I thought the last newsletter was a Wow!  This one really gave me the goose bumps as I reflected on all the challenges and realized that God was simply using them to nudge us out of our comfort zone and expand His work in PNG.  At this point, my wife Elana and I are making plans to join Trevor in PNG. My intention is to visit for 3 months right when the move to Vanimo takes place and then by end of summer of 2007 we hope to make the move.

I hope you enjoy the bit of entertainment as well as the exciting developments in Trevor's latest email.   ... Jack

Glossary of terms and abbreviations:

AAS - Adventist Aviation Services
DD - District Director
Omaura - Bible College in the Highlands
ADRA - Adventist Development and Relief Agency
MSA - Mission Support Aviation  - That is us!
AOC - Air Operators Certificate - needed for commercial operations
CAA - Civil Aeronautics Administration
MAF - Mission Aviation Fellowship

November 25, 2006

Sorry It has taken so long to get in touch with you to let you know how the
trip to Moresby went. I have only just got to my computer to salim tok tok I
kam. (Pidgen for send a message)

To put you out of your suspense. Things went very well. But first let me
entertain you with the comical saga of what it is like to travel on the main
routes in PNG these days.

I went to Moresby on Thursday. Had a return ticket to come back that
afternoon. The plane down was delayed an hour and a half and 2 of the 3
people I needed to talk to were gone. So I decided to stay over night and
see them Friday. I went up to the Gateway. It was booked out so I went down to Air Niugini to change my ticket. When I got there they offered me free accommodation. I eagerly
agreed and then began scratching my head wondering why they were going to put me up for
the night. Then I realized that the flight I had been scheduled to fly back home on had just been cancelled. So I stood out the front for an hour chatting with Daniel Opa who
happened along while I waited for the Ponderosa bus. Finally I rang them up
and they sent a decrepit old bus out for me. When I got there, the place was
already booked out. There were a pile of other guys there too exasperatedly
trying to find a bed for the night. Anyhow (You've been here you can probably
complete the story word for word right) - the girl behind the counter rang
around and found us a bed at the Granville. Next she rang them to get the
bus coming over for us. An hour later we were still waiting and wondering
whether Air Niugini had filled up the beds already that had been booked for us
at the Granville. Finally the bus came and we got over there. Not too bad a
place, a bit border line but aircon and food was ok.

Next day I got to see all the people I needed to and went to check in for the
flight home in the afternoon. Guess what! Afternoon flight cancelled
again!!!! hahahahaha

So they wrote me out another voucher to go in to the holiday inn this time.
That was real nice. Great smorgasbord food and clean nice room etc. I was
supposed to be out at the airport this morning at 7.00 to check in. The bus
driver refused to go until 7.30. By the time I got there, both lines for both
Goroka flights were as long as.... I was on the extra flight. When I finally
got to the check in lady, she told me that both flights were already full as
they had been down graded from f28 to Dash 8 services. I made my little
complaint about having been bumped off 2 days in a row and having to stand
there stinking away in sweaty 3 day old clothes and why did they not save some
seats for the people who had been offloaded over the last couple of days? No
joy. She gave me a boarding pass for the afternoon flight -not going till 10
to 4. This flight had been cancelled 2 days in a row and I was not feeling all
that hopeful of getting home today. Anyhow I went into the departure lounge
and when they called the first Goroka flight I went to the counter and
explained my situation and asked if they would put me on if someone did not
turn up. 4 people who checked in did not turn up before flight closing so I
got on.

The air con was not working on the plane and we sat there for ages. They
ended up calling and boarding the second flight to Goroka and dispatching it
first while we sweltered away for nearly half an hour. The guy beside me went
to sleep, - probably asphyxiated by my B.O. Anyhow I finally got here about
11.00 and changed my shirt and went over to church.

So PNG is still an interesting place to try and fly around in. I've worked
out you've gotta allow plenty of time for traveling. Time to spare - go by
Air in PNG.


The guys in Moresby all seemed real pleased to see me. Unfortunately I only
got to see one of the 3 key people I needed to meet. The others were no longer
there. So I went back next day. It was well worth the wait. The chief Pilot
has only been an Adventist for 5 years. He comes from the Kimbe area over on
New Brittain. He was flying for Air Link which has some nice turbine
airplanes. He has gone backwards down the food chain of aircraft to
Islanders. The reason, He wants to be where he can give a better service to
grass roots people. Yesterday he was busy a lot of the day carrying our
church members into Efoi and Kage on the Kokoda trail. They wanted to get
home for Sabbath and he was doing his best to help them. The big boss there
is involved in several businesses and is buying another Islander so that
Emanuel – the Chief pilot can take it back home to New Brittain and provide a
service to his people something which is badly lacking now. There used to be
swarms of planes over there, now there is not. Most purely commercial
operators are concentrating on the most lucrative work and leaving the remote
area people to suffer as a result. What an opportunity for us to provide the
needed help and do it in a Christ like way and at the same time build access
into remote communities for the church.

Anyway the interview with Emanuel went really well. I explained what was
burning in my heart and he related to it straight away and told me that he
would do all he could to assist. Petrus the Quality manager was equally
encouraging to me. He offered me all the assistance I needed with the manuals
etc to set up our own AOC when we are ready for that. That is a terrific
gesture. It cost their company many thousands to get outside consultants to
write their documentation for them. But the CAA rejected it out right. As
they did for may other operators. Next they worked on it together with CAA.
(They operate only a stones throw away from their main office. That is a real
advantage when you are trying to get something done with CAA. You’ve almost
gotta sit under their nose and do it with them for them to be happy with it.
Anyhow they got a good package together. Petrus is full time working with the
documentation of the operation and monitoring the quality of what they are
doing. These guys have a Ground ops manager, and Flying ops manager, a
financial controller, a Chief executive, and a maintenance controller. Poor
Roger does most of that himself plus a fair bit of the flying. You can see
how he is stretched – doing the work of 4 or 5 people. That’s the reason he
is giving for not covering us if we move out from here and I quite understand
the bonifides of his reasoning.

Anyhow we then got an interview with the big boss. He had just come in from
one of the other businesses in Moresby and brought the Chief pilot, the
quality manager and myself in. He explained that I was here at his invitation
and that he wanted to help us. Then he gave me the chance to briefly explain
again why I needed his help. He told me that they were focused on providing a
service to needy remote area people too. He could have started another big
aircraft type airline but decided to go for the smaller end of town where the
little people were suffering. This struck a cord in my heart of course and I
heartily endorsed the sentiments he was expressing.

He then told me he used to be the commander of the defense forces here in PNG
and that both the chief pilot and Petrus were ex military as well. He
obviously hand picked the best guys out of the military to help him with his
operation. There is a cordial but distinct chain of command there and quite
reverent respect for the boss.

Ted Diro (the boss) then looked over at Petrus and gave him the nod and asked
him to give me all the help that he could. He was to arrange the paper work
to cover us with his AOC and then to help us develop the paper work we need
for our own AOC as we grow. He was told to arrange what ever coverage of
Senior persons we need initially by subcontract to his organization so as not
to over tax the energies of our people. Both Petrus and Emmanuel warmly
reacted to this news. Emanuel nodded and gave me a knowing look. He knew I
had been praying. As of course have you and others as well.

Next the boss instructed Petrus to take the chief pilot and I to one of his
very nice restaurants in down town Waigani. There I met the bosses wife. She
runs that restaurant. We had a lovely healthy meal together and then Petrus
and I made some notes as to what we had to do to get things started for the
transition. To see God open a door so wide and so comprehensively and so
beckoningly, was really faith building for me that this is what God is leading
us to do. I am just so happy and am praising God for His goodness and mercy
and His guiding hand.

I am hoping to go to Vanimo on Tuesday this week to look around the terminals
and find out what I can about what is available in town and what I will need
to bring in from outside. Please pray that I can find all the right people and
obtain what info I need and be able to secure some terminal facilities.

Thanks for your prayers and support. All are very
much appreciated. We have lots to thank God for. He has opened doors
remarkably wide for us over the last couple of days and I praise Him for
hearing our prayers.

Just before I went down to Moresby Thursday morning I opened my
Bible to get some steering thoughts for the day. My eyes fell on a couple of
texts in Job that I had forgotten I had previously underlined. "Whatever you
decide to do will be accomplished, and light will shine on the road ahead of
you." Job 22:28. Then another beautifully encouraging one in chapter
23:14. "..He will do for me all He has planned. He controls my destiny."
These powerful promises of scripture were ringing in my ears as I sat there
listening to the big boss expressing appreciation for what we want to do and
giving Petrus the go ahead to cover us with his AOC and develop an exposition
for us and help us to get everything in place for that. What a wonderful God
our God is. He is interested in our lives and goes before us to prepare the
way. I praise Him for His goodness.

As I reflected on this in church this morning, my eyes rested upon the words
of Jesus quoted in 2 Corinthians 12:9 " .. My gracious favor is all you need.
My power works best in your weakness." We were in a pretty weak situation
with the arrangements with Roger coming to an end and seemingly no where to
go. But God has the answers and when we cried out to Him for them from our
position of weakness, He showed His wisdom and strength. Wow. What a partner
to have on your side!!

God bless
Regards
Trevor

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