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Inside account

publicrelations@aimair.org — 2010-01-11T23:12:20+03:00

Over a week ago three missionary families were flown out of Atar, Sudan. Since then three of the missionaries wrote out their experience. We decided to share one of them with you...

Testimony of Ruth and Ubandoma

Evangel Missionary Society Missionaries working with SIM in Atar Sudan.

Attack of the SIM Atar Base 31 Dec 2009

Ruth and Ubandoma were among the first missionaries from EMS in Nigeria to join the Sudan team. Since 2006, they have worked faithfully at the Atar base in Southern Sudan. The local people there love them very much and officials have even shared gifts in recognition of their service. The locals have given Ubandoma a Dinka name - "Thon Deng" refers to a special bull which has red sides and a black design on its back. This bull is known for its hard work and it never tires. This is the story of their ordeal at Atar.

The Scripture that God gave us when we came to Sudan is Psalm 23. "The Lord is my Shepherd."

Trouble started on November 18th when Shilluk tribesmen attacked a town called Canal - about one hour by boat or three hours by foot from our village. We do not know the reason for the fighting - but it took about two
weeks for things to settle down there. The police from our village of Atar were sent both to Canal and to Atar school which is about 30 minutes walk from our compound. This Atar School is the place where our government Commissioner lives.

In the afternoon of December 30th I had been working in my garden. I stayed up late - till about 12:30 midnight working on some reports and pictures in my computer. We had just gotten to sleep when about 2:30; my
wife started vomiting from some unknown sickness. I gave her medicine but for some reason, we could not sleep well. Then at about 4: 00 am, we wakened and heard some strangers behind our house. It sounded like they were cocking their guns. Not long after, the shooting started.

When the bullets started flying we don't even remember how we found ourselves under out bed. Our three children were crying in a nearby room.

"Dad! Mom! What is happening?" We called out to them to get under their bed.

It was only then that we realized that the thatched roof above us was on fire. Our roof had plastic under the thatch to keep out rain and bugs. This plastic was suddenly ablaze and the fire spread to all the rooms of our
house in seconds. The house filled with smoke. My wife and I crawled to the next room where our children were. Bullets continued flying through our house. By God's grace, none of us were hit.

I took my wife and children into the kitchen but we could not reach the front door because of the smoke. My computer and our thurya phone were lying on the kitchen table. I took the computer and put it on top of my
head to protect me from melting plastic that was raining down on us. My wife got to our water supply and tried to spray the water onto the burning grass above us. She was trying to reduce the smoke so we could find the way to our door. Already she had picked up our passports in her hand.

I went to the door with my computer on my head. The melted plastic dripped down on my left hand and arm burning into my skin. I grabbed our youngest daughter Kezya and was holding her close to my chest with my right hand. Shielding my little girl I unlocked the door. My wife was right behind me pushing the children out the door. When they were all out, I came out last. The whole house was ablaze by now - even the door. As I closed the door and started to move away, it fell on me burning my back.

We moved out into the open compound and ducked into a tent. In just a moment or two, that tent caught fire as well. We came out and saw our fellow missionaries rushing toward the zinc toilet so we followed them. I
was the last one to reach the toilet as I was protecting them and wanted to make sure they had reached safety.

Long before this attack, I had talked with the local Sudanese people about what to do in times of attack. They told me that in their culture, enemies will never kill women and children - only men. So I realized that once they had finished burning everything, they would come back to look for the men. If I stayed with my wife and children, they could kill us all. So for that reason, I left them. The fence surrounding our compound was not burning yet so I put my head down and plowed through the fence. The river was not far away so I ran there. Two men from our village were already hiding in the tall grass and so I joined them. They assured me that I had done the right thing and that my wife and children would be safe.

In the meantime, my wife and children were in the zinc toilet shed. Soon the fire reached them and they had to flee again to another tent that had not burned.

After about one hour, when the fighting had died down I heard people crying - because they thought I had been killed in the attack. I came out of the river grass and it was already morning. I met with my children and my wife they are all OK. She was crying because she had not seen me for some time. The local people, however, were comforting her telling her that I must be alive he is somewhere else. I had been embarrassed to show myself because I was only wearing the underwear in which I had been sleeping. Getachew - one of the other missionaries lent me his pants. So everyone was Ok. The Lord had truly been our Shepherd.

Since 2006, when we first went to Sudan, I have kept reading Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd." During this whole ordeal this Scripture kept coming back to my mind. "Even though I should walk through the valley of death - You are close beside me" (NLT). "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." "Your goodness will follow me all the days of my life." These words comforted and strengthened me.

In retrospect now, I see that what happened to us is not our power but is a miracle of God. We lost everything in the fire. This included personal money, clothes, computer, camera, cook ware and all our books including those of our children and all my theological books. But even though we lost all these things, God gave us our lives. Their guns (they used large caliber shells) were aimed right at my bed where I had been sleeping. It is a miracle of God that we were not all killed. I believe this is because God has something for me to do before calling me home. I have this belief.

9 Jan 2010

Ubandoma

Nairobi Kenya

Atar evacuation

publicrelations@aimair.org — 2010-01-06T12:02:13+03:00

In the remaining daylight of 2009, two AIM AIR pilots flew one of our caravans from Nairobi to Lokichoggio, Kenya.
“Loki," a town near the Sudan / Kenya border, wasn’t their first choice to bring in the new year. However, their attention was probably elsewhere.

Earlier that day the village of Atar in Sudan endured a staggering attack. The base of a partner ministry was completely burned. Prepared with supplies like flour, juice, and flip flops, the plan for the next day was an early morning launch to Atar and return to Nairobi.

View pictures one of our pilots took following the attack.

Below is the report from the Serving in Mission (SIM) director in Sudan.

Dear Friends,

How the Evacuation Started
On New Years' Eve my phone rang with a call I did not want to receive. It
was our deputy director saying that that our Atar base had burned to the
ground. Our staff were ok but might be injured.

I said: "We have to activate the CMT. I just arrived at the office, can
you come?"
He replied: "Be there in five."

The CMT is our Crisis Management Team and this is what we had always
prepared for. The machine went into motion and to the glory of God, it
worked like a Swiss watch. Ruth arrived within 45 minutes to handle
logistics. Our personnel manager leaped into action doing member care
tasks. Dr Ginna arrived to do a medical assessment via satellite phone.
Jo-Ann began writing our SIM offices and contacting church leaders in three
different countries.

Our partners went into motion. Three AIM AIR missionary pilots were playing
golf together. They all left the course and went to the hanger and started
prepping a Cessna Caravan.

Meanwhile the CMT manager was on the satellite phone and directing us all to
do our tasks. It all worked, like I said to the glory of God.

Within 24hrs of notification, the 6 adults and 5 children climbed into the
plane and lifted off, bound for Nairobi.

What Happened
It is important that our missionaries tell their own stories at a later
time, but here are the facts from the press release:

"Abraham, the Sudanese Atar compound manager, phoned to report that "enemies
attacked and at about 4:30 am and that fire consumed the compound destroying
the housing. All the personal belongings and the satellite phone were
destroyed. The brick school building has not been burnt."

"Nigerian SIM missionary, Ubandoma, had what sounds like second degree burns
on his back and hand. His wife, Ruth, Antoro and Liskebe have small
blisters. The County Commissioner immediately came, lent his satellite phone
and is waiting at the airstrip with the SIM Sudan team of missionaries."

"The crisis management team has organized an AIM AIR Caravan to fly to
Lokichoggio in northwest Kenya. At dawn tomorrow the plane is expected to
leave Loki and arrive at Atar around 8 am. The people being evacuated are
Yacob Aga and Tibarkek Wondimu, Ubandoma and Ruth Nadab and their children
(Antoro, 8, Keshiya 5, Liskebe 3), Getachew Abo and Kelemwa Tihahu Debieneh
and their two girls (Kalkidan, 7 and Wongel, 8). Burn care - if
needed--will be referred to Kijabe, outside of Nairobi in Kenya and Nancy
Congdon (Member Care Manager) can offer care."

"Atar Chewi, in Jonglei State, is the site of the SIM Sudan Basic Education
Learning Center. It was started four years ago and we have good
relationships with the community. The Primary School teacher training was
initiated in September of 2009 but all students were away from the school
for the Christmas holidays. The BELC building was not damaged in the attack
but more than half the village was burned. We have no news on the suffering
or problems in the wider area at this time. "

[If you have access to fast internet and want to see the people of Atar
dancing at the BELC graduation celebration, please go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ONY5q5FS4 ]

All Out Safely
About 6pm on New Year's Day, the vans arrived from the airport. A wonderful
colleague named Debbie Sardo came to keep our kids, allowing me to go to
visit our returning team.

The press release reads: "January 1, 2009, 9 p.m. Nairobi, Kenya Our three
SIM Sudan missionary families are now in Nairobi and resting at the
guesthouse. Two from the Ubandoma family are being seen by doctors for
burns. Everyone is praising the Lord for their lives."

Another wonderful God-moment came just as the two Ethiopian missionaries
stepped out of their van. My phone rang and the caller id was from
Ethiopia: "Hello? . . . .Dr Tesfaye, how are you?!" It was the leader of
their sending church calling at the exact right moment to check on them.

I looked at their clothes and they looked normal. I had expected pajamas
that smelled like smoke. The story emerged that the people of Atar village
had given them spare clothing!

How to Help
Obviously, the three families lost all their personal belongings and also
their ministry materials. Clothes (Bibles, educational books, home school
materials). Many have been calling and writing to ask how to help. If
you'd like to help replace their things, financially is the best way. Of
course, there will be other needs such as the cost of the emergency flight,
school enrollment for the kids, temporary accommodation, etc.

Donations to SIM Sudan Relief and Contingency (SD82490) can be made online
at: https://usanet.sim.org/SIMGift/detail.aspx
Or, in the USA, you can send a check to: SIM USA, P.O. Box 7900, Charlotte,
NC 28241; memo line "Project SD82490 Relief & Contingency"

Thanks for your prayers and your partnership in our ministry,
The Crowders
Serving with SIM Sudan

Preview the 2010 calendar

publicrelations@aimair.org — 2009-10-19T11:21:31+03:00

There is just ONE day left to order the 2010 AIM AIR calendar. Many have asked to see a preview of the calendar, so we have uploaded a contact sheet preview that is about 500 Kb large (Click here to see the contact sheet for the calendar).

10 months in 3 minutes

publicrelations@aimair.org — 2009-09-29T16:22:51+03:00

It began with a day that felt like Christmas... almost two years ago. Two airplanes arrived as carefully packed pieces inside a shipping container. Today, the second of these two Cessna 206’s took to the African skies for the first time.

It started in a corner far from the hangar door and out of everyone’s way. There the airplanes began to take new shape. A lot of people participated at least a little in the project. The project involved a few scratched arms, sore muscles, and a lot of sweat from short term volunteers, missionaries, and the Kenyan staff. The airplanes were carefully stripped down, cleaned, modified, repainted and reassembled.

The lead mechanic on these projects documented the process in pictures. A pilot / mechanic, who helped rebuild the second airplane, N4790U, put those pictures together with video. Here is the result - a short peek at a long endeavor, from right off the container to 90U’s first engine start.

10 months in 3 minutes from Aim Air on Vimeo.

2010 AIM AIR calendar orders

publicrelations@aimair.org — 2009-09-17T12:02:54+03:00

We are taking orders for next year’s AIM AIR calendar. If you have our 2009 calendar, this will be a similar layout.

The calendar is an 11x17 wall-hanging spread... 28 pages, in a clean, non-cluttered layout, featuring our aircraft and the people we serve and minister to.

To pre-order your AIM AIR calendars, you need to fill in the information in the form here (or click on the 2010 calender link in the menu above). All orders must be in by October 20th. They will be shipped to Pearl River, NY and to Nairobi, Kenya.

We expect their arrival in Pearl River, NY around mid-November, and in Nairobi by early December.

Cost will be under $2 per calendar (delivered to Pearl River) - exact cost depending on the total volume we print. You will also be charged shipping costs from Pearl River to your designated address OR air freight charges to Nairobi.