NTM Bolivia Update
May 2012
I thought I would focus on a branch of NTM this month, that rarely gets mentioned in our updates, but is such an important part in helping to get people where they need to go “as the bird flies”. We have heard comments like….Wow! we are in Cochabamba already! Do you know how long it would take us to get out to here from our location (meaning by road)
Or Bolivian friends saying, Wow! Dwight (one of the pilots) is already back?! He actually did that in one day?! God has given us a tool to help in speeding up His work of planting
churches in the hard to reach places; much like the computer has speeded up the translation process all over the world. Travel is so long and hard for most people here in Bolivia. The Andes mountains contain dangerous, winding roads. NTMA provides a service that cuts travel time down to half or more, through the flights they are able to accomplish in being an aid to those who are planting churches in the “hard
to reach” places of Bolivia. The following story is to remind you to pray for our pilots:
The flight was scheduled for Monday, going to one location to pick up 3 Chimane believers to accompany Dan Burke (our NTM Missionary) to another area where a future survey will be conducted. The flight to the new area went really well. Dan and Dwight spent the night in a tent in a small two room tribal house, while the 3 Chimane guys spent the night in the other room under mosquito nets. It had been planned to make two shuttle flights to a nearby village the next morning, because the airstrip was too short to get everyone out in one flight. Then from there, everyone would be flown to Cochabamba, where the 3 Chimane men were going to help Dan with the checking of his translation work. The first flight went well, until about 3 miles out of their destination. Dwight noticed that the oil pressure had gone all the way down to minimum. Keeping a close watch on the oil pressure, he was able to land safely at their destination. Through the radio, Dwight was able to describe the problem to our two mechanics in Cochabamba. They decided to come to the location with some tools and parts, in another plane flown by our partnering pilot. But then the weather came in that afternoon, and the flight had to wait.
So Dwight spent the night at the second location with two of the Chimane guys and Dan had to spend the night at the first location with the other Chimane guy. Dan and his friend didn’t have anything to eat all day until later that evening when a local brought them something. Dwight and his 2 companions faired a bit better….someone brought them lunch, but not supper. But they were able to find a little store where they were able to buy a pack of cookies each and share an expensive 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola together. What a nutritious supper, wouldn’t you say? The next day, the two mechanics were able to arrive and they got to work changing out the part that they suspected was giving the problem. Sure enough! After they were able to get it changed, the oil pressure went back to normal and after running it up and checking things out, they were able to arrive safe and sound in Cochabamba.
The above is just one incident where we have seen God faithful in protecting our NTMA pilots. We thank God for His continued protection and the two attentive mechanics who are so willing to get right on top of things when it comes to fixing and maintaining the airplane.