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Nov. 11, 2012, , D. R. Congo

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever!” Psalm 136:1

Dear Friends, There is much to join together in prayer and thanksgiving!

Today is my Beloved’s birthday! Dave is currently in Boise, Idaho, USA for a couple of weeks for follow up appointments related to his flight medical. He arrived Nov. 2 and will begin his journey back to Africa on Nov. 17 and arrive home to Bunia on Nov. 19. He is staying with my parents and has also been able to have time with our son Matthew and visit at his university campus in nearby Nampa at Northwest Nazarene University. We’ll appreciate prayer for Dave’s remaining time there and safe travel back, and for Andrew and myself here in Bunia. We’ve had smooth days so far, for which we are thankful!

Our Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft (9Q-CAU) will soon be out of service for a major inspection (NDT) which will last for 3-4 weeks at the MAF maintenance base at outside of . (see photo) Three of our pilots (and their wives) will be in Kampala for the inspection work. Pray that God will bless the work of their hands, give wisdom and that the inspection will progress smoothly. Pray for our remaining families in Bunia and the 2 pilots left to do the flying in the two Cessna 206’s. Our family may go out to help the final week or two to relieve the others when Dave gets back from the USA.

We are so thankful for the Friday night youth group that God surprised us with (!) and our monthly Young Marrieds’ Discipleship group “Koinonia”. What a joy and privilege these ministry opportunities have been! Our prayer is that these precious young people and families will grow deeper in their walks with the Lord Jesus and in the knowledge of His truth and grace—and that God will grow them to be leaders in bringing His transformation to Congo. (see photos)

Praise: The Ebola outbreak out in the Isiro area is well into the window of no new cases, so hopefully WHO/CDC will soon be declaring it contained. Themalaria/salmonella co-infection epidemic is much improved and MSF (Doctors Without Borders) have closed their crisis response bases at Zobia and Nebobongo. We’ve recently flown a German missionary doctor couple to continue their work at Nebobongo Hospital (Matthias and Sabene Holmer) and also two French missionary nurses with WEC who have joined the medical work there.

Give thanks and pray for veteran WEC missionary midwife Maud Kells in Mulita—we flew her back “home” to remote Mulita (photo) a couple of weeks ago after her time in Ireland.

Nyankunde: We are still pondering, but excited to share with you that through much prayer, team and leadership discussions, and an updated security risk assessment in the recent months—God is opening the way to begin using our Nyankunde base for light maintenance in 2013. (**contingent on continuing acceptable security situation in our region.) Decisions have been made this past week by our program manager and Africa director to move ahead. Our main MAF base in eastern DRC will continue to be in Bunia and Nyankunde will be a sub-base with 1-2 families. We’ll write more in our Christmas letter but, begin praying for our family as we prepare for a move back to Nyankunde by early February. The “plan” is for another team couple, our dear long-time friends & co-workers, Lary and Sheryl Strietzel, to move to Nyankunde by June, 2013. We’ve invited Dave’s parents, in Sweden, to come and help for several months (Feb-May) to get the hangar ready to begin using for aircraft maintenance and to finish work on 2-3 of our MAF mission houses there. Andrew is so excited for this possibility! Please pray for God’s peace, wisdom, confirmation, unity and clear leading as our family, team and East DRC MAF ministry moves through this transition.

Our son Matthew will visit us in Africa Dec. 17-Jan. 10!!! We are so excited for this blessing and to be able to be together for Christmas! Pray for Matthew as he finishes up his first semester at NNU before he leaves for Africa. I am getting sooo excited to see Matthew! It will have been 17 months since we were last together!

We wish our American family and friends a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for your encouragement, prayers and partnership with us in MAF ministry here in eastern DRC!

Lovingly, in His Care,

Donna

Koinonia Young Marrieds Discipleship Group

Friday Night Youth Group

Intro to Marshmallows!

Mulita Airstrip

Aircraft maintenance at MAF Uganda Kajjansi Hangar