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Sweet Success

Elias flew in today. I went down to the airport with our car and driver to pick him up. As soon as we got back, we started the feed horn assembly. As we put the cable ends on, we didn't have directions, and I was really unsure about the quality of the job we were doing. As we started the pointing, we got no signal at all. So Leif and I checked the cables with a multimeter, and they seemed to be good. We still got nothing, so we tried a cell phone call to Dave Pedersen at the MAF office a few times. Still nothing, and around 2 PM, we really weren't sure what to do next.

I sat down in the tent, and paged through the back of the manual for the satellite modem, I saw that we had indeed not properly put the connectors on the coax cable. We re-did all four cable ends, and that took quite a long time, as it was a slow and tedious job to get it done right. Soon after 4 PM we had the dish pointed, and had a signal that was really good. At that point it was time to call the NOC in North Carolina. In order to finish the set-up, they would need to communicate with the earth station in Germany. However, that station was down for some routine maintenance. They scheduled an appointment for us at midnight our time.

Elias and I watched a movie together, anxiously awaiting midnight. We didn't receive the call when we were supposed to, and finally called them to find out what was going on. Soon after we were on a call to North Carolina and Germany, and we were working on final configurations to the setup. It went very smoothly, and by 1:30 AM we were downloading e-mails and chatting with people at the MAF office in Redlands. Finally, it was operational. What good news. We stopped and took a few minutes to praise and thank the Lord for what was accomplished. Then Elias and I stayed up 'til 4:30 AM, catching up on e-mail, updating our computers, sending a few photos of us to the Redlands office, participating in a conference call to the satellite internet provider's CEO who was in a meeting. We were too excited to sleep!

Giving Back

It feels good to be able to give back here and there. I lent the Belgians a phone cable on Wednesday to use for a few days, and they've given it back already. Then today, Luc, the medic with the Belgians, needed his compact flash card full of photos transferred to CD. We have some blank CDs and I was able to do that for him. Then this afternoon one of the French military guys wanted to transfer pictures from one computer to another. I had a cross-over cable, and was able to use that to connect the two computers. It was a bit of a fight to get the two computers to share a folder, but finally I was able to get it going. It was very different for me, because the French keyboard is so different, and navigating my way around the operating system in French was confusing. I felt like a young child--I looked at the pictures (icons) a lot! Today was a long day, mostly because it was one more day of waiting, and especially because I knew the parts we need are in Medan. The only reason the parts and Elias didn't come out today was because MAF was taking a break and not flying the Caravan or the 206 today.

Not a lot done today. I did put four tables in place, then ran some network cable to two of them. That will allow us to have six users connected to the switch. If I find I need more than that, I'll add them later. We're thinking that most users will take advantage of the wireless access hotspot, and that they will be able to connect anywhere in the tent city.

Melvin made another airport run, and again didn't get what he went for. Nobody seems to know where the parts are that we need to put the battery UPS together. But we did get a box of goodies, most of it from the US. A twin-size camping airbed, Clif bars, beef jerky, trail mix with dried fruit, assorted energy bars--what a treat!

More Waiting

I've hardly seen any dogs here in Indonesia--something like only five in the first week. Cats are everywhere. It seems like all the men smoke--I mean all of them!
First thing this morning we made a trip to airport to get some things we had asked the guys in Medan to purchase for us. When we arrived, we found it wasn't the things we were expecting, and which we were going to use to set up the inverter and batteries (we heard later that the items came on the second flight). I talked for a while with Ralph Dawson. Also met one of the pilots, who is from Sweden. He flies the Beaver, a float plane on loan from MAF-Europe. The plane is being used to fly food to hard to reach locations. The plane is able to land on the sea and then go in to shore to unload. The MAF 206 is here from the MAF-US program in Indonesia. It too is flying food to hard to reach locations. The road between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh was washed out in many places, including bridge after bridge. Using a helicopter, the MAF guys have been able to go and find some locations where they can land on the now unused road. The roads here are quite narrow, but it is just wide enough for a Cessna 206.
Again we drove through the tsunami destruction zone, all the way to the airport. I look out the window of the truck and feel so discouraged for the people. They've lost so much, and have so much work to do in order to recover. It looks like no matter how hard they work, there will still be a lot of rubble left behind. They just don't have the infrastructure to move it all. There will be reminders all around them, for the rest of their lives, of the 2004 tsunami. I asked the driver a few questions about it, and Melvin translated. From what I understood, the earthquake happened about 8:30 AM. The tsunami arrived less than an hour later. Although his house is several miles from the ocean, he was in town when it happened. He didn't see the first wave, but he did see the second wave. Where he was, the water came up to his knees. He said that before the first wave, the water receded a long way out. Some people when out to gather the fish that were stranded, and of course they were hit by the waves.

I bought some tangerines and pears on the way back to the camp. That really hit the spot, as I hadn't had any fruit since Tuesday morning. To clean them I used some clorox, so I'm pretty certain I won't be getting sick from them.

As soon as we arrived back at camp we saw that the Belgian guys had moved everything out of the 'net cafe tent and had starting putting in the wooden floor. It was already half finished, but we lent some sweat to wrap up the job. It turned out really well, and it will make a big difference later on in March as the rainy season approaches. It didn't seem a good idea to have extension cords on the soggy went ground inside the tent. Thanks to the Belgian guys, that won't be an issue.

I talked with Leif for a while this afternoon. He works for the UN and is Swedish. He'll be taking over the running of the camp from the Belgian team when they leave. His wife will be coming to join him in a week. He told me that the leader of GAM (the seperatist movement here in Aceh) lives in Sweden. About a year ago the Indonesian government went to Sweden to try and bring him back but weren't able to. He says that because of this, some Indonesians don't like Sweden.

At the end of the afternoon, when it had cooled off a bit, I cut two pieces of sheeting to put on the floor of our tents. I had enough time to put mine in, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Now I should be dry during the next big rain storm. Well, at least water won't come in from the bottom, even if the roof does end up leaking. As I was finishing Melvin came back from a short shopping trip. I hurried to clean up, and then we went out for dinner at the New Happy restaurant. I found a fly in my rice, and wasn't too concerned, as it looked like it was well cooked. A few minutes later, as the spoon was almost in my mouth, I found another fly! I took it off the spoon and finished eating. Can't waste good food, you know.

After dinner we went over to the Samaritan's Purse house to pick up four plastic chairs that had been left there. I talked for a few minutes with one of the Indonesian guys. He's sharp--speaks good English and remembered my name. He told me that several Samaritan's Purse teams, totaling about thirty people, had pumped eighty wells today. That's huge, because in the rural areas, there isn't a water system, and everyone has a well. When the tsunami hit, it filled wells with salt water, making them unusable.

Back at the camp we finished putting together some extension cords that Melvin bought materials for. Now we can have power in our tents, and still have power in the 'net cafe. We also each have a fan and a light in our living tents now, as those were sent out from Medan. I did some more laundry tonight, having also done some laundry last night. I've decided to try and do some every day, and then it will be easier to keep up with it. There's plenty of fresh water in the camp, and some tubs, so it's just a matter of doing it by hand. While I was doing the wash tonight, I found a leech on my foot. It came off quite easily, as it hadn't started sucking any blood. A few minutes later I found another one crawling along wooden decking of the wash area.

I'm anxious to see how tomorrow turns out. The missing antenna parts arrived in Medan today, earlier than we had anticipated. That was the good news. At dinner Melvin told me Rob said that the MAF Caravan wasn't flying between Medan and Meulaboh on Sunday, and that Elias would come in on Monday with the parts. That didn't sound good to me, as I was really looking forward to getting this show on the road. Melvin had suggested to Rob that they find another flight for Elias, as there are other ways to get to Medan than on an MAF flight. So we keep on waiting...

Camping

I was awake at 5:30 AM, so I read for a while, then dozed off before getting up just before seven. I hurried to get ready for the NGO meeting, and caught a ride there with Rudy, the Belgian B-Fast head. I'm not planning to go to the meetings every day, but it is nice to find out what is going on in the various efforts to get this place going again. From what I understand, they are now beginning a reconstruction phase, and just coming out of the emergency phase. Before I arrived here I thought that a lot of work would have already been done, and that a month after the wave they would have made a huge dent in things. As I'm finding out, they have accomplished much, but there is so much more to be done. The scope of this is huge, and just as in Ecuador, I'm seeing that things take longer than they do (that's an expression we have there). The problem is that the government has set a deadline of 26 March for the military of other countries to leave Indonesia. Maybe the NGOs have to leave by then, but I'm not sure about that. Of course the concern is that once the other countries leave, then the Indonesian government can do what they want in the way of relocating the people in the Aceh province, so it is easier for them to control the area.

After the meeting we went for a short drive, heading north out of town. It's pretty area, and you are quickly into a rural setting, with rice fields and water buffalo on the sides of the road. Back at camp we really didn't have much to do for the day. I started going through photos from yesterday, and then decided to tinker with the Regional BGAN satellite IP modem that we have. We've tried about three other times to connect with it, each time without success. Again, I was not able to make it work. The problem is that we are on the edge of the satellite foot print. It sure would be nice to send and receive some e-mail. Melvin did get a call from Rob, and the parts for the satellite dish were leaving the FedEx center in the Philipines today, so that's good news. Maybe we'll have them by Monday.

In the middle of the afternoon our driver came by and we went to pick up the wooden mount we had made for the battery inverter. It turned out nicely, and I was pleased that the guys at the wood shop understood what we wanted. Then we head out of town, on the road that goes to Banda Aceh. The road parallels the beach, about a half mile inland. The destruction was right up to the road, and the water actually crossed the road, bringing debris and mud with it. Mile after mile of destruction. People are doing what they can to clean up, but in some places there is nothing they can do but wait for the heavy machinery. We ended up back at camp about 5 PM, so you see we didn't get much done today, and there really wasn't much to be done.

Around the camp they accomplished quite a bit. A plastic roof was put over the latrine--now you don't get wet while it's raining, but since it's black plastic you need a flashlight even during the day. A orange mesh fence was put up around more of the camp, providing a perimeter of sorts. Some of the local people still wander through and check us out, but with the fence, not as many. Last night the water buffalo came wandering across the soccer field as they do, and walked right through the fence, pulling part of it down. A different generator is being used now, and it's about 50 yards from the tents, so it's quite a bit quieter now than it was, as the other generator was right next to the tents. The French have one of the other side of the camp, but they always turn it off at night. Melvin and I helped the B-Fast team a bit this evening. We had seen a lot of planking delivered, and found out they were going to be putting wood flooring down in a couple tents. We asked Rudy if they could help us put some down in the internet cafe tent, and he said they could provide some help to do that. We'll also try to put some more plastic in the bottom of our tents, kind of like a bathtub. We might not need it now, but the guys coming after us might. The rainy season starts in March. Soon after that the guys started putting down the floor in the double long tent. It was a cool time of day to work. Actually, today has been a bit cooler than the last couple days. Melvin and I helped by moving planks, and it felt really good to do something that required some muscles after sitting around all day.

After that it was time for a shower, then something to eat. We didn't go out to eat at all today, but stayed here and ate sandwiches. I'm ready for some vegetables or fruit. A salad would be good. I haven't even been here that long--how will I feel in a couple weeks? The Swedish team that runs the camp wants to set up food services, and I think that would be great. They have requested more supplies and tents from Sweden, and they'll be arriving next week. So far the B-Fast team, the French military, and me and Melvin are the only ones here. The B-Fast team will be leaving next week. This morning at the NGO meeting it was announced that the camp was now open for any NGO people that want to stay here. It will also be the headquarters for the UN here in Meulaboh. I hope people start staying here and using this camp, because if they don't then maybe they'll take the camp down, and we need it to live in and as a place for the internet cafe.

I was cleaning up in my tent about 9 PM when one of the French military guys came to the door and invited us over to their tents for snacks. The Belgians were already over there, and they all had forgot about the Swedes (actually they thought I was Swedish too, which is the second time today that someone thought I was from Sweden). They had some mixed nuts and hot dogs in a can, and that was a real treat. I talked with a few of the guys from the team. A few of them know English well enough. They are a team of some military, some firefighters, and some civilian protection people. They go to places around the world to help with disasters, working directly with the people. This trip has been hard for them, and not very satisfying, as they want to help Indonesian people, and instead they are constructing this UN camp. They shared with me about their drive over here. They left Medan and drove for 46 hours to travel about 350 miles across the island. They said the country is just beautiful, and the people so friendly. The main difficulty during the trip was dealing with their Indonesian military escort. The military expected their meals, drinks, and even told some of the Belgian guys they wanted their watches. When the Belgians wouldn't give them any of their personal belongings, and wouldn't buy them whatever they wanted, the military escort started jerking them around and making things difficult.

Unbelievable Destruction

The camp continues to grow a bit. Today there are a few more UN people and vehicles coming and going. We talked with Leif, the head of the Swedish group that is taking over the running of this camp. The Begium fast response team has put the camp in, and now they are leaving on Saturday. Leif would like to run this camp like a hotel, including food services, but the head of OCHA here in Meulaboh (Organisation C Humanitarian Aid, part of the UN) doesn't think there needs to be quite that much service, and that people can get food outside of the camp. The UN compound up in Banda Aceh will be set up with more services than this one here. It's been good here so far, as the Begians, Swedes, and French people are friendly and helpful. Most speak English and that makes communication easy.

Before it got too hot, I finished digging the trench for the coax. We ran the coax through some conduit and buried that. I was still soaked with sweat, even though it was early in the morning. When I have work like that to do, I just wear my bathing suit, and when I'm done, I rinse off in the shower with a bucket and water scoop.

It's sometime before noon, and I'm sitting here typing this while we wait for one of the Begian guys to come help us put up our living quarter tents. It will be hot our there, but I'll take the help whenever we can get it, as I want the tent put up properly. I'm facing the back of the camp, and can see people occasionally going in and out of the latrine. I wish I could do the same, but I'm a bit stopped up. Not sure why, but I decided not to eat anymore 'til I can resolve that. I only have some meds with me to plug me up! The Belgian Fast Response team has a nurse with them, so I may go see him in a bit to see what he has to offer.

One of the Air Serv choppers landed at 11 AM. They used the soccer field as an alternative landing field as the normal landing zone was off limits while someone important was landing there. Around that time some guys with Samaritan's Purse stopped by. They were taking a look at the location also wanting to know about communication options. A couple of the guys were Roy Harris and Virg Gottfried, old JAARS people from PNG when Ellyn and I were there. Virg knew both my parents and Ellyn's parents.

This afternoon we went by a carpenter shop to get a stand made for our back-up power inverter/battery charger. Melvin explained what we wanted (he knows Indonesian) but they couldn't start making it just then because the power was out. I guess the power still goes off and on throughout the day in the various parts of town. After that we went to buy a broom, soap, and brush. We were ready to go, and I asked Melvin if we were far from the beach front part of town. He said we weren't and asked if I wanted to go there, and of course I said yes. So we drove down through the part of town that was smashed by the tsunami. The destruction was unbelievable. It's very hard to comprehend a serious of waves that large. Everything was pounded, smashed, and obliterated. Here and there a house would be standing, all by itself, everything around it leveled. There are also still quite a few boats scattered throughout the town, washed there by the waves. Some are a quarter of a mile from the ocean. We stopped and the water front, where the road used to go to a ferry. I got out and looked around. So many people lost, so much treasure and hard work scattered across the shore line. We got back in the truck, and drove through some more of the town, through the center where the administration buildings are, and a large street with many stores and shops. All of the city records have been lost, and that is a big set-back. We then went through a section where most houses were standing, and for the most part OK, but there was a lot of trash and debris that had been washed through the section, and it was a mess. You look at it and just wonder how people start to clean something like that up. Where do you put it all? Everywhere there were small fires going, as people were burning what they could in an effort to clean up. By this time I was past the curiosity of seeing what the tsunami had done. It was sobering, and I had a feeling of gawking, and being in someone else's private space.

We ate both lunch and dinner at camp today, as we had plenty of food delivered to us from the team in Medan. Nothing fancy--PBJs, Pringles, bananas, cookies--but it was a welcome variety, since the main diet if we go to the restaurant in town is lots of rice. The Belgian guys did come around after lunch and helped us put up two tents. Actually, they moved one over from another spot, and that's the one I'm in. Melvin's tent was new out of the bag. Both tents have a tarp for a floor, and are about 12' x 18'. It was nice to have my own living spaddce this evening. I put up a PVC pipe down the middle, and and using that to hang my mosquito net and some clothes. I also have a 8 watt florescent light from the Belgians. Melvin and I ran the extension cords to our tents and have lights, fans, and computers running. I read in bed for a while, and I think I turned off the head lamp about 10 PM. I've been going to bed a lot earlier here than I normally do at home.

Flooded Tent

I slept OK last night on a cot I borrowed from the Belgians. I like to sleep on my side, and it was a bit narrow for that, but I think in a couple nights I'll have it figured out. I'll probably have to give it back on Saturday. I'm sure they are leaving some of the things behind that they have set up and put in place, but I doubt the cots will stay. It's very beautiful here and enjoyed the full moon over the soccer field where we are staying. Once in a while two or three water buffalo cross the soccer field, munching their way along.

Shortly after 7 AM Melvin and I walked down the dirt road towards the main street. Our driver's house is next to the street. He drove us over to the daily NGO meeting which begins on the TNI (Indonesia Army) base at 7:30, and is chaired by the UN. Progress is reported, concerns voiced, and meetings announced. When we arrived back from the meeting we made a to-do list and began organizing the tent. Melvin and the driver went over to the SP house and picked up the remaining supplies which had been stored there while the move was made to this camp. We also talked about what we'd like for living space and the internet cafe. I then spoke with the Belgians and was able arrange for two IDP tents in which we will live. IDP stands for 'indigenous displaced persons' . The tent we are currently sleeping in (20' x 18') will become the internet cafe for NGO use.

A phone call from Rob sometime in the morning informed us that the missing VSAT parts won't make it to Medan until January 31. I found that very discouraging to hear. Today was the first day that the cell phones worked beyond 11 AM. Previously the system would not work after that time, and the only reliable way to get messages through was to use SMS text messages. Even then, sometimes those wouldn't reach the phone 'til after midnight. After lunch I set up the network printer and then wrote an e-mail. We planned to start digging the trench but waited until after 5 PM. It was over 110° in the sun during the afternoon! We didn't finish digging the trench, as it go late, and we wanted to go eat. We have a local driver and pickup truck we are hiring for about $45 per day. So we went into town again for dinner, and it was more of the same at the same place.

Shortly after dinner it began to rain, and it rained for a couple hours. The tent is heavy canvas, and doesn't leak, which is good. The rain came down quite heavily, and ended up flooding the tent. At first we didn't notice the water coming in. I discovered it just before my iBook bag became soacked. Fortunately we had six Rubbermaid totes to hold things, and we could also set our belongings on those as well as the two plastic tables and six chairs. Soon we had a small stream flowing down one side of the tent, a couple inches deep. Thankfully the area where Elias and Melvin were sleeping was a small mound, and they had a dry spot. I put my cot in the corner where it was a inch or two deep, and that was fine. I ended the evening reading for a while, going to sleep just before 11 PM, the latest I've been up since coming to Indonesia.

Hurry Up And Wait

A tent on a soccer field in Meulaboh is home right now. We are still without internet connectivity due to a snag. It may be January 31 before items needed to finish the install will arrive in Medan. Elias is posting this for me as he is on an overnight trip into Medan.

I've arrived in Meulaboh. It's been a bit of an adventure. We flew out of Medan at 10:25 AM on the MAF Cessna Caravan. There were about eight of us on board--Ralph Dawson, MAF recruiter who is volunteering here for three weeks (He's the flight coordinator on the ground at the Meulaboh airport); Lynn, a Philipino informations system administrator with Catholic Relief Services (She's working with CRS to install a VSAT communications system at the CRS office in Meulaboh); three people with Operation Blessing Indonesia; and a pastor from Jakarta who is coming to work with Habitation for Humanity.

The pastor from Jakarta told us an amazing story. Several years ago, a man living in Meulaboh had his house burned by the Separatists (these are the rebels known as the Free Aceh Movement, who are trying to break away from the Indonesian governemnt). His wife and daughter disappeared. He went across the island to Medan, looking for them. When he didn't find them in Medan, he made is way to Jakarta. Still, he could not find his wife or daughter. He soon became a beggar on the street, looking through the garbage for his food. Somehow he got a job as a helper at the office of this pastor's wife. Through the witnessing of this pastor and his wife, he became a Christian. Through some miraculous circumstances, he was reunited with his wife and daughter, and they continuted living in Jakarta. On December 26 he learned of the devastating tsunami on the news, and on January 1 he went back to Meulaboh. He found that his uncle and his other relatives had been killed by the wave. He is now living in Meulaboh again, helping to rebuild his hometown. Some people have asked where God was during the tsunami. This man knows. Through God's hand, he was led away from Meulaboh, his life was spared, he became a believer, and he is now a witness working in Meulaboh. Although many perished in this natural disaster, God's hand is all over it, and what man sees as a tragedy, God can use for good.

By 11:30 AM I was on the ground at the Meulaboh airport. It's actually not near the city, but a forty minute drive away. I walked over to the MAF camp and spent a few minutes there. They are tenting inside the destroyed airport office building. Well, it does have a roof and floor, but some of the walls are missing. The runway is several hundred yards from the shore, and during the waves it was under water. The first thing I noticed was how hot it was. Well, that was the first thing I noticed after all the destruction every where. It's incredible to see how far the water came inland. I checked in at the military tent, and they recorded my presence in their records. I was told an orange truck would be there to pick me up, but it wasn't there. I wondered if they had come and gone, because I was a bit late, so I accepted a ride with the others who had been on the flight, as they had a ride into town. About half-way into town I saw the orange truck, with Elias in the back, heading the other direction! Well, I figured I should keep heading into town, and I'd try to meet up with them once they realized I wasn't at the airport. The only problem in all this was that I had no idea where to go--no address or anything. All I knew was that they were staying at the 'tent city' being put up by the UN.

We ended up at the Operation Blessing Indonesia house, and that's where my ride ended. Through a borrowed cell phone, I managed to reach Melvin, and found that he and Elias were walking the last few kilometers to the airport, as the truck had broken down. Also, it wasn't to be a wasted trip, because besides picking me up, they were going to look for some parts for the VSAT which they needed, and hoped were at the MAF camp. The Philipino lady with CRS was getting a ride to the CRS office, so I tagged along, hoping to get a ride to the Samaritan's Purse house. After waiting for a few minutes at the CRS house, we were off again, and not far down the road they dropped me off at the SP house. Fortunately it was the right one, as I'd been told there were two houses being used by Samaritan's Purse. It was hot inside, but it was a place to hang out and wait for Melvin and Elias. So I plugged in my battery charger to charge my camera batteries, and then started working on this blog entry. Before long Elias and Melvin showed up, and we went around the corner to get something to eat as none of us had eaten lunch.

The flies were the first thing I noticed in the restaurant--they were everywhere, including all over the food. But I figured since this was the place the guys had been eating their meals, it must be OK. We had rice with veggies and a boiled egg, topped with some really hot sauce. Then they brought out some smoked fish and beef. The fish was very tasty, but I passed on the beef. The whole meal cost less than $5 for the three of us.

A few minutes later we were back at the tent on the soccer field. This is the location of the so-called tent city. Right now it's not much of a city. Our tent, which is where the internet kiosk will be, a handful of Belgian tents, and several French tents. There are latrines and outside showers with jugs of water, so we are camping in every sense of the word. The tents are hot, but fortunately there are a couple generators running around the clock, and we have two fans. The satellite dish is on the pole, but the rest of the hardware is not in place. The reason is that some of the hardware was missing. We're not sure what happened to it, but can only guess that it was misplaced in Singapore, when the equipments were put on pallets and flown over here by the Singapore military. So now we will need to wait for about four days until we can get the parts from the US. Melvin, who has been out here for ten days in some rough living conditions is amazing. I think if I'd been in his shoes, with all that's gone on, I'd have given up after discovering missing pieces. As we prayed at lunch, he said that God knows what's going on, and our lives and what we are doing aren't wasted.

We went back into town for dinner, Elias and I eating at the same restaurant while Melvin went to do a little shopping. Everywhere we go, people are so friendly. They want us to take their pictures and they want to say something in English to us. They always use the universal greeting, "Hello mister!" Soon after we sat down at our table, the size of a dining room table, a couple guys sat at the other end. I could tell they were eager to sit by to Westerners. They asked where we were from, guessing we were from France. The one guy knew some English, and told us that when the tsunami came, he swam, meaning he was in the water. He said his friend also swam in the tsunami. Then he told us that his mother and father, and the small baby were killed in the tsunami. I told him I was so sorry, and felt pretty bad.

I'm trying to keep things in perspective, as I'm drenched in sweat, and feeling a bit discouraged that our VSAT internet connection is still not up and runnning. So many of the people that we are passing by here in Meulaboh have lost family and homes. The destruction that I saw on the way from the airport to town was beyond belief, like I was in a war zone. These people have lost so much. Here I am, in a tent right now, with electricity and two fans blowing at 9 PM. The people in town have no electricity, as the power as been out for a month now. We ate by candle light at the restaurant tonight. I get tired of living by candle light at home after a few hours. I can't imagine doing it for a month.

Cool Air

Today was my third day in Medan. I woke up at 4 AM and had a hard time going back to sleep. I ended up reading in bed for a while, and then was able to sleep again. They say the second night can be more difficult that the first, when it comes to jet lag. My first night, Saturday, I was so pooped I slept all night. But Sunday night, not being so tired, I woke up early since my clock wasn't adjusted. I hope I do better tonight, but since it's getting late and I'm still not in bed, I'm sure I'll do fine.

Tomorrow I need to be out at the airport early, as I'm finally off to Meulaboh. I would have liked to go sooner, but it was important to help Rob finish getting items for the Banda Aceh install, as well as acclimatize a bit to the time zone and the country. I had thought by the time I got here the internet cafe in Meulaboh would already be up and running, and that I'd help with the install in Banda Aceh. Due to complications, that is not the case, and on Tuesday I'll be helping with the VSAT installation in Meulaboh. The pole for the antenna was put in the cement on Sunday afternoon, so by Tuesday we'll be able to mount the 2.4 meter dish and get going. I'm not sure when we'll be open for customers, but hopefully we'll be there by Thursday or so. I know there are a lot of people eagerly awaiting that.

Rob, Rick, and I went around Medan today with a truck and driver, picking up electrical supplies, and a second mounting pole, all for Banda Aceh. The pole we ordered arrived on a bicycle cart, and when all the work was finally done, was taken off the truck by a Swiss soldier and fork lift. OSHA would have a field day here, as we saw guys moving heavy steel plates in flip flops, grinding without hearing protection, welding with sunglasses or even no eyewear!

It's warm here, and humid, so I found myself looking for places to stand in the shade, or ways to stay in air conditioned places as often as possible. I won't have air conditioning once I reach Meulaboh tomorrow, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Actually, I found a store where you can buy sweat in cans. No thanks, I have plenty of my own!

Shopping

Rob and I went to a couple different places today to go shopping for things needed for the internet cafe in Banda Aceh. They had already bought all the things for the internet cafe in Meulaboh, but didn't buy anthing for Banda Aceh 'til they could go there and see what they needed. We went to a shopping center first, with this really big Target-like store, also with a large food section. We bought some office supply items to manage expenses and customers, and also some towels and sheets.

This afternoon we bought six plastic tables, ten chairs, and a filing cabinet and then took all that out to the airport, and stored it in tent there. The airport is filled with an amazing amount of planes, helicopters
and other equipment. The United Nations, military from all over the world, and relief organizations are everywhere. Finally we went to a huge mall--must have been five floors of stores. We went to the Ace hardware store and bought some electrical items and backup batteries. I also found a step-down transformer for about $2.80 which I was really excited about. The current here is 240 volts and my laptop power adapter can handle it. But the battery charger (for my camera batteries) is only rated at 110 volts. This transformer will let me charge my batteries, a good thing.

Crowing Rooster

I was laying in bed, on the fourth floor of the Best Western Asean Hotel, in the third largest city in Indonesia at 6 AM this morning, and listening to a rooster crow. I had a good night's rest, and would normally sleep in longer. But until my biological clock adjusts, I'll settle for the nine hours of sleep I had last night.

Today Rob and I will do some shopping for some of the items needed for the set-up in Banda Aceh. He's just getting over a couple days of an intestinal bug, so he's happy to stay here another day. I'm happy to stay in Medan one more day to adjust a bit before heading off to Meulaboh. Elias is going over to Meulaboh on the 206 to help Melvin put in another post for the satellite dish antenna. They already have done this once, but locations and things were changed on them, so they'll do it all over again.

Little Bit Of Progress

I've been in Medan, Sumatra since 9 AM this morning. My flight from Newark to Singapore was long--over seventeen hours long! I managed to sleep a few hours, which for me was good. I normally don't sleep well on planes. The route took us up past Iceland, north of the United Kingdom, over Stockholm and then Russia, over Kabul, a dogleg over India, past Delhi, and then across the Bay of Bengal to Singapore, Malaysia. Most of the flight was in the dark, but there were a few short hours of daylight as we were north of the United Kingdom. I had an hour to myself in the Singapore airline, and I used that to instant message with Dustin and send a few e-mails. Before I was done, the power went out at the free internet station, and my session was cut short. I was using my own laptop, so no problem there, but the hub I was plugged into lost power, so I lost my connection.

An hour after leaving Singapore I was in Medan. As we taxied up to the terminal I could see a handful of planes loading and unloading supplies to be taken over to Aceh Banda and Meulaboh. Walking down the stairs off the plane I could feel the humidity, even though at 9 AM it wasn't too warm just yet. Oh, I should say I'm 12 hours ahead of EST and Shell. So it's easy for me to tell what time it is back home.

Inside the terminal I headed for the Immigration line, but was then pointed to the Visitor Visa office in the other corner, where I could change $25 and get a 30-day visa. As I walked toward the window, the man there pointed me back to an immigration office door. The man there pointed me around the corner to another door, past the Immigration line. That didn't seem right, so I turned around, and saw quite a few other people from my flight headed toward the Visitor Visa window. Once I got there, we all realized that relief workers didn't need to pay for a visa. While I was waiting to find that out, I met the father of Taylor's third grade teacher, who is here with World Relief. His son-in-law told I might see him over here, but I really didn't think it would happen--small world! So, finally I'm at the Immigration counter. The guy there seemed confused that I didn't have a 30-day visa. C'mon, it's as though they aren't all on the same page. So as he's trying to decide what to do with me, I wave past him to Karen Chase, the MAF person waiting for me. He looked around, saw her, and said, "Oh, she's your friend? No problem." A minute later he stamped by passport and I was through. Karen took a couple passport photos that I had brought with me, and got me the small blue travel book with my photo in it. This gives me permission to travel in Aceh province. After that I picked up my duffle, which was in great shape. That was good, since it had the satellite IP modem in it.

I spent the morning with Rod Longhurst, and he brought me up to speed on what's been going on for the past two weeks. It's been a very difficult time, with little progress being made. As far as materials and equipment goes, they're set. It's just finding a place to set things up, and also suitable housing. By Friday afternoon, they were quite discouraged, and seriously thought about throwing in the towel. The offer of housing for equipment and people at the UN compound in Meulaboh was reneged on, but as of today the offer is on again. Rob, Melvin, and Elias have already cemented a post in place for the satellite dish, but will have to abandon that one and put another one in where the new housing is. Then, a couple days ago they had the satellite dish on the Cessna Caravan going to Banda Ache. At the last minute, the offer for a location there fell through. Although the plane was already in the landing pattern to land, it was called back to Medan, a two and a half hour flight. Five hours of flight time down the tubes. Today, Pactec president, Paul Abbot, and the Air Serv president went to see the UN people in Banda Aceh to secure a location there. It was good meetings, and if all goes well, we'll have a location there for us. So, the install of the first system in Meulaboh will likely take place on Monday or Tuesday, and then a week later for the second system.

So, I'm off to get some sleep. It's been fifty-two hours since I got up in Quito to begin my trip, and I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bed.

Hello From Malaysia

I just landed in Singapore. It was a long flight, over 17 hours! However, the great service on Singapore Airlines made the trip enjoyable. Plenty of beverages, good food, roomy seats, non-stop service, and on-demand movies, TV, and audio CDs. One more flight and I'll be in Sumatra. So far, I've flown on three flights for a total of 24 hours of flying.

First Leg

I had a good trip to Newark today. An early start in Quito, and the plane was off the ground at 8 AM, right on time. Immigration and customs in Miami was a breeze, and I arrived in Newark about 5:30 PM. I collected my duffle, as I was going to need to add a package that my aunt and uncle were bringing me. I connected my iBook to the wireless network in the airport, and checked in with the IT folks in Redlands. Turns out they were wanting to get a hold of me once I was in Newark, to pass on some information regarding a potential problem with the routers being used in Sumatra. Once I connected with Faith, Marc, and Peter I gave Dave Pedersen a quick call to get info from him regarding the routers. Then we all had a bite to eat, and I enjoyed visiting with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. Fortunately, their house is quite close to the airport, and it was easy enough for them to get here. I've now got in hand my tickets to Medan and back again. Those were pre-paid, and it took me a few extra minutes to get those tickets issued. I checked my duffle, this time with the satellite terminal inside, that my aunt and uncle had delivered to me. The flight boards in a few minutes, so I need to get going. I haven't slept much yet today, and I hope I can get some good rest on this flight. I'm sure the jet lag on the other side is going to get me.

Time To Go

Time is short now. I am ready to go, I think. Every once in a while waves of emotion are starting to sweep over me. I know I'm a grown man, but in some ways I'm scared to go off on this trip, alone, and wondering just what I'm going to find. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to help, even though I know it won't be easy. I've found most worthwhile things aren't easy. More later, from the other side of the world.

Fighting Computers

I'm heading up to Quito first thing Wednesday morning, and then off to Indonesia on Thursday morning. My bag is almost packed, and things are coming together nicely. Today I'm trying to wrap up work on three different computers before I go. Funny how things always seem to break right before I leave. Why can't that happen on other days when I'm not that busy?

Travel Preparations Begin

Was a day with much uncertainty. I know now that I'm going to Sumatra, and it's just a matter of when. I've sent off a note to our MAF person in charge there, asking if he thinks I should rush things through to leave on 20 January, or if I should take things at a more reasonable pace and leave on 24 January. The tickets were to have come from the US, and there's now way I'll have them by Thursday. We're having trouble booking a flight round trip from Ecuador, as the last portion between Singapore and Sumatra isn't showing up.

I spent part of my day throwing a few things in a bag, and going over a list of things to take. In the afternoon Ellyn and I went down to Puyo. I found four used shirts at one of the Ropa Americana stores. Two are long sleeved in case I need something to cover my arms from the sun and mosquitos (believe it or not, I don't need long sleeved shirts in Ecuador and didn't have any). All are button down shirts that I think will be cooler than t-shirts. I expect it to be very hot, as I'll be on the coast very near the equator. I feel like I'm finally getting over the cold or allergies I've had all week. That was starting to get me down a bit, so I'm glad it looks like the end is in sight. I spent the last hour of the afternoon at the hangar, on some work. I don't have many days left before I leave, so need to make sure things are at a good point to leave.

Yesterday I went to see one of the HCJB docs, and got a couple vaccinations, some diahrrea meds, and anti-malarial pills. Today I went and got a #3 buzz. I had been growing my hair out, but I want to be as cool as I can. I'm slowly starting to gear up, and I really have no idea yet what to expect. I'm sure it won't be very easy, and will be much like a camping trip in some ways.

Move Again Friend

For those who haven't heard, we are moving to the Boise, Idaho area in July. We will be joining MAF as career staff, and I'll be working in the home office when they move from Redlands to Idaho.

Antenna Update

I learned yesterday that the VSAT antennas will make it to Sumatra, Indonesia with no problem after all. They'll be sent to Singapore via the airlines. From Singapore they'll be flown to Sumatra on a US Military aircraft. It appears like I'll still be heading to Sumatra, sometime before the end of the month.

Amazing

This from a NYT article:

New studies of the giant earthquake that produced devastating tsunamis in the Indian Ocean show that its shock waves ricocheted around the globe for hours and lifted the earth's surface nearly an inch even half a world away.

Dr. Aster said that even in Ecuador, the shock wave displaced the earth's surface more than two centimeters, or nearly an inch, but the movement was too slow to be perceptible to humans. The jolt was much sharper in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, and shook the ground over a range of nearly four inches, he said.

VSAT Systems

Here's some detail regarding the MAF effort to provide Internet connectivity for organizations involved in the tsunami relief effort in Indonesia. Get the rest of the updates from the MAF web site.

Jan 8, 2005 - Redlands, USA

In plain English, a VSAT system is a ‘satellite internet system’ which provides high speed internet connectivity. This can be used for e-mail, web browsing, transmission of digital photos and video, and VOIP (voice over IP phones) – all the things that we would use cable modem or DSL for here in the US. But the VSAT provides a large amount of bandwidth, which is sufficient to provide service for a whole group of clients. For the project in Sumatra, all of these services will be available to the humanitarian community to coordinate their relief efforts. The planned implementation of VSAT in two separate 'internet cafe-style' installations will allow relief workers from many agencies in the very remote areas to maintain critical up-to-date contact with others as well as the supply line that is vital to keep the relief work going.

May It Happen

Thank you for your continued prayers on behalf of MAF in Ecuador. We have received another large check from the Ministry of Public Health. They still need to pay for the past two months, but being two months behind is better than being four months behind! Also, we still are working without a contract. Efforts to get that contract signed are taking up a lot of the Quito office manager's time. Please pray that the contract will be signed soon, and that there will be a short-cut through the red tape.

Also, on a bit different note, as I've mentioned the other day, MAF is setting up a couple communication centers in Sumatra. These centers will provide Internet connectivity via satellite for some of the relief organizations, as well as their own operations in the area. I have volunteered to go over and work on installation and maintenance of the equipment. At this point I'm on a standby list, and if I do go, it would be for four weeks. The big prayer request right now is for the shipping of the satellite antennas--they are too large to air freight. Getting them there any other way would be too slow. Please pray that the staff in Redlands can find alternative shipping or alternative antennas, and that it will happen quickly.

My I.T. Day

I spent some time today fine-tuning the firewall and content filter. It was a bit of a challenge to get it to do what I wanted, but in the end it turned out just the way I wanted it to. Brian sent the Quito office firewall/content filter machine down to me this morning. It hasn't been running for a while. I found that it had a bad power supply. That meant a trip up the junk pile in the attic. It's an older machine, with an AT power supply, something not sold new here in Ecuador. I found a working power supply in an old case, and it was soon in the Quito server. I still need to do a bit of tweaking on that machine, so it will go back up later this week. I did clean out the case while I had it open. Down here in Shell when I blow out a case, it's very dusty. The Quito server, on the other hand, wasn't that dusty, but it had a layer of black grime all over the inside--a combination of volcanic ash and abundant vehicle pollution. My hands were literally black when I was done. Wonder what five years of living in Quito does to your lungs? This evening I helped Denise with a PowerPoint presentation. She is with HCJB, and is making the transition from working visitor to career staff. She'll be going back to the States on Friday to engage in the missionary task of deputation, or fund raising. Finally, I got a note from the MAF office in the States that they may need me to go to Indonesia around January 20 to help with the communications system being installed to support the relief efforts. It's still up in the air, with quite a few variables, and I'm just standing by.

Flying in Sumatra

Words like 'shock' and 'disbelief' are probably overused as we hear news of the tsunami in Asia last week. I'm sure I have no idea of the proportions of this disaster. MAF is sending over some staff, who will work with donated equipment to set up satellite internet connections for the relief staff in Sumatra. I've volunteered to help if needed, but that, if it does happen, won't be until at least the end of January. MAF also has at least two planes flying on the island of Sumatra--a Cessna 206 and a Cessna Caravan. Those two planes will soon be joined by a amphibian Beaver which will be on loan from MAF-Europe. News of the operation is available at the MAF-US web site, including field updates and photos.

Busy Day

I was getting dressed this morning and heard a turbocharged Cessna 206 taking off. As I was brewing up some coffee, I heard another one beginning its takeoff roll. By the time I got to the hangar a few minutes after 8 AM, five MAF planes were in the air. All before the day had started for many of us. That's very unusual, as late passengers, no-show passengers, and bad weather routinely cause flights to leave well after 9 or 10 AM. The only plane left on the ground was HC-BQV, and that was being fueled so the mechanics could run it up again. After sitting for many months, the turbo was leaking some oil on the first run-up, so it was time to run it some more and check again. An inspection is being scheduled for next week, so it looks like it won't be too long before 'Alas 10' is flying the skies over the Oriente once again.

Most of the guys flying today have close to five hours of work planned out on paper. It might not turn out that way, as the plan invariably changes due to a variety of factors. However, there is a lot to do, as the airport was shut down all day yesterday because of poor weather in Shell. Here's a shot of Richard refueling Darryl's plane while Dave takes off in HC-BZE. Kevin is in HC-BXB waiting his turn to take-off.

Disaster Relief

Check out this page to see how Mission Aviation Fellowship pilots and planes will be involved in the relief efforts in Indonesia.

MAF is also preparing to deploy a VSAT system and installation team to Banda Aceh in northern Sumatra. Air Serv has asked MAF to assist them with communications support for their relief efforts. The VSAT system will provide internet connectivity for their operation staff, allowing the use of VOIP phone calls, e-mail, instant message, and web access. A wireless local area network will then be created to share the connectivity with up to ten other organizations.

Around The Hangar

We had three or four pilots out flying today. It was rainy at 8 AM, but cleared up quite quickly, and weather wasn't a problem the rest of the day. Curtis, Mateo, and Oscar spent the day working on HC-BQV. Looks like it might fly again by the end of the week. By 5 PM this afternoon Curtis fired up the engine for about five minutes.

I had a lot of water on my work bench, with a keyboard and a mouse getting soaked. I thought, rats, there must be a new leak in the roof. If I haven't mentioned it in here before, the hangar roof as many leaks, 'caused by roofing material that was poorly designed. When I finally got up in the attic this morning, I found that the bucket was in the right place, but it was full and overflowing! I need to remember to check those more often.

Steve had an interesting flight on New Year's day. He went to pick up a pregnant woman who had been in labor five days. He got her all strapped in, then decided to take a minute to answer the call of mother nature. A couple minutes later he was back at the plane, and one of the village elders wanted to pray with him. By the time the prayer was over, he heard a commotion, and the people were helping the lady out of the plane. As she was getting out, her water broke, and almost before her feet hit the ground the baby was on its way out! A few minutes later, the baby was born, and all was well. Steve left for Shell without her, and very thankful the baby wasn't born in flight. He only had one other person with him that afternoon, and that was another medical emergency patient who wouldn't have been able to offer much help at all.

Back To Normal

I'm finally feeling back to normal today. Way back on last Tuesday I came home home in the afternoon with an upset stomach and having to use the bathroom a lot. Bad timing, 'cause on Wednesday and Thursday we were planning an overnight getaway to Baños. I managed to do everything the family wanted to do, but didn't feel too good all the while. Friday I thought I was doing better. I showed up at work, forgetting that it was a holiday. I worked for the morning anyway, and then that was all I could take before going home for the afternoon. In the evening we went out to an MAF New Year's party, as well as walked through town to enjoy the festivities. But by Saturday afternoon I called one of the HCJB docs to get some medical advice. I've been on antibiotics since then, as it seemed likely that my diarhea was caused by some sort of bacteria. I was thinking of joining some friends from the States for a climb of 16,800' Iliniza Norte on Wednesday, but right now I don't think that will happen. Too little training this past week. Hmmm, guess I should have said no training. So, not a fun way to spend the holidays. Ellyn and Dustin have been up in Quito today for dentist appointments. They left at seven this morning, and should be home again in several hours.