Privilege

On Tuesday this week, we had the opportunity to fly with Andrew again on one of his MAF flights. He was flying out to a village called Birise to take a medical team, but he was flying empty from Dodoma and then picking up the medical staff at Magumbua, a village on the way to Birise. 

We have got to know the missionary family who live out at Magumbua. They run a clinic there and also organise a monthly medical visit to Birise, sending some of their own staff by MAF plane, to bring medical help to the more remote Birise. 

The American family based out at Magumbua have become our good friends. They often pass through Dodoma with their 3 children, where they stay in the MAF Guest House which is literally on our doorstep. We have a common link with Dr John and his wife Melissa, as they studied tropical medicine, many years ago, at Liverpool University! They loved their time in the city where I grew up. It is always good to meet people who understand something about where you come from when you are living in a foreign country.

On Tuesday, we Parkers all set off  in Andrew's plane, flying together to Magumbua, where Andrew would land, drop off his family, pick up the medical team and continue on to Birise for the day. 

Myself, Esther, Ben and Joel stayed at Magumbua for the day, hosted by Melissa and their children while Dr John was busy at work in the clinic, where crowds of patients were waiting to see him.

 It was wonderful to be able to fly with Andrew again and to see first hand what some of his work entails. It was wonderful to spend a day with friends in a different environment and see first hand the people who use MAF to bring medical care and help to isolated communities in Tanzania. It was wonderful to fly up over the landscape of Dodoma and see how quickly urban living gives way to the semi-arid bushland surrounding Tanzania's capital city. 

In fact, I was overwhelmed. What an amazing privilege to be flying in a plane with our 3 children, with Andrew in the pilot's seat; to be involved in MAF's work: to be living in this dry, but strikingly vast and beautiful landscape that makes up part of Tanzania. I might have needed a tissue or two as the reality of this privilege hit home for me on this particular Tuesday...

Here's a bit of a record of our day...

Off to the plane, 8am on a bright winter's morning in Dodoma:

All aboard...

Ben helps his dad at the controls:

The passengers settle down with their on-board entertainment:

Off we go...

Leaving Dodoma, with clear views of Lion Rock:

30 minutes and 120 km later, we arrive at the bush-strip- Andrew lines up for landing on the Magumbua "runway":

A chance for an updated family shot with the plane!

The medical team arrive. Andrew consults with Dr John, working out the weight allowance for the day to see who can and can't join today's flight, taking into account the weight of the medical equipment that will also be loaded onto the plane:

Andrew flew with the medical team on to Birise, whilst we had a lovely day with our friends in their peaceful rural setting. Back at the house, the children and I were interested to see honey being harvested from honeycombs from local hives and took a few pictures of the process...

Time flew past...and soon the bush pilot returned...

Just enough time for a cuppa with Melissa and John:

Then off to the airstrip for the farewells: 

On the way home, Esther had her turn to sit up front with her dad- he even let her try the controls- oooerr, it was a little bumpy!!

Here is a final shot of the view from on high...I would have taken more photos, but the bumpiness on that hot afternoon in the plane took its toll. Instead, I found myself rushing to stow the camera away in safe place after poor little Joel had been sick all over my arm-and his seat- and his lap...!!!