Symmonds' Soundbites News from Papua

Welcome to another update from PNG!

We hope this finds you well and enjoying a few more freedoms of late.

Thank you once again for reading our letters and praying for us. We couldn't be here without your continued support.

Papua New Guinea is known as the 'Land of the Unexpected', and in the last few months it has lived up to this in our experience. We will relate a few of the happenings in this issue...

Coronavirus Update For the past year, we have repeatedly written that COVID is not affecting PNG in any major way. Sadly, this is beginning to change, with direct and indirect effects of the virus. Numbers of confirmed cases have increased significantly in the last few weeks, but this is probably due, at least in part, to a much increased rate of testing. As a result the government have introduced some new measures in an effort to curb the spread. That said, day to day life for most is still not being greatly affected. Full scale lockdown measures would not be viable here, though most shops and businesses are now enforcing a 'No Mask, No Entry' policy. Unfortunately, there is a severe lack of understanding among many people. Helen observed a group of five young women waiting outside the pharmacy in Wewak. They each went in, one at a time, and as they came out passed the same mask to the next in the group, diligently complying with the mask requirement! There are a range of attitudes toward the illness and the counter-measures, from blasé to real fear. Please pray for good education and wisdom!

Under one of the new measures, all air passengers must now have a negative quick test result within 24 hours prior to flight, and passengers are limited to those in certain 'essential' categories. Test kits are becoming more available, but are still scarce, even in urban centres. At present we are not able to pick up passengers in the bush as they have no access to tests. This has very much impacted MAF's work. We can still fly cargo and medevacs, but general passenger flights have ceased.

We give thanks that the number of serious COVID cases and deaths remains relatively low. We hear that PNG has a mild strain of the virus and over half of all positive tests have been asymptomatic, only being found by contact tracing. Coronavirus is the common thread running through most of the news we have to share this quarter. Funeral of Former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and 'Evacuation' to

You may recall that in our last letter we wrote briefly about the upcoming funeral of Sir Michael. We also sent our related 'Unscheduled Update' a few weeks ago - this is just a recap in case you missed it!

Much work by the whole community took place in Wewak to tidy and decorate the town in preparation for the arrival of the body. We wish we had taken before and after photos as the transformation was amazing! Litter was cleared, grass verges cut, drains and gullies cleaned out, everything was freshly painted and flags and bunting proliferated.

Thousands of people came into Wewak for the event. Fear of unrest quickly dissipated and the funeral took place in an atmosphere of peace and great respect. However, there were rumours that due to the number of people coming into Wewak, the town would be put into a hard lockdown to contain the anticipated spread of COVID. MAF leadership did not want the Wewak aircraft to be stuck on the ground, so on Thursday 11th March, we and our neighbours, the Knigge family, were moved up to Mt Hagen, with only four hours notice! Although the COVID spread and lockdown never materialised we ended being in Hagen almost four weeks. It was good to catch up with friends in Hagen and celebrate Daniel's 6th birthday and Easter weekend together. Helen and the boys were able to continue with home school and Andy was able to do a little flying out of Hagen.

Above: It's hard to capture the atmosphere in Wewak during the funeral, but this snapshot tries! The custom of daubing the body in mud and dressing in 'bilas' (decoration), to show grief and respect, is now extended to vehicles. A Positive COVID Test

We returned to Wewak on Tuesday 6th April. On Thursday of that week we received news that a couple of the MAF team members in Mt Hagen had developed COVID symptoms (mild, praise God) and had tested positive. All pilots who had been in Hagen went for tests before flying again as we are being extra cautious not to take the virus into the bush. Wilfred and Andy went to the test centre at Boram Haus Sik (hospital). It was a great surprise that Andy's test was positive, as he was completely asymptomatic. We isolated as a family for ten days, and although we are fairly sure Helen and Andy each had a very mild/asymptomatic case, we are thankful that none of us were really sick at all.

Above: The shipping container serving as the COVID triage building at Boram haus sik, Wewak.

Another Medevac Call

After release from isolation, Andy was planning a flight from Wewak to Mount Hagen one Monday morning. On checking email before departure we found a message from Dr Beth, our friend based at Samban village. A lady required transport from Samban to the mission hospital at Kompiam so she could undergo surgery. A reply was sent, saying it would be convenient for Andy to call at Samban that morning, since both Samban and Kompiam are en route to Mt Hagen. It wasn't a great surprise that no response was received before departure time, as Samban then had no cell phone coverage and only one satellite e-mail connection (they have since had a new cell phone tower switched on!). This presented a bit of a dilemma, but it was decided that Andy would call into Samban unannounced and see what the situation was on the ground. On arrival, Andy was met by Jesse Prior, a missionary who lives and works at Samban with his wife Carrie. Beth then appeared and after explanations were made, Beth went off to find the patient who was already booked into the clinic for reassessment that morning. It transpired that the lady had been diagnosed with cervical cancer and referred to Boram Haus Sik (hospital) in Wewak. She made the long journey by foot, boat and bus, but although the hospital confirmed the condition was operable they were unable to do it due to COVID related staff shortages, so the lady returned to Samban. Dr Beth then made arrangements for Dr David Mills at Kompiam hospital to perform the operation. The return journey and time spent at Boram had taken nearly four weeks. Sadly, when Beth returned from the reassessment she brought the news that the cancer had now progressed beyond the operable stage. The journey to Kompiam would be pointless. The lady stayed in Samban with her family. This is another medevac call which did not have the outcome we would want, but we tell the tale to highlight the difficulties of travel and communication for many communities in PNG, as well as the indirect consequences of COVID. Samban now have their cell phone tower, which will make a huge difference to them, but many places are even more isolated than Samban. Please pray for this country and the slow but steady progress in getting communities connected to the outside world, medical care and education.

Do give thanks to God for the numerous successful medevacs flown by MAF PNG aircraft and pilots over the last few months! To read the stories of some of these, go to..

https://www.maf-papuanewguinea.org/stories/latest-stories/

2021 marks 70 years since the first MAF flight in PNG. This special logo has been applied to all the aircraft and vehicles. Look out for it in photos in future editions of our letter, as well as more details about this milestone occasion! Training and Internet at Telefomin

A few weeks ago, Andy and Wilfred went to Telefomin for a couple of days. Wilfred was going with an engineer in order to get a new, recently installed, satellite internet system operational, and Andy took the opportunity to fly with Markus Bischoff and get checked into two more airstrips in the area, Eliptamin and Sissamin. As well as increasing Andy's potential usefulness, these two airstrips provide alternate landing sites in the Tele area, giving options to perhaps avoid a costly diversion all the way back to Wewak! The new satellite system is a trial. Now that it has proved successful the same system will be installed at MAF bases across PNG, replacing the existing system which was no longer able to cope with increasing demand. This will mean more reliable internet for the online flight management software, and much less frustration! Also, the annual cost will be one eighth of the old system, a significant saving meaning funds can be invested elsewhere.

Above: The MAF base at Telefomin. The large satellite dish on the left is now redundant and will be removed. It is replaced by the new, smaller dish on the right.

Back to Mount Hagen!

Due to the current COVID restrictions on passenger travel, Wewak base has seen a significant reduction in flight bookings. A couple of weeks ago, a number of technical problems meant there was a serious shortage of serviceable aircraft in Mt Hagen. It was requested that the Wewak aircraft be positioned up to Hagen to cover, so Andy took it up one Saturday and returned to Wewak on PNG Air. It has also been decided that this is a good opportunity for Andy to train and expand his operations in the Highlands whilst the is quiet, so on Monday 3rd May we packed up again and followed the Wewak plane to Hagen! With the Knigge family having recently gone to the Netherlands on Home Assignment, Wewak has no aeroplane or pilots for a while. Ludmer, Jacob and Joel continue to man the base as necessary, as the cargo flights and special charters the Wewak base is handling are being serviced from Hagen and Telefomin. We will be in Hagen for a few weeks. Please pray that this will be a productive time of training. Pray also for the engineering team. Our aircraft operate in a very tough environment and the team do a great job of keeping them safe, smart and flying! Pray for wisdom and stamina as the engineers get back on top of the current problems. Medevac Packs

When possible, we carry a 'medevac pack' on such flights. This is a little bag which is gifted to the patient and contains items to make a stay in hospital more comfortable, e.g. spare clothes, toothbrush, soap, face cloth, nappies for new-borns, a book, etc. Many hospitals in PNG do not provide anything beyond the direct medical needs. Even food is expected to be provided by 'wantoks' (family and relations). These particular packs were sponsored by a church in England, and some MAF ladies got together to create them. Since we're in Hagen, Helen had the pleasure of being able to join the packing session! Pray these packs will be a blessing and encouragement to the people who receive them. If you, your church, workplace or small group would like to sponsor some more medevac packs, or something similar, please let us know!

Left: Helen helping to pack the medevac bags. Right: The industrious ladies on completion of all the medevac packs! L-R: Charlene, Helen, Jo, Caroline, Marieke and Clare.

COVID Vaccines

Just a couple of weeks ago we were surprised to learn that a number of COVID vaccine doses had arrived in PNG. We were very surprised to learn that as staff of a humanitarian organisation we qualified to receive it, along with front line medics, pharmacy staff, other aid workers, etc. Mt Hagen is one of the distribution centres, so whilst here, Andy took the opportunity to

receive a first dose. This is great news as it Above: The COVID vaccine administration facility at will reduce the risk of our pilots carrying the Mount Hagen hospital. virus to the remote bush communities we are serving. Helen is yet to receive a dose at the time of writing! Let's hear it for the Boys! Joel and Daniel are coping very well with the frequent moving recently. They have been able to keep up with home schooling and Joel has just started his Year 5 material. He's a bit out of sync with the northern hemisphere, having been on an Australian curriculum for 6 months! Both boys are enjoying the opportunity to join the Hagen Hive, a weekly kids club run by Jo, our home school support worker. They have enjoyed spending time with friends here and last week it even happened that flights and loading were such that Ethan, Joel's friend who now lives in , could come across to Hagen for a sleepover! (They are missing the guinea pigs and the beach though.)

Quote of the Quarter:

When in Wewak, we sometimes go for a family cycle ride. A few weeks ago we did the three mile round along the coastal road and back parallel to the main road. Daniel was very proud that: "We made it all the way round without stopping, except for the times we stopped!"

Above: Some of the MAF kids with the paperchain 'snakes' they made at Daniel's Wildlife Safari themed 6th birthday party.

Home Assignment

We have some approximate dates set (as firmly as possible in these times) for our Home Assignment! We hope to be in the UK from mid-July to the end of September and are hoping COVID rules by then will allow us to actually meet with people. We don't have exact dates yet, as MAF are not booking flight tickets any more than six weeks in advance, but we want to start putting a rough itinerary together. UK COVID rules at the time permitting, we will definitely be spending time in Nottingham and Teesside, and probably Kent to visit the MAF office. We would also be delighted to travel to other parts of the country to visit as many of our friends family and supporting churches as possible! We'd love to share in person some of what we have been doing the last couple of years. We can share in church services, small groups, prayer meetings, or just get together for a meal or a coffee. Don't let geography be a barrier at this stage! Please let us know if you'd like us to visit you and/or your church, and we'll see what we can arrange!

E-mail us at: [email protected]

Thank you once again for all your support, for praying for us and keeping in touch. We hope to catch up with many folks in the UK in person in a few months time! In the meantime, we'd love to hear your news if you have the capacity to write. Our next few weeks are looking pretty busy with training for Andy, Helen and the boys working hard in school, as well as getting ready for our planned visit to the UK, but it doesn't mean we don't want to hear from you!

Love from Andy, Helen, Joel and Daniel

Please Pray:

Give Thanks

That despite the rising numbers of confirmed COVID cases, serious illness and deaths are still relatively low. For our safety despite apparently contracting COVID. That the Nijveld and Norbury families finally made it to PNG. That COVID vaccines have arrived in PNG! For 70 years of MAF PNG.

Pray For

Continued protection of PNG and it's people from a major outbreak of serious cases Covid-19. In the grand scheme of things the current situation is not too concerning. An increase in COVID education and understanding among the people of PNG. The continuation of the vaccination program. Wisdom for the leaders and authorities of both PNG and MAF worldwide. That our time in Mt Hagen will be well spent in training for Andy. Our continued health and well being. More new team members and families settling into their roles and the culture. Work on surveying, repairing and reopening airstrips to continue. Our neighbours, Wilfred, Harriette, Micha and Ruben, as they are on home assignment in the Netherlands. Our home assignment plans.