Medevac!

I'm an engineer. I really enjoy my work, and get huge amounts of satisfaction from fixing, fabricating, maintaining and repairing aeroplanes. I am also certain that God has called us into this work with MAF, and that this is exactly where I should be. But I know that MAF doesn’t exist here in Uganda just to fix planes. Working with MAF is all about a team working toward a common goal. MAF’s mission statement is: Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed. I don’t often get the chance to see MAF’s work beyond what I do in the hangar, so when one of our pilots, Dave, asked if I would join him on a medevac flight this weekend, I jumped at the chance!!

Lois is a New Zealander who runs a children’s home in Kitgum, and late last week she had a fall that resulted in a broken femur. Kitgum is a pretty remote place way up in the north of Uganda. They have an airstrip there, but it has fallen into disrepair, so the closest airstrip we could fly into was a 2 hr drive to the south east in Kalongo. I’ve been told that a broken femur is a particularly painful injury so I can only imagine how uncomfortable the 2 hour drive in a Landcruiser ambulance, on a dirt road, was for her. MAF were contacted late on Friday afternoon, and asked to fly her to a hospital in Kumi where an orthopaedic specialist is based.

Going through pre-flight checks before we take off

Myself and Dave set off to the hangar first thing on Saturday morning, and after changing some of the seats out in favour of a stretcher, and fuelling the plane, we took off and headed north to the airstrip in Kalongo. Friday’s plan had been for the Kitgum ambulance to set off first thing on Saturday, and we should all have met at more or less the same time in Kalongo.

Approaching Kalongo airstrip - the runway is right at the foot of the big rock you can see.

One of the things I have quickly learned in Africa is that the plan doesn’t always match the reality, and so it wasn’t too much of a surprise for us to learn on arrival, that the ambulance hadn’t left Kitgum, and that we would have a couple of hours waiting before we headed for Kumi.

On the ground, Kalongo

The welcome party!

Lots of interested kids!

With the two guards who watched our plane!

The airstrip at Kalongo is operated by the mission hospital there, and with two guards watching the plane, one of the staff took the time to show us around the hospital while we waited for our passengers. It was my first experience of a rural Ugandan hospital, and quite eye opening. While it was basic, and certainly not modern by our standards, the staff were all immaculately turned out, and obviously went about their work with a genuine compassion.

Post natal check-up line

After a slightly delayed arrival in Kalongo, Lois' ambulance arrived and we were able to get her loaded into the plane ready to fly south.

Ambulance and plane meet.

Not the most comfortable way to spend two hours on a dirt road.

Dave talks to Jackie, the lady travelling with Lois - it's her first plane journey.

Praying before take off.

Soon after we were airborne again, this time making the 45 minute flight south to Kumi. We were told later that the drive from Kitgum to Kumi could take anything between 6 and 8 hrs depending on the road conditions, so even in spite of a bit of turbulence on the short flight, I am sure Lois appreciated the chance to fly instead of taking the Land Cruiser!

The Kumi hospital has its own airstrip, but in recent months that had also become unusable. When it looked like we would be flying Lois to Kumi, a team was put together who spent the whole night working with machete style “slashers” to cut the grass on the strip, and dig out the termite mounds that dotted the runway – quite a feat! They did a good job of it though, and after a low pass to confirm the condition of the runway, Dave was able to land, and hand Lois on to the care of the doctors in Kumi.

Kumi nurses waiting for us at the airstrip.

Kumi Dr's check x-ray before moving Lois.

A very grateful lady!

From a technical point of view, it was a reasonably routine flight with nothing too complicated going on. 
From where Lois lay, it was a hugely appreciated help to her after her accident, saving her from a much longer day of discomfort, and the chances of making a serious injury much worse. 
For me, it was a great opportunity to be reminded of what MAF is all about, and how much of a team effort it all is. When I took this last picture of Lois at Kumi she asked me to thank all the supporters who had made her medevac possible. So thank you to all those who support both MAF as an organisation, and us as a family, in prayer and financially, allowing us to work here and share the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed.

Teamwork!!

Earlier this week I had the chance to spend the evening with some other MAF families and some staff of an organisation called “Every Village”. MAF partner with Every Village, helping them to carry out their work amongst the people of S Sudan and Ethiopia. (Have a look at their blog for some really inspirational stories… http://everyvillage.org/blog) The team at Every Village realise that carrying out their calling, to the best of their ability, requires a partnership with MAF, so they had invited us to dinner as a ‘thank you’. As I listened to their presentation on Tuesday night I was reminded of how much we, the Swanson family, rely on all those who support us, to carry on doing the work we have been called to here in Uganda. Sometimes the behind the scenes work that I am doing, fixing planes in a hangar, can feel very far from the high impact, life changing work that so many organisations are doing in Africa, but it is good to remember that the obedience of many small parts is playing out into a beautiful piece that God is orchestrating. Thank you so much for being part of this with us, for your prayers, support and encouragement.

For the last few months I have been busy working on Scotty’s avionics upgrade, and you will be pleased to know that the work was finished and the “return to service” flights completed last week! Routine maintenance is a big, and very important, part of what we do here in Uganda, but working on a major project like this avionics upgrade, and seeing such a massively improved aeroplane returning to the Ops team is incredibly satisfying work! Myself and Mat Thompson (our Australian avionics engineer) were the only two who worked full time on this project, with others joining in as they were available, so I have a real sense of ownership in the work that we have done – another Scottish twist in 5X-SCO’s story!

5X-SCO's new engine and avionics getting put through their paces!
(Note all the new displays showing the artificial horizon, matching the real one outside!)

Celebrating Scotty's return to service with a pizza lunch!

We haven’t had too long to sit around after Scotty flew out before the next job rolled in, though! As MAF work through their programme of rolling out Garmin avionics upgrades across the fleet, 5X-FRM is next on the list. She came off the flight line on Thursday and by Friday we were well into making a start on the jobs list.

5X-FRM is pushed back into the hangar

While the plane is down for the avionics upgrade, we will be carrying out some other work as well. The most major of these ‘other jobs’ is to remove the engine’s “hot section” and send it out for inspection. This is done every 1800hrs of operation. As the name suggests, the hot section is the part of the engine that gets hottest during operation, and is most vulnerable to heat stresses, creep and fatigue. With the cowling removed it is reasonably straight forward to remove the front “power section”, and then take out the compressor turbine and vane ring to be sent to a specialist for inspection. We have temporarily reattached the power section, and when the hot section comes back from inspection, we will reassemble the engine again.

Cowlings mostly removed...

Removing fuel nozzles to allow hot section to be removed.

Power section on the hoist and hot section out.

In the meantime, we have started work on upgrading the avionics. Lots of old equipment and wiring has to come out to make way for the new, and while some of us have been busy with that, I have made a start on building some of the shelves and brackets needed to mount all the new equipment.

We are hoping to have 5X-FRM back with Ops by Christmas, so we have a busy few weeks ahead of us!!

Martin, our Swedish avionics engineer (as opposed to Mat, our Australian one!), and
Kees, our Dutch chief engineer, pulling out wires and old equipment.

Thanks again for remembering us in your prayers!

A

We're still here!!!

It is great to be back at the blog again, and able to update you all with what has been happening with us here in Kampala! I know it has been a while, so please accept my apologies if you have been patiently waiting for an update!! We have all been busy in our newly established routines and it's safe to say we are all feeling very settled here as a family.

Abi and Matthew are enjoying their new school and both have made good friends, which makes the process of starting over again so much easier! They are both at Heritage International School, and their classes are all a good mix of nationalities with lots of other MAF families also attending. They both have a reasonably high percentage of east-African's in their classes, as well as kids from all over Europe and the States. They are certainly getting a multi-cultural upbringing! It is always amusing hearing them when they come back from playing with friends; depending on where they have been and who they have been with, they could be singing Dutch nursery rhymes, reverting back to the American twang they have had for the last few years, talking in a variation of a pseudo-Swedish accent, or playing up to their Scottish roots! The world will certainly be a small place for them as they grow up!

Abi and Matthew on their way in to school!

Eilidh is coming on really well too! She loves the freedom she has of wandering in and out of the house, not having to worry about jackets (or even shoes most of the time!!) and hugging our big old dog Isaac! She is busy working through the potty training, and for the most part doing really well! There are inevitable accidents, but having solid floors, no carpets and lots of time outside has its advantages! She has a lot of fun with her wee friend Sammy, who she meets to play with a couple of mornings a week. They are both about the same age, get on really well and are working through the potty training battle together. We have a few good pictures of them chatting away to each other, side by side on their potties; couldn't possibly post them on here... I am saving those for a wedding speech!

Eilidh helping in the kitchen

Heather is also faring well. The house is all set up and has now officially become a home! She has been busy for the last few months getting everything arranged, unpacking and working out how life works in the middle of a new continent, so it is good to see her able to relax a bit more, and become more involved in the things she wants to do. 
Recently she has been able to get her "worship leading hat" on a bit more too. She played at a church "Zone" meeting a few weeks ago (the church we have been attending break into smaller "zones" regularly. This allows the normally large church service to be held in smaller groups, giving people the chance to get to know each other better). She also plays regularly at a women's bible study held on a Wednesday morning. Last Friday MAF had a "fellowship day" where we all downed tools for a day, and had a day of bible study, worship and prayer together. Heather was leading worship for that and enjoyed the chance to play and sing out at the hangar under a plane... sort of like the Albert Hall, but better!! Unfortunately when we got up on Friday morning, Eilidh had a temperature and had been up through the night, so I stayed home to look after her. It was a good chance for me to have some quiet "daddy-daughter" time, and also gave me the chance to keep up with all the news from the Scottish Independence referendum. Having spent much of my adult life travelling, whether on ships, training in America, or now living in Uganda, I have never really felt any pangs of homesickness. Scotland has always been, and will always be, "home", and I have always seen it in many ways as an unchanging constant. The things that have happened over the last few months have been pretty monumental, though, and I felt a strange kind of helplessness as I watched my country change in a way that can never be undone. I pray that the raw bitterness will subside and that both Yes and No voters will come together to do what is best for Scotland. Lord, you have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90.

Life in the hangar is as busy as always! We are busy doing the avionics upgrade on Scotty (5X-SCO, or the 'Caledonian Connection'!) Things were delayed a bit over the summer as we dealt with some documentation issues around the CAA approvals to do the upgrade here. Thankfully that has all passed now, and we have the authorisation to do the work! It has been a great project to be involved in; I have been doing a lot of the structural / sheet metal work, and have been in my element making shelves for new avionics units, mounting new equipment and building new panels to hold all the expensive instruments in place for the pilots!

Building a new mount for the radar altimeter in the back of the tailcone.

Thanks again for all your thoughts, prayers and encouragement as we work here with MAF in Uganda.

Work and Play!

Its been a busy few months for us, getting our heads around life in Africa, setting up home in a new country and settling into our places in the MAF Uganda programme. All good and exciting stuff, but I have to admit I am appreciating having a week off this week, before the kids get started at their new school! We are trying to mix some fun family stuff with some of the things on the long DIY list! On Monday we spent the day at a Kampala hotel resort, where we were able to take the kids for their first horse rides (or at least, their first rides that were in a straight line rather than round and round a pen at the Coshocton county fair ground!). We then spent the rest of the day by the pool. Unfortunately we were joined by a thunder storm which kind of changed our plans a bit, but we are Scottish, and warm rain is summer rain!! J

Eilidh getting ready to go, while Matthew sorts his straps out!

We are planning a trip to the Entebbe zoo later in the week, and hopefully by the weekend we’ll be well through the jobs list too!!

Things in the hangar have been busy as well. The diesel 182 arrived in Kajjansi with a list of jobs to ready it for its role in S Sudan. I spent quite a bit of time working my way through the list, installing an HF radio, refuelling steps and handles, folding rear seats and a V-brace between the door posts and the glare-shield in front of the pilot. I am enjoying getting involved in these modification type projects – right up my street! J

Looking back at the new HF radio installation past the new folding seats!

When our friends Nicky and Jane were over they were able to join a flight on one of MAF’s Karamoja shuttle runs, and they were quite excited to find out that they were flying in “Scotty”, a Cessna Caravan that was bought by MAF following a fund raising project by MAF-Scotland. The Scottish connection added a nice little link for Nicky and Jane, and Nicky especially was extra excited because of the particular plane he was flying in!

Nicky and Jane take off on Scotty's last flight for a while.

The day after Nicky and Jane flew in Scotty, she came into the hangar for maintenance. We took her engine off, and sent it out to be replaced with the newly overhauled engine that had just came back to us.

Scotty, missing an important bit at the front!

 As well as an engine change, Scotty is due to have an avionics upgrade to a “glass panel” system which will bring it more in line with the some of the more modern avionics systems available today. MAF are working their way through most of the fleet, upgrading the older systems to Garmin units. It is quite a task and involves a fair amount of sheet metal / structural work as well as the actual avionics installation itself. Mat, an avionics engineer from MAF-Australia is looking after all the avionics side, while I have been busy preparing for the physical installation of everything onto the plane. Unfortunately we are still waiting for the proper approvals to go through the Ugandan CAA’s system, but I have been able to do lots of preparation work off the aircraft which should make things much quicker and smoother when the approvals do come through.

Checking out the work ahead of me with the avionics upgrade.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers as we serve with MAF here in Uganda.

Hello from Uganda!

This has probably been the longest break from blogging we have ever had.   I have to say though,  this has been the most challenging event in our lives to date and we have been so busy just finding our feet and setting up home here in Kampala in between the power cuts or lack of internet.   It is wonderful to be together again and I can now say we are finally almost unpacked and almost everything has its place.  The house is fantastic but like every move, there is always a few surprises.  Just when you thought you had unpacked and organised everything into the giant fitted wardrobes,  you find woodworm and everything has to come out,  (including us!). Almost a week later we are able to put it all back and move the cot and tonight we will be back in our bedroom again.  Abi and Matthew now have their own room and all three kids are feeling pretty settled now.  We have had the usual health issues plus a few extra.  Our first tummy bug has visited each member of the family and after two weeks I think I can safely say it has left the house! I had several mouth ulcers at once when we first arrived which I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was due to elevated stress levels ;0)  We are going through the large wound dressings at an alarming rate and I think at one point everyone except Andy had at least one, if not two skinned knees.  Getting used to the uneven ground and trip hazards and ditches everywhere around the house for water drainage has taken the kids some time to get used to.  Eilidh,  who loves to run everywhere, was continually falling over and if its not too hot we go for leggings to give the knees a break!
We had started visiting a few churches but life has just been so hectic and tiring getting used to such a different culture that I was finding it overwhelming.   Yesterday we went to hang out around the airfield and hanger where Andy works and just took a picnic and chairs, a bible and the kids bikes and we had a really special family time.  It was just what I was needing.  Living in such a noisy and busy city takes some getting used.  It is very dirty and driving past people living in such harsh conditions with so little while you are bouncing up and down over speed bumps and pot holes  to get to where you need to be - lets just say it was refreshing to withdraw to somewhere peaceful and where the scenery was spectacular and you can again place your eyes on the creator of all things.  

I have been driving a little and can confidently get to the kids new school and get back without getting lost.  I used to depend on the sat nav so much in America - now I usually drive with Andy's scribbled maps in one hand or Abi sits in the back with a pen and paper and writes "TR" or "TL" as I shout them out to her :0) I am not ready to drive to the other side of town yet,  that is an intense experience just being a passenger! I am so thankful Andy was able to be here for three months and gain confidence with the driving.  He knows his way around well and handles the lack of rules on the road brilliantly making life much easier when you need to get to a specific shop.  Relaxing saturday's are a distant memory as we try to juggle the food shop across town as well as other DIY things etc with all three children in tow.  Last Saturday Andy took all three to the cinema just so I could try and get some fabric for making curtains.  The plan was also for me to try and get the food shop done but it took almost the whole time they were at the cinema just for the choosing, cutting,  and measuring the fabric. I think it took the guy about fifteen minutes just to work out my receipt. Gone are the days of buying a nicely packed pair of ready made curtains that match your windows perfectly.  I think I may find someone who can sew better than me to make them up for me as the fabric is very expensive and I struggle getting two to look the same!!

After having only one mobile phone for emergencies in the states,  I am having to get used to the mobile phone being my only way of contacting anyone,  whether it be Andy, the MAF office, or the electric company etc. It has taken some time to get into a habit of making sure it is charged  all the time.  If the power goes out and my phone is dead - well life will be pretty isolating. So far I have managed to avoid that but I could do with a bunch of post it notes to remind myself to keep on top of all these little things!

We are so glad to be together,  in our own house again.  There has been so much to get used to and take in.  Everything takes a long time and much more energy than you could imagine.  Five weeks here,  and we are still trying to establish our rubbish collection.  Two weeks have passed and they have not taken our rubbish.  We can't leave bags outside our gate as there are so many dogs about that rip them open.  I was getting pretty fed up picking up our rubbish strewn accross the road/lane and bagging it all again.  We did have to invest  in a small wheelie bin.  These are not common in Kampala and so very expensive - but a neccessity when you have four hungry dogs wandering just outside your gate.  

We just loved having Nicky and Jane here and I was very sad to see them go.  It is nice having people who know you around you when you are going through so many other changes. Andy was able to organise a MAF flight for them to go on while they were here.  They brought their African friends to our house and it was a great privilege to share fellowship with them also.

A few weeks after we moved we heard about a family who were leaving Kampala and needed a home for their 11 year old arthritic dog Issac.  We were thrilled to take him on and Eilidh in particular has really taken to him.  She picks his food up peice by piece and takes it to him.  I found Issac sleeping today with her dolls blanket lain over him! She has also made a little habit of soaking herself as she tries to pic up his water bowl and take it to him - I think she senses his legs are sore and tries to make life easier for him.    She is quite the little nurse :0)  Last Friday we heard about German shepherd puppies that were needing homes.  Now that we are more settled and unpacked we were really excited to buy one and tonight we brought home our new puppy Skye! I am so glad we brought our metal hexagonal playpen  - it's ideal for her to sleep in and she is a little terrified of Issac at the moment.  Tomorrow will be our first day with her so lots of excitement I'm sure.

In the midst of the dirt and chaos of Kampala there lies incredible beauty - the African people.  I have already been moved by their welcoming nature.  You never pass anyone by without greeting them and the children love to smile and wave to you.  I am so blessed to have an amazing christian lady called Irene who is our house help.  If it was not for her help and advice I think I would be slowly unravelling about now.  She helps keep on top of all the housework.  Everything item that is hung on the washing line has to be ironed to kill the mango fly eggs - that includes towels, and socks etc - things you would never think about ironing in Scotland.  The ironing can only be done however, when you have power so a "mountain of ironing" takes on a whole new meaning! Just having another person around who can help translate when people come knocking on the gate or if an African phones me and I can't understand their accent yet  - she can help me.  She is able to travel to the market place and get fresh produce for much cheaper than in the shops - she is just invaluable and she is God's graceful provision to our family.  She has four children the same ages as ours.  It is wonderful to be able to bless her family with things that we do not need and she also brings her youngest Esther with her at times. Esther is 2 1/2 years. Eilidh and Esther wander around the garden sometimes holding hands - Esther chatting in Luganda and Eilidh in English - neither understanding each other,  but neither caring. When Abi and Matthew go to school in August Eilidh will have a regular companion - another provision by God.

Those of you who know me know I struggle at packing light and talking little! I know this is a mammoth blog but I hope it gives you an insight into the challenges and joys of kampala.  I was talking to another MAF wife yesterday and she was saying it took around two years before she felt like Uganda was 'home'.  I know I am not there yet and was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong because I don't quite feel the connection between home and  Uganda just yet so it was a great comfort to me to hear that.  She also mentioned about the way a seadling has to be nurtured and protected from the elements.  Only when it is been cared for carefully for a time can it be planted in the garden and expected to survive.  She warned me about being exposed too soon to too much around me and how to take it slowly.  Great words of wisdom that will stick with me.

Thank you so much for praying for us.  We appreciate your encouraging comments so much.   We are so blessed to be here and look forward to sharing more with you about life here,  in particular about the impact MAF is making here in Uganda and the surrounding areas.   Many MAF families are away home on furlough at the moment so please pray for safe travels for them and strength while they visit family, friends and churches. We have just sent out our latest news letter.  If you didn't get it and would like to please email us on:

heatherswansonmaf@gmail.com
andyswansonmaf@gmail.com

God Bless and thank you for sharing this journey with us,
Heatherx

(I am struggling to upload photo's with this blog so text will have to do for now - we will try and get some pics out soon :0)

One Week To Go!

Time is becoming more precious everyday as I am trying to get things together and tie up loose ends here in the UK.  The last week before you move countries is always intense and busy busy! Yet again I know I am not going to be able to meet up with half the folk I would have liked to but that's just one of the things I'm having to get used to.   This will just be a short blog but I wanted to update you all on the container.  After a good few weeks on the "stress train" as Andy put it,  the container arrived at the hanger in Uganda yesterday (Saturday).  Andy and a few other wonderful volunteers have already started to load up the stuff and transport it to our new house, all be it to the garage.  Our new house is in the finishing stages of being painted and cleaned and then Andy will be able to start assembling the beds hopefully in time for our heads to be on the pillows the night of the 10th.  Andy will not move into the house un-till just before we arrive as some of the essentials like a washing machine are still to be purchased when we arrive.  We are so thankful to God that it has arrived and I can't tell you glad I am that the kids will lots to occupy themselves with over the summer holidays as I start the unpacking phase!  Thanks to all who have been praying for the arrival of this container along with us.  God's timing is yet again perfect :0)

On the home front,  this week the kids have their school trips.  Abi will be off to the Transport Museum and tall ship in Glasgow and Matthew will be visiting a farm. Their Sunday school class at Kirkie have planned a joint farewell party for them next Sunday and they will say goodbye to their school friends on Monday the 9th.  I am going into Abi's class this coming Wednesday to share a little about MAF with the 31 kids there.  Next Saturday we are going to go to the MAF "Big Picture" event that is taking place at Hamilton race course.  They are aiming for a world recording breaking zip slide.  Abi is just a year too young or she would be taking part but we are going to watch and have fun. Come and join us there if you can. There will be fun things for the whole family to do.

On a personal note,  please pray that I can keep it all together for this next week.  I can feel my emotions beginning to run away with me as I get ready to say good bye to my family and friends here.  It always breaks my heart seeing my kids go through the big farewells.  I know it will not be such a wrench for them this this time as daddy will be at the other end of our long journey next Tuesday but it is still a hard process.   If you can email me your favourite scripture verse sometime throughout this week then please do as reading these throughout the day helps me keep my eyes and focus on God in the business and crazyness of packing and goodbye's.  
heatherswansonmaf@gmail.com

A little reminder that our new address from 10th of June will be :
MAF Box 1
Kampala
Uganda

God Bless
Heatherx

Flights Are Booked!!

I am so excited to be able to let you know that on the 10th of June at 6am we will be leaving Glasgow, via Amsterdam, and arriving in Entebbe,  Uganda late that evening! Four weeks tomorrow (Tues) we will be together as a family again.  Not only that,  but I will have some wonderful company along the way!  Nicky and Jane King from Pitlochry Baptist Church have a ministry which they set up in 1999 called Kingserve.  One of the projects they support is Kitega Community Centre in Uganda. They have graciously offered to fly to Uganda to help me with Abi,  Matthew and Eilidh and the luggage!  They will stay with us/near us for a few days at the beginning and end of their trip and visit various people that they are connected with in between.  Who would have thought we would have visitors from DAY 1?! We are now all booked on the same flights and just have to work out the seating.  Nicky and Jane have been with us from the start of our MAF story and I feel so incredibly blessed to have them fly out with us.  You can find out more about Kingserve Ministries at this site http://www.kingserve.org/

Nicky and Jane King

It has been a whirlwind of a week.  Things always seem to happen at once.  In the same week that we have been trying to co-ordinate booking of flights between MAF office,  Nicky and Jane (who were in England on holiday) and myself her in Scotland,  our shipping container landed in Mombassa, Kenya I have been dealing with urgent emails regarding "Bill of  landing" paperwork and fees allegedly still owed etc.  Phone calls and emails have been flying about between the USA, Kenya,  Uganda and Scotland all at the same time as trying to book flights.   It is wonderful that the container has arrived and we would ask that you would please pray for it's next leg of the journey. After it gets officially released from port,  which still has to happen, then it will take four days to travel by road to Kampala.  Once there,  Andy's passport will have to be present and a customs inspection will be carried out.  Once this has happened it will then have to be delivered and unloaded at the MAF airport  (which is handy for Andy's tool chest, not so for my piano etc.) and then driven in smaller trucks/cars to our house.  The lanes are narrow and not tarmacked around our house so it is not possible to unload the container at the house.

Housing is looking good too.  Mark and Sarah Newnham are moving out at the end of this week into their new house.   (Internet is down in Kampala tonight so I have not been able to confirm,  but this is what I last heard)  Our house will then get painted and Andy will be able to move in.  Hopefully the container will arrive at the same time and he will have a bed to sleep on,  once he has assembled it of course!  It would be very helpful if the container was to arrive just before we arrive on the 10th of June.  The furniture MAF have in storage to help furnish houses for new arrivals is all in use so if our container arrives on time then this would save MAF the expense of purchasing additional furniture that would later be surplus.

In the meantime, I have been very busy packing. I have eight pieces of luggage all packed and weighed.  A neighbour has offered their house for storing the packed luggage which has been a huge blessing as space is tight here with mum. There will be one (maybe two but hopefully only one) more case which will be all the stuff that is floating about the house such as bits and pieces of lego and clothes and shoes that we are currently wearing or using. The house is beginning to look sparse and the children are back to a very limited amount of toys and library books (what would I have done without the library!)  The weather is getting better though and Abi and Matthew have just learned how to ride a bike with no training wheels (stabilisers) so are enjoying sharing the borrowed bike.

It is only eight days till our relatives in Australia arrive for a three week visit.  I have needed to get the packing done earlier as there will be nowhere to lay a case flat in the house.  I am relieved the packing is coming to an end as I hope to be able to relax and be able to help mum with the extra company.  I grew up in a house that was always filled with people so the prospect of more company is exciting.  Packing at the same time however is not.  Nicky and Jane are coming to visit with us for the day on Friday 16th so we can discuss the journey and baggage etc.  I still have the final weighing to be done,  suitcase straps on the thread-bairn ones and luggage tags to attach and it will be a huge weight off my mind.  I plan to have that completed by the end of this week.

I am sharing my testimony again and singing my own compositions on Tuesday 13th of May at the Coffee House in Moodiesburn, Glenmannor Avenue.  It is their monthly ladies night and starts at 7.30pm.   I would love to see you there (ladies) if you can come :0)

Thanks for all your prayers and please keep praying.  We could not do this without all of your support and encouragement.  I have a list of thank you cards that I plan to get around to once this packing is out the way.  I'd love to share with you one of my favourite songs at the moment to encourage you - copy and paste the link below into your browser.  Or type "The Great I Am" into You Tube.  Be Blessed today - His mercies are new EVERY morning.

Three Gorillas and three cheeky monkeys! 

Heatherx

http://youtu.be/w2Yh4exnBU0

Fun at Edinburgh Zoo. 

A Little Update

Enjoying a break in Pitlochry

Hi there,
We have enjoyed a great two weeks holiday.  The first week was in Benmore, Dunoon staying a beautiful cottage with my sister and husband and my mum. The next week was in Pitlochry staying with the Kennedy's. The sun shone for just about the whole week and we had a lovely Easter Sunday with the folk at Pitlochry Baptist Church.  There were so many people in Pitlochry I wanted to visit but I just needed to have a break.  I am so thankful I was able to do that and feel much more refreshed.

Matthew's Easter Garden

Abi putting the finishing touches on her Easter Garden.

In between Matthew had his ENT appointment which went well.  The doctor thinks the glue ear will heal in time and the Ugandan climate will be much better for it so nothing more needs to be done there except to monitor his hearing every six months.  We also had some medical advice to get Eilidh's eyes checked before we go so she will be on the NHS system as to try and get an appointment when we are back on furlough would be non existent.  If we can get her seen and checked then we will be able to monitor her vision each year as she will be on the "books" as they say. I understand that she will be able to be seen relatively quickly to allow us to get to Uganda in June. Once I have the date for her appointment I will be able to start the flight booking process with MAF.

Eilidh loving the Easter egg hunt. 

On Friday evening (25th) I am speaking/singing at a ladies night in Plains Evangelical Church.  I will be sharing my testimony and how we have got to where we are including performing my own compositions. If you are free and able to come, I would love to see you there.  It starts at 7.30pm.

Face time has been a little sporadic recently with poor connections so it has been hard to keep in touch with Andy except via email.  He is hoping to get our new car really soon which will really give him the freedom to get about and explore a bit more. Please pray this will happen soon.  We are hopefully well over the half way mark before we are all reunited but it is still difficult for all of us.  The Immigration Department would not give us the dependant passes we need until we are in the country so we will just have to enter Uganda on a tourist visa.  We are so thankful that Elizabeth Swayne is returning from Uganda this week and will be able to personally return our passports to us and hopefully one of Andy's suitcases for me to refill ;0)

Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement.
I hope you all had a great Easter.
Heather

Life On The Home Front.

It has been nearly six weeks since Andy left for Uganda and it has taken about that time for me to get around to blogging!  we have enjoyed speaking and seeing him most days.  We only get to see his face and surroundings in daylight at the weekends as it gets dark in Uganda around 7pm every night.  Usually Andy is face-timing us by torch (flash-light).  I am glad he is settling in well and I think he is looking forward to having his wife to cook for him again after being at work all day.  I believe Pot noodles are alive and well in Uganda ;0)

We have had ups and downs but glad to say more ups than downs - I think. Back pain has eased and only gives me pain if I have been sitting for a while ( more than 15 mins) but I will be starting some physiotherapy for it soon.  I have been involved in MAF presentations to P5-7's and Pre school and have two ladies evenings I am speaking at in the April and one in May.  The kids are doing well and yes it is challenging and exhausting parenting without Andy but very glad my mum is able to help out.  There have been a few bumps along the way with tyre troubles.  Last Friday Matthew had a birthday party with all his friends from school and I had a flat tyre half an hour before the party.  Yesterday I was coming home from Dunoon with a fully packed car after a weeks holiday and had another flat tyre!  I'm wondering if God is telling me I need to learn how to do it myself in preparation for Uganda  (although I am not sure how lifting and changing a 4x4 tyre is going to help my back any). It is at a time like this that I REALLY miss my husband. Most days though I am coping and we are trying to enjoy every minute of being in Scotland.  We had a lovely week in a beautiful Cottage in Argyll with family.  The sheep were lambing and cows were calving in the fields outside our windows.  The kids were also able to feed two lambs on Matthew's birthday which was a real treat for them. Andy's parents were able to spend some time with the kids too and join us for Matthew's birthday cake.  Andy was able to record a very sweet video to play for Matthew on his birthday which he would probably not appreciate me posting a link too. lol!  We are off to Pitlochry tomorrow evening to stay with friends for the week and plan to celebrate Easter Sunday at Pitlochry Baptist Church.



Matthew has had a rough month with fevers and has had antibiotics for ear infection.  He had his eyes assessed and is now wearing new glasses at his full perscription.  His eyes could not cope with this prescription in December so it has been such a relief to see him wearing his glasses all week without taking them off once.  Distance is still a problem but getting better as his eyes adjust to the new glasses.   He has had a great 6th birthday (his second birthday in Scotland - all the rest have been in America) and has enjoyed a party and cake with his friends before the Easter school break and a family party with another cake on the 11th! Thanks to those who sent him cards and gifts.  He is happily spending his Easter holidays building lots of little lego models.

Abi is growing up fast too and I am constantly battling with her for my place as "mum" when it comes to looking after Eilidh.  She is very caring and is great at reading Eilidh stories which lets me get a few things done. Aunty Rosey and Uncle Kirk bought her some paints and a pad of paper so she is happily working through the pad of paper making pictures for everyone. We are gathering a pile ready for a jiffy bag to Andy unless anyone knows of someone going to Kampala? One of the KBC members was flying out to Kampala a few weeks ago and was able to take a goody bag for Andy.  I dropped the bag off at her house the Monday and it was with Andy by the Thursday!  

Eilidh has also had a rough month with high fevers and antibiotics also.  She is much better now though and continues to smile her cheeky smile and get most things she has her eyes on. She now has her own pencil case after continually getting into her bigger siblings.  She had a tub with crayons etc,  but the novelty of a pencil case with a zip is a bigger hit. She is fast on her feet and makes a bee line for open doors and has a few hiding places where she runs when she has something she knows she shouldn't have.  Under the dining table gives her a few precious moments where she can try and get a lid off a tub of cream or try someones glasses on before getting caught.  She tries to copy her big sister's singing and the favourite is of course "Let it go" from Frozen which she can sing VERY loud - the tuning is great so that makes the volume much more bearable.

So where are we with plans for reuniting with Andy in Uganda?  Tomorrow is the big day for finding out I hope! Matthew has his ENT (ear/nose/throat) appointment at Yorkhill and this will be the main deciding factor.  If he needs to have grommets fitted then I am not sure what the time frame for this will be. His appointment is late afternoon and then we are heading up to Pitlochry that evening. I also have to pack, get my flat tyre assessed at a garage, make many phone calls,  pick up two parcels at the post office and Eilidh is getting a Hep A shot tomorrow as well as Matthew's appointment.  I have help at hand though, and my 12 year old neice is sleeping over tonight to play with the kids tomorrow morning.  Between her and my mum we should be able to accomplish the tasks and stay calm in the process. Eilidh has missed her last Hep A due to being ill  and there will be meningitis and typhoid shots coming up end of May so I need to take the appointment for her tomorrow.

So much to do but I just want to keep our amazing supporters informed.   I am now able to report that we have a house in the pipeline AND it will be the Newnham's house who I stayed with last Sept/Oct.  They are going to be moving out over the next month or so to a different house in Kampala and then Andy will be able to move in there hopefully followed by our shipment and then us! (That's my plan ;0) We are praising God that we will have a house soon but please pray for the Newnham's and their three children as this will be a big upheaval for them also.   Could you also please pray for our Shipment?  Andy is working without his tool chest and specialised tools and so he is longing for it's arrival. We last heard about three weeks ago that it was on the ship! I am hoping the ship has by now left the USA port.  After watching the Tom Hanks movie "Captain Phillips" which was based on a true story about a container ship on it's way to Mombassa ( just like ours) which was hijacked by Somali pirates,  it would be good to pray for a safe journey for the container and the crew :0)

I have been so touched by the many blessings I have received. Kirkintilloch Baptist Church surprised me with four large luggage holdalls! People have continued to support us in spite of the economy and the sacrifice to their personal finances.  I am blessed to have invites to lunch or coffee or accommodation for a weekend, a car, reduced garage costs, and many other blessings - too many to name.   God has given me a great net-work of family and neighbours who have been able to help out at short notice when needed. We could not do what we do without your support and prayers especially during this time of separation.

I would really encourage you to read a book called "Flying in Faith" by Laura Westley.   She was a MAF pilot in Uganda,  living in Kampala doing exactly what the current MAF pilots are doing.  I happened to meet her on my trip over there last October.   Being married to an engineer means that I don't always hear the stories that the pilots will be relaying to their families of all their amazing experiences.  Reading her book was thrilling and inspiring and made me so excited to be part of the work of MAF.  It puts Andy's job as an aircraft engineer into perspective as you clearly see through Westley's book how the MAF plane impacts communities.  It also gave me a great insight to what living in Kampala was like four or five years ago. I am including the link to amazon if anyone wants to be inspired themselves.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Faith-Letters-Laura-Westley/dp/1780352530  (amazon.co.uk)
If you are in America and want to read it,  it is also on Amazon.com but the link may not work.


I had better get this posted or it will soon be tomorrow and it will be out of date!
God bless
Heatherx