This is 3ABN Now with
John & Rosemary Malkiewycz.
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Hello and welcome to3ABN Now.
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I know you're going
to enjoy this program
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because it's full of
action, things that happen
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in a person's life
when they commit their life
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to following
Jesus wherever He leads.
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Takes them to places
probably they never imagined.
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And we had the opportunity
of talking to Pr. Bill Townend
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and his wife in
the previous program.
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And we are so
grateful for seeing a couple
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make a decision to go to a place
that they knew very little about
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but they soon discovered it's
not easy being missionaries.
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And you know what? Welcome
to the program Pastor Bill.
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And I know you've got
a lot of stories to tell
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because we heard how you were
flying 200 and something days
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out of a year away from
your wife flying an airplane.
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So that's gonna have
stories that I'm sure will
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make your... I was
going to say hair...
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Mine but not
yours. Not mine, yes!
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Well, there is a bit
there. Yes. And so... anyway...
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Rosemary, you've got a text?
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Well we've got the same
text that we had for Pastor Bill
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that we had on the previous
program because he has a real
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important reason
for these verses.
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And he has his modification
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which he is
going to reveal to us.
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This is Psalm 91
verses 11 and 12.
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And the Bible says:
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"For He shall give His angels
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charge over thee
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to keep thee in all thy ways.
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They shall bear
thee up in their hands
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lest thou dash thy foot
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against a stone. "
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So what's the modification?
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Well I'll do something
which I know you shouldn't do
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to Scripture.
Scripture says don't do this.
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But I like to do it and I'm
sure the Lord will understand.
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I'd like to
change that word stone
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where you dash your
foot against a stone
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to plane. That the angels
will hold you up so you don't
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dash your plane against a stone.
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And I think that for
me that has always been
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a very special verse.
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You know, in our last program...
There may be people watching
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who didn't get
to see that one yet
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so they'll have to go back onto
our catch-up and watch it...
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but you were called to
be a missionary pastor/pilot
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and you didn't even have your
qualifications for flying yet.
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No. Both my wife and I were
very reluctant missionaries.
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And I still had
two cross-country
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flights to finish my basic
license... private license.
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And so, yeah, we were not
ready or expecting to be called
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to the mission field.
And the last thing I'd ever
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dreamt of was
being a mission pilot.
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Especially in somewhere
like Papua, New Guinea!
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Especially in
Papua, New Guinea. Yeah.
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You'd been on one flight
previously while you were at
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Avondale. What
happened with that flight?
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What was that? With
your friend you went flying.
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Oh, yes I started...
Well, very first flight
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I ever had was
while I was a student.
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It cost a full $5.
Now when you're a student
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$5 was a big investment.
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And we both... three of
us went off and had a flight.
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And it was a trial instructional
flight got us going.
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One of those friends, he
and I both were in New Guinea
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flying planes
together. The other man
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joined the Air Force
and was unfortunately killed
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in a helicopter
crash in Vietnam.
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So that was
where it all started:
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while I was a
student at Avondale College.
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But very limited at that time
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'cause students don't
have a lot of money to spend on
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learning to fly...
or I didn't anyway.
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You had a love for flying
from an early age, did you?
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For as long as I can remember.
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I used to dream -
literally dream - as a kid
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flapping my wings
and flying around.
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What did your mom think?
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Oh yes... well
she knew... she knew.
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And so then you were getting
a pilot's license just because
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you wanted to be able to
fly. Wanted to do it, yes.
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Just wanted to do it.
And it'd been stretched out
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over a long time because I
got started at Avondale College
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and five years later here
I was... still hadn't quite
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finished my license. Umm. Umm.
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And so then the
Division called you?
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Yes. Reluctantly you accepted?
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Reluctantly. I think
as I mentioned before
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the Division
secretary said to me:
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"Bro. Towned, we're scraping
the bottom of the barrel...
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you have to come. "
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You knew your
position, didn't you!
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I knew where I stood in
the church after that, yes.
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And so they got you
to finish your license.
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And when you told us last
time that you were having to
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do jaunts... They'd just say:
"Go fly somewhere" basically.
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"Here's the plane; off you go. "
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You were getting your hours out
flying all over New South Wales,
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and Victoria, and
South Australia. Yes.
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Very different to
where you were going.
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Yes, it was. I
mean, those mountains
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in Papua, New
Guinea... are notorious;
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they're dangerous.
I remember as a child
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being brought up on a
farm in Western Australia
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my dad would always have
a married man come and work
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for us and they'd stay
in a cottage on the farm.
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And one man that came
one time was a pilot...
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an ex-pilot from
Papua, New Guinea.
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I don't know who he flew
for. I just remember hearing
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how his wife was so disturbed
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that he was a pilot
in Papua, New Guinea.
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And it upset her so much
he finally had to give it up -
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yes - 'cause it was so
dangerous. Too many people
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had lost their lives. So
it's a dangerous place to fly.
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Papua, New Guinea
flying is different flying.
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It's tough flying,
and the reason for that is
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because it has very
high mountains. Mt. Wilhelm
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is nearly 14,000 ft. high?
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It's tropical so you get
big tropical weather happenings.
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Storms and the like.
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And you get because
it's in the mountains
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very steep strips built on
just any bit of open ground.
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Steep; short. And so
you put all that together
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and it really is
recognized as one of the
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most dangerous places to be fly-
ing airplanes in the world. Yes.
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So for someone with
relatively few flying hours
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basically - basic
flying - yes, yes -
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flying across the
nice areas in Australia...
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Yes. Quite flat.
Maybe a few hills somewhere
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but no mountains necessarily...
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to end up in Papua, New Guinea.
I know. What was that like?
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That was a challenge, and for
the first probably six months
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I spent most of the
time just flying around
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with one of the other pilots
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getting a feel
of what was going on
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and where things
were and how to do it.
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Because you know there are
lots of traps for young flyers
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up there, and many a
pilot who's found to his sorrow
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that there's a few
rules and if you...
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You follow them...
otherwise you will find yourself
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in deep trouble.
There were some things
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that happened up there
that are quite frightening
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that you mentioned -
storms and things - that
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just suddenly come over.
Yes, yes. And I had a friend,
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a Baptist friend, Marcus
who was a pilot up there?
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Emmaus? Yes. They were out
of Port Moresby, I think. Yes.
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And they were up
there for quite a few years.
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He ended up training pilots
- my - for Papua, New Guinea.
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Yeah. But it's a
very... It's very challenging.
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You have to... all
the different runways.
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You have to become
accredited to fly in or out of.
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Without being
checked in and out... yeah.
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You can't just go out there:
"Well I'll fly off to here. "
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You've gotta be checked into it.
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So what was your position
that you were going there
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to fulfill? I went
to Papua, New Guinea,
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as what they called at that
time a district director/pilot.
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In other words, I had a
district which I cared for
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all the mission work in
and then I was a pilot as well.
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I used the plane in my
district to do my district work
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but I also... the
flying was district flying
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and also we did
probably more as it turned out
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flying transferring missionary
national workers from one place
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to the other and
flying VIP's around.
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Medi-Evac? Medi-Evacs
and all that kind of stuff.
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Yeah,
definitely. What about cargo
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such as peoples'
produce and goats? Yes!
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So I've had goats in the
plane. Len Barnard flew a calf
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or a cow or something?
Yeah, when we were living at...
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The first place I
was at there was no road.
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My wife wanted a
piano, so I was coming back
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from Port Moresby
empty and I loaded the piano
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into the back of the mission
plane and flew the piano.
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It was a little
Yamaha spinet one.
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But squeezed it in and didn't
damage it and got it up there.
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She must have been thrilled!
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Yeah... ducks, goats.
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People? People... bodies. Yes...
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unfortunately. So you know, you
had very little experience in...
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Well, you had
limited experience in flying.
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So you get there and
you said that your plane
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was like your car. So I
mean you would have picked up
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fairly quickly being
able to fly in that area.
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Yes. Yeah... well my district...
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well the plane - I
didn't have a car, obviously -
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but the plane would be
parked at the front door
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just like the car would be and
I would... In my district I had
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about 7 or 8 strips
I think. Different...
00:10:15.64\00:10:20.48
Inside my district. So at
those strips were there other
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missionaries located?
Like national ministers
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there, and I would have to
go and help them with programs
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and supply them and pay them
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and care for
them if they got sick.
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Go out and do their
baptisms and things like that.
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So it was... And we built
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one, two... three new
strips while we were there also.
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When I say we... I
said: "We'll build it here"
00:10:46.81\00:10:49.81
and they would do the
work. And then we'd have to
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walk in and check it
out before we could fly in.
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But... It was all done by
hand? Was it all done by hand?
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All done by hand... yeah.
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So how would they do that?
00:11:00.42\00:11:02.19
They would just dig it out. They
would have what we would call
00:11:02.39\00:11:05.79
a "working bee" and some of them
would go on for a very long time
00:11:05.99\00:11:09.33
before they got the site
to where it could be used.
00:11:09.53\00:11:12.23
And once it got to
where it could be used
00:11:12.43\00:11:14.30
then the problem
was maintaining it.
00:11:14.50\00:11:15.84
Yes. Because they're just
not into maintaining anything.
00:11:16.04\00:11:19.14
And so sometimes you'd fly
over and the grass would be
00:11:19.34\00:11:22.98
this high. And you'd just
have to drop a little note out
00:11:23.18\00:11:25.21
and say: "Cut the
grass and I'll come back. "
00:11:25.41\00:11:27.82
Hmm. Hmm!
00:11:28.02\00:11:29.35
They'd have to get rid
of rocks and trees? Oh yes!
00:11:30.19\00:11:33.05
and limbs from the side
of the mountain. No Bushman!
00:11:33.25\00:11:36.83
Down on the coast, they
could put coral on the strips
00:11:37.73\00:11:40.70
and get quite a good surface
- yes - all-weather surface.
00:11:40.90\00:11:43.80
But some of these mountain
strips... they'll get wet
00:11:44.00\00:11:46.03
and slippery and you just
you know... it's interesting.
00:11:46.23\00:11:48.87
Don't want to slip
off the mountain! No!
00:11:49.07\00:11:51.31
You haven't got
something nice to land on.
00:11:51.51\00:11:54.64
I know you would have
a number of stories like
00:11:54.84\00:11:57.71
slipping on the air
strip, but you must have some
00:11:57.91\00:12:01.15
stories that I believe
will be very interesting
00:12:01.35\00:12:05.39
to our viewers how God
really took care of you. Yes.
00:12:05.59\00:12:08.36
And I'd like you to
start on your stories
00:12:08.56\00:12:10.79
because I really enjoy them and
I'm sure the viewers will too.
00:12:10.99\00:12:14.50
Hmm. Because you know
there's an element there that
00:12:14.70\00:12:16.67
it's not only on man's skill
00:12:16.87\00:12:18.77
but there's a God who
watches over everything.
00:12:18.97\00:12:21.44
And if we really understand that
00:12:21.64\00:12:23.30
we'll better believe in God
00:12:23.51\00:12:26.81
and what He does
today in our lives.
00:12:27.01\00:12:29.08
So Bill... take it
away. All right. Well, I...
00:12:29.28\00:12:31.61
Talking about the storms before.
00:12:31.81\00:12:34.55
I'll start with a story
that I wasn't going to tell
00:12:34.75\00:12:37.89
but because you
mentioned it, Rosemary, I will.
00:12:38.09\00:12:41.32
It was a Sunday
morning, and I'd started flying
00:12:41.52\00:12:44.53
at a place called
Hoskins on New Britain...
00:12:44.73\00:12:47.40
on the north
coast of New Britain.
00:12:47.60\00:12:49.30
And I was to fly
from there across to Lae.
00:12:49.70\00:12:53.57
Well, I lighted the
plane up, turned on the radio,
00:12:53.77\00:12:58.31
and contacted the
Rebaul Flight Service.
00:12:58.51\00:13:01.01
And before I'd said
anything they said: "Look,
00:13:01.21\00:13:03.71
we've got a medical emergency.
00:13:03.91\00:13:05.65
It's Sunday morning;
there's no one else around.
00:13:05.85\00:13:08.48
Can you do it? " And I thought:
00:13:08.68\00:13:10.72
"Oh, boy... the
last thing I want
00:13:10.92\00:13:12.69
with the flying program
I've got for the day is to have
00:13:12.89\00:13:16.12
a medical emergency. "
00:13:16.32\00:13:17.69
But I thought: "Well it's
not going to look any good if
00:13:17.89\00:13:19.89
anybody listening to
radio hears the SDA's decline
00:13:20.10\00:13:23.33
to do a medical emergency. "
00:13:23.53\00:13:24.87
So I said: "OK... where is it? "
00:13:24.93\00:13:26.47
And he said:
"Oh, it's at Bali. "
00:13:26.67\00:13:28.10
Bali? Bali, yes.
00:13:28.77\00:13:30.81
Not the Bali in
Indonesia. Oh good.
00:13:31.07\00:13:32.87
The Bali which is a
little island 50 miles
00:13:33.07\00:13:36.88
exactly off the
north coast of New Ireland.
00:13:37.08\00:13:39.38
Ninety degrees from
where I wanted to go.
00:13:40.45\00:13:42.52
You're at New Britain?
I'm on New Britain, yes.
00:13:42.72\00:13:44.65
And it's this little island out
in the salt water called Bali.
00:13:44.85\00:13:48.92
And I said: "Well just
hang on... I'll calculate to see
00:13:49.32\00:13:53.19
if I've got enough fuel
00:13:53.40\00:13:54.73
to get out there and
then still get to Lae. "
00:13:54.80\00:13:57.07
Well, unfortunately I did.
00:13:57.27\00:13:58.87
So I had to say to
them: "Well OK... I'll go. "
00:13:59.07\00:14:02.20
So we could fly for 50
kilometers over the water
00:14:02.40\00:14:05.91
in a single-engine airplane.
That was the limit that
00:14:06.11\00:14:07.71
we could do so long as
we had a life jacket on.
00:14:07.91\00:14:09.84
So I flew out to
Bali. When I got there
00:14:11.28\00:14:13.31
the... 'cause I didn't know
what the medical emergency was.
00:14:15.58\00:14:19.02
But the pastor told me...
He says: "The Catholic church
00:14:19.22\00:14:22.86
has a little
clinic up the way here
00:14:23.06\00:14:24.73
and they have a lady... "
This was Sunday morning...
00:14:24.93\00:14:26.76
who's been in labor
since Thursday afternoon.
00:14:26.96\00:14:29.70
She really desperately
needs to get to the hospital. "
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.60
And so I said: "All right. "
00:14:33.54\00:14:35.27
"You go and get her.
I'll get the plane fixed up
00:14:35.67\00:14:38.67
for the stretcher"
because she was on a stretcher.
00:14:38.87\00:14:40.81
Which meant I had to
leave behind 3 of my passengers.
00:14:41.68\00:14:44.38
Now they were none too happy
00:14:44.58\00:14:45.91
about being stuck out in
the middle of the salt water
00:14:46.01\00:14:48.18
a long way from where they
thought they were going to be
00:14:48.38\00:14:50.55
by the end of that day.
00:14:50.75\00:14:52.09
But they were good-hearted
about it and understood.
00:14:52.12\00:14:54.39
And so we got the stretcher in.
00:14:54.79\00:14:58.19
Did you have to draw
sticks to see who stayed behind?
00:14:58.39\00:15:00.60
I can't remember that, but
00:15:00.80\00:15:02.66
maybe we did, Rosemary.
00:15:03.83\00:15:05.90
I'm not sure, but anyway
00:15:06.30\00:15:07.64
we put the lady in.
And a nurse had to come
00:15:07.67\00:15:10.11
as well to watch over.
And so there was the stretcher
00:15:10.31\00:15:14.54
in the back, the nurse
in the back, and myself
00:15:14.74\00:15:16.64
and one of the lucky passengers
sitting in the front with me.
00:15:16.85\00:15:20.45
And we took off
and headed for Lae.
00:15:20.65\00:15:22.85
I was a bit concerned that
if we got into a bit too much
00:15:23.05\00:15:26.19
turbulence we might have some
dramas in the back of the plane
00:15:26.39\00:15:29.12
with babies being born and
that. But got through to Lae
00:15:29.32\00:15:32.06
and got her off to the hospital.
00:15:32.26\00:15:33.96
I never did hear what
the outcome of that story was
00:15:34.16\00:15:37.20
but she was OK.
00:15:37.40\00:15:38.73
So then the next flight was
from Lae along the north coast
00:15:38.87\00:15:44.27
of New Guinea
down to Popondetta.
00:15:44.47\00:15:46.31
By this time it was quite late,
getting late in the afternoon
00:15:48.48\00:15:52.75
or middle
afternoon at least. Anyway...
00:15:52.95\00:15:54.98
And normally... And then
from Papua, New Guinea, my next
00:15:55.65\00:15:58.49
flight was
across to Port Moresby.
00:15:58.69\00:16:00.39
And then I was meant to go
from Port Moresby back home
00:16:00.59\00:16:03.02
to my home at Karowagi.
That's all over the place!
00:16:03.22\00:16:05.79
Yeah, it was... but
that's what happened.
00:16:05.99\00:16:07.63
Normally we like to fly from
the north coast of New Guinea
00:16:08.63\00:16:11.63
over to the south
coast in the morning
00:16:11.83\00:16:13.84
because by about late morning
00:16:14.34\00:16:17.34
the clouds build-up
over the Owen Stanley ranges
00:16:17.54\00:16:21.64
and it becomes very difficult to
get from one side to the other.
00:16:21.98\00:16:25.71
As I was flying along
the north coast heading for
00:16:25.91\00:16:27.95
Popondetta I could see
that there were huge build-ups
00:16:28.15\00:16:31.69
already over the Owen Stanleys
and I thought: "Oh, this is...
00:16:31.89\00:16:34.09
this is not going to be good. "
00:16:34.29\00:16:35.96
Landed at Popondetta.
Put the passengers down.
00:16:36.16\00:16:39.49
Picked up, my new
passengers. Had a full load
00:16:39.69\00:16:41.63
going across to Port Moresby.
00:16:41.83\00:16:44.17
Took off from Popondetta.
From Popondetta you climb
00:16:45.00\00:16:47.57
up for about 20
minutes to the Kokoda Gap
00:16:47.77\00:16:50.77
where the Kokoda trial was
during the second World War.
00:16:50.97\00:16:55.24
You climb up; fly across
the ranges for a few minutes
00:16:55.44\00:16:59.01
and then down 15
minutes into Port Moresby.
00:16:59.21\00:17:01.62
Well as I climbed up
to try and get across
00:17:02.45\00:17:06.62
the Kokoda Gap I could see
that there were massive clouds
00:17:06.82\00:17:09.66
over the Gap. Now
what we talk about a Gap
00:17:09.86\00:17:12.96
the Gap really is where
there is a valley - yes -
00:17:13.16\00:17:17.50
and the cloud comes down but
doesn't quite get to the bottom
00:17:17.70\00:17:20.80
of the valley. Just sits down
& leaves a little gap underneath
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.64
and you can just
squeeze through there.
00:17:23.84\00:17:25.47
And there are known
gaps all along the mountain
00:17:25.67\00:17:27.98
ranges where if you're
lucky you can squeeze through.
00:17:28.18\00:17:31.08
And so to get to the
Kokoda Gap you've got to fly up
00:17:31.28\00:17:33.95
the river, through
a gap, if it's there,
00:17:34.15\00:17:36.22
and then down the other side.
00:17:36.42\00:17:37.75
Well I got up and I
could see that the cloud
00:17:37.79\00:17:40.59
had actually come
right down into the gap
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.69
and I couldn't get
through at the low altitude.
00:17:42.89\00:17:46.63
So I thought: "Well, I
really want to get to Moresby
00:17:46.83\00:17:50.03
and get home if I
can. " So I thought: "Well,
00:17:50.23\00:17:52.20
if I can't get through under-
neath I'll see if I can climb up
00:17:52.40\00:17:56.37
and get a gap between the clouds
00:17:56.57\00:17:58.94
and get over that. "
00:17:59.14\00:18:00.48
One of the rules of New Guinea
is you do not fly in clouds.
00:18:00.51\00:18:03.75
It doesn't matter how
well you're instrument rated
00:18:04.05\00:18:06.61
or whatever you
never fly in clouds.
00:18:06.82\00:18:08.68
Because clouds
they've discovered up there
00:18:09.05\00:18:10.92
have hard centers - yes
- and many a pilot has come
00:18:11.12\00:18:14.06
unstuck by just disregarding
that rule and flying.
00:18:14.26\00:18:18.16
Smashing into a hard mountain.
00:18:18.36\00:18:20.16
So I started climbing up outside
00:18:21.33\00:18:24.60
the clouds on the north side.
00:18:24.80\00:18:26.13
I was in the clear,
and as I got up quite high
00:18:26.33\00:18:29.10
there was a huge cavern
in the clouds. And I thought:
00:18:29.30\00:18:32.27
"I think I might... There's
a light patch on the other side
00:18:32.47\00:18:35.48
that looks like it might be
somewhere where I can get down
00:18:35.68\00:18:39.81
to Port Moresby
on the other side. "
00:18:40.02\00:18:41.58
So I went into this big
cavern. Not into the cloud
00:18:41.95\00:18:44.55
but into this big
cavern in the cloud.
00:18:44.75\00:18:46.22
And I circled around it because
you don't fly straight at it
00:18:46.42\00:18:49.66
because if it's not
there it's hard to turn away.
00:18:49.86\00:18:51.73
If you fly alongside of
it then you can have a look
00:18:51.93\00:18:53.90
and then gently turn away.
00:18:54.10\00:18:55.43
I came past this
light patch the first time
00:18:56.00\00:18:59.27
and it was tempting.
00:18:59.47\00:19:01.54
I thought: "Yeah, I
reckon there's something there
00:19:01.74\00:19:03.51
but I just need
to get a bit higher
00:19:03.71\00:19:05.54
to see whether I can
actually, get over it
00:19:05.74\00:19:07.94
and this clear patch
is down the other side. "
00:19:08.14\00:19:11.11
So I went around this cavern
00:19:11.31\00:19:13.65
climbing all the time
inside this big cavern.
00:19:13.85\00:19:16.38
And when I came back
down to the other end
00:19:16.58\00:19:18.59
the cloud had changed. Clouds
are changing all the time. Yes.
00:19:18.79\00:19:22.02
And there was now
this big billow of cloud
00:19:22.22\00:19:24.23
right, where I wanted to go.
00:19:24.43\00:19:25.89
Now I was struggling
'cause I had a full load.
00:19:26.09\00:19:28.60
I was almost at
the maximum altitude
00:19:28.80\00:19:31.73
that this little
plane could get itself to.
00:19:31.93\00:19:33.67
And I thought: "If I turn
00:19:34.07\00:19:36.00
to get out of the way
of this cloud I'm going to
00:19:36.20\00:19:37.97
stop climbing and
probably will lose some altitude
00:19:38.17\00:19:40.54
in return. So I
think I will just
00:19:40.74\00:19:43.01
fly through this bit of
cloud and just keep on flying.
00:19:43.21\00:19:47.42
It doesn't look
like it's very deep. "
00:19:47.62\00:19:49.28
So that's what I did.
I flew under this cloud
00:19:49.48\00:19:51.09
expecting just to
pop out in a few seconds
00:19:51.29\00:19:54.19
and I didn't.
00:19:54.39\00:19:55.96
I got caught up in a
big cumulonimbus cloud
00:19:56.16\00:19:59.49
and the updrafts were
hauling us up one minute
00:20:01.13\00:20:06.50
and then
downdrafts shooting us down.
00:20:06.70\00:20:08.74
And the rain was pouring down.
00:20:09.47\00:20:12.44
The hail was
beating on the plane.
00:20:12.64\00:20:14.24
It was like being
inside a kettle drum, you know?
00:20:14.44\00:20:16.31
I was thinking of
a washing machine.
00:20:16.71\00:20:18.85
A washing machine!
00:20:19.05\00:20:20.38
And we were getting thrown
around. Virtually almost tipped
00:20:20.42\00:20:23.55
right over sometimes,
and all I could do was try
00:20:23.75\00:20:26.25
and keep the thing...
The turbulence was so violent
00:20:26.45\00:20:29.42
that the door on the
plane actually came open
00:20:29.62\00:20:31.89
and the rain and
water started coming in.
00:20:32.09\00:20:34.23
I looked across at
the little schoolgirl -
00:20:34.43\00:20:36.33
she was a high school
student - sitting next to me
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.53
and I looked across at her and
she gave me this very genteel
00:20:38.73\00:20:41.24
smile as if to say:
"Well, this is pretty bad
00:20:41.44\00:20:43.71
but you've got
it under control. "
00:20:43.91\00:20:45.97
I thought: You don't know
the half, girl. I'm sorry. "
00:20:46.17\00:20:48.28
And I was struggling. I
knew that what I needed to do
00:20:48.68\00:20:51.81
was turn that plane around
and get under the heading of
00:20:52.01\00:20:54.65
018. I still remember it.
00:20:54.85\00:20:56.92
And every time I
tried to turn it around
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.25
it would just get thrown over.
00:20:59.45\00:21:01.69
And I thought:
"Well this is not good! "
00:21:01.89\00:21:03.43
And it got to the point
where I just couldn't turn.
00:21:03.83\00:21:06.39
And I thought for the
first and only time in my life
00:21:06.59\00:21:09.36
"This is it. It's
going to be the end...
00:21:09.56\00:21:13.54
this is the end. " I heard
one of the other mission planes
00:21:13.74\00:21:16.71
landing at my home strip
00:21:16.91\00:21:18.67
and I thought: "He
will have to tell my wife
00:21:18.87\00:21:21.48
that I'm not
coming home tonight. "
00:21:21.68\00:21:23.68
And I had my hand reaching
down to take the microphone
00:21:24.18\00:21:29.68
to put out a Mayday call
00:21:29.88\00:21:31.25
when I looked
again at the compass
00:21:31.65\00:21:34.16
and it was on exactly 018.
00:21:34.56\00:21:38.23
And how that ever happened
I have absolutely no idea
00:21:38.63\00:21:41.76
because with my
greatest effort I could not turn
00:21:41.96\00:21:44.73
that plane around without
getting terribly messed up.
00:21:44.93\00:21:47.67
I held it on 018
for a couple of minutes
00:21:47.87\00:21:50.67
and just popped out the
other side of the cloud.
00:21:50.87\00:21:52.57
Went back and
landed back at Popondetta
00:21:52.77\00:21:55.38
and spent the night sleeping
on the floor of the school there
00:21:55.58\00:21:58.68
looking out at the
stars and thinking:
00:21:58.88\00:22:00.32
"Aren't those stars beautiful! "
00:22:00.52\00:22:02.18
Because... That taught me
a big lesson of life really.
00:22:02.58\00:22:07.89
That God has rules
just like pilots have rules.
00:22:08.09\00:22:12.26
Pilots have rules just
like... And if we choose to say:
00:22:12.46\00:22:15.40
"No, I don't think I need
to follow it on this particular
00:22:15.60\00:22:18.23
point" well you
accept the consequences.
00:22:18.43\00:22:21.87
Hmm! And I realized
I had done it there.
00:22:22.27\00:22:25.24
There was a little rule
which I thought I could just
00:22:25.44\00:22:27.11
get away with
but it wasn't to be.
00:22:27.31\00:22:30.05
Don't go in the clouds. Hmm.
00:22:30.25\00:22:31.91
So the next morning
left early... no clouds.
00:22:32.31\00:22:36.18
Up and over and back.
And so it was all over.
00:22:36.38\00:22:39.39
And embraced your
wife to say: "I'm back! "
00:22:39.59\00:22:41.62
Didn't have the heart to tell
her about it for a little...
00:22:41.82\00:22:43.63
few days after that.
00:22:43.83\00:22:45.29
That would have been
a frightening ordeal.
00:22:46.16\00:22:48.76
It was at the
time because as I said
00:22:48.96\00:22:51.37
it was the only
time in my life - ever -
00:22:51.57\00:22:53.74
that I thought: "Well
this is it. It's over for me. "
00:22:53.94\00:22:57.64
And that's a
fairly sobering thing.
00:22:58.41\00:22:59.81
It is! That is. It's
easy to talk about it - yes!
00:23:00.01\00:23:03.78
When you're confronted
with it, you can be sure...
00:23:03.98\00:23:06.31
There was no panic but
it was just an acceptance
00:23:06.51\00:23:10.55
or realization that
I've broken this rule.
00:23:10.75\00:23:12.79
I shouldn't have done it
and here I'm paying for it.
00:23:12.99\00:23:15.66
I hope you never did it
again. I never did it again!
00:23:15.86\00:23:17.96
See... that's the
same with following God.
00:23:18.16\00:23:22.23
There's consequences in
that. There's a message in there
00:23:22.43\00:23:24.33
isn't there? Yes, there is.
But sometimes you haven't been
00:23:24.53\00:23:27.27
so lucky as such.
00:23:27.47\00:23:29.57
No. You've obviously survived
00:23:29.77\00:23:32.21
because you're here. Yes!
00:23:32.41\00:23:33.74
But the planes haven't
necessarily survived so well.
00:23:33.78\00:23:38.71
No. Things in New
Guinea there for a while...
00:23:41.02\00:23:43.22
You know, planes are
very reliable things,
00:23:43.42\00:23:46.02
and the mission planes
were very carefully cared for
00:23:46.22\00:23:50.09
and maintained. We
had our own mechanic.
00:23:50.29\00:23:51.99
He did a brilliant
job looking after them.
00:23:52.19\00:23:53.56
But every so often with any
machine something goes wrong
00:23:53.76\00:23:56.87
and I seem to get 2 or 3 things.
00:23:57.07\00:23:59.47
But one in particular which
I don't think I'll ever forget
00:23:59.67\00:24:04.54
was at Menya, our 1st
appt. in the mission field.
00:24:05.67\00:24:09.64
I had a number of
centers in my district
00:24:09.84\00:24:12.58
and we were running
what we called Camp Meeting
00:24:12.78\00:24:14.68
for the local church members
where they would come together.
00:24:14.88\00:24:19.59
No tents or anything but
they would build themselves
00:24:19.99\00:24:21.96
little huts to
live in for the weekend.
00:24:22.16\00:24:25.39
We'd have this time. And
I had the mission president
00:24:25.59\00:24:28.00
and one of the
departmental people come up
00:24:28.20\00:24:30.80
as guest speakers.
And every couple of days
00:24:31.00\00:24:33.13
I would move them around.
I'd be doing meetings myself.
00:24:33.34\00:24:35.90
And at the end of the
week on the Sunday morning
00:24:36.10\00:24:39.04
it was time to take them
back to Lae where they lived.
00:24:39.24\00:24:42.38
And so I left Menya and I
flew across to this little
00:24:42.78\00:24:45.55
strip called Lutherumpia
00:24:45.75\00:24:47.08
which is only when
it was a clear day about
00:24:47.22\00:24:50.05
less than 10-minute
flight away from my house.
00:24:50.25\00:24:53.66
Lutherumpia was
an interesting strip
00:24:54.06\00:24:58.56
because you could not go in
there unless you really knew
00:24:58.96\00:25:03.16
what was
happening. It was steep;
00:25:03.37\00:25:06.23
it was short;
it was in a valley.
00:25:06.43\00:25:09.30
Once you started to
make your approach in
00:25:11.24\00:25:13.38
there was no way of turning
around and having another
00:25:13.58\00:25:16.64
go at it. You had to get
it right, the first time.
00:25:16.85\00:25:18.41
Do we have a photo of that?
00:25:18.61\00:25:20.15
I believe we do actually.
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.52
Hmm... that's it. Where is this?
00:25:22.72\00:25:25.62
That's it there. You
come in from the bottom.
00:25:25.82\00:25:29.02
Land up the hill on this
bit of gravel stuff here.
00:25:29.22\00:25:32.46
Turn around there and then
00:25:32.66\00:25:35.90
get yourself ready to
take off down the hill.
00:25:36.10\00:25:37.97
And miss the
mountain on the other side.
00:25:38.17\00:25:40.50
Miss the mountain on
the other side and turn out
00:25:40.70\00:25:43.00
down the valley
to the left... yes.
00:25:43.20\00:25:45.17
So landed; visited
with the folks there.
00:25:45.37\00:25:50.48
Picked up Pastor
Peter and Pastor Phillip.
00:25:50.68\00:25:53.72
And there was a missionary
and his wife who needed care
00:25:53.92\00:25:56.79
at the Lea Hospital
so she was there too.
00:25:57.15\00:25:58.82
Loaded us all in the
plane. I also had a bit of food
00:25:59.22\00:26:02.72
which the parents of
the boys at our school
00:26:02.92\00:26:04.89
were sending back to their
sons and daughters over there.
00:26:05.09\00:26:09.23
And loaded everybody in.
00:26:09.43\00:26:12.40
In the mission plane
doesn't matter how many times
00:26:13.50\00:26:16.14
you land or take off in a day
00:26:16.34\00:26:18.47
we always have
prayer before you startup.
00:26:18.67\00:26:22.08
So I remember
asking Pastor Phillip,
00:26:22.28\00:26:24.78
the mission president
sitting next to me, to pray.
00:26:24.98\00:26:26.92
In Pigeon English, they
pray, and for some reason
00:26:27.12\00:26:29.78
I always pray that the
engine will keep going.
00:26:29.98\00:26:31.79
The engine apparently is a
very important part of the plane
00:26:31.99\00:26:34.16
as far as I am concerned.
Anyway, we had prayer.
00:26:34.36\00:26:36.16
It is by the way.
Well, the problem is, John,
00:26:36.36\00:26:38.16
you're right. Avoiding mountains
is another important thing.
00:26:38.36\00:26:41.56
Well, that's
true. We had prayer,
00:26:41.76\00:26:43.53
started up, made
contact on the radio.
00:26:43.73\00:26:46.17
Everything was good.
Put my feet on the brakes,
00:26:46.37\00:26:49.64
revved the engine up to
full power to make sure it was
00:26:49.84\00:26:52.67
working OK just to
keep the nationals happy.
00:26:52.87\00:26:54.94
And once you take
your feet off the brakes
00:26:55.14\00:26:57.71
and start down the
slope you can't stop.
00:26:57.91\00:27:01.15
Committed? You're
committed to take off.
00:27:01.35\00:27:02.78
As soon as you... within
probably 20 meters of starting
00:27:02.98\00:27:06.55
the take-off you're committed
to take off. There's no way
00:27:06.76\00:27:09.22
you can stop So
over the edge, we go
00:27:09.42\00:27:11.76
approaching the take-off speed
00:27:13.83\00:27:15.26
and I start pulling
back on the control column.
00:27:15.46\00:27:17.47
And I pull it
back and I pull it back
00:27:17.67\00:27:20.54
and I pull it back and it
comes right back on the stops
00:27:20.74\00:27:23.04
and the plane is still
picking up speed, rushing down
00:27:23.24\00:27:25.84
the runway. I push
the control column in.
00:27:26.04\00:27:28.28
It goes right into the stops,
pull it out again... nothing.
00:27:28.81\00:27:32.05
The control column
was having no effect
00:27:32.45\00:27:35.35
on the controls of the plane.
00:27:35.55\00:27:36.89
Now I suppose to
put it into a car thing
00:27:36.99\00:27:39.82
if you're going down
a very steep mountain
00:27:40.02\00:27:42.26
and as you come to a
very sharp hairpin bend
00:27:42.46\00:27:46.36
you turn the wheel and
it just goes round and round
00:27:46.56\00:27:48.36
and round and round and
doesn't actually turn the car.
00:27:48.56\00:27:50.33
That would be an
equivalent sort of situation.
00:27:50.53\00:27:52.63
Very
dangerous... very dangerous!
00:27:52.83\00:27:54.70
And so here I am
pushing this control column in
00:27:55.10\00:27:57.07
thinking: "Why won't
this plane take off? "
00:27:57.27\00:27:59.17
"Why won't it
respond to the controls? "
00:27:59.37\00:28:01.04
And before I know
it it lifts itself off
00:28:01.44\00:28:05.55
and starts flying.
00:28:05.75\00:28:07.12
I have no control
over it but it's flying.
00:28:07.52\00:28:09.95
But as it picks up speed
once it's left the ground
00:28:10.15\00:28:13.62
it starts climbing.
00:28:13.82\00:28:15.99
And so it got
faster and got steeper
00:28:17.09\00:28:21.50
and steeper and steeper
until we were sitting back
00:28:21.70\00:28:24.20
looking out at the sky.
00:28:24.40\00:28:25.73
And the stall warning
which says that you've got
00:28:26.90\00:28:30.44
probably just a few seconds be-
fore the plane actually stalls.
00:28:30.64\00:28:35.18
Yes. You know,
when a plane stalls
00:28:35.38\00:28:36.88
it's nothing to
do with the engine.
00:28:37.08\00:28:38.41
It means that the wings just
can't keep lifting the plane.
00:28:38.51\00:28:43.05
The angle has got too steep
so the air is not going over
00:28:43.25\00:28:46.09
to lift the plane.
And so what you have to do
00:28:46.29\00:28:48.72
is get the nose of
that plane down very quickly
00:28:48.92\00:28:50.76
to get the wings creating lift
again to keep you in the air.
00:28:50.96\00:28:55.26
Otherwise, you're
just like a brick falling.
00:28:55.46\00:28:57.33
Nothing's
responding... nothing's working.
00:28:57.53\00:28:59.53
So... and this is
where the first miracle...
00:28:59.93\00:29:03.24
and this to me I
still am in awe of it...
00:29:03.44\00:29:07.01
I had one hand on
the control column.
00:29:07.91\00:29:10.11
The other hand as you
do was on the throttle.
00:29:10.31\00:29:12.58
It was pushed
right in for take-off.
00:29:12.78\00:29:14.48
And I thought very quickly:
00:29:14.68\00:29:17.12
"If I slow the engine down
00:29:17.32\00:29:19.55
the nose should sink down.
00:29:19.75\00:29:21.89
Now if I slow it down too much
00:29:22.29\00:29:24.33
it'll just flop anyway. "
00:29:24.53\00:29:27.00
If I don't slow it enough
we will smash into the storm
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.33
and stall anyway. I
had to pull that throttle
00:29:29.53\00:29:32.00
back to the right
engine speed once.
00:29:32.20\00:29:34.77
I had one shot at it.
00:29:34.97\00:29:36.44
I couldn't go uh, uh, you know
00:29:36.64\00:29:38.94
searching it. I had to pull it
and I got it right to the spot
00:29:39.14\00:29:42.08
where the nose just fell
through and the plane started
00:29:42.28\00:29:44.68
picking up. Now I believe
beyond the shadow of a doubt
00:29:44.88\00:29:48.68
I could not do that.
00:29:48.88\00:29:50.22
There was an angel
had his hand on my hand
00:29:50.39\00:29:53.09
told me just exactly how
far to pull that throttle back.
00:29:53.49\00:29:56.86
Now it's about a
6-inch... anywhere within there
00:29:57.06\00:30:00.40
and just to get
it to the right spot.
00:30:00.60\00:30:02.66
And so the engine slowed down;
the nose started coming down
00:30:02.86\00:30:06.37
but it kept on coming down
00:30:06.77\00:30:10.21
and coming down and coming down.
00:30:10.41\00:30:11.77
Now instead of
looking at the blue sky
00:30:11.97\00:30:13.61
we were looking at the bottom
of the valley rushing up at us.
00:30:13.81\00:30:17.01
So I pushed the
throttle in again
00:30:17.21\00:30:18.78
and the engine revved up
and the plane lifted up again
00:30:18.98\00:30:21.55
and started going back up.
And so I pulled it back again
00:30:21.75\00:30:24.72
and it came back down like this.
00:30:24.92\00:30:26.42
And so we wobbled our
way out of the airstrip
00:30:26.62\00:30:29.32
revving it up, slowing it down.
00:30:29.52\00:30:31.89
And I decided: "Well
there's no way we can
00:30:32.09\00:30:37.10
make it out of this
valley to get to Lae.
00:30:37.30\00:30:39.80
I knew that if I
flew out of the valley
00:30:40.00\00:30:41.64
made the right as you could
see and flew down the other
00:30:41.84\00:30:44.21
valley at the end of that valley
there was another airstrip.
00:30:44.41\00:30:47.48
It was flat. It was
short but it was flat.
00:30:47.68\00:30:50.55
It was still a
one-way strip which meant
00:30:50.75\00:30:52.51
you had to fly in, land, and
then turn around and come out
00:30:52.71\00:30:55.32
because it had a huge
mountain at the end of it.
00:30:55.52\00:30:57.85
And so... You weighed up in
your mind where was the best
00:30:58.89\00:31:01.59
place to go. Yes!
What you were doing.
00:31:01.79\00:31:03.36
Yes. And so I started
heading off down this valley.
00:31:03.56\00:31:06.86
I'm on my radio
talking to the flight service
00:31:07.06\00:31:09.76
telling them what's going on.
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.53
I'm on the mission skid trying
to tell them what's going on
00:31:11.83\00:31:15.24
but there was nobody there
because it was Sunday morning.
00:31:15.44\00:31:17.31
That was a bit frustrating.
00:31:17.51\00:31:18.84
I'm on and off of the throttle.
00:31:18.87\00:31:21.41
I'm adjusting the flaps
trying to find another way
00:31:21.61\00:31:24.25
to set, working the trim.
00:31:24.41\00:31:26.45
I was VERY BUSY, and
I think to start with
00:31:26.65\00:31:31.02
my passengers thought that
we were just having a bit of fun
00:31:31.22\00:31:33.66
coming out of there and
doing this up and down thing
00:31:33.86\00:31:36.12
which we would never do anyway.
00:31:36.32\00:31:38.96
But Pastor Peter who
was sitting behind me
00:31:39.16\00:31:41.70
I felt this hand come up beside
me and grab the door handle.
00:31:41.90\00:31:45.37
And he was trying
to get the door open
00:31:45.57\00:31:47.64
'cause he was going to jump out.
00:31:47.84\00:31:49.67
Who wants to be in a
plane that's going to crash?
00:31:49.87\00:31:51.47
That makes sense, doesn't it?
00:31:51.67\00:31:53.07
No... not jump out!
00:31:53.27\00:31:55.41
And I said to Pastor Phillip
who was sitting next to me
00:31:55.61\00:31:57.98
I said: "You
tell him to sit back
00:31:58.18\00:31:59.51
and put his seatbelt on
and you two start praying. "
00:31:59.65\00:32:02.45
Because I said: "I'm
too busy to do it right now
00:32:02.65\00:32:04.69
but you two guys start.
" And Pastor Phillip turned
00:32:04.89\00:32:07.56
around and gave Peter a
bit mouthful, and he sat back
00:32:07.76\00:32:11.03
and then the two of
them started praying.
00:32:11.23\00:32:13.66
And it was a
blessing that they did.
00:32:13.86\00:32:16.50
Anyway, to make the
story... What happened next was
00:32:16.70\00:32:22.10
as we got down the
valley and came around
00:32:22.30\00:32:25.47
and the Marawaka strip was
right at the end of the valley
00:32:25.67\00:32:28.58
as we came around the
ridge to line up to it
00:32:28.78\00:32:32.31
we were down below
the level of the...
00:32:32.51\00:32:36.15
the strip was up here
and we were down here.
00:32:36.55\00:32:38.65
So I had to make the
ups more than the downs
00:32:38.85\00:32:43.19
for the last little bit and
hope that I could get up enough
00:32:43.39\00:32:46.73
to get on to the end of
the strip. Like landing on
00:32:47.13\00:32:49.23
an aircraft carrier
a little bit I guess.
00:32:49.43\00:32:51.03
Again a miracle. Came
over the end of the strip
00:32:52.20\00:32:56.34
probably 20 feet
above it if that.
00:32:56.54\00:32:59.04
I knew that I needed to get this
plane on the ground quickly.
00:33:01.24\00:33:04.05
Now to land a plane usually
you need this control column
00:33:04.25\00:33:08.68
because that's what
stops you from just crashing.
00:33:08.88\00:33:11.39
It's vital... it's
more vital in landing
00:33:11.59\00:33:14.02
than it is taking off.
00:33:14.22\00:33:15.66
I never had that.
00:33:16.73\00:33:18.23
But I knew I wanted to get
on the ground because the strip
00:33:18.43\00:33:20.60
was short and I needed to stop.
00:33:20.80\00:33:22.73
So I pulled the power off. The
nose immediately dropped down.
00:33:22.93\00:33:26.30
I could see what was happening.
00:33:26.80\00:33:29.14
We were going to hit
the ground very hard.
00:33:29.34\00:33:31.94
I pushed the throttle
in. The engine revved up
00:33:32.14\00:33:34.88
but it was too late and
the airplane hit the ground.
00:33:35.08\00:33:38.05
The wheels - main
wheels - splayed up.
00:33:38.25\00:33:41.75
Burst open the
cargo compartment.
00:33:41.95\00:33:43.89
I can still see the
bags of sweet potato and that
00:33:44.09\00:33:46.96
shooting off down
the strip in front of me.
00:33:47.16\00:33:48.72
It hit the ground so hard
that the nose wheel broke off
00:33:49.12\00:33:52.33
and it went skidding off
down the dirt in front of me.
00:33:52.73\00:33:56.20
The engine was on full power
but the propellers were digging
00:33:58.03\00:34:01.00
into the dirt and
so the engine stopped.
00:34:01.20\00:34:03.07
And at that point, we bounced
back up into the air again.
00:34:04.04\00:34:06.88
After that, I had no control
over anything which happened.
00:34:07.08\00:34:10.85
Came down and hit the ground an-
other very heavy bounce or two.
00:34:11.05\00:34:15.25
And because of the
tailwind that was blowing
00:34:15.45\00:34:18.79
blew us off to
the side of the strip,
00:34:18.99\00:34:21.56
down an embankment,
turned upside down.,
00:34:21.76\00:34:24.49
and came to a stop at
the bottom of the embankment.
00:34:24.69\00:34:27.76
And there's? There it is there:
the bottom of the embankment
00:34:27.96\00:34:30.87
where the fellow is
standing down there.
00:34:31.07\00:34:33.80
We went down
there and upside down.
00:34:34.00\00:34:37.84
It's a little confusing
when all of this happens
00:34:38.04\00:34:41.21
in a big hurry and
then you want to get out
00:34:41.41\00:34:43.14
of an upside-down plane.
00:34:43.35\00:34:44.68
Hmm. Because you
take your seatbelt off
00:34:44.71\00:34:46.21
and you immediately fall on
the roof which is actually now
00:34:46.41\00:34:48.85
the floor. Yes. You
want to get the door open
00:34:49.05\00:34:51.05
to get out and you don't
want to be jammed in there.
00:34:51.25\00:34:53.92
So I got my seatbelt off.
00:34:55.09\00:34:57.36
I opened the
door; got myself out;
00:34:58.59\00:35:00.80
shook myself down; found that
I wasn't in any way damaged.
00:35:00.96\00:35:04.03
But the nationals
inside have enough problems
00:35:04.23\00:35:07.74
getting out of
seatbelts right-way up
00:35:07.94\00:35:09.57
and they could not work
out how to get themselves out.
00:35:09.77\00:35:12.31
And they're hanging upside down!
They're hanging upside down.
00:35:12.51\00:35:15.14
Fuel tanks had burst.
00:35:15.34\00:35:16.75
There was gas around everywhere.
00:35:16.95\00:35:20.22
Wanted to get everyone
out as quickly as possible.
00:35:20.42\00:35:22.08
Wanted to get everybody out
so I went in and pulled their
00:35:22.28\00:35:24.09
seatbelts and
they fell on the floor
00:35:24.29\00:35:26.59
which was the roof
and pulled them out.
00:35:26.79\00:35:28.86
We scampered up to
the top of the airstrip.
00:35:29.06\00:35:30.46
Even the lady that
was going to the hospital
00:35:30.86\00:35:33.09
got herself up to the airstrip.
00:35:33.29\00:35:34.86
Shook ourselves down and
not one of us had so much as
00:35:35.26\00:35:38.07
a scratch on us. Is that right?
00:35:38.27\00:35:40.04
Hmm! Absolutely amazing.
00:35:40.44\00:35:42.37
It was Sunday morning as I said
00:35:43.71\00:35:45.97
and the church in that particu-
lar valley was about to start.
00:35:46.17\00:35:50.85
And there were people
coming from the different trails
00:35:51.05\00:35:55.55
to their church up
towards the end of the airstrip.
00:35:56.12\00:35:58.22
And when the mission
plane came in like that
00:35:58.72\00:36:02.02
this set the valley alive.
They were yelling and that,
00:36:02.22\00:36:05.66
and before I knew it
there were probably 200 people
00:36:05.86\00:36:08.76
crowding around the strip.
00:36:08.96\00:36:11.27
And Pastor Peter - the one
who had tried to open the door -
00:36:11.47\00:36:14.30
was one never to
miss an opportunity.
00:36:14.50\00:36:16.37
And so he started
preaching them a little sermon
00:36:16.57\00:36:21.14
on Sunday morning
instead of in their own church
00:36:21.34\00:36:23.51
and told them: "This was the
mission plane that belonged to
00:36:23.91\00:36:26.92
the Adventists. God
flies with the Adventists.
00:36:27.12\00:36:29.65
See this terrible
crash? We are not hurt.
00:36:29.85\00:36:32.49
God's angels looked after us. "
00:36:32.69\00:36:34.66
And if you go to Marawaka today
00:36:35.06\00:36:38.33
at the end of the
airstrip you will now find
00:36:38.53\00:36:40.83
an Adventist church there
where we had never been able
00:36:41.03\00:36:43.70
to get a church there
before. That's amazing!
00:36:43.90\00:36:45.60
But there's a church
there right as we speak today
00:36:45.80\00:36:49.30
at the end of that
airstrip as a result of that.
00:36:49.50\00:36:51.31
Now... God allowed
you to arrive there
00:36:51.51\00:36:55.88
in a way that nobody could miss.
00:36:56.08\00:36:58.41
Nobody could miss.
They couldn't miss it.
00:36:58.61\00:37:00.62
The helicopter came in and
took me back over to my place.
00:37:01.48\00:37:04.55
I remember
walking in the back door
00:37:04.95\00:37:07.02
and Robina said to
me: "Where's the plane? "
00:37:07.22\00:37:10.13
I said: "Oh, I just
left it over at Marawaka. "
00:37:10.33\00:37:13.13
Yeah, but how did
you get here? Yes.
00:37:15.33\00:37:17.00
But then two days later
the Dept. of Civil Aviation
00:37:17.40\00:37:22.64
flew a team out to
investigate it. They wouldn't
00:37:22.84\00:37:25.47
land at this strip because none
of them had been there before.
00:37:25.67\00:37:28.08
But they flew down
the valley into Marawaka.
00:37:28.48\00:37:32.91
When I got out the
guy that was leading it -
00:37:33.11\00:37:35.25
an Australian guy, very
old and experienced guy -
00:37:35.45\00:37:38.15
he said: "I want to shake
your hand because" he said
00:37:38.35\00:37:41.52
"I've been investigating crashes
since the days of the second
00:37:41.92\00:37:44.36
World War and I've
never had the opportunity
00:37:44.56\00:37:46.56
of shaking the hand of
somebody who was in a position
00:37:46.76\00:37:49.16
such as you yourself in there. "
00:37:49.36\00:37:51.07
And... They usually die. Yeah.
00:37:51.27\00:37:54.04
The Department of
Civil Aviation at the time
00:37:55.30\00:37:58.57
used to put out a monthly
journal on investigating crashes
00:37:58.97\00:38:04.95
and they would look
to see what had happened.
00:38:05.15\00:38:07.82
And usually the
pilots would get hammered
00:38:08.02\00:38:10.02
for making wrong decisions.
00:38:10.22\00:38:11.62
Well they wrote
this particular...
00:38:12.39\00:38:13.79
They don't write all crashes
up but they wrote this one up.
00:38:13.99\00:38:15.92
And the heading for
it was: "Well Done! "
00:38:16.12\00:38:18.39
And they had nothing
but praise for the way that
00:38:18.79\00:38:21.76
it worked out. And I remember
saying to the investigator,
00:38:21.96\00:38:25.27
I said: "Look,
flying for the mission
00:38:25.47\00:38:27.80
may not be the highest
paid job in the country
00:38:28.00\00:38:30.01
but I can promise you
it has other advantages. "
00:38:30.51\00:38:33.68
Um-hmm. And he said: "I
have to agree with you. "
00:38:33.88\00:38:35.84
And I can tell
you here right now
00:38:36.04\00:38:38.01
what happened that
day I'll never forget.
00:38:38.41\00:38:41.18
But there was just
one miracle after another
00:38:41.38\00:38:45.55
where I saw the hand of
God where those people with me
00:38:45.75\00:38:50.26
were just... their lives
were saved and I was saved.
00:38:50.46\00:38:53.80
And I just have to thank
God for the way that... that...
00:38:54.00\00:38:56.97
And that's why that
verse in Psalm 90 there is...
00:38:57.17\00:39:01.50
91... 91 is so special
00:39:01.70\00:39:04.31
because I believe that
God does have His angels.
00:39:04.47\00:39:06.84
They ARE watching over us.
00:39:07.04\00:39:08.51
He IS interested in
us... in each one of us.
00:39:08.71\00:39:11.61
That's true. I sense it,
and those folks with me that day
00:39:11.81\00:39:16.58
sensed it also in a
very very fearful way.
00:39:16.79\00:39:19.02
So what did they
find out? What went wrong?
00:39:19.22\00:39:20.86
Oh, glad you asked that. I
was wondering the same thing.
00:39:21.66\00:39:24.39
We don't really know.
00:39:25.33\00:39:26.70
But I'll tell you what happened.
00:39:26.90\00:39:28.86
About... NO...
let me back up a bit.
00:39:30.47\00:39:33.23
Light aircraft have to have
an inspection every 100 hours.
00:39:33.44\00:39:36.71
Um-hmm. This plane had been
in for its 100-hour inspection
00:39:36.91\00:39:40.61
about 40 hours before this. Yes?
00:39:40.81\00:39:43.85
I had brought the plane
in. I hadn't been flying it
00:39:44.05\00:39:46.11
immediately before it
and I was going to help
00:39:46.31\00:39:49.75
the engineer... well I
DID HELP the engineer... do
00:39:49.95\00:39:52.59
the 100-hourly
inspection on her.
00:39:52.79\00:39:55.22
And I just screwed
screws... he did the inspecting.
00:39:55.42\00:39:58.39
But he was going away on
furlough the next morning
00:39:58.59\00:40:01.53
so he had to get
the job finished.
00:40:01.73\00:40:03.57
And when we got down
to the back of the plane
00:40:03.97\00:40:05.77
he discovered that... it wasn't
me, but one of the other pilots
00:40:05.97\00:40:09.50
had had a tail
strike. In other words,
00:40:09.70\00:40:11.47
he hit the tail on the ground
when he was coming in to land
00:40:11.67\00:40:13.68
on one of the
short, rough strips
00:40:13.88\00:40:15.74
and it had bent
the rear bulkhead.
00:40:15.94\00:40:18.01
And so that had to be
replaced which was a big job.
00:40:18.21\00:40:21.48
The whole tail had
to come off the plane
00:40:21.68\00:40:23.12
and then the bulkhead had
to be drilled out and replaced.
00:40:23.52\00:40:26.99
And so we were there
till about nearly 3 a.m.
00:40:27.19\00:40:30.13
getting this
bulkhead back in place
00:40:30.33\00:40:33.03
and the back of
the plane back on
00:40:33.23\00:40:34.70
so that he could go off on his
furlough at 8 o'clock the next
00:40:34.90\00:40:37.50
morning. And it would seem
00:40:37.70\00:40:41.50
that when he was putting
the controls back together
00:40:41.70\00:40:46.84
for the tailplane, there's
a bell crank that comes down
00:40:47.04\00:40:49.71
which makes the
elevators go up and down -
00:40:49.91\00:40:53.31
um-hmm - and it's
connected by a torque tube.
00:40:53.52\00:40:56.02
And there's a bolt
that goes through there.
00:40:56.22\00:40:58.39
Yep. There's a nut
and a safety nut on it.
00:40:58.59\00:41:00.62
It seems that the
safety nut wasn't put on.
00:41:00.82\00:41:04.39
And over those 40
hours bouncing around
00:41:04.59\00:41:07.60
the nut had come off. And just
when we were going down there
00:41:07.80\00:41:11.07
the bolt popped
out and that was...
00:41:11.27\00:41:13.44
The bolt was never found.
00:41:13.64\00:41:15.54
The nut was never found
but that's the conclusion.
00:41:15.74\00:41:19.14
So they have to
assume they weren't there?
00:41:19.34\00:41:20.68
Have to assume they're not
there as the cause of the crash.
00:41:20.74\00:41:22.84
That's the only explanation.
But it voided the controls.
00:41:23.14\00:41:26.65
Ummm... yeah.
00:41:26.85\00:41:28.25
But it was wonderful the
way that God's hand was there.
00:41:28.45\00:41:32.49
And the mission got a
brand new plane out of it, so...
00:41:32.69\00:41:35.12
They say all
things work for good.
00:41:36.02\00:41:38.13
You can tell the story.
00:41:38.33\00:41:40.03
One of the things you
said at the beginning of this
00:41:40.23\00:41:45.03
that you were on your first
appointment... so you hadn't
00:41:45.23\00:41:47.77
been flying for very
long. By that time I...
00:41:47.97\00:41:51.97
we were still in Menyamya...
I probably had about 1,000 hrs.
00:41:52.17\00:41:55.31
Which isn't a lot. No... no.
00:41:55.51\00:41:59.38
Especially in
Papua, New Guinea. Yeah.
00:41:59.58\00:42:00.92
But I'd been on this
trip dozens of times.
00:42:01.08\00:42:04.12
You know, it was one of the
ones in my district that I was
00:42:04.32\00:42:06.69
in and out of a
lot. But to do that is
00:42:06.89\00:42:08.66
a marvelous thing with not hav-
ing a long time of being a pilot
00:42:08.86\00:42:14.70
but to be able to think -
sure - to do what you did.
00:42:14.90\00:42:19.67
And that was recognized.
00:42:19.87\00:42:21.74
I was reading... Oh,
now what am I going to do?
00:42:21.94\00:42:24.47
But I just thank
the Lord every day.
00:42:24.67\00:42:29.64
So that's one where the
Lord preserved your life.
00:42:29.84\00:42:31.71
That's the second story you
told where the Lord preserved
00:42:31.91\00:42:33.58
your life. Yes... yes.
00:42:33.78\00:42:35.35
The first one was my
own doing, though, John.
00:42:35.55\00:42:38.05
The second one was I didn't have
much control over what happened
00:42:38.25\00:42:41.49
or why it happened. God
has control when you call Him.
00:42:41.89\00:42:45.46
Doesn't matter what's
happening... God is in control.
00:42:45.66\00:42:47.16
And I think we have
to accept that: that
00:42:47.36\00:42:48.96
He is the King of the universe.
00:42:49.16\00:42:51.30
Doesn't matter what
happens... He is in control.
00:42:51.50\00:42:54.47
Haven't you had a
third time where you
00:42:54.67\00:42:56.91
had an accident or
nearly had an accident?
00:42:57.11\00:42:58.81
By the way, we've
got photos of the plane
00:42:59.01\00:43:01.44
before we go any further.
Oh yeah! That was when it was
00:43:01.64\00:43:03.81
pulled back. When I arrived
two days later the govt. officer
00:43:04.01\00:43:09.15
had put a rope on it and
pulled it back under its wheels.
00:43:09.55\00:43:13.46
The wing looks a bit damaged.
00:43:13.66\00:43:14.99
The wings are
damaged; it was upside down
00:43:15.19\00:43:17.16
and you can see the bent pro-
pellors & the nose reel is gone.
00:43:17.36\00:43:20.70
Is the top of the
tail a bit damaged, too?
00:43:20.90\00:43:22.96
It all happened... Once
we went down the embankment
00:43:23.16\00:43:25.07
it kind of
happened in slow motion
00:43:25.27\00:43:26.97
because I thought we
were just going to pull up
00:43:27.17\00:43:29.30
before it went off
because I couldn't steer it
00:43:29.50\00:43:32.91
once the nose
wheel was gone. So...
00:43:33.11\00:43:34.61
Oh! Beautiful-shaped propellers!
Yes, yes, it's very fancy.
00:43:34.98\00:43:39.01
That's what happens
when you get 300 horsepower
00:43:39.21\00:43:41.88
biting into the ground.
00:43:42.08\00:43:43.52
That shows you show strong
they are before they break.
00:43:44.82\00:43:49.09
They shear
off... they break. Yes.
00:43:49.29\00:43:50.63
So now what was the other
thing you were going to tell us?
00:43:50.66\00:43:52.49
Was I going to tell
you something else? Yes.
00:43:52.69\00:43:54.60
You had members of your family
that did die in a crash? Yes.
00:43:54.80\00:43:59.27
Like I was saying before, in
my family there are three boys:
00:43:59.47\00:44:04.01
my older brother Calvin...
00:44:04.21\00:44:06.07
he was in a plane
crash in New Guinea.
00:44:06.27\00:44:09.21
He only went flying occasionally
as part of his mission work.
00:44:09.41\00:44:14.35
He was a union/departmental man.
00:44:14.55\00:44:17.22
He was in the mission up there
00:44:17.42\00:44:18.89
and would be flying around
as part of his work program.
00:44:19.09\00:44:21.92
And he was in the plane
with Pastor Laurie Shields
00:44:22.12\00:44:25.86
that crashed at Goroka.
00:44:26.06\00:44:28.06
The four people
including Pastor Shields
00:44:28.26\00:44:30.77
sitting on the
left-hand side were killed.
00:44:30.97\00:44:32.67
My brother, sitting on
the right-hand side survived
00:44:32.87\00:44:36.24
but with very, very serious
injuries which he still carries
00:44:36.44\00:44:39.67
to this very day.
They had to Medivac him out
00:44:39.87\00:44:42.24
to the San which they
didn't do a lot in those days.
00:44:42.44\00:44:44.38
Send him back to city. Hmm.
So he was very, very fortunate
00:44:44.58\00:44:48.02
to survive that.
My younger brother
00:44:48.22\00:44:50.72
was at Camp Meeting.
Was on a Master Ranger
00:44:50.92\00:44:56.06
outing to Kangaroo
Island out of Adelaide
00:44:56.26\00:44:58.93
for the youth on one of
the days of the Camp Meeting.
00:44:59.13\00:45:02.26
They flew over there.
00:45:02.66\00:45:04.67
Visited around on the island.
00:45:05.80\00:45:07.54
Quite a few youth I presume?
Yeah, they flew them over
00:45:07.74\00:45:10.54
in light aircraft... ferrying
them across from the mainland
00:45:10.74\00:45:13.78
across and there
was quite a crowd.
00:45:13.98\00:45:16.41
And because he was in charge
he was the last flight out.
00:45:16.61\00:45:21.72
The weather had turned
a bit cold and so he told
00:45:23.49\00:45:25.29
his girlfriend - his fiancé -
to go back and wait in the car
00:45:25.49\00:45:28.82
at the airport and he
would come on the last plane.
00:45:29.02\00:45:31.03
He was about 21? He was
21. Just engaged to be married.
00:45:31.23\00:45:34.43
Unfortunately,
the plane took off
00:45:36.26\00:45:39.33
and spiraled into the
ground and my young brother
00:45:39.73\00:45:43.81
and five others on that plane
lost their lives. Perished.
00:45:44.01\00:45:47.64
Two brothers as well.
00:45:47.91\00:45:50.58
But for me the
anomaly of all of that is
00:45:51.71\00:45:54.82
my young brother virtually
never set foot on a plane.
00:45:55.02\00:45:58.65
Flies once and loses his life.
00:45:58.85\00:46:01.92
My older brother
goes occasionally
00:46:02.32\00:46:04.79
and gets badly seriously hurt.
00:46:04.99\00:46:07.70
I was flying all the time
00:46:08.10\00:46:10.47
and got away scott free. Hmm.
00:46:10.67\00:46:13.77
So God works in mysterious ways.
00:46:13.97\00:46:15.90
I asked you before what it
was that caused that accident
00:46:16.10\00:46:18.81
for your brother to be killed
00:46:19.01\00:46:20.61
and you mentioned it
was really an experience.
00:46:20.81\00:46:23.81
From what can be put together
00:46:24.21\00:46:26.25
as a result of what
happened it seems that the...
00:46:26.45\00:46:28.68
the pilot took off
and never transitioned
00:46:28.88\00:46:33.89
from looking out of the
window onto his instruments.
00:46:34.39\00:46:37.59
A very dark night with
no stars and that around.
00:46:37.79\00:46:40.66
And become disorientated
00:46:41.06\00:46:42.66
and then just
spiraled into the ground.
00:46:42.86\00:46:44.73
Yeah. But there
is no way of ever...
00:46:45.13\00:46:48.34
nobody... There was
nobody there looking,
00:46:48.54\00:46:50.44
watching, because it
was the last one to leave.
00:46:50.64\00:46:51.97
And so we'll never know,
but that's the assumption
00:46:52.17\00:46:56.34
that the investigators came to.
00:46:56.54\00:46:58.55
Trusting your instruments is
a vital part of being a pilot.
00:46:58.75\00:47:01.78
Yes. Otherwise you
can end up upside down
00:47:02.18\00:47:05.22
and all over the
place. Absolutely!
00:47:05.42\00:47:07.39
I remember John F. Kennedy's son
00:47:07.59\00:47:10.86
died - yes -
because he didn't...
00:47:11.06\00:47:15.46
he didn't actually
have instrument rating.
00:47:16.20\00:47:19.00
He wasn't instrument
rated I think. No, he wasn't.
00:47:19.20\00:47:20.54
And he was flying
when he shouldn't have been
00:47:20.67\00:47:22.47
and it was dark and
didn't know where he was.
00:47:22.67\00:47:25.64
And being in a plane:
it's not like you're in a car
00:47:25.84\00:47:28.14
where you can pull off
and wait till it gets better.
00:47:28.34\00:47:29.94
Once you commit yourself you've
gotta go. You've gotta go.
00:47:31.31\00:47:34.45
You know, there's no...
You can't just stop and say:
00:47:34.65\00:47:37.02
"Oh no, I made a mistake
here. I'll go again tomorrow. "
00:47:37.22\00:47:40.42
Sorry... you've
gotta get through this.
00:47:40.62\00:47:43.22
So how did Robina, your wife,
take all this what happened?
00:47:43.63\00:47:46.73
Well, I just take my
hat off to her, John.
00:47:48.60\00:47:51.93
She... she really
00:47:52.13\00:47:57.04
was... she was living in
a place where she could...
00:47:57.24\00:48:01.21
We had no radio; there
was no road into there.
00:48:01.41\00:48:03.81
She was on her own
and I was away so much
00:48:04.21\00:48:07.82
it wasn't really fair I'd
have to say looking back on it.
00:48:08.02\00:48:10.52
And so she really, really...
00:48:10.72\00:48:14.62
She really learned to trust
in the Lord, I'll tell you.
00:48:14.82\00:48:16.83
Well, that's an important point!
Not that she didn't before
00:48:17.33\00:48:18.66
but she really built her
trust in the Lord tremendously.
00:48:18.86\00:48:22.90
I've been in a position where
00:48:23.30\00:48:25.37
I had a broken marriage and
I was by myself with 2 children
00:48:25.57\00:48:29.20
and there were good points
about it in the fact that I
00:48:29.40\00:48:34.58
learned to have to
trust in God. Yeah.
00:48:34.78\00:48:37.01
And with... It was a hard time
00:48:37.21\00:48:41.08
but it was also a good time -
00:48:41.28\00:48:43.62
yes - because my relation-
ship with God could grow -
00:48:43.82\00:48:47.12
yes - as I had to trust.
00:48:47.32\00:48:49.62
And the more you get away from
the experience and look back
00:48:49.82\00:48:52.03
on it you say:
"Oh, thank you God" -
00:48:52.23\00:48:55.20
yes - "that it's
coming out this way. "
00:48:55.40\00:48:57.27
So when you look back
at all these incidents
00:48:57.93\00:49:00.27
that you had - 'cause I know
you would have had many more -
00:49:00.47\00:49:02.24
yes - what comes
to your mind now?
00:49:02.44\00:49:06.21
We're talking with you
and you're re-thinking:
00:49:06.41\00:49:08.58
what comes to your
mind about what happened?
00:49:08.78\00:49:11.38
Well, you don't go out
there looking for experiences.
00:49:11.98\00:49:15.72
And I certainly
didn't 'cause I'm no hero...
00:49:15.92\00:49:19.12
I'm a chicken-hearted
normal human being.
00:49:19.32\00:49:22.46
But I guess we were
reluctant missionaries.
00:49:22.66\00:49:27.30
We were in no way looking
to go to the mission field.
00:49:27.50\00:49:29.36
But I can tell you
what: if you want to
00:49:29.56\00:49:32.80
learn to trust God just
follow where He leads you.
00:49:33.00\00:49:36.57
And if you want to have
a life that is satisfying
00:49:37.41\00:49:40.71
and full, trust God and just
go where He wants you to go.
00:49:40.91\00:49:45.91
Do what He wants you to do.
00:49:46.11\00:49:47.45
Just have His love
coming through your life
00:49:48.55\00:49:51.12
because there's nothing like
that to live a satisfying life.
00:49:51.32\00:49:56.39
You know, if I
look back on my life
00:49:56.59\00:49:59.43
would I have changed anything?
00:49:59.63\00:50:00.96
Yeah, I would have changed a lot
00:50:01.00\00:50:02.33
but God wouldn't.
00:50:02.46\00:50:03.87
And I'm happy that He's
had His way with my life.
00:50:04.07\00:50:09.47
Yes. But when you went
to Vanuatu after you'd spent
00:50:09.67\00:50:12.97
some years there
in Papua, New Guinea
00:50:13.17\00:50:14.98
were you flying there
at all? It was interesting
00:50:15.18\00:50:18.05
because when I
got there... Vanuatu
00:50:18.25\00:50:20.88
is a whole string
of 86 islands. Um-hmm.
00:50:21.08\00:50:25.45
And the mission had a
boat which would take 10 knots
00:50:26.05\00:50:30.43
if you were lucky and
take a long amount of your time
00:50:30.63\00:50:35.00
sitting watching the ocean go by
00:50:35.20\00:50:37.30
or fishing out the back
or vomiting over the side.
00:50:37.60\00:50:42.40
That'd be me! Really! Really!
00:50:42.60\00:50:44.61
As a pilot... You know, I
went to New Guinea as a pilot
00:50:44.81\00:50:47.74
so I didn't have
to go walk-about.
00:50:47.94\00:50:49.44
I thought: "This is not good.
" So I contacted The Quiet Hour
00:50:50.58\00:50:54.28
in America, and they
came up with a brand new plane
00:50:54.48\00:50:59.45
for Vanuatu. And I went over
and had to fly it out from...
00:50:59.65\00:51:02.66
It was a single-engine...
the same one prop that we'd been
00:51:03.43\00:51:06.23
flying in New Guinea
and got it out to Vanuatu.
00:51:06.43\00:51:09.73
It's another whole story.
00:51:09.93\00:51:11.67
Yeah, that would have been quite
interesting! With that plane
00:51:11.87\00:51:14.40
because it only lasted
I think it was 130 hours
00:51:14.60\00:51:20.34
when it came to its
end. The plane... it was
00:51:20.54\00:51:23.01
a brand new Cessna 206, yeah.
00:51:23.21\00:51:25.91
You wiped it off? It
burned to a crisp! Why?
00:51:26.51\00:51:30.59
I will tell you the
story one day, Rosemary.
00:51:31.25\00:51:33.89
You're very rude at
telling things like that!
00:51:34.89\00:51:37.46
Yeah... that was
another absolute miracle
00:51:37.66\00:51:40.63
down on the island of Tanna
on the southern end of Vanuatu.
00:51:40.83\00:51:44.97
So you didn't get
another plane after that? No.
00:51:45.17\00:51:47.27
I wanted to ask you.
Well I did come home and fly
00:51:47.47\00:51:49.97
for the South
Queensland Conference.
00:51:50.17\00:51:51.77
They had a plane and so
I was doing their specials.
00:51:51.97\00:51:54.34
They thought they'd better
bring you back 'cause - yeah -
00:51:54.54\00:51:55.88
that way they
wouldn't lose any more planes.
00:51:56.04\00:51:57.91
And you did AAA?
Adventist Aviation?
00:51:58.11\00:52:01.78
In South Queensland. Umm.
00:52:03.22\00:52:05.05
We're going to just pause
for a moment and take a break.
00:52:05.79\00:52:08.46
You know, Pastor Bill
Townend is talking with us
00:52:09.19\00:52:12.76
about his
journeys in an airplane
00:52:12.96\00:52:14.96
and some of the
disasters that he had.
00:52:15.16\00:52:17.53
But let me put it
this way: he survived!
00:52:17.73\00:52:21.50
And so you know
it's good to hear people
00:52:21.90\00:52:24.57
because he continued to fly on
00:52:24.77\00:52:27.64
and do the work that
God called him to do.
00:52:27.84\00:52:30.01
But right now I just want
to put up our address roll
00:52:30.21\00:52:32.78
so that you can contact us.
00:52:32.98\00:52:34.32
You may want him to tell
some stories at your church
00:52:34.38\00:52:36.99
or somehow we have
means of ways of doing it
00:52:37.19\00:52:39.65
through the Zoom meetings.
00:52:39.85\00:52:43.02
They are interesting stories and
they reveal that there is a God
00:52:43.43\00:52:46.33
who takes care of us.
So here's the address roll
00:52:46.53\00:52:48.63
that you can contact us:
00:52:48.83\00:52:50.17
Thank you for all you do
00:53:30.04\00:53:31.41
to help us light the world
with the glory of God's truth.
00:53:31.61\00:53:34.48
I hope you got those details.
00:53:36.54\00:53:38.01
Just in closing, Pastor
Bill, we talked about flying
00:53:38.21\00:53:41.32
but what about say the
souls that have been baptized
00:53:41.52\00:53:44.79
through your work? Tell
us a little bit about that.
00:53:44.99\00:53:46.55
Yeah. Well being a
district director/pilot
00:53:46.96\00:53:49.89
you tend to talk about the pilot
things which are the interesting
00:53:50.09\00:53:53.13
things, but at the same time
00:53:53.33\00:53:54.66
the Lord was working wonders
00:53:54.73\00:53:56.13
with the ministry
side of things as well.
00:53:56.33\00:53:59.97
And when we were in Kainantu
00:54:00.37\00:54:02.20
I'm not really
sure how it happened but
00:54:02.40\00:54:04.71
suddenly the Holy
Spirit seemed to start working
00:54:04.91\00:54:07.58
in the district and
we had a big baptism.
00:54:07.78\00:54:10.65
The biggest baptism they'd
had in New Guinea for decades:
00:54:10.85\00:54:13.08
Hmm! 240 people
baptized at the Konkua School
00:54:13.28\00:54:17.59
in the Eastern Highlands.
00:54:17.79\00:54:19.12
And that really was
the start of a big revival
00:54:19.19\00:54:23.29
which swept through the
highlands of Papua, New Guinea,
00:54:23.49\00:54:26.19
which culminated in the
Sabbath when they had over 3,000
00:54:26.39\00:54:29.50
people baptized on one day.
00:54:29.70\00:54:31.83
It really started in
that Kainantu District
00:54:32.03\00:54:34.87
with that baptism of 240 people.
00:54:35.07\00:54:37.67
It was the oldest
district that the church had
00:54:37.87\00:54:41.31
in the highlands of New Guinea.
It had always been seen as being
00:54:41.51\00:54:44.01
very tough and
not much response.
00:54:44.21\00:54:47.52
And then suddenly
it just took off. Yeah.
00:54:47.68\00:54:50.09
Praise the Lord!
That's fascinating!
00:54:50.29\00:54:52.32
So you were involved in
that? I was district director
00:54:52.52\00:54:54.82
at the time and working with
all the churches in that area.
00:54:55.12\00:54:59.59
What do you think
was the changing point?
00:54:59.79\00:55:01.30
What do you think
it was? Do you know?
00:55:01.50\00:55:02.83
The Spirit of God
works, I know but...
00:55:03.00\00:55:04.83
I think the Spirit of God
does work, and He worked in some
00:55:05.03\00:55:07.40
really beautiful ways
therewith people. We had
00:55:07.60\00:55:10.34
a guy that couldn't speak.
He was deaf and so he couldn't
00:55:10.54\00:55:15.21
speak, but he could
do lightning sketches.
00:55:15.41\00:55:18.21
And he was running
branch Sabbath Schools
00:55:18.41\00:55:20.82
doing lightning sketches.
00:55:21.18\00:55:22.82
And his brother
kind of interpreted a bit
00:55:23.02\00:55:25.39
while he was doing
it. His name was Earpass
00:55:25.59\00:55:27.52
which means in Pigeon his ear
was blocked, he couldn't hear.
00:55:27.72\00:55:30.43
Yes. But he
couldn't speak either.
00:55:30.63\00:55:32.23
And so the Lord
was using everybody
00:55:32.43\00:55:35.10
with the talents that
they had or didn't have.
00:55:35.30\00:55:38.97
And the Holy Spirit started
working. There was no other
00:55:39.17\00:55:42.97
explanation for it. Hmm!
00:55:43.17\00:55:45.07
I find that
really intriguing because
00:55:45.27\00:55:47.58
you know there's lots of things
happening in the world now.
00:55:47.78\00:55:50.51
And you know as we look at
what the Holy Spirit will do
00:55:50.71\00:55:53.78
for you, if you give your
life to Him it's powerful.
00:55:53.98\00:55:57.49
You know, there's
power in the Word of God.
00:55:57.89\00:55:59.45
And you going out
there with your wife
00:55:59.85\00:56:02.32
you were doing that work.
And I know you continue to do
00:56:02.52\00:56:05.66
it now in sharing your stories
and the other things that you
00:56:05.86\00:56:08.40
are involved with. We have a
very brief time left but just
00:56:08.60\00:56:13.34
what was the work you were doing
when you went to Singapore?
00:56:13.54\00:56:16.60
I was president of the
Southeast Asia Union Mission
00:56:16.81\00:56:19.21
which took in 7 of the
Southeast Asian countries.
00:56:19.41\00:56:22.54
Two of them... You know, there's
only 5 Communist countries
00:56:23.95\00:56:26.61
left in the world. Two of
them are in Southeast Asia.
00:56:26.82\00:56:28.98
So working in those
Communist countries.
00:56:29.18\00:56:32.29
Vietnam and Laos were certainly
a challenge and interesting.
00:56:33.42\00:56:37.73
Thailand, where the church
has got a very strong emphasis.
00:56:38.13\00:56:42.56
John, you were part of building
Phuket Hospital you tell me.
00:56:42.76\00:56:45.37
That's right. That's wonderful.
00:56:45.57\00:56:47.00
And so yeah... it was...
00:56:47.20\00:56:50.11
Looking back on
it both my wife and I
00:56:50.31\00:56:53.31
say they were just some
of the most enjoyable years
00:56:53.51\00:56:55.88
of our ministry
working in Southeast Asia
00:56:56.08\00:56:59.05
and living in
Singapore. I can relate to that.
00:56:59.25\00:57:02.12
Going from where you were
in Papua, New Guinea, to there
00:57:02.32\00:57:04.85
would be a
change. Chalk and cheese.
00:57:05.05\00:57:07.66
Chalk and cheese.
Definitely... definitely.
00:57:07.86\00:57:10.06
And the shops! All the
shops that Robina could do
00:57:10.26\00:57:12.19
in Singapore rom having nothing!
00:57:12.39\00:57:14.43
One little tin shed
that sold tin fish and rice
00:57:14.63\00:57:18.80
to Singapore with its multitude
of... That's all they do
00:57:19.60\00:57:22.10
on the island, I
think sometimes. Yes!
00:57:22.30\00:57:23.67
Yes, it's the
place you go to shop.
00:57:23.87\00:57:25.54
At least it was.
Yes... still is I believe.
00:57:25.74\00:57:27.58
It's a wonderfully
exciting place. Yes.
00:57:27.94\00:57:30.25
I'd like to hear some
more stories from you but
00:57:30.45\00:57:31.98
our time is gone.
And what I'd like to say
00:57:32.18\00:57:35.32
is thank you for your wife
and you coming on the program.
00:57:35.52\00:57:38.45
And I'm sure the
folk have been blessed.
00:57:38.65\00:57:40.62
So until we meet again next time
00:57:40.82\00:57:42.99
may God richly bless you.
00:57:43.19\00:57:44.69