The next few days were soggy and wet. The clouds were low and the rain was heavy and came in waves.

We used this time to meet with the Kapuna leadership as we started working towards a partnership agreement between Samaritan Aviation and Gulf Christian Services.

On day three, we dropped off our first nurses for the medical patrol.

What a moment that was for me to land in the remote village of Era Maipua.

The banks of the river were lined with hundreds of villagers who had never seen a seaplane but had heard we would be coming.

After unloading the nurses, medicines and vaccines, I returned to Kapuna for the second staff load and medical supplies.

The nurses couldn't believe we had turned a three to five hour boat ride into a nine-minute flight!

The second seaplane arrived with our pilot, Nick Mosca, and our Ministry Outreach Coordinator, Sarah Cooke.

It was great to have the whole Samaritan Aviation team, which included Chris Cooke, Tim Askew, Charlie Heinrich (an Advisory Board member) and pilot Stan Askren.

We were able to continue with the nursing patrols to another village over the next few days.

The Kapuna staff and leadership are an amazing group.

Everyone is committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus through everything they do at the hospital, the Community Health training school and their discipleship training school.

Seeing PNG young people excited to study God's word and then go back to their villages and share it was a highlight for sure.

I am excited that Samaritan Aviation will partner with such an amazing staff and Ministry.

On day five, as Nick was getting on the water with a load of nurses and supplies, he realised that one of the two magnetos, the ignition system for the engine, was not working.

So now we have rain, clouds and a broken airplane.

Nick, Sarah and Tim lifted off mid-morning on Day 6 and hoped to get across the mountains to Wewak, where we had a spare magneto.

Around 27 hours, after lifting off from Kapuna and an unexpected overnight stay in the mountains, Nick returned with the parts.

We were able to get the airplane fixed just as the sun was setting on day seven.

We woke up early the next day, loaded the airplanes and said our goodbyes.

As we took flight, I kept thinking about the amazing opportunities and challenges that lie ahead to expand our life-saving flight ministry to the Gulf Province.

I believe it will be one of the hardest things we have done as an organization these past 23 years.

As I thought of the challenges, I could also see the smiling faces of young children, mothers, fathers and older people living in remote communities without hope.

I feel even stronger and more resolved than ever before that Samaritan Aviation is desperately needed in the Gulf Province.

We have the opportunity to be part of an amazing Health ministry happening at the Kapuna and Kikori hospitals and to join with the Gulf Provincial Health Authority to help bring change, hope and access to the hundreds of thousands of beautiful people living there.