Field of Dreams

As I walked our airstrip today, memories flooded my mind of the past three decades we have traveled back and forth to this country of Congo. When we arrived, there was no way of communicating with missionaries at Vanga, 57 miles from here or in Kikwit, 60 miles south of us. Had there been a medical emergency or political crisis demanding evacuation of our family, our vehicle would have been our way out. Jim chose a site of the much-needed airstrip about a mile from our home. Local villagers were encouraged to help cut down the 1000 or so scrub trees that filled the land. Our staff then cleared the land of the stumps by hand with shovels and leveling began by running the 7 ton army truck (1957 Mercedes) back and forth over the rough terrain. Grass was planted and 15 months later, the first plane arrived.

MAF Pilot Gary VanWagner landed the first ever Cessna 206 to grace our little "O-Hare -y" airport. What a great occasion it was, celebrating with elephant horns, the butchering of a cow, and the attendance of hundreds of people, drums, and happy faces everywhere, praising God for this wonderful development. The coming of MAF would mean a quick medical evacuation if needed for delivering babies, treating all kinds of threatening diseases - serious malaria cases, broken limbs, and accidental injuries that otherwise may have claimed lives. In those early days, MAF pilots were angels in my eyes as they dropped long-awaited mail to us, which was a life-line to me. I will remember how forlorn I became after going without mail for weeks and weeks while still dealing everyday with culture shock and loneliness that first year in Congo.

Jim became so concerned, he drove all the way to Vanga, where MAF had dropped off mail for us and then turned around and drove all the way back to NKara, arriving at 3 a.m. I heard the sound of the motor rumbling down Aerobic Hill and quickly lit the kerosene lamp to meet him. On the table he placed a stack of letters which I sat up the rest of the night reading. Now we had our own airstrip and mail could come frequently. The airstrip also provided a way to bring Shawn home when she attended school at Karawa, Then later we welcomed our three older children back home when they attended school in Kin at TASOK. The airstrip also enabled visitors to come see Laban for themselves, which included those who helped build LBI and Radio Glory.

Lastly, I love that strip because it has been my prayer altar for years. It is such a welcome reprieve from all the demands of the mission. God has met us there through ideas He has given, through victories He has assured us of through the supply of His presence, and the conviction of sin and promise of forgiveness and restoration, through worshiping the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world and delighting in the bright hope of the believer's future. Thank you, Lord, for this sacred ground.