A Story of Hope & Healing
Words can’t explain the anxiousness we feel when we rush out to the aid of a pregnant woman. In a dense jungle surrounded by tribal warfare, and in an environment that is riddled with cases of tuberculosis, malaria, and cholera, we can only imagine the anxiousness that a pregnant woman would feel.
We first met Clara back in 2014, when we received a call for a woman with a retained placenta. After a difficult pregnancy, her baby had not survived and Clara needed surgery. Our hospital ministry prayed with and encouraged her through that difficult experience, and she was released from the hospital shortly thereafter.
Fast forward two years later: We received a familiar call for a complicated pregnancy. The call was for Clara. President Mark Palm and Medical Director Chris Cooke immediately responded to the call in one of our floatplanes and soon returned to Boram Hospital with the familiar face in tow. Knowing that she had lost her last baby made the situation even more dire. At the hospital, Clara gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
While not all of our flights end so happily, we hope that a bigger story can be told through these experiences. We desire to help bring hope and healing to another corner of the world, even in the midst of suffering.
Samaritan Aviation Featured on ABC News Australia
More Great News!
GUIDESTAR, AN ORGANIZATION WHICH GRADES NONPROFITS BASED ON THEIR MISSION, IMPACT, REPUTATION, FINANCES, AND MUCH MORE HAS AWARDED US THEIR PLATINUM LEVEL.
In 2017, Papua New Guinea will be seeing some new faces!
Luke & Tracy Hamer
Luke and Tracy Hamer are a husband and wife seaplane pilot team from Alaska that arrived in Papua New Guinea on January 29th. Luke and Tracy will stay with our team for 2 months to see if they are called to work in Papua New Guinea long term. Please join us in praying that this trip brings them clarity and direction in what God has for them.
Q&A with Natalie Waters
1. What first prompted you to want to go to Papua New Guinea?
It wasn’t until I visited Papua New Guinea for the first time in 2016 that I felt God prompting me to join Samaritan Aviation’s ministry here. You can hear stories, you can see pictures, but it is difficult to fully grasp the need until you see it in person. By witnessing first hand how much our aviation services and hospital ministry impact the people of Papua New Guinea, I knew God was doing incredible things in this country and I’m privileged to be part of sharing His love here.
2. In what ways do you think your previous experience in missions has prepared you for working with Samaritan Aviation?
I am not sure that anything will fully prepare you for a new mission field! BUT thankfully, God has allowed me to experience many different cultures while I was growing up. The benefit of this is that one learns to be fluid when stepping into a new culture. It is not your heart culture, so it will be uncomfortable and intimidating, but something so beautiful and rewarding to experience! Finding the similarities between yourself and someone who lives in a culture 15 time zones away from your own can connect people in very unique ways.
3. What is the hardest thing about preparing to go on the mission field?
About 6 months ago, I would have said fundraising was the hardest part. Today, however, I can say without a doubt that the goodbyes are the most difficult part. Leaving family and friends to do what God has laid on your heart is a difficult step of faith. But it has also been an incredible journey of growth….already! I have grown in my reliance on Christ in immense ways and I have realized how much I love and am loved by the people He has placed in my life. As I join a new team of amazing people here in Papua New Guinea, it feels like God has given me another family here!
4. If anything, what are you most nervous about?
In all honesty, I was most nervous about coming to Papua New Guinea alone. The deeper I dive into this though, God constantly reminds me that I am not alone. In Matthew 28:20, right after Jesus gives the Great Commission, He promises “surely I am with you always.”
5. What difference do you hope to make in the upcoming year in Papua New Guinea?
My prayer is that God uses the talents He has given me in aviation and administration to show His love to people here and bring them to Himself.
