HELI News 12

March 2007 from Antananarivo / Madagascar
news
Dear Friends!
Friends !
Once again 3 months passed so quickly and we want to send you our latest newsletter with plenty of good news!
In between we visited “our” village Sakamadio twice; remember, the village of our house helper, where her
family got murdered. It is a very special program since we can work close together: Gerd is the pilot, Tanja part
of the medical team out there. During our last week out there, Gerd could bring back the premature baby we
evacuated in November to a hospital, 3 days walk away. When Gerd talked to the Doctor in the hospital, he
decided to leave the baby some more weeks in the hospital. But as soon as he learned, that baby boy could go
back by helicopter instead of being carried for 3 days, he dismissed him the next morning. You cannot imagine
the joy, when the whole village stood together, welcoming the baby with his grandma and his father. Our
Malagasy Doctor, Dr.Johanès, took advantage and spoke about the love of our God, who arranged, that we
arrived in perfect timing, to bring the baby in and out to the hospital. After the baby got nursed by different
mothers, his grandma got restarted and nurses the boy right now. This gives him the best chance, to gain weight,
stay healthy and grow up out there in the middle of nowhere.
Gerd could transport another little boy, how suffered from sever Malaria to a “nearby hospital”, which has 4
beds. Since they have only vitamins and sometimes painkillers, we provided all medicine he could probably need
to recover. It is devastating to see, how bad the infrastructure is out in the bush areas.
Left & right up:
„Ambulance-Car“in the bush ☺ Center up:
Gerd with the twin boy after
returning from the clinic in his village
Down left:
Our first Family shot
down right:
He loves to eat!
We can announce very joyful news: At the end of January, Josia Fanilo moved into our house and hearts. When
we got to know him, he was 5.5 months old, 8 pounds and had only gained less than 1 pound in his entire life. His
mom is very young and poor, orphan, no family, and used to live on the road. She didn’t want and obviously
couldn’t have the baby;that is why he came to us. Every day now we should get the papers from court, that we
are his guardians. But papers always take very long here. We will see, how our 3 lives continue, God’s will shall
be done! So far, Josia Fanilo knows very well, that he belongs to us, he already gained more than 6 pounds and
catches up easily. In the beginning we prayed for a normal baby by his first birthday, in between we didn’t know
how to stop him of gaining weight. Right know, he is doing perfect and we enjoy having him so much!
Gerd:
Since January 16th my college Markus is on furlough with his wife, which leaves me as the only pilot of
Helimission here in Madagascar. I am almost gone all weeks, home only weekends or when we need to fix the
helicopter. We are really busy. During the first weeks in 2007 we had different cyclones at the coast of our
island, but like through miracles, no cyclone damaged land or people. We are so grateful together with our
Malagasy friends. But we had way to much rain. We have been praying for rain, but that was too much. Many
houses were under water, people lost everything, couldn’t return to their homes. During the last couple weeks
we had several medevacs to fly. Due to the fast help via helicopter, some lives could be saved. But one young
pastor had to die, because even here in the capital city, simple, standard medicine is not always available.
Tanja:
My life changed a bit, since we have the baby. I work only 2 days a week in the hospital, but I keep my
Helimission work. Josia Fanilo is such a joyful, happy baby, that we sometimes can hardly believe it, after that
entire experience he already went through in his young life. To me it is also a special joy and blessing that I can
go regularly with the medical team in “our” village. Yes, it is wonderful to serve people here in town with my
knowledge, but out there, where nobody helps and works; where they walk for hours, because they have heard,
that some medical group arrived; where they wait for weeks, when they get sick, till we come again. That is
where working and serving is wonderful and necessary!
Left
Tanja doing surgery
in the bush, with Dr.
Johanès
Right:
Usually there is a
little path to get to
the house
Medevac out of the
rainforest
We send you our blessings and thoughts from far away and want to say once again THANK YOU for
partnering with us, for serving the wonderful Malagasy people. We will always try to get you involved with
pictures, stories and movies. But some experiences, you cannot describe, you have to come and see it!
WELCOME!
Your Missionaries
with Josia Fanilo
home
Gerd
Tanja
skype
011 261 20 24 61 353
011 261 32 07 44 846
011 261 33 11 77 139
helistorch or heligerd !
Our Address:
B.P. 140 Helimission
105 Ivato Aéroport
Madagascar
www.heli-news.com
THANK You
For your prayers and emails. We do feel
loved and not forgotten!