Celebrating 30 Years with TWR Dec 2nd
Trip to the US: We were walking down the jet way, lugging our carry-on bags and I was thinking to myself, “It’s about time to turn off my cell phone.” But before stepping through the door of the Boeing 777, I felt my phone vibrate. “Who could be calling me now?” To my surprise it was my son-in-law, Scott, sending me a text message saying, “Rhonda’s water has been broken and the baby will arrive within 24 hours.” After landing in Atlanta 16 hours later and waiting for our next plane to South Bend, the primary question in our minds was, “What’s going on in the hospital?” The answer came after we landed and I heard my brother shout, “Hey grandpa…welcome back! Xavier was born while you were in the air between Atlanta and South
Bend. You may have been above the hospital at the exact moment!” That day we wasted no time in picking up the car a gracious supporter loaned us for the month. Fearing that I’d fall asleep at the wheel, we got some sleep and headed down to Bloomington the next day. Of course, Xavier is the cutest baby we have ever seen! During September we spent almost two weeks finding every chance we could, to feel that special 9lb 11oz bundle in our arms.The remainder of the month was filled with family. Our son, Peter, came up from Texas for a week. We saw my older brother and his wife off to Cambodia, met Debbie’s brother and wife, who flew down from Alaska, visited Debbie’s mother (92), her sister and hubby (he has bone cancer), and my parents and other siblings. Dad is now 87 and must have almost every need attended to by someone else. I was touched by his statement just before we left for the airport to return to Swaziland. “Mark,” he said, “when you’re young, you wear diapers and when you are old you wear them again…but blessed be the name of the Lord who does all things well.” The nurses who care for him told me that he is a wonderful person who never complains and if all their patients were like him; their work would be a pleasure. “Dad, you led me to the Lord, you and Mom showed me how to live a God-pleasing life, and now you are showing me how to grow old and say with Paul…’I have fought the good fight and I have won the race.’” Mom spends about six hours a day with Dad. I couldn’t be more proud of my folks!
Near disaster with our play-out system: Early one morning, a week after returning from the US, I was informed by our maintenance man, Mbusi, that something was very wrong with the tower on top of our office building. This tower relays programs to our four transmitters, 35kms away. Alarmed, three of us met on the top floor and found that a guy point had rusted away under a concrete slab, where the problem was hidden from view. It was only hanging on by a thin piece of metal. The tower was leaning dangerously, and to our horror it affected all three guy wires on one side of the tower! If it let loose the tower would come crashing down and we’d be off the air for an undetermined amount of time, not to mention how it might hurt people below and damage property! We quickly strategized on what could be done to save the tower. To temporarily secure the tower, we decided to tie onto the maintenance pick-up truck for a solid anchor point. Once that was done, we breathed a sigh of relief. Over the next week, Mbusi secured the guy point with an ‘I’ beam in concrete to replace the hollow pipe. Mbusi was happy to get his maintenance truck back after the wires were transferred! Will you praise the Lord with us for allowing and helping us to save the tower?
New Couple Arrives: Shortage of qualified technical staff here in Swaziland has been a constant struggle since we arrived in 2000. On October 14th we were all prepared to head off to the airport to pick up Tobi and Britta Pfeiffer, a new German couple. Just minutes before heading to the airport we were stopped in our tracks by a disappointing call from Tobi. “Our connection was too short in Jo’burg and we missed the flight,” said Tobi. Fortunately, they were able to get a later flight that same day and most of our staff was able to be at the airport to enthusiastically welcome them. Since then our days have been filled with orientating them to TWR and Swaziland. They have been married just a year and it reminds us of our experience 30 years ago when we left for Guam six months after our marriage, bringing very little with us. They seem very excited about their future here. We’re also pleased to have them as next-door neighbors. Please pray as they settle into life and work here.
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