KEEPING THE PHONE ON
There are many stories we could share, but this story about a call coming in this past Christmas morning struck a chord with us. We were reminded just how committed our team is to the work we do, and we couldn’t help but be inspired.
As all health care professionals know, the need for medical care is ongoing. Sickness, trauma, and pregnancy complications do not take a break for the holidays. The case was no different in Wewak, Papua New Guinea this past December. On Christmas morning, a call came in from the remote village of Samban. Gilbert—a young man about 26 years old—had been sick for a few days, but had taken a turn for the worse and was struggling to breathe. After getting all of the details, Medical Director Chris Cooke and Pilot Nick Mosca rushed to get the airplane and medical equipment ready.
As the plane took off toward the village of Kambaramba, Gilbert and his wife, Magdaline, began a 45-minute boat ride along a narrow channel to meet the floatplane where it could land. As they were loaded onto the floatplane, Chris checked Gilbert’s vital signs and prayed for him before their flight to Boram Hospital. Upon arrival, Gilbert was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, which meant that he would be staying for a while to recover. During his time at the hospital, Samaritan Aviation’s Hospital Ministry Assistant, Robert Mapmangu, was able to minister to Gilbert through prayer and conversations that strengthened and encouraged him in his faith. Gilbert is now back home with his family.
We are so grateful for the hearts of our missionaries who, instead of taking the day off with their families, kept the emergency phone on. The work that they do requires a lot of sacrifice, but their passion for the ministry reminds us to always “keep the phone on” for an opportunity to share God’s love.
