A Season of Thankfulness

     Like most people around the world that have children, their lives can sometimes be over run with just trying to keep up with all of our daily task that demand our attention. I sometimes find the task of keeping everyone fed (especially if you have one or more children in the middle of a growth spurt), staying on top of the laundry (getting the clothes folded before they become too wrinkled), and making sure school work is not forgotten can sometimes overwhelm me before getting out of bed. And then there always seems to be that invisible list of things that I can make in my mind of all those little things that need to be done each day or I feel like I am falling behind. I am sure that there have been many days when God would just shake his head at me and say, "If you would just take a moment and slow down, and allow Me to write out your list your day would be a whole lot better and more manageable."

     So I have found myself learning step by step to slow down and have those still small moments with God everyday before I start to make my daily list. I am not saying that it is an easy thing to do everyday yet but I am finding myself yearning now for those moments alone with my Lord. And sometimes words can not express how FAITHFUL our Lord can be when we pause and take time with Him.  Now when I say faithful I don't mean that my life has all of a sudden become easy but He is teaching me that I can find thankfulness during the hard times, during the stressful moments, during the confusion and hurtful times there is always something to be thankful for.

     So as our family has spent the last few weeks finalizing our stuff and putting it into a sea container (which is now on its way to our new home). I was trying to remember to be thankful for all the amazing places I have gotten to live in and the people who have touched my life. It did not make packing in the heat any easier but I was able to rejoice in the fact that God has never taken us to a place that He has already not gone ahead of us to. I think of Greg and the guys in the hanger who have a few planes down with some serious maintenance problems. And they are struggling to find the parts and figure out the best and safest ways to fix them for they understand how much these planes mean to the people here. Our God is faithful and will provide down to the last bolt or screw we just have to be patient and wait sometimes. And even as I write this we have three people (myself included) down with a flu bug that is pretty nasty. However, I am thankful for the rest that I am getting and for those moments when my kids come for a cuddle or two.

     As the Christmas season is upon us all remember to be thankful for those daily blessing that God is putting at our feet. My prayer for myself, my family, and for you all is that God will continue to remind us to slow down so that we can see and feel what HE is trying to give us through out the day.

Julie

Alberta Bikers

 I found some more biking pictures from our time in Alberta.  So for fun here is the not so dangerous Dole clan biker gang.  Look out Merauke tidak lama lagi kami akan pindah ke sana.  (not long again we will move to there)

Settling In Once Again

   We are very thankful for all the prayers and support that keep us moving forward.  We've been back in Papua for a week now and are getting settled into our temporary place of residence.  It looks like the plan will be for  us to move sometime mid-late January to Merauke.  I just recently got back from a quick trip to Merauke, getting to see a bit of the town and our future home.

   I also logged my first flight in PK-MAO to meet an Indonesian requirement for validation of my FAA pilot certificate.  The flight went well, not that I don't have a lot yet to learn but I can say that I wasn't as overwhelmed as I thought I might have been flying PK-MAO.

  Kids are doing well enjoying base life again with lots of friends close at hand.  I think our neighbourhood in Merauke will be a good fit for the kids too as the street is quite enough that I think we will be able to let them ride their bikes freely around the neighbourhood.  I didn't see many other kids during my visit but I wasn't really looking either at the time,  Time will tell if there will be kids to play with.  If not in our neighbourhood there are lots of kids in the area.  Julie started school again today with the kids as all our bags have rejoined us here in Papua. It looks like we are only short some empty dvd cases as far as we can tell.  Sorry to the person who was hoping for some free videos, their excitement would have been short lived once they discovered we carried the dvds themselves separate from their respective cases.

Travelling Mercies Abound

Well this fresh Monday morning I find myself blurry eyed, and tried but very thankful for the journey mercies we have received.  Our travels back to Indonesia went well despite a couple tense and scary moments.  We left the house @ 6:00am Saturday morning and all went smoothly as we got to the airport, checked our luggage, and waited for our first of three flights.  The flight to Vancouver went well even though there was a few bumps and some strong head winds but nothing really to bring about anxiety or high blood pressure. Once arriving in Vancouver we had about 4 hours to relax find some food etc.  Julie, Franklin, & Jaclynn got their last Canadian Subway fix and Isaac, & I enjoyed a good hearty A&W breakfast.  The first 8ish hours of the 11 hour flight went well with the kids enjoying the movies and games provided. However, our Isaac started to became airsick and not realizing what was going on we didn't get him a sick sack soon enough. Unfortunately they had just served us food again so we found ourselves juggling trays, moving into different seats, and finding ways to clean up the floor and Isaac with the help of wonderful flight attendants.  However this was just the first round for Isaac.  For about 45 mins later while I was engrossed in a video on the TV Isaac had lost track of his sick sack and was using the floor again before I knew what was going on.  Once again I cleaned the floor best I could and got another sick sack into Isaac's hands and took better care that it didn't get dropped again.  Now with this behind us I was looking at the Seoul terminal map trying to figure out how the transfer to our next flight would be and was assured by the flight attendant that our next flight would wait for us if needed.  The two gates couldn't have been much further apart from each other.  There was also a security check point that was painfully slow at getting people through the line.  Finally after getting to our gate Isaac needed the bathroom so not thinking clearly I sent him off to find one. With the boarding line up gone and final boarding call made Isaac still had not returned.  I had already sent Julie and the the other two on through.  It would be an understatement to say I was a little anxious and the blood pressure was likely a little higher than normal too.  He did finally saunter back to the gate but not after Julie and I lost a couple years off our lives or at least a few more grey hairs.  Once boarded and seated the only thing of slight concern was if our baggage had enough time to make the transfer and this there was nothing we could do except wait for our arrival in Jakarta.  All the kids slept well for this flight and no more airsickness which we were very thankful for.  Arriving in Jakarta the immigration went really smoothly by simply passing the officer our passports, no questions no digging out other documentation. And all our bags arrived which was a special treat as well and we arrived safe and sound at the CMA guesthouse @ 12:00pm Sunday afternoon (MST Alberta time) or 2:00am Local time. So all in all we were 30 hours door to door which made for a nice shortish, smooth and successful trip around the globe.  We are very grateful for all those that were praying for us as we travelled, your prayers were indeed answered with a trip filled with His mercies and blessings.

Only took a couple pictures in Vancouver sorry. 

Mika Medevac

Mika Medevac from Greg on Vimeo.


One of the great joys of serving with MAF in Papua, Indonesia.

Our Family with MAF serving in Papua, Indonesia

Furlough 2015 Second Edition from Greg on Vimeo.


For HD click and watch it on the vimeo website.

Blessings
the dole clan

Speaking Schedule

Here is our Sunday speaking schedule while in Canada.  Please feel free to join us if you are near any of the following locations.  Please also feel free to contact us to setup sometime together during the week as well.

September 6  ---  Innisfail Baptist Church @ 10:30 am (Innisfail, AB)

September 13 --- Mirror Alliance Church @ 10:30 am (Mirror, AB)

September 20 --- Cremona Country Fellowship @ 10:00 am (Cremona, AB)

September 27 --- Bethel Evangelical Missionary Church @ 10:30 am (East of Cremona, AB)

October 4 --- Bergen Missionary Church @ 10:45 am (South of Sundre, AB)

October 11 --- Eagle Hill Gospel Mission

October 18 --- Hawkwood Baptist Church @ 9:30 am or 11:00 am (NW Calgary, AB)

October 25 --- Sayward Christian Fellowship (Sayward, BC)

Hope to see you soon.

Contact us by:
Email: gregjuliefij@gmail.com or gdole@maf.org
Phone: 403-586-8040 (G) 403-586-8042 (J)
         

Blessings
The dole clan

Where did August Go?

Wow another month has come and gone.  So where has the time gone?  Well we started out with a couple family gatherings at the begining of the month, along with celebrating Franklin's 13th birthday.  Then the kids were off to Camp Little Red for six days.  Julie and I almost got away for a romantic weekend before we got called and needed to pick up a munchkin early from camp.  He made it 3 days before calling home for an early pick up but still had a good time.  Thankfully this happen before we had to pay a cancellation penalty for the hotel room.  Maybe we'll still be able to get away for a night or two yet before we travel back to Indonesia.  After camp we headed out on a 2,300 mile (3,700 km) road trip starting out with heading to Sandpoint, Hayden Lake area in North Idaho for some float flying and camping.  Yep, I had the privilege of learning the ropes of changing a boat into an airplane and then changing the airplane back into a boat.  So while I as playing on and off the water with a Piper PA-12 Julie and the kids were playing in the water at the beach most days.  Pictures below.  After my check ride (flight test) we packed up the tent and continued South to Nampa where we spent sometime with some friends.  We also  made our first church presentation since leaving for Indonesia two years ago.  Monday morning we packed back up and headed north where we camped a couple more nights back at the same camp site we stayed at the week before.  This time I could relax a little bit more, no late night studying and being gone all day bouncing on and off the water.  Now that August is over and we have welcomed September we also welcomed Julie's parents arriving at the Calgary airport.  We are looking forward to making some memories with them this coming week.  Not sure all what we will be doing yet but I'm sure it will be full of fun times.

Jaclynn's Big Catch.

Isaac learning the ropes on dirt biking.

Franklin enjoying water sports.

Happy 13th Franklin.

Off to Camp Little Red

Hunter reliving his maintenance man days at CLR.

Jaclynn's turn to learn how to manage a dirt bike.

Piper PA-12

Still airworthy and seaworthy after lesson 1.

Home away from home.

He did have some fun even if the face says otherwise.

Indonesian conditioned blood.

Canadian conditioned blood.

Round two.

Re-entry Culture Shock

Well our family has been in country now for about two weeks and I (Greg) still find ourselves adjusting but doing well for the most part.  Here is a list of things that seem strange to us but actually should be familiar:

- Driving from the opposite side of the vehicle and road then when we drive a vehicle in Indonesia.  Once established here on the road it doesn't seem to be an issue, however when making turns on and off the road I have found myself looking the wrong direction for traffic. And once in a while ending up on the wrong side of the road briefly.

- The handle on the toilet is on the opposite side compared to Indonesia and even functions the opposite direction as well.  Many times I find myself searching on the wrong side for the handle and then when I do find it I try and pull it up rather than push down.

- Passing things with only my right hand only.  It still feels strange to me to pass someone some thing with my left hand. For in Indonesia the left hand is viewed as being unclean (use your imagination for what they would use one hand for that would make it unclean)and is not used for a lot of things.

- Hearing English all the time and along with that trying not to speak Indonesian with someone that is of Asian descent.

- So far shopping hasn't been as overwhelming as we thought it might be.  Switching back from a cash based system back to a card based system has not being without a couple moments of uncertainly and awkward feelings as card use protocol was fogging in my memory.  Thankfully I hadn't forgotten that number.

- Our blood is still a bit thin after two weeks, hopefully by the time fall and winter rolls in our blood has thickened up.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for our family.  We would like to connect with as may as we can during the course of September and October, so please call or email us and let us know when it would work in your schedule to reconnect.

Blessings
the dole clan.

gregjuliefij@gmail.com
403-586-8040 (Greg's Cell)
403-586-8042 (Julie's Cell)

A Special Flight

    The last Friday right before leaving Indonesia for Canada, Greg was able to do a flight into the village of Bime. What made this flight special was that Isaac, Jaclynn and myself got to go along for the ride. This was supper special as it was our first time into one of the villages that Greg fly's into some what regularly. Franklin choose not to come as he didn't want to get up in time for a six o'clock flight.
     We woke up on Friday morning to a light rain with storms around the area but since Greg was scheduled to leave at six in the morning we were able to make it off the ground. I will admit that it was my first time taking a flight that was mostly in the clouds the entire time due to the weather in a small plane. However, it was great to see Greg use his training to safely fly us through the clouds, valleys, and mountains.
     One of the great challenges with flying here in Papua is that the weather can change moment by moment and you are not sure what you will find in the next valley. So even though we took off in weather that was not so great, Greg had received reports that the weather in the mountains was good. When we got close the the village, Greg was able to locate a opening in the cloud cover large enough to safely navigate it to the village of Bime.
     When we landed the entire village had come out to greet the pilots, passengers, and to watch as well. As we came to a stop Jaclynn became very nervous and was worried because she could not speak the language and the plane was surrounded by adults and lot's of children. I was able to encourage her and remind her that with children it does not matter if they can speak the same language or not for it seems that children can play together without using words.
     Due to the weather getting worse back at our base we got delayed in the village for a couple of hours which was perfect for us. This allowed the kids time to visit with the people and really explore their beautiful village. So we were able to give each of the children camera's and let them go explore and video what they found.
     When the weather finally cleared back at base and we had climbed into the plane Jaclynn asked when it would work out for her to stay over night. As she loved seeing all the animals, walking along different trails, and all the beautiful crafts. For she wanted time to learn how they did it all as well. Isaac also asked about when he could return as well and loved sitting up front of the plane with his dad for the journey as well.
   

July Family Newsletter

Base Life

Greetings,

Well we've been in the guesthouse apartment for just over a week now.  No more worries about power outages here, when the power goes out just wait 10sec and it's back on via the base generator.  Base life does have some perkes. The move went smoothly getting most of our stuff back into storage to wait for our move to Merauke early next year.  My motorcycle is not seeing many miles at the moment now that I walk across the street for work.  Hopefully I can fix that on the weekends with some rides.

The kids are enjoying having easy access to friends to play with during the day.  New challenges for mom and dad "setting boundaries" so that there is a balance between family time and friend time.  They've started some homeschooling as well, which has been going well from what I hear.

The month of June was a full one in my flight log book which is exciting for me.  I was able to put 60+ hours into my log book almost all of which under the PIC (Pilot in Command) column.  I had the privilege of serving a missionary family in Bokondini with a couple (some what rare) flights into Bokondini.  Along with those flights I was able to serve the villages of Bime, Borme, Kiwirok, Kobakma, Mamit, Mulia and Nongme with several flights in and out carrying supplies and passengers.

July is around the corner now well pretty much here already.  July we will be traveling back to Canada for a mini home assignment.  We depart Sentani July 26th and head to Jakarta then on the 27th we depart Jakarta for the long journey around the globe arriving in the evening of July 28th.  Not bad only 24 hours oh but wait, we are suppose to gain a day traveling back to Canada, so it turns out be 40+ hours travel time. There will also be a 12 hour layover in Seoul that we will have as well. So we ask for strength and endurance as we make our way back to Canada later this month.

Once on the ground in Canada we have a few things planned out schedule wise.  Here is a rough calendar for our time in Canada.

August                                     Training/Rest
September 1st to 30th              Central, Alberta
October 1st to 6th                    Waldheim, Saskatchewan
October 7th to 19th                  Central, Alberta
October 20th to 26th                Sayward, BC
October 31st                             Depart back to Indonesia

Please contact us if there is a date that we can put something in common down on our calendar with your calendar.

email: gregjuliefij@gmail.com or gdole@maf.org

Power's Out Again

Well as our days living on Pos 7 are coming to a close, we got to experience one more (we hope our last) extended power outage.  Last Saturday as it commonly happens during my Skype call with family the power goes out.  Okay not to worry this happens often, it's just one of those annoying things that seem to happen regularly, during my Skype calls.  Later in the day the power does return but it is already after my window of opportunity for finishing my visit with family.  Oh well, there is next weekend.  Well the day was a bit breezy and so the power was off and on a couple more times that afternoon, but still no big deal.  Then a little after 10:00 p.m. the power goes out again. Still not a big deal other than it gets a little warm without the AC's.  Usually the power comes back on in a couple of hours but this time we wake up Sunday morning still without power.  We just thought maybe a tree fell on the line last night and they'll clear it today, however it is Sunday so who knows.  It turns out that a new building that was under construction was built too close to the power lines.  It's a miracle no one was killed working that close to the high voltage lines.  Anyway the wind was swinging the power lines enough that they were contacting the building and shorting out the whole town of Sentani. Later on Sunday it comes to light that there is a power struggle between the power company and the building owner on who is going to budge.  Either the building corner needs to be trimmed back or the power lines moved.  And then there is the question of who is going to pay for it.  This all is happening of course Sunday when offices are closed and decisions can't really be made.  Which means the the power stays off.  I'll be honest it was hard to keep a good attitude when driving by the problem area Sunday night and the area with the offending building still had power and everyone else down line was cut off.  It seemed a bit hopeless as the only motivation for the building owner to do anything was pressure from his neighboring community as he still had power.

Thankfully we have a great team of friends here that helped clear some space in their fridges and freezers so we could keep our food from going bad.  Eating by candle light is a nice change every once and while.

Monday roles around and I head off to fly my schedule like any other day thinking that this situation at home without power could go on for days and maybe we should move to the base earlier than planned.  However it's amazing even here where things seem to take 2, 3 times or even longer then they should to get resolved, the was power back on at the house by the time I returned from my last flight of the day.  Turns out that the builder did in fact have a proper building permit, and so the power company decided to pursue the Government to pay the bill to move the power lines being that they issued the permit to build in that location. As you can imagine there was a great cry of joy when the power came back on.

In other news our house is upside down in the middle of our move back to base in a little over a week from now.  Julie and the kids made some good progress yesterday while I was out enjoy the skies of Papua.  Today I'm at home helping were I can as well Julie and I will start to plan out our home assignment that is coming this summer.  We will be back in Alberta sometime late July and will be returning to Indonesia end of October.  As we work out details of where we will be and dates we'll be sure to communicate that as best we can.  We would like to see as many people as we can so don't be shy please contact us if we don't contact you first.

More Right Aileron Trim Required

Thankfully the solution was provided on Wednesday of last week for our IFR problem that had arose the previous week that I mentioned in our last blog. After taking care of that problem then came the a PFR (proficiency flight review) the next day which was successfully completed.  With both of these items behind me the right seat next to me became vacant, and the airplane was a bit left wing heavy.  Okay maybe not enough to make a noticeable difference!  I couldn't have asked for a better day for my first solo flight here in Papua.  It's not very often you can see the top of Cyclops (mountain between Sentani and the Pacific Ocean) 100 miles out.  On the return leg I had the privilege of bringing seven passengers with me that wanted to get to Sentani.  I was a little concerned about having passengers for the return trip knowing what awaited me back on the ground in Sentani.  The ground crew was good about getting the passengers off the plane before the traditional soaking commenced. It also happened to be the kids first day of summer vacation so all the kids from the base along with ours had a great time joining in the water throwing.

Waiting for papa.

Waiting by the radio

Short Final

Taxing in to park

Good time had by all

Yep Franklin is now taller than mom.

Alva getting a wet shoulder.

After a quick change of cloths and handing in the paperwork our family climbed into another plane captained by Uncle Steve (my instructor pilot prior to my solo) and headed to Wamena to visit friends.  This was the first time out into the interior for Julie and the kids. Saturday we ventured out for a drive and found a cool cave to explore.  The boys seemed fearless, Jaclynn however was a bit nervous.  The Wamena weather is cooler for sure but this Canadian blood isn't completely thinned out yet, but it's not as thick as it once was 2 years ago. Sunday we ventured out again and found a suspension bridge that well you'll see the pictures.  Then we flew back via Trigana Monday afternoon.    

Uncle Steve's new co-pilot.

Just excited to go and see friends

Not everyday Franklin can say he's sitting closer to the controls than dad.

The view doesn't get much better than this!

Celebrating #9 a few days late but with friends.

Fishing from a dugout canoe 

Can't say that I'd be able to do this and stay dry.

Suspension bridge not for the faint of heart.

Not sure it was a good idea for a 200+lber to cross this but I did anyway

Local going for a swim, looks like fun but not in what I was wearing.

Hiking with friends.

Cave exploring.

Wamena Airport waiting area, yep pretty much a pole shed with some seats.

We had a great time and we look forward to visiting Wamena and possibly some of the other MAF bases in the future.