I have arrived in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, via three different flights and three days of travel. I’m a bit tired now, and jet lag is clouding my head! It’s 7 hours ahead of the UK.
I’ll be here for nearly 2 weeks. I’ll be based in Tarakan, where MAF has a base with 6 planes. One of these is the Kodiak which toured the UK last autumn before it headed into operation. My reason for visiting is to see the plane in action and report on the impact its making. The programme also has two float planes based down in Palangkaraya.
First impressions: it’s very warm and humid and very green. Today there was plenty of cloud cover and it rained heavily early morning. When we headed to the hangar there was a stunning rainbow – had we been only moments earlier it would have been a great photo, arching over the Kodiak sitting on the apron with stormy clouds adding a bit of drama.
Only 2 of the six planes in Tarakan are operational at the moment – the others are down for maintenance, though the grand caravan should be back in operation tomorrow having just had a biannual inspection of the undercarriage completed today (whole under-carriage removed for a thorough check).
While I didn’t join any flights today, the Kodiak did transport the body of a young boy (13-14 years old) and his family to his home village for burial. He had had a heart defect since birth, and previously had heart surgery after which there were no more problems. Then just a few days ago he’d developed problems in his arm and pain in his head. He was brought to the hospital here in Tarakan where he was for three days before he died. It was upsetting to see the coffin be carried out over the apron and carefully loaded into the Kodiak, some of our national staff securing it with straps to one side at the back – you sense just a minute fraction of the pain and heartbreak of the parents. The parents and two others accompanied the coffin on the flight. School children were there to meet the plane when it landed. Here it’s really important for people to be buried in their home villages, so for MAF to assist in the transportation of bodies for funerals is an act of compassion, coming alongside the relatives and communities at a time of pain.
A kind of motto of the programme here is: ‘Serving communities; supporting the church; showing compassion’. Relationships are at the heart of what the team are doing. They intentionally invest in relationships with the village communities they fly to, and with people here in Tarakan. In Tarakan about 80% of the population are Muslim, with animism mixed in, some Buddists and Hindus. In the interior about 90% are Christians.
Had dinner with Brad and Rebecca. Brad shared how on one occasion he had the challenge of checking for a passenger’s pulse while flying the plane. Another time they were having drinks down on the beach here in Tarakan when a man came out of the water carrying a girl (approx 12 years old) by her ankles. She’d been sucked under the water and drowned, and the man was carrying her upside down to try and drain out the water. Having had first aid training Brad went and assisted and the young girl was saved. No one else present knew what to do to save her.
Plan to do some flying tomorrow so hope to let you know more after that.
If you have any questions do send them this way and I can see what I can find out.
Bye for now
Stephanie
