habari from Alan and Davina Sully
God bless you all, Alan and Davina.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good
news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ' Your God reigns! '
Isaiah 52:7
UNCERTAIN TIMES AND NEW BEGINNINGS
Davina and Alan Sully July 2010
Where have all the days and months gone? Is it me getting older or is it simply that life can be so busy? Since March of this year the months have been a rollercoaster for MAF Kenya and for Davina and I. It might be something to do with the amount of globetrotting Davina has done or it might be that the security situation in South Sudan or Kenya and the number of new babies in the programme have made the months flash by.
At the end of February our PC-12 aircraft started its annual certification maintenance. The engine had been running slightly hot for a while so it was decided to do some deeper investigation on the engine. On getting inside it was discovered that a component had burnt through and this necessitated the return of the old part and picking up a new part from our engine overhaul contractor in Manchester UK. The quickest and cheapest way to achieve this was to hand carry the component both ways and this is why Davina went back to the UK for the first time this year. The new component solved the temperature problem but another deeper problem was found when the engine was accelerated. We were unable to solve the issue here so the complete engine was shipped back to the UK. There it was found the whole compressor had been damaged by stones and sand. (We suspect from prolonged operations into Sudan and Somalia.) This part of the engine had to be rebuilt but even then the engine did not run correctly. As I write the engine is still being worked on. The aircraft has not flown for five months. This has had a profound effect on the amount of flying we can achieve as well was being a huge expense to repair. Please pray that the problem with the engine will soon be solved and that the money will be found to cover the cost of repairing the engine.
April saw the first parliamentary elections in Southern Sudan for many years. It was a kind of hold your breath time as no one knew how the security situation would turn out. We, like many other missions and NGOs, removed our non-operational staff from Juba. They all returned at the beginning of May when we knew the situation there was stable. We thank the Lord for His peace. The next two big testing times for all of us will be 4th August this year when Kenyans vote on their new constitution and 9th January 2011 when the people of Sudan vote on whether the country should be divided officially. Both of these votes have a capacity to spark violent protests in their respective countries. Please pray for peace and for the protection of innocent citizens of Kenya and Sudan and for all our MAF staff. One of my greatest sorrows at present happens when I read the daily UN South Sudan security bulletin. As far as the greater world is concerned South Sudan is at peace but rarely a day goes by when someone is not killed by a thief, cattle rustler or drunken soldier and more often than not many people are killed in such incidents.
Davina and I had a short trip to Juba recently to visit our families and staff in South Sudan. What a difference six months makes. There are many new buildings going up and the roads in Juba town have vastly improved since I was there earlier this year. Even the airport has air conditioners and luggage scanners. I pray these improvements will be mirrored in health care and education in Southern Sudan. We stopped in both directions at the small town of Torit and I was reminded what a difference weather makes to our operations. On the way up the airfield was bone dry but where water previously had flowed there were several large channels cut across the runway. During the two days we were in Juba there were several very heavy storms. On our return the runway at Torit was slippery with mud and the gullies even deeper. It is a valuable lesson to be reminded of the need for constant prayer for safety of our operations. On a personal level it was great to be out of the office for three days, mingling with those we serve and flying again.
These pictures highlight the complexities and conditions our pilots deal with every day.
Davina writes:
Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us and for the letters, cards and emails kindly written and sent by you to Nairobi, 4.500 miles from your home. Your prayers are answered: we continue to be in excellent health and have been kept safe in our travels whether to UK, around this extremely busy city or further afield. Your written communications are exciting to receive and help us feel connected with you and UK.
As Alan mentioned, I’ve been to UK three times between March and June. Once with a box of PC-12 parts as my companion and twice to support Kristy (our daughter) through a difficult time and to prepare a cottage for holiday rental. Each visit was challenging for me travelling alone, getting from Heathrow to Gatwick for internal flights (due to BA strike action), hiring cars, organizing internal flights at a moment’s notice etc. Again, thank you for your prayers.
Babies, babies, babies! It has to be a MAF record: 6 new arrivals in one year and all the Dad’s are pilots! Great excitement for the wives and children and a logistical challenge for those planning flights and work coverage due to paternal leave. We held a mums morning exploring transition, beginnings and endings for 1st, 3rd and 5th time mums from God’s and their point of view.
In our Friday morning get togethers, we’ve been exploring some of the challenges facing MAF Kenya spouses: house ladies and Kenyan workmen, what it’s like to have folk in your home and how to be culturally sensitive whilst maintaining our dignity and getting the work done well.
With families leaving and joining our MAF K Team, there’s always a lot to be done. I really enjoy assisting families with moving and farewells and preparing for the arrival of new families. Each family has a link family whose responsibility it is to answer their questions, make arrangements, prepare their home and welcome them to Kenya. Alan and I have been doing just this for the Simkins family (Finance manager) who arrived on 24th July and the Vennell family who arrived on 4th August.
What a difference a year makes: Corrugated iron roofed, brick built dwellings arising where the bulldozer had flattened thatched roofed, mud huts close to our Juba sub base compound. A huge, plush looking, hotel serving the usual fast food delicacies, a five minute, muddy, walk from the compound. Beside these evidences of change, the children of our MAF K Juba families have grown in stature and maturity. I enjoyed joining in ‘home school’ for a morning and an afternoon babysitting whilst one of the Mums finished a customer care training course with local staff. Despite the signs of improvement, life continues to be challenging for these families and I admire them for their perseverance.
Finally, it was a joy to have our friends of over 20 years visit us in June. Again, we had adventures: (you may remember the stuck in the mud in a Tanzanian national park episode), getting lost, coming across camels, crocodiles and crossing waterfalls and staying in a cottage without hot water.
Folk spending time with Alan and I, experiencing our lives, sharing the joys and sorrows, listening to and challenging us encourages us to continue serving our Lord in Kenya and Sudan.
Please pray for:
Peace and security in Kenya and the same for Southern Sudan at the end of this year and the beginning of the next.
That the new international families arriving in Kenya will settle in quickly and soon feel at home.
That the PC-12 will soon be back in revenue service.
Our 5 weeks in UK during September/October for holiday and Regional Managers’ Conference.
