Some villages we visit are remote and only accessible by boat. That is no problem unless time is a factor – like in a medical emergency. An alarming number of women in the remote villages die in childbirth because of complications such as obstructed labor. They either do not have the fare, or the time to make the sometimes 3-day trip to the hospital in Kigoma. Some die on the way, and some don’t even try and die at home.

To address this, God has provided us with a Bell Jet Ranger Helicopter! What an amazing blessing! Dr. Len is our pilot and there is room on board to hold two stretchers and Adoneth, our nurse. Through the police radio system, the villages can contact the police station in Kigoma, who can in turn call us. What would take a person 12 hours on the Liemba, or up to 3-4 days on small local boats, would only take about 20-60 minutes in the helicopter! (Eph. 3:20!)