It was back in 2003 that Flying Mission pilot Bryan Wilson took his long-suffering wife, Diane, and their 6-month-old son Toby, on a 6 month vision trip of Southern Africa by road! His goal was to try to get a feel for the aviation needs of the region. From that trip, Flying Mission Zambia was born. Back then there was just a grassy farm strip at Chilongolo with a few substandard buildings. But God had big plans for it. Now, six years down the line, we invite you to take a 'bird's eye view' of the progress at the base.

The question was quite a simple one: do you have a gas blow lamp? No.  No.  No.  15 times, no. Then the breakthrough: Roger Green (Projects, Flying Mission Zambia) spotted what he wanted on a dusty top shelf - in the TV Hire shop!!! Elation! Now, finally, he can get on with his plumbing at Chilongolo. He brought 'said item' home, rejoicing at his success. But his delight soon fizzled out

Once upon a time there was a little boy called Benny. He lived with his mother, father and siblings in a small 2-roomed house near to Flying Mission Zambia base at Chilongolo, Makeni Konga. Although his mother was severely disabled, she looked after the children well and they were known to be a very well-behaved and pleasant family.

One day Benny got sick.

It's all happening here at Chilongolo! Men - and women - are dismantling, extending and re-assembling steel hangar frames. They are brick-laying and plastering with Hydraform blocks. Electrics are going in and stairways are being constructed. Little by little new workshops, maintenance bays, offices, storage bays, parts storage and hangar facilities are coming closer to being operational at Flying Mission Zambia base near to Lusaka.

This rainy season has been particularly severe in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, where the Flying Mission Zambia base is located. Getting to and from Chilongolo, 15 kms from the centre, has been a logistics exercise in itself. When the Flying Mission Board visited recently, the road was so damaged and blocked by broken-down vehicles that a flight had to be generated to get personnel back into town! We'll let the pictures show you the conditions.

John and Faith Solt recently joined the Flying Mission Zambia team from the USA. Part of their orientation programme was to live with a family in the bush for 10 days. Here are some of their comments on that experience.

We felt like spoilt Americans. After the first full day in the village (second night) we laid awake in bed in the thatched roof hut wondering if we would survive ten days.  We told God, "We're not strong enough. We need your help."

Flying Mission Zambia Manager, Bryan Wilson, calls it 'Mad Hour' and oh boy! on Sunday the Rainbowz meeting place was full, full, full! Perhaps 160 children crowded into the Flying Mission Zambia rondaval (an old satellite dish thatched to give us protection from the sun's rays) where we do Children’s Bible Club each week. Rainy season in Zambia is between November and March and so a few times we have had to cancel the meetings but this week the sun shone and the children turned out in style!

Last week there was a role switch at Tiyanjane, the woman's group that started two years ago in the neighborhood of Flying Mission Zambia's base. Some of the village ladies taught the Wazungu (white) ladies, and each other, how to cook some of their traditional Zambian dishes. It was a lot of fun. The missionaries found it quite hard work stirring the pot of nshima (the stiff maize meal porridge which is their staple food) but then we had the pleasure of eating it all!

When our Projects Co-ordinator finally hung up his hat last year, it seemed that building work at Flying Mission Zambia would slow down. But God had other plans! An Australian building team turned up for 3 weeks, followed soon after by a team of 14 people from a supporting Church in Tucson, Arizona.  Scott Bleecker, the builder/pilot who had earlier poured the hangar floor with his son Dan, returned from The States to do more work. Instead of slowing down, we were pretty busy here at Chilongolo, Flying Mission Zambia base.

Flying Mission Zambia Pilot, Guillermo Reddekopp, writes: Flying Mission Zambia is here to help Zambia but it has never before taken on a project like this one. FMZ was asked to assist Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to survey the animal stocks in the National Parks. Understanding that the work would take 3 weeks, FMZ accepted, with the reservation that planes would be withdrawn for normal scheduled mission flights and for maintenance.

It was soon clear that 3 weeks was insufficient time to fulfil the task. However FMZ pressed on to help the Authority complete the job, which finally took nearer to 8 weeks.