Missionary pilot Ben Hart applied flaps and carefully approached the jungle airstrip in the Philippines.
Every flight is important, but this one could mean the difference between life and death for a little girl.
"They had been having a measles outbreak in that village," Ben wrote, "and one little 18-month-old girl just wasn't getting better. [It] seemed like she was slipping away."
Ben landed safely and loaded up the little girl and her parents. Soon she was receiving medical attention at a hospital.
Normally she would have died in the tribe. But just a few days later, Ben put the recovering little girl back in the plane and flew her and her family home.
It's been a busy summer for NTM Aviation pilot Ben Hart and his wife Suzy.
He recently got checked out on the jungle airstrips of Palawan, and is now flying for the missionaries and tribal people there. As he flies, Suzy keeps in constant radio contact with him, writing down his location at regular intervals.
"I keep track of it all," she wrote. "For what purpose? To know where to look in the jungle if he goes down."
Ben wrote, "Unlike the runways we are familiar with back in our home countries, these airstrips are generally short and the approaches leading up to them are often anything but straight. They can be a lot of fun if you like to fly but take a little getting used to, as each airstrip has its own set of quirks that have to be tamed."
Along with supply flights, Ben had a number of emergency medevacs this summer. In one location an older tribal lady suffered numerous head injuries in a truck crash.
Ben flew in to take her and two companions to the hospital. The missionaries offered the tribal people ear plugs.
Suzy, who accompanied Ben on this flight, wrote, "They originally thought it was candy, since the tribal missionaries had recommended they suck on candy to help the pressure in their ears. … At first they had tried to eat the ear plugs. We wondered why some of the little baggies of ear plugs had only one plug in it."
The woman had to have surgery, but she is recovering well.
These are stories with happy endings. But not all endings are happy.
"We got the call on a Friday morning in June," Suzy wrote. "A little 3-month-old Palawano baby girl was having serious problems. Born with a severe cleft palate, she wasn't able to eat very well. To add to that, malaria and pneumonia had struck and were taking a toll on her little body."
Ben flew in and picked up the baby girl and her parents. She made it to the hospital, but it was too late. The little girl died that Sunday.
Ben flew back to the tribe the next day, taking the grieving family home.
Ben and Suzie's job is a tough one, but very important. They are the supply lifeline and air ambulance that helps make the tribal church planter's job possible.
Please pray for Ben and Suzie as they serve the missionaries and tribal people of Palawan. Pray also for wisdom and safety for the many other missionary pilots and mechanics serving around the world.
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