Recently our chief pilot, Luke, departed on a morning medicine delivery flight to Yembi Yembi, delivering 418 pounds of critical medical supplies for their aid post and the surrounding community. After arriving and unloading the medicine, one of the men told him about a young boy who needed medical attention. Seven-year-old Malcom had fallen out of a tree and broken his hand. As Malcom was brought to the floatplane, Luke quickly recognized his father Malachi.
Malachi was a former patient Luke had picked up in 2018 when he was suffering from a severe case of malaria. Malachi is also a fellow believer in Christ through the work of a church that was planted in their village.
What had started as a routine medicine delivery turned into an opportunity to bring in a patient and the chance to pray with and encourage a fellow believer and his son during a difficult time. As Malachi got in the plane, Luke explained to Malcom how to sit on the stretcher. Malcom erupted in nervous laughter and when Luke asked him what he thought was funny, Malcom said, “I’m scared!” and the whole community started laughing.
Malcom sat up and looked out the window the whole way to Wewak. Although Malcom’s case was not life threatening at the time, it gave us a chance to reconnect with a former patient and form a relationship with his son. We love seeing a generational impact! While we love the opportunity to share Jesus with our patients for the first time, we also love being able to encourage those who are already believers just as 1 Thess. 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
