Come fly with me

In the cabin, South African Pilot Kirstein Combrink tells of a couple of MAF flights which give two babies their best possible chance in life. 

My first flight is to a clinic at Endanyawish, which takes place in a small concrete church just 50 metres from the airstrip. The landscape is dry and dusty, and the airstrip parallels a mountain ridge with a small marshy lake close by. The landing is tricky, with winds that must be taken seriously. But the flight is well worth the complexity and concentration. 

This is the smallest location on MAF’s Haydom Medical Safari – one of many rural communities who otherwise wouldn’t have access to healthcare. Before it all begins, Nurse Maria talks to women waiting outside about health and family planning. A pastor speaks and prays. 

Inside the church, Rehema holds Veronica – a healthy-looking, six-month-old baby. She has brought her baby for vaccination, leaving home at 6am to be here for the clinic’s opening five hours later. Most of us wouldn’t get in a car and drive five hours for an immunisation let alone walk. But these mothers know it could save their baby’s life. 

What MAF is doing here is sustaining this community and helping people have a better life. This clinic will have a lasting impact on the survival of many children and will help women have safe deliveries. It’s a calling in Christ and there is so much value in continuing this vital work. 

The second flight is just as challenging, but for different reasons, and takes place at Matala, another stop on our Haydom Medical Safari. Just as we are about to start the plane, I see a messenger approaching on a motorbike. There’s clearly a problem, and I call on the nurses to translate. 

Soon a mother arrives at the plane with a baby born during the night at 24 weeks – the smallest passenger I’ve ever flown. 

Landing in Haydom, I hold the bundle of material and can hardly feel the baby’s weight. But movement confirms there is still a life in my hands. 

At the end of my flying day I find the premature baby in the neonatal unit weighing just 700 grammes. She has worryingly low pulse and oxygen levels, but is in the best possible care. All we can do is pray. 

Over the next few weeks, we keep updated with her progress. When my phone rings one Monday morning and I hear a nurse from Haydom Hospital, my heart is hopeful. But sadly, the caller tells me the little girl has passed away. 

It’s hard to understand why she had such a short life. But it’s safe to say that, like Veronica, I was able to give my youngest passenger the best possible chance of survival. And MAF showed a mother, family and wider community that they are invaluable to us and their Heavenly Father.

9 years ago today, quite different than today!

as 2021 comes to an end

Dear Supporters,   As we approach Christmas, we are also nearing our 3 months in the UK mark. I know at the end of the last newsletter, I promised to tell you why I needed to wear a suit, I will get to that soon, first I would like to share a bit about the ongoing work in Tanzania.  We are extremely thankful, that the program has been able to cover the majority of our planned flights since our departure in September. We were able to get former MAF Tanzania pilots (now based in Europe) updated paperwork before I left, and they have been covering the flights up to four weeks at a time. We also managed to get two Uganda based pilots licensed and authorized to do training in Tanzania. With online flight tracking, WhatsApp, Teams and Wingman, I have been able to support the team remotely during these months. Due to the 3 hour time difference, I often have to start my days quite a bit earlier than I'm used to and that's not easy on dark and cold winter mornings. There is a bit of a break in flying now and planning is in place for the next relief pilot to start early in January. Please continue to pray for a permanent solution for the program.

Meanwhile back in Oxford, Christmas came early with our Carol Service at the end of November, before all the students left. Amelia was part of the small group who led the carols in a beautiful service in the heart of Oxford as snow started falling outside. The next day we had some fun in the fresh snow, although it did not take long until we were complaining about frozen toes and fingers.

I applied for a position at the Christian Institute in January but was unsuccessful, they then had another round of recruiting in July and invited me to Newcastle for an interview shortly after we arrived in the UK. That is why I had to wear a suit for the first time since my wedding. It was an interesting experience outside of my comfort zone; researching, writing and commenting on current news from a Christian perspective. However, it must have gone well enough since they offered me a position which I have accepted! Since then, Amelia and I made to a 3 day trip and viewed almost 15 houses, made an offer on one and that has also been accepted! So, now we are in the process of sorting all of that out. In the meantime, we will stay in Oxford and involved with the church until the end of February and I will continue working with MAF until the end of March. So many things worked out last minute for our move over here: I have never before bought our international tickets days before leaving, let alone for our final departure! We bought a car over a couple of WhatsApp calls. The mission house in Oxford was confirmed 3 days before we left Ireland! We are extremely thankful for all the answered prayers, Amelia's only request was that it would be a bit less last minute. So this time, God answered four months in advance.

As we approach Christmas, perhaps with a lot of uncertainty, frustrations, disappointments and questions, we are just reminded that God is in control. His timing is perfect and He knows what He is doing, even when it does not feel that way from our perspective.

First (2) month(s) in the UK

Dear Supporters,   I started this post at our 1 month mark in the UK, but now we have been here 2 months already and so much has happened! As I mentioned just before we left the Republic of Ireland, we secured a 4 bedroom house near Oxford literally days before we boarded the ferry to the UK. It has been such a blessing, the house is fully furnished and equipped and even has resources for home schooling. The Shunem Trust offer this house to missionaries on furlough or returning to the UK at the same rate you would struggle to find a 1 bedroom flat in the area. The remote support work for MAF Tanzania is actually working pretty well. I have time to focus on some of the admin tasks I could not always get to, especially during the last year when I was the only pilot. We have successfully managed to cover the regular outreach flying by juggling 4 relief-pilots who each cover 3-5 weeks at a time. We are hopeful that a full-time pilot will join the program by the 2nd quarter of next year. The community and Trinity Church Oxford have been so great in receiving us during this time of transition and change. One of the leadership couples were missionaries in Tanzania for 14 years with Africa Inland Mission. They know the challenges of returning 'home.' I have been supported by the church to gain some church ministry experience while we settle and search for a full-time job.  Within the first couple of weeks, I had an opportunity to preach on 1 Corinthians 2, in a 1000 year old church building in the heart of Oxford. I was able to relate to Paul's fear and trembling and lack of wisdom and eloquence. So, all I could do was focus on Jesus, the cross and His resurrection!

The boys have really done well, in the first few week, we enjoyed some sunny days, but the temperatures have dropped quite a bit recently. They join a weekly home education nature walk and have enjoyed experiencing the change of seasons. Louis is starting to join in more with home school and Amelia is doing a great job managing both of them. Since we've been here we celebrated 3 birthdays; we had Grandma's birthday the day before we moved to Oxford, then we had Louis' 4th birthday with our first visitors in our 'new' house. In November we joined Oupa's 70th birthday online with friends and family from all over.

As you can see, we have so much to be thankful for and there is EVEN more that I will send in a separate newsletter, but I do not want this one to get too long. In the meantime, I will let you wonder why I needed to find a suit to wear for the first time since our wedding.

Almost there... Dear Supporters,   Our plans have, amazingly, NOT changed since our previous update and we are extremely thankful that things have worked out very well. Apart from a pre-booked airport to hotel transfer that cancelled last minute (a taxi off the curb worked out a quarter of the price in the end), our travel to Dublin went without a hiccup. We arrived with all our luggage and the hotel near the airport was a perfect first stop. We could walk across the road to buy carseats and whatever we would need for the journey in to our cottage. The car we bought from Northern Ireland arrived as described and promised After a good night's sleep and a great breakfast, it was time to put my Tetris skills to the test and get all 15 pieces of luggage and the 4 of us into our new car. At some point, I thought I would need to go across the road to get a roof box fitted, but the S-Max kept on taking more and more. With everything loaded, we set off to 'Scattery View' Cottage near the west coast of Ireland. Getting out of Dublin meant we could save a lot on accommodation and get into the beautiful Irish countryside.  It has been a wonderful time exploring (lots of playgrounds) and spending time as a family together after some busy months leading up to this. The boys showed great patience with us when mommy and daddy was often busy packing, planning and arranging things. So, thanks to Covid, we had this buffer-time as a family before getting into the new business of starting life in England. After seven nights in the west, we traveled south (through Tipperary as it wasn't such a long way to go) and have spent the last couple of nights on the south coast. Tomorrow (Monday) morning at 5am we leave for the ferry port at Rosslare (2 hours away) from where we will cross over to Wales (4+ hour crossing) and then drive on to Kimbolton (5 hours). So, it will be a long day with many 'are we there yet's... We really appreciate each and every prayer for us of the past weeks, months and years. Please continue to do so as the journey is not over yet and then we will be on a new journey as God calls us to live and serve in England. Thanksgiving for: - hassle free travel to Ireland  - the car we bought online, arrived as arranged and we are very happy with it - wonderful 10 days in Ireland as a family together - good health, not one of us have had as much as a runny nose. - we have been able to get affordable rent for 5 months near Oxford through Shunem trust, which is set up to assist missionaries on furlough or relocating! Please Pray for: - a safe trip from Ireland to Cambridge  - everything to work out getting into the UK. - the process of settling into new life in England.

Copyright © 2015 Wings4Christ, All rights reserved. To keep our supporters updated on news and prayer points for our ministry with MAF Tanzania Our mailing address is: MAF Tanzania PO Box 13048 Arusha Tanzania

August 2021, the month of lasts

 

Dear Supporters,   I know everyone says time flies, but this past month has really flown by fast. Perhaps also because it was the month in which I did all my last operational flights for MAF Tanzania. After Eivind's visit (former MAF Tz, South Sudan, Uganda pilot), who came to renew his Tanzanian license and help with some relief flying, I had one final rotation to each of our monthly outreach locations. Despite the many challenges over the years, each of these villages, the airstrips, the people and the teams I've flown, holds a unique place in my heart. Even though I wouldn't recognize them, many of the babies that were brought to the clinics when I just started, are now 9+ years old and are now sitting under the wing for Sunday school. Before I went on my last Haydom outreach, I did a quick count through my logbook and found that I have landed roughly 800 times at the Haydom Hospital airstrip alone! During a normal Haydom outreach we do up to 27 landings over the 4 days! I have known many of the nurses since I started flying there in 2012 and they've known me from when I was single, when I got married and when I became a father. We've shopped together for sweet bananas in Buger, for them to take back to Haydom and me for the family back in Arusha (because the boys WILL ask for their little bananas from Haydom). We've been stuck in villages together due to punctures or technical problems (we actually had 2 punctures on this last trip!). Which meant we had to wait for hours for a car from the hospital and then hours shaken around in the Land Cruiser to get to the hospital by midnight if we're lucky. These nurses have been great friends and colleagues, they don't always enjoy the flights, it could be turbulent or rainy, but they want to go out and serve those in remote communities. It has been an honor to work with them over these years. Now we are in the final weeks of our time here in Tanzania, many things have been sold, some things have been packed, some things have even been taken to the UK already. Our big 5-Phase Re-certification of our Air Operators Certificate, started today after being postponed for nearly 4 years, we are thankful that it is happening before I leave and pray that it will be completed during the next 2 weeks. Once that is finished, we will have a week to gather our thoughts and possessions before we head to Kenya around 10 September. We would also like to give thanks for answered prayers for:  - UK Spouse visa for Kirstein - Quick sale of most big household items and car - Good last operational flights for Kirstein. - Amazing last (first for Louis) visit to Tarangire National Park The Combrinks

My last Haydom Hospital outreach

Prayer points: - Finalizing everything and saying goodbye to people and places in Tanzania. Especially for the boys who may not be grasping what it means that we are moving permanently. - Travel plans (via Kenya or Ukraine), that Kenya would go onto the UK amber list. - 5-Phase re-certification of the MAF Tz Operators Certificate - Good transition into the UK - Good remote working setup between Kirstein and MAF Tz operations. - Permanent staff solutions for MAF Tz

Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's will for the MAF Tanzania programme, and our next steps this year as a family.

July 2021 Update

Dear Supporters,   It was almost a month ago that I received my visa for the UK and we have more news about our upcoming move! Over the past year or so, we have been considering what the next chapter of our live and ministry in the UK would look like. We felt certain that this is the time for us to make the transition and continue in ministry in the UK. During the past month we have been in contact with a church in Oxford and I have been offered an opportunity in their residency program. This will allow me to gain ministry experience and mentoring while serving in a church context. We were reluctant at first as this will be an unpaid position for at least one year,. However, the residency will be part-time, allowing me to find a part-time job to offset some living expenses. After prayerful consideration, we decided that this would be the best way forward to prepare me for church ministry. Once we made that decision, other doors started opening! I will continue to oversee the MAF Tanzania operations remotely, from the UK until March 2022. We also were put in touch with a family from the UK who will be moving to Arusha early next year to serve at the maternity hospital where our church meets. They will be moving into our house and have decided to buy almost all of our household items! We put the car up for sale last week and a Young Life family arriving next month is likely going to buy it. So, that's all the big sale boxes ticked and we are very thankful for that. Prayer Points: The next few weeks will be hectic as I'm the only pilot in program until the end of August and we have to prepare for and complete a 5-Phase recertification process for our Air Operator's License. Thankfully, Amelia is continuing her amazing organizing, selling and packing. Please also pray that we can finish well and have time to say goodbyes even though many friends are away at the moment and there are also rising Covid numbers here. Exactly how and when we go, is still dependent on UK travel restrictions. We will make a decision after the 25 August update; if Kenya moves to the amber list, then we will spend 10 days there, if the Kenya stays on the red list and the Ukraine on the amber list, we will go and spend 10 days in Ukraine before heading to the UK. We can trust that God is in control and will continue to provide during this transition and settling into this new season in the UK. A lot of things happening, so please keep us in your prayers during this time. The Combrinks Johann turned 6 last Thursday! We had a great day with friends at a playground and restaurant. Also last week, our hard-working mama pig had 15 piglets! Kirstein and Colimba did a great job of helping with the delivery, and the boys are enjoying these cuties.  SUPPORT AND COMMUNICATION Thank you to everyone who has supported us over all these years and continue to do so despite all the economic uncertainty going around at the moment. We really appreciate each and everyone one of you. We would like to as that you prayerfully consider to continue supporting us during this time of transition and settling in the UK   Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's will for the MAF Tanzania programme, and our next steps this year as a family.

Copyright © 2015 Wings4Christ, All rights reserved. To keep our supporters updated on news and prayer points for our ministry with MAF Tanzania