Change is good
Wendy: It's a monumental occasion. My mountain life days are coming to an end. It's with mixed emotions to leave my life of 5 years in my quaint bamboo/grass roof hut, in the beautiful mountainous, peaceful setting. I am very excited about this new life and our growing ministry, though, I cannot deny it, but it will be quite a change and many things missed, including the Palawano "kids" and their kids that I have seen grow up from birth, many of them, and some are now even going to school this year! (their moms are in their teens, almost every one of them).
God has answered our prayers and provided land to build a base here near Brooke's Point, just outside of town. I got to see it the other day for the first time, though Dwayne and Eric have been there multiple times clearing the road and staking out where the hanger, duplex and runway (for future airplane use) will go. It is a beautiful, peaceful place with lots of coconut trees and a creek running at the edge of the property. The owner and donor is an older man, dedicated, long time Adventist of the area who happens to be Rovelyn's great uncle! (Rovelyn and Danny Henson are the couple that came recently to help us here with this mission).
So, that has been Dwayne's main work lately--working on the land business--getting it surveyed and title transferred etc. and also working on the helicopter. He's got it fully dismantled at the moment and we are waiting on a new cylinder and bearings from the States to get it back up and running.
I've been very glad to finally have time to get some deep cleaning and organizing done in the temporary apartment we have now.
Oh, that's the other exciting new news. Another apartment opened up next door to us and we are actually moving tools and extra stuff into it today! We got it for future missionaries (helicopter pilot family may be coming soon) and it also allows us to move our stuff from the mountains down here and also gives Eric a place to stay 'til he leaves (or 'til he moves over to the land and camps out there. 
These are very tiny apartments and hardly fit for two people much less three plus all of the tool boxes and heli equipment! Our kitchen table is also the office desk and workshop! And our kitchen is also the living room and laundry drying place! I am not complaining, though. This has been a huge blessing for us to have at all.
A lot of my time has been taking care of the steady stream of hospital patients (Palawanos sent from the clinic in the mountains that are too sick to be taken care of up there). These patients need an advocate since they cannot speak the language down here and are treated like dirt and have no idea how to get around. They have no money or extra clothes or bedding etc. So, we help get them food and blankets and clothes, etc. (nothing is provided by the hospital) and help them get their medicine when they need it (the hospitals here don't use medicines or supplies 'til you buy it first). It's fun playing Santa Claus bringing them yummy treats and making sure they are getting good care and the best part is I can go home when I'm done and know that I won't get woken up in the night with a blown IV or fevering patient!
I've been learning to cook in a new, tiny kitchen with new foods and cook healthier meals too. There is much more available down here food wise, so that's great. And we have been trying to do our part to stay healthier. My time also goes to doing laundry, keeping the house clean, and getting caught up on a month's worth of emails! I've also been able to get our medical supplies inventoried and organized a bit better (just in boxes), though I'll be very happy when I can get a place to organize them on shelves or something.
We plan to go to Puerto Princessa at the end of this week for business, medical supplies and cement, etc. The end of the month we have two more medical mission runs scheduled to two different remote PFM projects (one way down south and one up north). The one up north takes 8 hours to hike into, and they are very primitive and have no nurse or medical help whatsoever. Next month we plan to go to Manila to stock up on hopefully cheaper medicines and supplies and work on other helicopter business.
So, that's the news for now. We will keep you updated on the land and it's progress. We praise God for our latest help from a very qualified and mission-minded architect (who's been helping my dad with his building project of a church at AIIAS). He has been very helpful in donating his time to help us with drawings and ideas. Please pray for the rest of the details in how best to proceed with these building plans. God bless each one of you.
Jesus is coming soon!
Wendy and Dwayne Harris
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