Kodiak in PNG

In John and Jessi George’s book, the Kodiak spells survival -- in more ways than one.

The Georges and their three little daughters live in the remote Hewa tribe. “There are no roads, no rivers, no good way to get here except for aviation,” says John. As they spend the next 10 to 20 years establishing a thriving church and completing the New Testament translation, the airplane will help them survive the harsh jungle living.

Since John and Jessie are in it for the long haul, they decided to bring both their mothers to the tribe for a visit — to get a taste of ministry in a rugged setting and, of course, to make some unforgettable memories with their granddaughters.

After a week of jungle life, they all flew out to town for final good byes. The whole trip had been a wonderful experience – except for a few innocent cuts on Grandma George’s leg. No big deal, right? But tropical germs are capricious and can quickly become life threatening.

And that’s just what happened. Within days, despite medical treatment, Grandma George went into septic shock. The clinic staff got to work, preparing for a medevac. The aviation staff stood by with a Kodiak ready. The administrative staff secured permissions for travel and visas, and they tried to line up a connecting medevac flight to Australia. But phone communication failed. Hours crept by. Grandma’s condition worsened.

Finally at 2:45 a.m., a workable plan was in place. Pilot Brent Haberchak knew that once he was in the air, he was committed to go all the way to the capital city of Port Moresby – the only runway in the country with lights. “A year ago, medevacking in the middle of the night would not have even been an option. Yet another reason to praise the Lord for the provision of these [Kodiak] aircraft,” wrote his wife Erica.

At 4:10 a.m., Brent safely landed the Kodiak in Port Moresby. Grandma George was admitted to ICU but continued to worsen. Finally, the commercial medevac plane and emergency medical staff arrived, stabilized her, and flew her to Australia. After a week in the hospital there, Grandma George is now back in the USA and recovering well.

Your help with Flight Sponsorship is a part of these survival stories – physical survival, yes, but more often spiritual survival as people hear the Gospel and find life in Christ. Thank you for helping keep Kodiaks flying for medevacs and for bringing the Gospel to people like the Hewa.