NEWS FLASH!

Date: 22nd February 2007

PROPERTY IN LUSAKA!

We praise the Lord that a property in Lusaka has become available for the Flight Service to buy at a reasonable price. ($US75,000.)

 It is the house beside the one we have been renting since 1994 and are using for a Guest House.  The design, structure and size of plot are the same.

We paid a down payment of $25,000 mid February.  The final payment of $50,000 is to be made December 31/ 2007.  The title deed is being changed into CMML Mission Service Trust’s name.  The previous owner is using the house rent free until Dec 2007 when we will make the final payment.  This will give us time to find the remaining balance. 

 As the Lord provides, we also want to invest approximately $75,000 extra to make necessary improvements, to bring it up to the standard that we presently have.  We would do the renovations with similar but improved-on additions, such as en-suite bathrooms, bedrooms and laundry room, etc.  Once the renovations (additions) are complete, we could then stop renting the present house.  We hope to be able to start this work Feb 1/ 2008. 

 For many years, the Lord’s people have been recommending that we buy, instead of continuing to pay rent each month. We personally would rather not have to take out a loan or mortgage, but look to the Lord for this need.  We believe our God is able to do far more than we can imagine. 

  This is a wonderful opportunity and we thank the Lord for it.

 Please pray along with us as we contemplate the renovations needed and that the funds will be in order by December 2007.

Date: 28th December 2006

THANKS FOR YOU PRAYERS!

We are thankful to the Lord that the new engine is performing well.  We have flown a number of flights and have a busy schedule ahead of us next year with the first flight Jan 1st. 

We would like to thank those of you who frequent this page to see how things are going.  We would like to wish you God's Blessing in the New Year!

It has been exceptionally rainy the last few weeks.   Please continue to pray for safely of flight.

Date: 5th December 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord that the test flight today went well!  We have made the adjustments needed and are now able to fly the remaining flights we have booked for Dec.

We have felt God's help and timing in it all even though things have taken much longer then anticipated.

Your prayers have been very much appreciated.  Please continue to pray for safely of flight in the rainy season we are in.

Date: 2nd December 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord the engine was started for the first time yesterday before stopping for the day at 7 pm.  Today more work and tests were done.  More work and adjustments are required next week.  Again the men have worked very long hours each day and are exhausted.

Pray that strength and wisdom will be given, that the adjustments and tests will go smoothly and the annual inspection finished in time for us to fly Wed afternoon.

Your prayers have been very much appreciated.  God Bless!
  

  

Date: 25th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

It has been a good but long week, working 12 plus hours a day.  We have much to thank for Lord for.  The engine was put in position today.  Some more parts need to be couriered out but will not hold things up.

Please continue to pray for continued wisdom, health and strength for all.  A lot more work has to be done next week.  We have had to hire out another flight but pray we will be doing a test flight before the end of next week and then be able to do our next flight booking ourselves.

  

Date: 20th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord the engine has arrived safely at Kalene!  Work has begun!

Pray that Joseph and the mechanic helpers will have the health, strength, wisdom needed over the next 2 weeks as the engine is installed and the annual inspection is done.

Date: 18th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord the engine was picked up from the clearing agent at Lusaka airport yesterday  just before lunch and is now in Chingola.

Please pray for safety of travel to Kalene on Monday, there has been lots of rain lately so the dirt roads will be slippery.

Date: 16th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord the after a long day; an inspection of the engine, a meeting with the head of customs, the engine and spares were granted a special customs release.  The head of customs was not allowing any goods to be released as someone earlier this week had take their goods without proper customs clearance.

Please pray for safety of travel to Lusaka Friday and to Kalene on Monday.

Date: 15th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord the letter from the Ministry of Finance guaranteeing they will pay the duty and vat is now at the clearing agents!  They are working on the paperwork now.   The plan is for the engine to be picked up Friday and it be brought to Kalene Monday.

Please pray that the paperwork will be done soon and that customs will release the engine on Friday. Pray for safety of travel to Lusaka and up to Kalene.

Date: 14th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

The Ministry of Finance computers are still not working!  Many phone calls have been made by ourselves and a fellow missionary has visited the offices.  It has been decided that a letter would be written by the Ministry of Finance instructing customs to release the engine, promising the voucher would be coming once the computers are up and running again.  The letter has been written and will be signed tomorrow DV.  This letter then will be taken to the clearing company at the airport for them to do the paper work.  The will then submit to customs to get a special pre-clearance release of the engine. 

Please pray this will happen quickly and that the missionary offering to bring the engine to Kalene will be able to do so safely and quickly. 

Date: 9th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

The paper work was submitted to the Ministry of Finance yesterday to get the voucher to pay for the Duty and Vat for the engine and spares. It was found out at that time that the computer system has been down for a week now and no vouchers are being issued until it is up and running again.  We have been told they will do the one for our engine as soon as their system is up and running.

Please pray the computer system will be up and running soon and that there will be no more delays in getting the engine to Kalene.

Date: 8th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

The engine has been found!  Praise the Lord!  Thirty three days ago, the air-freight courier told us that the new engine for the CMML Flight Service plane would take 7 to 10 days to arrive in Lusaka.  There were many obstacles along the way.  First, it was put on hold in Atlanta, because they thought it was “dangerous cargo”.  Then it sat in London for several days, because the cargo airline was grounded in the European Union for some reason.  They finally transferred it to another air-carrier, to go via Nairobi on Kenya Airways.  It was unloaded in Nairobi but there was no room on the next flight to Lusaka and sat for a few days.  We were told it flew to Lusaka Nov 3rd but no one could find it.  Today we finally got word that they found the engine in Lusaka.   It had not flown on the 3rd but the 7th.   Bruce had made many calls and e-mails which helped move things along.  Thank you for your prayers!  Without them, it could have taken much longer.  Continue praying, as the paperwork goes through the various offices, and that the engine would be released soon, then transported up here to Kalene (This is a two day journey and we are in the rainy season). Also pray that the installation would go smoothly and safely, and that in good time we will be again flying the Lord’s servants. 

Date: 6th November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Thanks for your prayers.

There is still no sign of the engine in Lusaka. UPS says it went on the Nov 2nd  Kenya Airways but no one can find it.  UPS have not yet been able to verify if it has arrived or where it is in Lusaka.

Pray that it may be found soon!    Many thanks!

Date: 1st November 2006

ENGINE UPDATE!

Praise the Lord, we have received word that the new engine will be able to come in duty and tax free.

The engine left the U.S.A on October 6th.  We were informed by UPS that it would only take 7 – 10 days to arrive in Lusaka.  Well, it is still in transit.  There were some complications in London with the airline, so it had to be transferred to another airline.  At the moment the engine is waiting in Nairobi, Kenya and expects to be on the flight to Lusaka tomorrow.

Pray that the paperwork would be in order, and that it clears customs quickly.  We thank the Lord for a fellow missionary who has offered to drive it up to Kalene as soon as it is released.  Pray for safety in travel.  Pray that the installation would go smoothly and successfully.  Many thanks!

Date: 28th September 2006

ENGINE PROBLEM!

During our recent engine inspection (Sept 25 & 26) on the plane for CMML Flight Service, we discovered a potential problem with the engine. It was decided for safety reasons, that we should not fly until the problem is rectified. Since there are less than 80 hours remaining on this engine before the required change, we decided to change it earlier than expected. This means that the new engine which we have ordered will need to be air freighted out from the USA as soon as possible. We had planned to send it by sea in an ACCTS container in October. We had initially hoped to be given a 300 hour extension to the present engine life through the Department of Civil Aviation, as the engine was in good condition with high compressions. This would have allowed us to do the engine change early next year. Please pray that the engine will arrive soon and the additional costs be kept to a minimum. Pray that our ‘down time’ also be kept to a minimum, that we may continue transporting the Lord’s servants. Pray that we get permission in the next few weeks to bring the engine in duty free as presently it does not qualify for exempted. We are looking into hiring another plane to meet some of our flight commitments. This has taken us by surprise but we see the Lord’s hand in it, in that the engine was ordered and able to be made in time for shipment.