Prayers Please

Monday (4-30) at 5:10 in the afternoon, as I was fumbling with the lock on LaBore’s gate I heard my phone beep. Missed call. I pulled it out and saw Karen Wickwire had called. Pressing send, I waited. 

“Hey Karen, I missed a call from you?”

“Yeah. The buggy rolled.”

“Where?”

“Down by Van Fossens”

“‘kay. I’m on my way.”

Our tense conversation ended and I hurried down the road. The “buggy” in question is an Arctic Cat Prowler-an all purpose vehicle that the Wings for Humanity team uses for a myriad of things-hauling airplane fuel, people, supplies, and pulling the trailer. It is the only four wheeled vehicle between the 3 families and it gets passed around quite a bit. As I hurried down the road toward Van Fossens thoughts and prayers spiraled through my head. 

I hoped that when I rounded the corner I would see a scratched up buggy with whoever had been in it standing nervously off to the side, shaking and nervously grinning from the adrenaline. I hoped we would all say “wow, that was a close one” and hold hands as we thanked God for his miraculous protection. But that wasn’t what happened. 

At the scene I could see where the buggy had gone up the embankment and rolled onto the passengers’ side. There was a sizable crowd of people gathered and Chrystal and Serena Van Fossen, plus Jud, Karen, Jake and Zack Wickwire were already there; clumped around Greg and Brandon Van Fossen. Greg is a Nurse Practitioner and the go to man for anything medical on our team. He was there, not in his customary role, but laying on the ground clearly in pain. Brandon was looking a little spacey as he crouched beside his mother and father. The Ministry of Health truck was already there.

Brandon and Greg had been in the vehicle with two boys in the back when the buggy rolled. From what we can tell Brandon flew through the roof before he landed on the pavement some yards away. The boys in the back landed on the grass embankment and had some bruises and lacerations from the windshield glass but are okay. Greg was also thrown from the vehicle and his injuries are the most serious. At the site we thought both arms were broken-Brandon remembered nothing from the day except getting up that morning. Brandon and Greg were transported to the hospital here in Mabaruma. X-rays confirmed that Greg’s right humorous was broken and dislocated just above the elbow joint. The left arm was judged to be a bad sprain. Brandon was examined by the doctor and then sent “home” to the Wickwires. He sustained a concussion and some road rash. His memory gradually returned over the next 2 hrs. Greg spent the night in the hospital and has since traveled to Miami, Florida to have surgery on his right arm-the break was more complicated than could be dealt with here. As of now, Greg’s travel has gone smoothly. Brandon is recovering well. All in all, we are thankful. Shakily standing on the side, looking at a buggy is quite a bit more than scratched (parts money would be happily accepted), but feeling blessed that it was not worse. Thanking God that the boys who were in the back are okay, that Brandon is doing well, that Greg is anticipated to be fine.

I ask for some specific prayers now. The LaBore family left last Friday (4-27) for furlough. They will be in New York, Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon, and California over the next 3 months. Please keep the them in your prayers as they travel and speak. If you are interested in hearing them speak please contact Laura LaBore at lauralabore@gmail.com or Bill LaBore at blabore@flyawa.org for more information. Please pray for Greg as he travels, undergoes surgery, and recovers. Please pray for Chrystal and the kids as they carry on here. Please pray for the rest of the WFH team-with Greg out and LaBores on furlough all of the flying will fall on the remaining pilot, Jud Wickwire. The annual inspection and go through on the airplanes is happening this month, complete with some mechanics visiting from the States to help out-please pray that all the traveling and parts assembly/installation goes smoothly.

I am returning home from Guyana May 17th. The LaBore’s departure has left me without an official job title-I am no longer responsible for homeschooling Micah and Dani. I have been helping Chrystal Van Fossen and Karen Wickwire homeschool their kids and plan to continue doing that along with where ever else I can do to help out.