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Dear Friends,

I got a phone call last night from Lyn Lusi, asking for prayer for Mama Muliri’s daughter ChouChou, who was in the hospital, in a coma, suffering from something they weren’t sure about—malaria or encephalitis. I called and spoke to Mama Muliri afterward, and we prayed.

This morning I got an email from Lyn saying that ChouChou had passed away. Her kidneys and then her liver had shut down. I just spoke to Lyn by phone.

What I didn’t know is that Mama Muliri’s older daughter had died in the same way, just prior to her wedding several years ago. She also was 24 years old. This is a huge blow, particularly as someone has told them today that Chouchou was poisoned. There are moments in time when we see things starkly.

This is a moment where Mama Muliri (who has pioneered the work of HEAL Africa in many areas dealing with gender-based violence, training counselors and developing curricula, to the seeds of the gender and Justice program), really needs your prayer and thoughts. She’s going to have huge demands on her time as the family mourns and prepares the funeral. Her husband has high blood pressure. The doubts and fears that surround people in Goma are being magnified by this loss. The only antidote is the power and grace of Jesus, surrounding her and her loved ones in the way that only the Spirit can. We pray that the peace of Christ, which passes understanding, will be physically felt by Mama Muliri. That this terrible loss be transformed into a witness of the power of love. The love that is promised in the Bible, that nothing can separate us from: “for I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38.

This death of ChouChou is more than the loss of a dearly beloved child. It is a declaration of war. What Mama Muliri has accomplished by bringing the issue of sexual violence into the open has certainly threatened many kingdoms. The teams of HEAL Africa are bringing light into areas of deep darkness, and the dark doesn’t like it. This type of loss will be felt by everyone at HEAL Africa, and we ask your prayer teams to consistently pray for Muliri and for all the family, and for the staff of HEAL Africa. We know it will have a huge effect. The spirit and the physical are much more closely entwined (or visibly so) in Africa than they are in the Western world. I think we just mask it differently. But I pray that this tragedy will be transformed into a sign of blessing. I have no idea how this can happen, but I know that “all things are possible to them that believe”. And God’s power is stronger than darkness. God’s love-light will not be put out.

When our son Chad was 11 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and operated upon. While he was in the operating room I had an experience of the presence and peace of Christ unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It has given me the strength and faith to do anything I’ve done since. That was 22 years ago. I felt surrounded by prayer of people I didn’t even know. I still can remember that assurance that—even if I lost Chad, if I lost Dick, if I lost our other children, if I lost…and I went down the entire list…I would be OK. That for me has been the bedrock of my faith, of who I am.

I pray the same for Muliri now, so that she can continue to be the bearer of light, an encourager, a warrior for peace. Please pray with me. Ask your prayer warriors to pray, please. Pass this on to those who might be interested, and who can stand with our sister in Congo. There is nothing more powerful than prayer!

Thank you,
Judy

HEAL Africa (US)
Judith A. Anderson
Executive Director
P.O. Box 147
Monroe, WA 98272

Office: 360 863 3380

MFI, NASCAR, US Army Reserve Convoy, Orange Growers...could you have a more diverse group of organizations? And yet these are exactly what God has put together to get aid to Haiti. So here is what they are doing this weekend:

NASCAR: Sunday night on the "Speed" channel there is an hour long kick-off for the race season. A media crew spent all Friday filming at MFI for a feature to be aired on the kick-off with NASCAR encouraging other teams to participate in helping MFI. The Joe Gibbs Racing Team has already jumped on board and has sent their Saab 2000 airplane to MFI. It arrived on Saturday and will make its first flight on Sunday. The Hendricks planes are away for the weekend but will be back on Monday, and all three Saabs will fly M-F, transporting 100 passengers per day down to Haiti. The thousands of pounds of their supplies will go down on the DC-3s. Tens of thousands of pounds of donated relief supplies are being sent down on a chartered DC-4 and a chartered DC-6.

US Army Reserve out of Orlando sent a 26-truck convoy that arrived Saturday night. They will load up 160 pallets of relief supplies and 270,000 MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and then on Monday they will truck them down to Miami Opalocka where the military will fly them to Haiti. Where is MFI holding all these supplies?

A Local Citrus Grower around the corner from MFI has graciously opened up their warehouse to provide 10,000 square feet of storage (and their forklift, too). This will temporarily hold some of the supplies that are coming to the MFI hanger (which is full...the planes are parking outside). www.MissionaryFlights.org In light of the Sunday night publicity , NASCAR suggested that MFI upgrade their web server for a second time because they anticipate that the website will get 500,000 hits Sunday. Remember we have gone from an average of 50 per day up to 5,000 per day after the earthquake and now to possibly 500,000! You can still donate on-line and see photos and video footage in "Up to the Minute."

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and MFI have always worked closely together in Haiti. It is MAF's ramp and hanger that make it possible for MFI to land in Haiti without getting on the wait list for ramp space. Supplies arriving at MAF's hanger are met by relief organizations that take them and get them to the people. The network of people that MFI has partnered with for years is making it possible for the distribution to actually happen. I want to make sure you understand...the relief supplies that are brought to MFI are getting into the hands of the people that need them. MAF also has sent some of their pilots to help out. We have one staying with us who is on furlough from Africa and has been a great help around the hanger.

Isn't it amazing how God can use whatever we have? Got some storage space? Some orange crates? A technical skill? A strong back? A military truck? A race car? A jar of peanut butter? A praying heart? An extra bed? Baking skills? Tell God he can use what you have... and you know what? He will!

Again we apologize that Joe has not had the time to even check his emails let alone respond. We are thrilled to know you are praying for everyone involved, and continue to ask prayer for safety and wisdom as MFI continues to grow exponentially.

Keeping You Updated,
Wendy Karabensh

Hey Everyone,

I am sending this update because Joe is swamped. Here is the latest:

THURSDAY: Joe left on a flight to Haiti but before they got to Port Au Prince (PAP) the military closed the airport due to the ramp being way overcrowded. Only Military aircraft were being allowed to land. They spent the night in the Turks and Caicos Islands about an hour by plane north of Haiti. From a connection they have from hurricane relief the crew and the team onboard stayed in 2 newly built homes. Someone on the team had connections and got a 15-passenger van for transportation. The local rotary club heard they were there and invited them to their dinner and had Joe share about what MFI does. Most importantly Joe said they had a good night's rest (maybe the last for a while for some of them).

FRIDAY: Since the airport in Port Au Prince was closed they headed to the northern city of Cap Haitian and planned to arrange ground transportation for the team to get to PAP. Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) had been planning to evacuate their families on the MFI plane (they anticipate things to get violent). When they heard MFI was not going to be able to get in to PAP they went and talked to the military in the control tower (four guys sitting in the grass next to the runway). MAF cleared parking space in front of their hanger and Joe's plane was allowed in. With this arrangement MFI will continue to be able to fly into PAP airport and an MAF pilot will be in the tower identifying the MFI planes as they come in. Joe's flight got back to Ft. Pierce at about 4:30 but there are so many details to take care of he will not be home until after midnight. Harold Martin, who handles much of the logistics already spent Wednesday night at the airport and slept on the couch. He is planning to stay there again tonight (how else do you answer over 500 urgent emails?)

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE HANGER: MFI's website averages 100 hits per day. Friday they got over 5,000 hits causing the server to crash. The server was upgraded and now they are up and running again. Phones are ringing off the hook and people who have our home number are calling the house because they can not get through to the office. I am planning on going in to help answer phones and Nate will help sort and load the many donations arriving at the hanger. MFI mechanic Roger Sands is doing a great job organizing all the volunteers.

SAAB AIRCRAFT ON LOAN: Hendricks Motorsports (as in NASCAR) has loaned MFI their plane (which holds 45 people) for about 5 days. They even sent a crew to fly it along with a maintenance team to keep it running. A second Saab aircraft is due to arrive Sunday.

SATURDAY: There are 3 flights scheduled to go down to Port Au Prince on Saturday. One of the planes will be the Hendricks Motorsports Saab. Joe is still at the airport making fuel arrangements for the return flights.

PRAYER: Yes! Pray for wisdom and stamina for all the MFI staff...t his is going to be a long haul. Pray for the funds to fuel the planes. Pray that the people of Haiti will turn to God who gives “beauty for ashes” Isaiah 61:3.

Remember you can check the MFI website for info by clicking on “Up to the Minute” and you can donate online by clicking on "Disaster Relief" at www.MissionaryFlights.org.

We will try to keep you posted.
Love,
Wendy Karabensh