Staying Busy!

Wow, it's hard to believe that a month has already flown by since I left my full-time job at Keim Lumber.  On June 2nd (the first time I didn't "clock-in" at my old job), I remember thinking that I hope I will be able to wisely use my time and that I won't be twiddling my thumbs trying to figure out the next thing to do.  Well, now that we're on the other side of June, twiddling is the farthest thing from what we've been doing.  We are still actively working toward raising our financial support to begin serving at MMS Aviation, and June has been a good month in making connections with new people.

To start the month out, our family had a garage sale to get rid of a lot of our stuff.  It's amazing how things accumulate (especially when you have kids).  Later this summer, we'll be moving down close to MMS Aviation (Coshocton, OH), and we will be moving into a smaller house.  Plus since we will (Lord willing) be moving overseas in a couple years, we are feeling the need to really evaluate the difference between needs & wants when it comes to possessions.  The neat part about this sale, is that we rented one of those yellow roadside signs to advertise the sale.  Because of what we wrote on the sign (see above), we had many many opportunities to share with people about what God has been doing in our lives, and where He is leading us in missionary aviation.  We were so encouraged by many folks, and we hope that we were able to encourage / inspire them as well.

Then on the second week of June, I (Jason) and my oldest son had a unique opportunity to go on a 46 mile, 3-day canoe trip with a group of men that we had only met once before.  Through a friend / former coworker of mine, we were able to join the 3rd annual "Allegheny River Canoe Trip" that a group of men from another church in the area have been doing. Despite rainy weather, and a river that rose 2.5 feet overnight, we had a really good time. This was neat for us to be able to fellowship with brothers-in-Christ that we barely knew, but felt totally comfortable with.  And again, we were able to share with all these guys how God has been at work in us, and working through us..  Who knows where some of these conversations may lead?

Over the third week of June, our whole family had a wonderful opportunity to be a part of a 3-day Spiritual Life Conference that was put on by MMS Aviation and by a ministry team from Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis, MN). This group from Minnesota came to Coshocton, OH, specifically to minister to those who serve at MMS Aviation and their families. The adults had times of worship and a seminar on conflict resolution, and the kids had activities and workshops. It was a great time for the whole family, and we left feeling encouraged, uplifted, and so eager to begin serving at MMS Aviation.

Finally, over the last week of June, I (Jason) and my 2 oldest sons went on a week-long campout with a boys ministry from our church. This ministry is a lot like a Christian version of the boy scouts. It focuses on men working with boys in the areas of leadership, evangelism, and discipleship - all in an outdoor setting. This particular campout was with 6 other churches from Ohio & Indiana that have the same ministry. We had a wonderful time learning how to be "Quacks" for God (Romans 12:2), and also in doing a bunch of fun boy things.

I helped out all week with a craft project that was turning wooden duck calls on the lathe, and helped the boys & men make close to 100 calls. This was a lot of fun for me working with these boys, but also meeting the men from the other churches. It's so encouraging to see men that are willing to step up and show the boys in their lives what it means to be a man of God. Plus I was able to make connections with pastors from 3 different churches, and hopefully this will lead into opportunities to be able to share about our ministry at their churches.

So we are staying super busy in our efforts to raise our financial support. We are so thankful that God has given us so many opportunities to share with others, and will continue to do so in the coming months. We know that we will soon be busy with serving at MMS Aviation, but for now, we are really enjoying meeting new people and sharing about the ministry that God has called us to!

It's Official!

     It’s hard to believe that a little less than a year ago, we were accepted at MMS Aviation to pursue God’s call in our lives for me (Jason) to serve as a missionary pilot.  Now we’re standing on the brink of a monumental step of faith - on May 30th, I will be leaving my full time job at Keim Lumber to focus more time & energy on raising the financial support that we need in order to start serving.

     From the world’s perspective, this step may seem silly and foolish.  But when looked at from God’s perspective, this step is humble obedience to His lordship in our life.  Why do I want to be a missionary pilot?  Because God has given us a passion for ministry, a love of flying, a heart for the African people, and given me a comfort in the French language (spoken in several African countries).   I desire to be a missionary pilot because I will be able to help in the effort to spread God’s Word and love to the ends of the earth (Mark 16:15)

     At MMS Aviation, I will have the opportunity to serve something much bigger than myself.  This one organization has serviced & repaired airplanes from more than 100 different Christian missionary organizations.  Can an airplane save people?  No, but they certainly make it so much easier to reach some of the most remote people with the great news about Jesus - and that is what saves people!  (see our previous post for a story about how one airplane made a huge difference)

     And the awesome part is, you have an opportunity to be a part of this exciting ministry!  We are seeking people & churches who are willing to help make it possible for us to serve, by supporting us in ministry with regular financial contributions & prayers.  We are currently at 37% of our funding goal, because of the many people who have already come alongside us and begun supporting us - and we thank them so much for their part.  As eager and willing as we are to serve God in this ministry, we cannot do it without your help.  We need to be at 100% before we can begin to serve at MMS Aviation.  This breaks down to roughly:
    *126 people supporting at $25 per month, or
    *63 people supporting at $50 per month, or
    *42 people supporting at $75 per month
     Really, you can support us at any amount, but these are just a few examples.  Would you consider whether God is calling you to be a part of supporting us in this ministry?  At the top of this page is a link that says "Donate Online" which explains how you can do that.  Remember, the last day at my current job is May 30th; so if the Lord leads you to support us in ministry, the sooner you begin, the sooner we can begin serving at MMS Aviation!

     If you would like to hear more about this exciting journey, we would love to tell you all about it.  Please feel free to contact us - at the top of this page is a "Contact Us" link that is a great way to get ahold of us.  We love having people over to our place for dinner, and if you're too far away for that, our upcoming travels may likely bring us near to where you live.  We're excited about how God will be using us in the mission field, and excited to share that journey with others!

How Airplanes DO Make A Difference

     They say a picture speaks a thousand words, but the picture that you see here also cries a thousand tears. At first glance, it’s difficult to tell what you are seeing in this picture, and that’s because what you’re seeing is absolute destruction. Quite possibly the most tragic single event in modern history is the “Boxing Day Tsunami” that happened December 26th, 2004.

     This tsunami happened in the Indian Ocean, and was triggered by one of the most massive earthquakes ever recorded. This generated a series of gigantic tidal waves that in some places were over 100 feet tall. In the span of several hours, over 230,000 people lost their lives to the destructive forces of this tsunami. And for those who survived, life would never be the same.

Epicenter of 2014 "Boxing Day Tsunami"

     While the giant destructive waves hit many countries all around the Indian Ocean, the hardest hit country was the closest country to the epicenter of the earthquake- Indonesia. And the hardest hit province in Indonesia was Aceh.  As you can see in the picture above, nothing is left of what used to be a village. Other than the road, the only man-made object that is recognizable, is the hero of this story - the airplane. The plane you see is from a ministry called Mission Aviation Fellowship (or MAF for short). This plane was stationed in a nearby province of Indonesia, but after the tsunami hit, was quickly and easily relocated to Aceh to help in the relief efforts.

     One of the biggest challenges that the relief organizations faced right away is how to get the relief aid to those who needed it. The roads were either destroyed or completely covered in debris, so ground transportation was not a viable solution for quite some time. However in areas where a small strip of land or road could be cleared, airplanes could easily get in and out to bring food, water, clothes, medical supplies, and other essentials to those who desperately needed it. And this airplane, among many others, stayed for months and flew constantly to provide that aid.

     Quick tidbit of info here - Indonesia has the highest population of Muslims anywhere in the world. The Aceh province has traditionally been a very closed Muslim area of Indonesia - meaning hostile to Christianity. But in the aftermath of the tsunami, the Muslims were not around to help out with the relief efforts. So when the Indonesians looked around and saw that it was the Christian “infidels” that were helping out in their time of need, this helped to open the door to the Gospel in this area. All this because airplanes owned by Christian missionary organizations, flown by Christian missionary pilots were there to show the love of Jesus.

     Fast forward 9 years, and after a long life of ministry, this airplane has seen better days. To the secular world, the airplane is scrap, or at best, good only for spare parts. But a ministry in Coshocton, OH (you guessed it, MMS Aviation) is able to provide service free of labor costs, to get this airplane back to prime operating condition. In June 2013, during my evaluation week, I was able to do some work on this airplane (see 1st pic below). Now after close to a year of servicing and modifications (done by others at MMS), this plane is nearly ready to begin serving in ministry again, and helping to make it possible to share the love of Jesus with those who are so desperate for His love. This is just one example of the type of project I will be able to work on at MMS Aviation, and of the kind of impact that can be made using airplanes to help spread the Gospel. Will you be able to partner with us in this ministry, and help make it possible for me to serve at MMS Aviation? Through your regular financial giving to support us in ministry, this all can be possible!

During my evaluation week last year, I am helping to install
a new wing spar carry-through on this "Tsunami Hero"

This picture was taken 2 weeks ago.  Though it doesn't look like much,
this same airplane is nearly ready to begin serving in ministry again.

God's Love

Lately, our youngest son (4 years old) has taken to affirming his love for us in this way:

<Christopher>  "Dad / Mom, do you know why I love you?"
<Us>  "Why do you love me?
<Christopher>  "Because I love you!"

Oh, I am sometimes amazed at the profound wisdom that young children often have.  This child understands that love is not based on what he gets out of a relationship, but rather that love is a choice that is made and freely given to someone else regardless of self-gain.  This reminds me of a verse in the Bible:

"This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." I John 4:10

You see, God's love for us is just the same.  He loves us because He has freely chosen to give us His love, and not for anything we've done to deserve His love.  That same question that our youngest son asks, can also be heard from God in this entire chapter of I John 4...

<God>  "Child, do you know why I love you?"
<Us>  "Why do you love me?"
<God?  "Because I love you!"

This love is all the more clear this time of year as we head into the Easter weekend and focus on what that love cost God.  He loved us so much that He sent His son Jesus into the world, so "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (I Cor. 15:4)  Because of that sacrificial love, we can have a relationship with God; and have the hope and peace that comes along with knowing that we'll spend forever with God!

Flight Time

Recently, I had the opportunity to go flying with a new friend of ours from MMS Aviation - Ben Fisher.  He just finished up his apprenticeship at MMS, but is still serving there whilst he finalizes details with the organization where he will next be serving.  The cool thing is that Ben is a certified flight instructor, so I'm able to learn a few things from him while he is still in the area.  Here's a few pics of our recent flight with him:

Pre-Flight Inspection

In-Flight Pics

 Keim Lumber - where I work for a couple more months

After the Flight

Corban (my oldest son) was the cameraman

Every time I get to fly in a small "bush" airplane, I fall more and more in love with flying.  Granted, this love for flying will never supersede my love for God and my family, but it ranks pretty high.  I believe that our passions / skills are one of the ways we can determine God's will for our lives, and this passion for flying combined with our passion for ministry, heart for Africa, and my skill in the French language are what has led us to the point where we know God is calling us to serve in missionary aviation in Africa.  It's a giant step of faith to follow this path God that is leading us on; but after MUCH time in prayer, searching God's Word, and consulting with fellow believers & family, we have come to the conclusion that this is indeed where God is directing us.  Please keep us in prayer as we continue to raise prayer & financial support to begin serving at MMS Aviation.  Thanks!

God's timing

Have you ever noticed how God’s timing is often quite different than our timing? 

For example - more than once in the past year, we’ve pondered “why didn’t God call us to be missionaries earlier?”  While we don’t know the full answer to that, we feel that part of it was because we weren’t ready yet.  While some of the tools that are used in ministry come from books or classes – a lot of the tools come from life experiences.  God was still taking us through those experiences to grow & mature us.

And here we are once again with God’s timing causing us to “scratch our heads.”  In our support raising, we are currently at 33% of our goal, and we cannot start full–time service / training at MMS Aviation until we are at 100%.  And yet earlier this week, I just put up a “House For Sale By Owner” sign at the end of our drive.  We are currently renting the place in which we live, and the landlord has decided that it is time for them to sell the house.  We knew that we’ll be moving closer to MMS Aviation when we start serving there, but this means that we’ll be moving down there before we’re even ready to start.

This is not to say anything negative about our landlords – they have been great folks to rent from, and the house has been an amazing place to live.  We know that this is all in the Lord’s timing, and we know that He will provide a new place for us to live once this house sells.  It’s just amazing to us that in His timing, He waited until after we’ve been married 13 years to call us into missions, and now that we’re on that track, things are happening so quickly that our heads are spinning!

But that’s good that things are happening quickly.  We are eager to begin service at MMS.  We are eager to see how He uses us, and how He grows us while we’re serving at MMS.  We are eager to see where God takes us after our 30 months at MMS.  Sometimes, following God’s will is like riding a roller coaster – you’re not sure what lies beyond that next hill or curve, but you can be sure that it’ll be exciting.

If God is leading you to help make it possible for us to serve at MMS Aviation, there’s a “Donate Online” link at the top of this page (just be sure to select "I prefer to give to Missionary Support" and then select our name).  Your involvement will enable us to live a bold, visible testimony of faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the truth of God’s word while ministering locally and globally.  Your involvement will enable you to become a primary partner in missionary aviation, play a vital role in the day-to-day operation of reaching the lost through aviation, and further the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the use of airplanes.

Suffering = ?

Last week on our "Under His Wings" Facebook page (which by the way is here: http://tinyurl.com/o4w37sa), I did an update in which I briefly mentioned Romans 5:3-5 where Paul says "we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." 

Since posting that update, I've really got to thinking about the truth of that passage and how much it nails what we've been dealing with in our lives.  If you've been following our story (or read further back in this blog), you'll know that we've recently gone through a pretty rough valley with my back pain & surgery.  I remember very clearly in the months leading up to the surgery (when I was the most miserable) asking God "why me?  what did I do to deserve this."  The answer that God kept giving me was "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

Isn't it interesting how it's so easy to trust God when life is comfortable, and when things are going well.  The real test of character (and here I'm going back to the verse) is whether we are able to trust God when life is difficult and when things are not going well.  In my opinion, I didn't do anything to deserve what I went through, but God knew what I needed in order to prepare me to be able to serve as a missionary.  

For us, it is true that suffering leads to endurance.  For months I was surviving on 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night.  Anyone who has done that for even a couple nights know how exhausting that can be.  The only way that I could've endured that for months (and my family endured my misery) was that God gave us a supernatural endurance.  And having to go through that endurance training did produce character.

God knew we weren't ready yet to be missionaries.  He knew that we had some character development to undergo.  Looking back over that time, we were forced to look to Him for a source of strength when our own failed.  We learned that we can rely on Him to sustain us through the rough times.  We also saw Him provide in some amazing ways.  While I can't say that we "rejoiced in our suffering," we now see that God was more at work in our lives through that time than He ever has before.  He was molding and shaping us into the servants who would be ready to serve on the mission field.

And that endurance & character have produced a new hope in our lives.  Hope because He restored me to full health (which is an undeserved blessing).  Hope because He has called us to serve in this exciting way through missionary aviation.  Hope because we know we are walking in His will.  Hope because we know that He is all-powerful and knows all the details of our lives & future.

God, thank you for knowing so much better than we do what is best for us.  Mold us and use us for Your glory!  Amen!