Another turn in the road...

Today marks 12 years since Heather and I got married! In some ways it seems like it has flown past, and in other ways it seems like we have been together forever! We have certainly covered a lot of ground in our time as Mr and Mrs Swanson; we have lived in 5 homes, on three continents. We’ve been blessed with 3 beautiful children. I have had 4 different jobs, while Heather has had 6 if you include being a stay-at-home mum, and some of the part time ventures she has had whilst raising the kids. We’ve had the joy of making new friends, and we’ve felt the pain of loosing old ones. All that said, if you had asked us how likely we thought it was that we would be living in Africa when we first got married, I don’t think we would have believed you! Life has lots of unexpected turns along the way.

Last night I got another unexpected turn that I would appreciate your prayers about.

A month or two before we came back to Scotland this summer I noticed a spot on my right ear, which was growing and changing shape quite quickly. I wasn’t hugely concerned, as it didn’t match any of the other criteria for suspicious moles (other than the changing shape) so I made a note to discuss it with the doctor when I went for my medical exam back in Scotland. That doctor also seemed not overly concerned, as the shape change was the only suspicious thing to notice about it. He did however urge me to speak to my GP and ask for a referral to a specialist before coming back to Uganda. I did that and was thoroughly impressed by the NHS and Glasgow Royal Infirmary, getting me an appointment in just over a week, and seeing me before my flight back to Uganda. Again, there wasn’t a huge amount of concern by anyone who looked at it, but a biopsy was taken and sent off for analysis as a matter of course.

Right before bed time last night I got an email from the dermatology department at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, explaining that 4 pathologists had confirmed it was a malignant melanoma, and that I would need to have further surgery to remove what is left of the lesion. It still all feels a bit surreal as I have spent today talking to MAF-UK, health insurance people and doctors about what happens next. Whatever way it all pans out, I will need some sort of surgery in the next few weeks, and my preference would obviously be to have that done in Scotland. Until further checks and tests are done, we aren’t sure exactly what that will involve. There might be a need to do a “Sentinel Node Biopsy” to confirm that the cancer has been caught before it could spread into my lymph nodes. There will need to be discussions about the type of surgery needed to remove the cancer; can the cartilage of my ear remain as it is with a skin graft, or will I have a “shark’s bite” left on my right hand ear? All these things (and lots of others!) are rattling around my head just now (now’s the time for jokes about there being lots of room in there for the ideas to bounce!), fuelled by my good friend Google, who kept me up far too late last night, looking at pictures of cancer on the ear!

 'Chuffed' with my newly dressed biopsy!

I suppose I now have a fine opportunity to live out Phillipians 4 v 6&7 (Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus), although it is always far easier to say those first six words than it is to live them out.

I will try to keep blog and Facebook pages up to date with my news, as and when I have anything new to share, and in the meantime, I would truly value your prayers as we set off down this new and unexpected turn in the road. We felt incredibly encouraged by so many people during our time back in Scotland this year, and I feel blessed to have so many people supporting us in so many ways.

Right now I am off to bed before 'Google Images' sucks me in again!

A

Back in the groove!

As I sit here writing this blog post on Friday evening, some quick sums tell me it is about 238 1/2 hrs until I pick Heather and the kids up from Entebbe airport, and family life resumes here in Africa again! It will be great to be back together as a family, but rather than moping around in an empty house, my feet have hardly touched the ground as I pick up with life where we left off at the end of May!

Last glimpse of the Clyde as I head south again!

We had a great time together back in scotland, and really enjoyed the opportunity to share all the changes that the last year-and-a-bit had brought for us in Africa. (In spite of it being a tiring month of driving, speaking, sharing and driving some more!) We have always had a huge appreciation for the churches and individuals that support us, but I think that this time home, more than ever we have felt encouraged and refreshed by all the genuine interest, support and backing we have felt!! Thank you all so much!

After spending a little over a month back in UK it was time for me to return to work, and so I left Heather and the kids to enjoy a few more weeks of Scottish summer while I returned to Kampala. 

I think I am more or less in the groove now, and am finding myself “thinking African” again! I made it back to Uganda a day before our friends Luc and Malaina headed back to Canada with their family, having come to the end of their time with MAF. It was bitter-sweet - great that I was able to see them all again before they head back to Alberta, but sad to see them go. We have become good friends over the last  year, and they will be missed by us all. My first night back in Uganda was their last night in Uganda, and I was glad I was able to help run them to the airport with all their bags and luggage - just don't tell Heather that it is possible to travel with 32 pieces of checked baggage, or she might get ideas!!

Getting used to Uganda again - a wedding guest carries a live chicken in to church as a gift!

Things move on as always in the hangar, and I have enjoyed being back beside my tool box! I find it really satisfying spending time in the UK sharing with people about what we are doing, and talking in churches about the work MAF are involved in, but it is certainly not my natural “default” setting, so being back in my own element is a breath of fresh air for me! Last week was mostly taken up with a 200hr inspection and a long jobs list on 5X-LDR, and with a reduced team due to summer absences, the guys who were left had plenty to stay busy with! Then it was back on to 5X-OPE to work our way through the jobs list as we ready it for a move to Liberia to join the new programme that is being established over there just now! For me that involved fuel tank inspections. I opened up the two wing tanks for inspection before we started work on LDR, then after that was finished I moved on to the inspection of the reservoir tank in the belly of the plane. What should have been a quick open, inspect and close up job, turned into quite a task when we discovered damaged flanges, misshapen parts and broken anchor nuts. As I said though, I feel most at home working at my toolbox, so crawling into the cargo pod isn't so bad!

Lying down on the job again!

A week before I left for Uganda a team from Kirkie Baptist church flew out ahead of me. They were spending time at various places including Luwero community project,  Mulago hospital & Dwelling Places here in Kampala, and of course with me at MAF! It was great to see them all out here, and a real encouragement to be able to explain MAF’s work out here in a context that you just can’t get back home. John, Diane and Jack were able to join one of our flights up country, and came back with a real experience of the kind of environment we fly in, and the work we do; as well as flying some regular flights for passengers who were visiting projects they were involved in, their flight was also used to medevac a heavily pregnant lady who was having some difficulties. It was a good example of the kind of diversity and adaptability that MAF are often called upon to carry out as we serve God by serving people in remote places. As well as flying up country, Jack has ideas of working in aviation when he leaves school in a year or two. Today he was able to come into the hangar with me for the day, and got a taste of what working in aviation maintenance is like! Through the day he did some of the more menial tasks we sometimes have to do, like vacuuming up old sealant and cable ties, and scraping old sealant off a panel that will soon be reinstalled. He also had a chance to practice some safety wiring twisting, drive a few rivets and have a good general nosey around some of our planes! Lots of fun!

Jack and his dad Ewan helping Geoff with some flap rigging.

Thanks again for keeping in touch, and up to date with what we are up to! Please continue to remember us in your prayers too, especially Heather and the kids as they prepare to come back to Uganda in a little over a week.