New Life - A New View of Life

New Life

On a Friday last month, pilot Jamin Peck got a call from missionaries Greg and Kadie Ried who live on an isolated island among the Taliabo people: A woman, Amelia, had been in distressful labor for hours, with no sign of progress and some troublesome symptoms. She might need a medevac.

A call the next morning confirmed the need. They were in danger of losing the baby and maybe even the mother. They needed a medevac.

Though the Taliabo team had a supply flight coming up soon, most of the supplies hadn’t been bought yet, especially the fresh items. Only a fraction of their cargo was ready to be loaded. This medevac flight would use up the remaining hours on the Kodiak before it would be down for a 100-hour inspection. So, the missionaries would have to go without the majority of their supplies until the plane was back in service.

“But even knowing this,” wrote pilot’s wife Carol Kresge, “the missionaries in Taliabo insisted that Amelia and her unborn baby were in greater need of speedy evacuation than they themselves were in need of supplies. They would trust God to care for their needs while the plane was down.”

Then came a blessing of the COVID restrictions. The pilots had to get tested before they could fly. That bought a few hours of time.

“We hurried off in different directions to buy what we could – meat, vegetables, eggs,” wrote Carol. “We even grabbed stuff off our pantry shelves if it matched the items on their supply lists.”

By the time the pilots and plane were ready, so was a pile of cargo.

Jamin and Jared, Carol’s husband, flew Amelia back to the city, where Greg had arranged for her to be met by health officials and transported to a local hospital. “She later gave birth by Cesarean to a beautiful little girl,” said Carol.

Missionary Grace Downing, who works in Taliabo along with her husband, Payton, summed it all up: "I just wanted to say another heartfelt thank you to all of the supply and flight teams for your work yesterday. I can't believe how much you guys managed to do in the space of only a few hours.” 

Grace was especially grateful for one other thing: “I'm very sure that the team's efforts saved the baby’s and possibly Amelia’s life as well."

A New View of Life

Several weeks before the medevac, Grace and Payton had contacted the aviation team to ask them to look for a wheelchair for a man in their village.  They found one at a local pharmacy.  

But the aviation team was puzzled. “We all kind of scratched our heads, wondering how the man could possibly get any use out of a wheelchair.  We didn't imagine the terrain could be very conducive to rolling around,”  wrote Carol.

Grace explained. Nia Nama had a stroke two years ago and was basically confined to his house where people had to help him do almost everything. His wife was not strong enough to haul him around.  With a wheelchair, they were hopeful he could at least sit outside and have a better view of the life happening around him. “This will so improve his quality of life!” wrote Grace.

In the flurry to prepare for the medevac, someone remembered to include the wheelchair on the flight. Now, with a wooden ramp to enter and exit the house, as well as some hard-packed ground and a few sidewalks already in the village, Nia Nama’s wife can wheel him outside and even roll him to church! 

Everyone was thankful to the aviation team for the lifesaving medevac, the essential supplies, and the wheelchair for the disabled man.

 But thanks to those of you who donate and help make flights affordable and provide new life in so many ways for people like these dear Taliabo folks. Pray for the Downings and Rieds as they learn language and culture in order to continue the discipleship of believers in Taliabo.