FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA” DATE: APRIL 16, 2014
ERIC DRY EVACED TO SOUTH AFRICA
Eric had a case of malaria over the weekend, finished the 3 day treatment, was fine, and then began with symptoms again 2 days later. This is called Resistant malaria, and needs IV treatments to resolve it. The Balama doctor gave him his first IV treatment which is good for 12 hours. Eric was weak, but on his feet, so we opted to get him out the fastest way, and that was by commercial jet from Nampula.
Missions Aviation Fellowship (MAF) out of Nampula, Moz. (40 minutes by air south of us) flew up on a moment’s notice and fetched him at the Montepuez gravel airstrip in one of their 2 small planes. In the meantime, MAF’s office staff organized him a ticket on a commercial airliner leaving Nampula at 2pm. There are no flights out of Pemba on Tuesdays and Sundays here, so Nampula was our only option.
All of us were AMAZED that the Montepuez airfield was OPEN (as usually it’s full of 6 foot grass which they do not cut till end of May!) I drove Eric to the field in record time, arriving 8 minutes before the plane. At MAF’s phone instructions, I RAN THE RUNWAY with my pick-up to make sure there were no dangerous pot holes. Dave Lepoidevin, head pilot at MAF Nampula, told me many years ago, that if a vehicle can do 80km/hour on a runway and not spill a drop of water from an open glass sitting in the vehicle, then THAT is a wonderful runway for them. Pilot Conrad, landed without incident and whisk Eric away after only a minutes on the ground.
Eric is now in the hospital in South Africa receiving the IV treatments needed to be an “overcomer” from malaria. We pray he recovers quickly and returns to us soon.
Blessings, Bush Bunny Brenda