At this time, Trevor is in PNG assisting Roger Millist at Adventist Aviation in Goroka.  Trevor was asked by the South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists to help Roger get certified for the airstrips in PNG.

You will see references to someone name Simon who is working on purchasing an aircraft.  At this time Simon, who is a Baptist friend of Trevor's is trying to purchase a plane that he plans to lease to us for our work in PNG until we are able to purchase our own plane.  It looks like this will be a very viable option for us and we are excited about it.

             ...Jack Sample

March 20, 2006

Hi Jack,
Sori tru.  I only got one email away when I was in PNG.  Had some dramas trying to get emails there.  Finally worked out how to get them but need to use web mail to send which seemed to take ages and ages.  I ended up staying with Roger for the whole 4 weeks which was really nice in that we were able to connect real well and talk issues through that arose from day to day.

We did not get much flying in.  The usual commedy of the unexpected conspired against us as it does in PNG to keep the airplane on the gorund most of the time.  First of all the Civil Aviation Authority took a while to issue Roger and me both a pilot license.  Passed all the exams ok and handed in all the paper work.  Finally got the licenses the day I was supposed to do my flight test which did not give me much time to do any preparation.  I thank the Lord that I passed the test and was granted the instrument of authorization needed to do the work I need to do with Roger.

The audit of the facilities went real well.  Roger and Linden have done a very good job of doing up the facilities and the aircraft.  The operation is now setting the standard instead of being at the back of the pack.   The CAA were suitably impressed with what the guys have done.

We should have been able to get right into some flying when the CAA went home but, Shell had forgotten to order fuel supplies and they ran out just as Roger ordered a new lot of fuel.  So we were stuck on the ground again.  We had just enough to do a flight for the Adventist Media Center who wanted to do some shots for promotion for AAS new aircraft.  That flight went really well.  I think you may see that in some promotion over there later on.

We had sufficient to get down to Kikori where we had some drums stashed.  Volunteers in Action had a leadership seminar happening there for all the volunteers in the area and we managed to get nearly all of them in for the meetings.

Fuel finally arrived in Lae but as PNG would have it, they tired to sell most of our order to someone else!! probably at an inflated price.  Roger finally secured the full amount but the heavy rains had caused 2 landslides along the highway and we could not get the fuel through.   Finally it arrived during my last week in Goroka.  So we did not get much of the flying done that Roger and I need to do together to get him his check and training approval.

The church has approved another 6 week stint for me to go and relieve Roger so that he can have holidays.  He has had about 4 days off in 15 months.  He really is hanging out for a break.  So I will be heading up there again on the 9th of April and will be there till the 26th of May on the next round.

I could not think of a better guy to work with up there than Roger.  He is spiritually in tune and very focused on helping get services up to speed for the people up there again.  Things are getting worse in the bush.  Airlines PNG (Used to be called MBA) have just bought QLD Regional Air in Australia which means they are down sizing services in PNG and dropping back to just 4 aircraft.  They are the major carrier down where David and Cindy White are working for AFM down near Balimo.  -I don't know why this just popped into my head right now but guess what the name of the elder in town there is.   Major Buga !  He is the local policeman.  MAF are pulling out of their base in Kawito which is also near David and Cindy.  MAF flew into Kiunga recently and were mobbed by a crowd of people all trying to get into the aircraft at the same time and go all different places.  When they pull out of the area things will be pretty desperate.  The church badly needs Adventist friendly air services for it to continue to do its missionary work.

The President at Kikori, Pr Kepsi Elodo was telling me about a camp meeting he was guest speaker for at Balimo. It is only 3/4 hour flying time away from Kikori in the Cessna 206.  He had to catch MBA flight to Kamusi and then hire a dingy to get the rest of the way.  It cost him 4,000 Kina all up.  The outboard motor broke down half way between Kamusi and Balimo. They spent 3 days stranded there in want of food and shelter trying to find a way out of the situation.

Finally they found a guy who was prepared to take them the rest of the way at an exorbitant price.  Finally they arrived at the camp meeting.  Then they learned that the last of the people had just left believing that they Kepsi was not coming.  So he started the arduous journey back again.  Once more they had a breakdown part way along.  Kepsi was impressed to pray that a certain church member in Balimo would come and pick them up.. Sure enough this church member felt God calling him to go up the river and he found Kepsi stranded there.  Finally he got back to Kamusi and caught a flight back to Kikori.   He only has a travel budget of K7,000 for the year.  More than half was blown on this attempt to get to a remote area to spend time with our church members there.

The district directors get even less and can only visit a small section of their districts each year.  There is one large village that has around 1,000 people in it that has fallen by the wayside as a result.  The church is falling down and only one member is still faithfully following the Lord.  I am arranging for a layman to go and take care of these people and rebuild the church there.  The name of the village is something like Mairive I think.  I lost the piece of paper Kepsi wrote the name on.   This story can be told over and over in PNG.  Isolation is really testing Gods people.   Many who are illiterate are not surviving without shepherds to lead them.  Please pray for these dear people.

I got another email from Simon.  He is facing a problem now with the financiers who are not wanting to loan him the money for an aircraft that is going to be registered in PNG.  Same problem as I had.  But he is working on a deal with MAF who are selling the plane to put it on the Australian register. We can use it up there if it is on the Australian register but will have to fly it to Australia at least every 3 months.  I guess we will have plenty of cargo passengers both ways so should not cost too much.  I am hoping that he and MAF can strike a deal on getting it on the Australian register pretty soon.   He is asking me to be patient.  Well I guess God knows the times better than we do and will open the way at the right time.  The program that Roger and I have to work through will take more time than expected now with his holidays coming along.  He is so tired.  I am glad the church is adding this 6 weeks to the total of what they are paying me to do.  They are paying me during my breaks down here in Australia too which is real nice.  It means I don't have to go and work nights which really slows me down mentally.

So It may be into July before I actually finish with Roger.  But if an airplane comes along before that time is up, I am sure we will be able to utilize both.

I felt the tears welling up several times when we flew into Kora.   Nina came with us and as we walked up to the clinic, several of the ladies in the village broke down and wept and started telling her of the people who had suffered and died while the airplane was grounded.  It was so moving to see.   I just pray that God will answer our prayers of faith soon and that we can start providing a regular service for these villages again.
There are 25 in the klas redi (baptismal class) at Kapi, the village the nurses opened up for the work a couple of years back now.  The new district director at Karimui - Pr Tom Kerowa is moving the missionary out of there and putting a married guy in who can speak the local tok ples.(language)  That should be a real blessing.  Jonj the guy we had therej is going to work closer to Karimui.  Some friends in Australia here have paid to fund his ministerial training at Omaura, (Bible Worker Training School) but the classes are full for this year so he plans to go next year now.

Pastor Tom was telling me that he has had a call from a village deep inside the bush way out between Haia and Okapa.  A very isolated spot.  They want us to send a missionary in there.  I have the funding for that but am scratching my head as to how to get a guy in there and how to supply him and support him in such a remote location.  Please pray that God will find a way.   These are the sort of problems I love.  Watching God find solutions can be so exciting.

Please lets redouble our efforts in prayer that God will bless us with a Balus (airplane) so we can bring the support and help that is needed to the remote areas.  My heart just aches for the people and for the hand of omnipotence to grant our request.

God bless Jack
Regards
Trevor

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