Well You've guessed it.  The weather changed.  I got over to the Southern side of the range ok but Haia itself was completely covered in cloud.  It would be a fool hardy soul indeed who would spear down into cloud in that area at 250 odd Km/hour without being able to see where they are going and how close they were to the mountainous terrain below!  I thought about the group of students I had dropped in there in morning and how uncomfortable they would be that night, without their mosquito nets and all the rest of the gear I had on board.  I prayed that God would open the way for a safe approach and landing to be made. I headed South a little more, hoping that there would be a break in the cloud over the river as there often is, for me to let down into and then follow the canyons up into Haia.  There were no suitable breaks down that way or anywhere that I could see. "Well today was not the day," I mused and began wondering why in God's providence this group of people had to sleep without their gear in Haia for the night. I swung the ubiquitous Cessna 206 around and headed for Karimui to drop off the Pastor and the cargo I had on board for the people there.  The community support air services AAS was then able to provide for isolated villagers, enabled them to transport Pastors, laymen teachers medical workers and other missionaries at a fraction of the normal price. 

We got to Karimui without any problem and then proceeded over to Talbakul to pick up a some one who had been injured with a knife.  Not all missionary planes were welcome in this area at the time. There is quite a bit of  prejudice and superstition still in Papua New Guinea.   The gospel calls us to bring life and light to all even if their culture or beliefs erect a barrier God's love.   We never ask people what religion they are, to determine if they are worthy of our help or not.  The saving Grace of Christ is free to all.   

On this occasion the injured person was the CIC pastor at Talbakul.  The people had some produce there for us to carry as paid freight, to help cover the cost of the flight and we were able to do a good turn for Christian friends at no cost to us. The people were very appreciative that we picked up their pastor and transported him to hospital. 

Next morning as we pulled the aircraft off the Charger, I wondered when the new alternator might arrive.  The fleet was all pretty tired. All the other 3 aircraft  were grounded for one reason or another, so we were soldiering on with Charlie giving it a quick charge during the day back at the base as needed.  I was soon in the air and off to Haia to deliver the much needed cargo for the students and to help some other isolated communities on the return trip.  Haia weather was a little better than the day before but not much.  There was a South East breeze blowing and for anyone who has flown up in Papua New Guinea, that means bad weather drifting in to the South Western areas of the country in the middle of the year. 

I could see the approach end of the strip at Haia and descended into the valley.  The clouds were hugging the ridges on both sides of the narrowing canyon leading up to the strip.  There was no turning space clear of cloud near the runway.  I knew that if I went passed a certain point in the valley, low enough to land I was committed no matter what and there was no way out.  So I hung around for a little while where I had safe space to turn around, trying to get the best view I could. Finally I got low enough and close enough to assess the flight path to the runway more clearly and I could see enough of the runway to know I could make a safe landing.  The only option was straight in along the river and then turn right on short final, to line up with the strip which runs at an angle off from general lay of the valley.  I taxied up to the area beside the runway near the buildings of the Research Conservation Foundation (RCF) and shut down. 

As I got out of the plane that morning, I was greeted by some very appreciative people who were real glad to see their stuff.  Over to the right another delegation was conferring excitedly and trying to get my attention.  Finally a spokesman came over to me and told me that one of the villagers had been speared during the night and was very sick and needed to go to Goroka Hospital urgently.  Would we possibly help them to save this man's life. I looked up and focused down the runway to the threshold where I had just landed.  There was a small procession making its way up the side of the runway, with a crude looking stretcher made of bush materials.  

I stood there for a moment savoring the sobering realization that we could be stuck there for more time than this injured villager had.  I recalled getting stuck at Simbari with a very impatient policeman passenger for three days once in that sort of weather!  I remembered the uneasy feeling that came over me when ever I glanced in his direction.  He just scowled at me and started to fidget erratically with his M16!!  I was sure GLAD when the weather broke and I could get both him and myself out of there! 

I left the group and started walking down the runway to the end where I had landed, to see if I could get a better view from down there.  As I walked I waved to friendly looking villagers as I passed their rudimentary bush houses and began pondering the situation.  The man had been speared at 5 O'clock the previous afternoon.  The radio in Haia was not operating.  I would have had no idea that this man's life was in danger if God had answered my prayer with a yes the afternoon before and cleared the sky to let me into Haia with the students cargo. 

I got to the end of the strip.  It was not looking any better. I could only see about 1,000 meters.  There was no turning space and I could not take off and try it and then get back to the field if I did not like the look of things once I got off the ground.  To take off now would be to cross the line between faith and presumption and risk every ones life on board. I knew I had to wait until I could see far enough down the valley to either get out or turn around.  "How many days was that going to be!" I wondered.  I turned and slowly and made my way back to the aircraft deep in thought and feeling the load of human need  weighing heavily on my mind.  I thought about radioing the base and letting Les my director know what was happening.  I knew he would be there flat out trying to get Alphas engine back together, wondering what was keeping me and trying to figure out how on earth we were gong to get the rest of the flying commitments done for that day.  I knew the battery in the plane was down so I decided that getting the engine started was more of a priority than the radio call.  The people back at Goroka would have to wait and wonder what was happening.

I looked up and watched as the thick gray clouds moved in upon us with a defiant silence  that made it feel like some evil being was standing there some where, sweeping the stuff all over us.  I walked over and looked at the patient lying there beside the aeroplane. 

Partially conscious he turned towards me and looked expectantly up into my face.  The look of helpless need in his eyes penetrated deep into my heart.  What was I to do.  There is only one thing missionary pilots can do in these circumstances.  Pray!  I will never forget the experience I gained as a young pilot flying with veteran missionary pilot Pr. Len Barnard. He practiced the presence of God in the cockpit like no other pilot I have ever flown with. That may well be the most important of aviations lessons that I ever did learn. I remember flying with him in particularly bad weather one day and he winked at me and said, "We fly for the One who makes the weather." I will never forget the experience of God's presence as his Co-pilot and constant companion for many decades, opened the way before us.

 I walked out into the centre of the runway, followed by scores of curious eyes.  I looked up at the mocking heavens and I prayed.  Past experience has taught me how willing and prepared God is to be a part of the simple lives of the people up there in Papua New Guinea.  I have sat around the Cook House fires in the highlands at night and listened with awe as Pastors and laymen have told stories of God's intervention in their lives and ministry and how the angels of God have visited and conversed with isolated tribes people. 

As I stood there praying, I thought about the prejudice to gospel ministry in this area and how I have seen the same kind of prejudice broken down elsewhere, by missionary pilots doing acts of mercy for people in need, like this poor man.  I thought about the small group of new believers, who are worshiping in this far off place.  "How strong was their faith?" I wondered.  I knew that this weather was unlikely to go away on its own, in time.  I kept praying.  I had my eyes shut at this stage.  A few minutes later as I stood out there in the middle of the runway with my head bowed interceding with God for this villagers life,  I became aware of a commotion over by the plane.  The villagers were shouting and talking excitedly.  I turned toward them and saw them pointing at the sky.  There right out of nowhere was a bright patch of blue emerging, surrounded by a oval shaped border of golden sunshine with a warm shaft of sunlight bathing the spot where we were.  There was no way of maneuvering the plane to where it was, but there was hope at least and the people had caught hold of it.  It had been so dark moments before and I knew there was a number of thick layers of cloud above us and some really high overcast.  "Where does blue sky come from under those conditions?" I wondered.  I did not really need anything quite as good as "blue sky" but there it was.  The breeze kept blowing but the cloud began to lift on the ridges around Haia. The cloud in the chute out the valley began to dissipate.  I hurried down the runway a little way.  yes I could see far enough to see turning space to get back to the runway if I had to. We carefully placed the patient in the plane along with a relative to take care of him and bade goodbye to his anxious family. I reached for the starter.  Although the voltage was way down, Charlie's trusty 550 roared into life. That behind me I called the base at Goroka and explained the situation and asked for them to have an ambulance standing by on our arrival.

The patch of blue above us was already disappearing. As I steered the aeroplane out the chute I could see the cloud  beginning to reform again beside and behind the aircraft. The blue sky was now gone.  I got out to the main river and found a clear slot to get my way up through the layers of cloud. As I picked my way around the mountain and headed for home, there was no sign of the blue sky we had seen minutes before.

It was time to breathe a prayer of thanks once more.  This picture shows Moxi a couple of weeks later when I had the opportunity of flying him home to Haia to his family again, with his chest wound healed. I have lost count of the number of times that just being out there helping communities with their basic needs and being a part of their lives, has put us in a position to be able to save people's lives and be a witness to the faith God has put in our hearts.  With little in the way of radios, you have to circulate around and actually be there to know what is happening and find the people who are in desperate need.  One of the biggest benefits of providing a day to day service for these isolated people, is that it gets us out there everyday, where God can use us. Most of the time with what we pick up along the way,  we are able to help the dying and the sick at no extra cost.  This type of work has enormous benefits for  missionary endeavor.   It gives the us an avenue of demonstrating in a  very practical way, the love and free grace of a God, who accepts people no matter how uneducated or lowly their status in life may be.  It helps to show the genuineness of our intentions to people whose minds have been closed by prejudice. It opens doors for the missionaries to work with new people groups and spread God's word into new areas.

It gives missionary pilots like me, the opportunity of being a channel for God's love to flow through. Whenever that happens, a little of the glow of that warmth, gets caught in our own hearts on the way through. That is one of life's most precious experiences. I would not want to miss that for anything. Please pray that others in other parts of PNG who desperately need God's uplifting grace, may soon have this kind of service too, to relieve their suffering and bring them the experience of salvation. Do you know someone who could help?  We would love to hear from you.  Mission Support Network is committed to restoring and developing these essential community services so ably pioneered by AAS, to remote communities  throughout PNG.

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