MAF doesn't have a building on the airport, so they dropped me off at the terminal while they took the truck around to the plane. So, with my Juba to Juba plane ticket, I had to go through security and sit in the lounge and wait for them to send someone over to pick me up. The flight was supposed to be a cargo run/passenger pick-up flight, so it was only me, the pilot, and a bunch of satellite equipment loaded into the Cessna Caravan.
We finally left Juba around 10:10. The first stop of the day was Pibor - about 90 minutes north east of Juba and FULL of SPLA (Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army) soldiers. We did a low pass over the field (and I do mean low ... about 5 feet off the ground) to inspect the runway and most of it looked alright. So, we landed, avoided the soft spots as we slowed, then got the right wheel stuck in the mud as we turned around. Uh oh! The mud in this place is super sticky and our wheel was about 6 inches down.
Some men from the town quickly dug out the tire, attached some straps to the strut, and about 15 guys worked together to pull the plane out - all while I watched and took pictures. D was able to taxi the plane to the "ramp" using high power while I walked to the "ramp" surrounded by most of the young men from the village ... and I have NO idea what there were saying to me, but apparently some of the things were pretty funny. Hopefully I didn't agree to marry anybody! The runway was really soft in spots and I got pretty muddy boots walking to the plane so I was worried that we wouldn't be able to get out of there that night. After unloading part of the cargo, we got back in the plane, did a fast taxi onto the runway, and D gunned the engine, hoping to get off the ground. I think we were both praying pretty hard as we bumped down the runway and we both breathed a sigh of relief when we finally got off the ground!
Stop number 2 was another 30 minutes northeast at Pochalla, which is right on the boarder with Ethiopia. This runway was a stone-sand surface so had much better drainage that the dirt runway at Pibor so we didn't have any problems landing or taxiing. We finally found someone who wanted to sign for the cargo, then took a short walk down to the river. It was really pretty, but I couldn't take any pictures ... the river was full of villagers swimming naked and I didn't think they would appreciate it if I started snapping pictures of them! But, I was able to see Ethiopia! The river is maybe 30ft wide, so I could have swum over if I really wanted to, but considering that there was a truck of SPLA soldiers following us, I probably wouldn't have made it back into Sudan. We walked back through the village to the plane, sweating all the way, which isn't too surprising ... it was 42 degrees! Up at our cruising altitude of 12,500 ft, it was still 10 degrees! 
The third stop was supposed to be Ayod, about an hour west of Pochalla, where we were supposed to drop off more equipment and pick up a few passengers who missed the UN flight on Monday (the plane couldn't land because of the wet runway). We overflew the runway twice and it looked dry and sandy in some places but wet with standing water in others. I got a neat video of all the cows and goats and dogs scattering as we buzzed the field, but D decided not to risk landing there, and off we went to stop number 4.
Duk Padiet was only 15 minutes past Ayod and the runway looked much better. We overflew it twice, noticing where the softer looking spots were and the giant tree branch on the runway about 50 feet from the end. Our first attempt to land became on overshoot when a dog decided to run down the runway ... with the branch and the soft spots to worry about, the dog was too much of an added distraction. On the second attempt we landed, used a LOT of power to taxi to the "ramp" area, then had to do a quick stop when we realized that we weren't going to make it there ... but would get stuck if we tried. We almost stopped in time, but got the left wheel stuck in the soft sand. Again, the villagers helped us get the plane unstuck, then unloaded the cargo. They didn't want Ayod's cargo, so D reloaded the plane. 
While he was doing that, I walked a bit away from the plane to get a picture of all the people surrounding it - I think the whole town was out! Of course, after I took one picture, the kids noticed and came RUNNING! The were so excited to be able to see a picture of themselves and probably would have stayed there, jumping up and down all day if some older guy hadn't come and chased them away with a stick.
We ended up loading 2 patients and their husbands from Duk Padiet to take to Juba - the community health worker asked us to take them anywhere with a medical facility. There were only 3 seats in the back of the plane, so one of the patients, a 22 year old, 7 month pregnant lady (though she was so skinny I would have guessed 4 months) laid on the floor of the plane for the flight home. They didn't know what was wrong with her, probably a complication with the pregnancy, but she didn't even have the strength to lift an arm. The other patient was a 40 year old woman who had been sick for 4 months - again, no idea what was wrong with her, and while she had a bit more energy than the pregnant lady, didn't have the strength to walk and looked more like a 70 year old that a 40 year old.
It took a long time to get them organized, and the fact that they didn't speak English didn't help much. It also didn't help that we had to get back to Juba before 5:30, which is the time the airport closes (they are repainting the lines on the runway, and there aren't any lights, so no night-ops!) We got off the ground without problems and made it back to Juba at 5:20.
The organization that we were delivering the satellite equipment for and who we thought we were transporting the patients for, apparently didn't want anything to do with the patients and wouldn't come pick them up at the airport, so after tying down the plane and doing the final paperwork, we loaded everyone into the landcruiser and went of to the Juba Teaching Hospital - probably the best hospital in this part of the country, but a place where, on the first day, I was told I would NOT be taken if I got hurt ... no matter what's wrong with you, you'll be diagnosed as having malaria and typhoid and if the treatment doesn't kill you, you'll probably pick up something else that will. After dropping off the two ladies, D asked the MAF director (who had picked us up) how they would get home considering the other organization didn't want anything to do with them. His answer, "Honestly, they'll be lucky to survive." He then proceeded to tell us about how last week, and 18 year old boy had been brought into the emergency room in severe pain and died 15 hours later, still waiting to see a doctor.
So, that was my day with MAF - T picked me up at their compound and then we went back to the SIL compound to eat supper in the dark - no power! The generator kicked in later that evening, and city power came back about a half and hour later.
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