One year on - 12 months since the president died

Last week marked one year since we heard that there were rebels advancing from the north, that there was fighting 200km north of N'Djamena, near the town of Mao, that tanks began to appear on the streets, that we hunkered down on our compound and held daily meetings to discuss the situation with MAFI, that the British Embassy issued advise to its citizens to leave the country, that school closed and people started to leave the city. Last year we flew flights around the country to evacuate people to safer places, and on the 20th April, president Deby was killed. 

To commemorate his life, a ceremony was held in the capital and one of the main roads, Avenue Mobutu, was renamed to the much more catchy 'Boulevard du Marechal du Tchad Idriss Deby Itno'.

This week our compound also got a lot quieter, as we said goodbye (or see you again soon) to our visitors and the Henderson family. That leaves just our family and the temporary program manager here for the next four months. As we are blessed to have a small pool on the compound I am sure it won't be entirely peaceful here in the coming weeks.

On a more positive note, we had a really encouraging meeting with a partner who has been working in Ghana and doing short term trips to Chad but has now set up a permanent team in the north. We are looking forward to being able to begin working with the team to bring help, hope and healing as they live there permanently ministering to the local population, and as visiting teams of doctors, eye surgeons and dentists begin to set up clinics in this isolated region. I also finally made it to the tailor to get a dress made, shopping is not my favourite thing to do so it has taken over four years and the encouragement of a friend to actually find the shop and order an outfit!

He has Risen - Celebrating Easter

As mentioned in our previous blog post, on Good Friday we were able to join our community church evening service, coming together to worship, share communion and listen to bible readings. Matt went along early with the children to set up the projector and sound system, I arrived in the nick of time after returning from a long flight. 

After the 6th and last flight of the campaign.

On Saturday I flew again, to take the pastors back to their home town so they would be able to lead the service at their church on Easter Sunday, after 3 weeks of travelling around the country. Matt went shopping and bumped into some friends and arranged an impromptu swim and lunch at the compound. In the evening we headed over to Guinebor II hospital, where we had been invited to spend the rest of the weekend. 

The camels are currently in town, once the rains come they will head north again.

Staying in a hospital ground may not sound like your typical weekend away but we had a wonderfully refreshing time (even if, unlike our housing, there isn't any air conditioning and we are now into hot season). We made Easter chocolate bars with sprinkles in the evening, then after dinner we enjoyed watching 'Swallows and Amazons' with all the staff who live at the hospital at their outdoor cinema.

Watching a film on the big screen (the adults were on chairs behind)

On Sunday morning we melted more chocolate (not super difficult when the kitchen is 40 degrees) and put our Easter egg moulds to use. The children then all set off on an egg hunt around the grounds looking for cardboard eggs that they could then exchange for chocolate eggs. The children also gathered on a mat outside to listen to the Easter story.

Hunting for Easter eggs while being shot at with water pistols

Listening to the Easter story

For his 30th birthday (a few years back), Matt got a guitar which travelled to Chad with us but until recently he has been unable to play. Our friend Bethan, who is a music therapist, decided a few months ago that she would help him get started and challenged him to learn to play it before he turns 40. On Easter Sunday, Matt practiced his newly learnt chords as he strummed along to worship songs with Bethan and her family.

Bethan and Matt playing guitar. Bethan’s husband and children joined in, playing percussion instruments 

To round off the day we were invited to join a shared meal with the staff that live or work at the hospital, 36 people from 8 different countries, all sharing together and remembering the reason we are here at this time, in this place.

Guinebor II staff from Chad, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Norway, Holland, Germany, UK, USA 

Round up of the week - 11 April

Last weekend we had a team BBQ at our compound, with our two permanent families, Leon our temporary program manager and two visiting pilots. It was fun to have a bigger team with all the houses full, even if it is only for two weeks. 

Kalvin, one of our visiting pilots arrived to do some check flights with Phil in preparation for coming back in June to allow us to return to the UK for the summer. He did he first flight in Chad since 2015 on Monday, and had his skills put to the test on Tuesday with a full days flying from N'Djamena to Goz Beida, Iriba and Abeche all in the east of Chad. Two hours into the first leg I sent him a message to request a diversion to collect a patient who needed to come into N'Djamena for urgent medical care.

This week was the second week of Bethan's Easter break. Last week she went for a sleepover with friends. This week she had some friends over to play and spent a lot of time in our pool. 

Pastors saying farewell before the flight

Dust storm coming in front of a thunderstorm

On Friday I flew out to the east to move some pastors to their next destination and on the way back had to divert around some thunderstorms that were developing. In the evening we attended a good Friday service at our church and the first drops of rain since October. That evening those few drops turned into a downpour and the children had lots of fun running around outside enjoying the rain.

Clouds building up

Good Friday evening service at our church in N'Djamena

Round up of the Week

Last weekend we celebrated Bethan turning 10 years old, she had a party with friends on the compound playing wink murder, capture the flag and lots of water games, followed by a swim in the pool, snacks and cake. In the evening we had a fire where we melted marshmallows - a special treat brought to Chad by our short term program manager who arrived a few days before her birthday.

Playing 'What's the time Mr Wolf - Shower time''

Marshmallows, fire and friends

Michel, an engineer from Madagascar, left on Monday after spending two weeks carrying out scheduled maintenance and fixing a couple of problems that came up while he was here. We were very thankful for his visit which will enable us to keep flying over the next few months. 

On Wednesday Phil and I were able to complete my C208 base check, a test flight that each pilot has to do every 6 months on each type of aircraft they fly. This was the 4th attempt to get it done, the first time we started the aircraft and then before we could taxi the airport was closed for an undefined period due to a VIP flight. The next two attempts were hampered by harmattan winds which blew dust across Chad making the visibility too low to complete the flight. 

Visibility 1000m

This week we have also had a visiting pilot from Uganda who has come to spend two weeks with us seeing the type of flying we do in Chad and how the program operates. On Thursday I flews with him to the east of Chad, moving an evangelism team for the next campaign. The control tower reported the temperature as ''a little bit hot'' at 44 degrees on the ground but for the return flight we climbed to 18,000 feet and enjoyed a break from the heat of Chad, with the outside temperature of -5 degrees.

Pieter flying over Eastern Chad

Transport waiting for the Pastors, dust devil in the distance.