They met in September 2007 and didn’t waste time, marrying in April 2008!
Thomas grew up in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and is a member of Ballymena Baptist Church. University in Belfast was a place of academic and spiritual growth. Nine years in the construction equipment rental world followed, learning, among many other things, that material success could not satisfy, and developing a decision to serve in missions. This led him to apply and be accepted for aircraft engineer training at Missionary Maintenance Services in Ohio, USA.
In December of 2006, Thomas left Ballymena to take up his first field assignment with Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Tanzania. During his first term, he continued with his engineering studies and supervised training at the MAF base in Dodoma while serving as an aircraft engineer. In addition to adjusting to the change of life and culture in Tanzania he has also had an opportunity to get involved in an African church and to learn Swahili.
Now Thomas works in the Missionary Aviation Fellowship hangar at Dodoma, maintaining aeroplanes that fly to spread God’s love. He’s recently started a move into technical records and information, combining this work with quality assurance duties – a higher keyboard to spanner ratio!
Patricia (Nee Kestle) grew up and went to school and university in Auckland, New Zealand. Her gap year was spent in Hampshire in the UK, and she returned to London in her mid-twenties as a supply teacher. Then a short-term mission to Vanuatu was the start of her missionary journey, which led to Dodoma via Bible college and training at the CMS mission school in Melbourne, Australia. She is a member of St George’s Church in Epsom, Auckland.
Holy Trinity English Medium Primary School is where Patricia spends her working days as Deputy Principal – the only non-Tanzanian in a staff of 30 and over 500 children aged from 3½ to 15 years old who are all full of energy! Last year, Patricia started a school library and teacher resource area, and there are always new projects on the go.
Thomas and Patricia are involved in an international fellowship group, and they love to cook and entertain together.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THOMAS
Up at 5.40, since cycling today..my morning routine includes filling the water filter, and turning off the guard light. The night watchman we have leaves about 6 or so. We've no gate or walls, so he sits below the tree in our garden beside the car. Before we got married, it was below Patricia's window...they don't seem fierce, but it seems to work so far. My muesli is home-made - you only can get cornflakes and so on at extortionate prices.
Out of the house about 6.30 , with sun just rising. It's the hotter part of the year, waiting for the first rains so I ride in my shirt sleeves. At 3600 ft in July, I'm wearing a fleece...
I live across town from the airport with my wife Patricia and we take turns to have the car- Patricia also has a scooter I borrow too, but today I'm being healthy and pedalling the approx 5 km to work - it's nice that it's down hill in the morning. I try to get off the main street through town before the first spurt of dala-dalas head back out to the suburbs. They're a bucaneering bunch with road manners to match. Not healthy to be around on a bike for any length of time.
As I pedal I see streams of pedestrians of ages 5 to 85 walking, taking the most direct route, whether that's around the wrong side of a keep-leftie (roundabout) or straight across a road 20 metres from the zebra crossing... I also see Toyota pickups, laden almost till their front wheels are in the air with men and women standing in the bed. A local security company collecting night guards in their black uniforms, shades etc begins to reminiscent of something you'd see in Chad or Afghanistan, especially since a lot of guards carry home-made/antique guns...Then there's someone's cows being driven to graze along a road verge - or anybody's garden - I know, it happens to me!
I get into work early, change into a dry shirt, and try out my nice new fine tip marker Martin Ekholm brought me from South Africa. You can't get anything under 2mm here - and the quality's a complete lucky dip. Folk can't afford the good stuff, and often don't know what it is anyway, so all sorts of goods are a disappointment from corned beef to marker pens...
After that it's studying the manual for a Engine Condition Trend Monitoring program I'll be using soon.
It's my turn this morning to speak at devotions - a bit tricky since my Swahili's lousy and my translators' English doesn't stretch to the sort of word pictures I like to draw.
From then on it's a quick discussion with Heri the chief engineer about home assignment dates, - 6 months away but we need to give that sort of lead time, before helping Tim Derbyshire with a flap transmission hours investigation (lots of old logbooks, reading upside down in a mirror in a corner). Then creeping off to study some airlaw for an impending exam.
At about 2.30 Heri finds me in my corner, and asks me to change an artificial horizon instrument in a newly arrived 206 which needs a fast turnaround, while 2 others work on other issues on it. 2 and a half hours later and some solid scratches on my forearms (the last guy didn't trim his cable ties nicely) the aeroplane takes off and I start to pedal home - uphill.
In about 5.30, and between catching up, discussing the home assignment, getting washed, and just living, it's 7 pm. So supper takes precedence over a prayer meeting, and after some swahili study (we hope to go on a course relatively soon) it's bed. Tonight the dogs aren't howling and the local wedding venue isn't booming. Great. G'night.
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