travel with us back to PNG next week.
Permission to return to PNG!
After weeks of waiting we have just received word that we have permission to enter PNG! What a huge relief! But we still have practical hoops to jump through, can we find a flight that will work at a reasonable price, can we get there within our allotted time frame, can we get a COVID-19 test before we go, will we have to quarantine in PNG for 7 days or 14 days?
Please continue to pray for the logistics to work out, all the way until we reach Mt Hagen, where MAF PNG has our HQ, where Ryan will do his flight tests and we will buy 3-months’ worth of groceries before we can head all the way home to Telefomin.
Alberta Prairie Flowers
We went for a walk on the land surrounding Ryan’s parents’ home on his birthday and found a beautiful spread of purple flowers called Shooting Stars and yellow flowers called Buffalo Beans. They made a gorgeous bouquet which is still smiling and giving a lovely smell in the kitchen 3 days later.
Sharing our Struggles
I (Shiv) wanted to share how I was struggling with my feelings of isolation in the midst of the COVID-19 situation and having my life seemingly on hold, and how I am learning to lean on God to cope.
Our friends at Rural Light Ministries (www.rurallight.com) kindly filmed and edited this video of my sharing. If you are struggling with isolation, I really hope this is encouraging to you!
Click on the picture to watch the video.
Happy Birthday Ryan!
We’ve had a fairly chilled day, BBQ & cake for lunch with our family, and Ryan & Rosa and their kids, followed by a walk through the Prairie wilderness where Ryan found a beautiful patch of “Shooting Star” flowers (pictured).
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.