Jesus: Hope for the Hopeless

Papau New Guinea Tribesman

We had the wonderful privilege of hosting a missionary couple in our home a week ago.  Randy and Diana Smyth were at Liberty University for Global Focus Week.  They represented New Tribes Mission, an organization that reaches unreached people groups throughout the world. It didn’t take long to see that they were actually representing Jesus Christ. 

It was an awesome week hearing of their work in Papua New Guinea (PNG).  Randy is a pilot so he and David and Ethan shared some pilot- talk.  What a privilege it was to extend hospitality to this precious couple who love people, all people, and who have given their lives to share the Gospel.  I am sure I tired them out as they spent all day talking with students and then returned to our home to be interrogated by us, me mostly it seemed.   I never tired of hearing about their work and the people of PNG.  In fact, my heart only grew an even deeper desire to go to these people in far away places and to love them right to Jesus. 

The Smyths told us that people groups in PNG are begging for missionaries to come and bring the Good News to them.  How could they not be if they have seen their neighboring tribes receive Truth and such freedom?  They desire it for themselves.  I can’t help but wonder what I as a Christian would say if I ever were to go to people such as these of PNG and they asked me why I hadn’t come sooner to tell them this life-saving Truth. Would I say that other things were more important to me or perhaps that I didn’t want to leave my luxurious life here in America? 


Would that paint a true picture of Christ for them?   How as a follower of Christ can I not desire to share what I have received from Him, salvation? Jesus came to this earth and gave His life so that all people could be saved. Wherever we are at the moment and wherever the Lord may desire to send us, sharing the Gospel remains our hearts cry.

And speaking of hearts cry, mine was crying the other night as I heard another missionary speak about the people of Thailand.  These people are Buddhists and they live in constant fear of spirits, talk about living on pins and needles!  Their time is spent on appeasing spirits.  I know it is hard for us to understand.  We don’t tend to build a beautiful little doll-like house next to our own so that the spirits will want to occupy it instead of our home.  And we don’t live our lives, at least I hope not, believing that the system we are born into in society makes us who we are for life. 

Typical Thai Spirit House

These beautiful people are chained up in lies.  They are prisoners of the devil himself.  And I almost chose to believe for myself that salvation, freedom, for them in Christ was hopeless.  Wow!  I was falling for the lie myself.  My heart was so burdened for these people wondering how they will ever get out of their slavery to deception that I fought the covers all night it seemed - tossing and turning.  When I finally pulled myself out of the battleground this morning and poured my heart out to God, He answered me through His Word! 

That is so amazing to me that first of all the God of the universe hears my prayers and even wants to, and second that He answers, and third that His Word is POWER like no other.  God encouraged me as I read Esther 7.  What seems impossible in our eyes is not impossible for God.  He has defeated our enemy, Satan, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ!  All we have to do is believe the Lord, take Him at His Word and step out in faith. I know I make it sound so easy when our flesh is the largest catalyst to this.  But our flesh can be crucified with God’s help of course. It is then that God can use us ordinary people to do extraordinary things for His Kingdom.

Esther saved herself and her people, the Jews, through her trust in God.  What a picture of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who saved us all.  I want to be like Jesus who gave of His very life - left the comforts, the security of heaven, to live amongst us and show us His love, a love so amazing that He took the punishment we so deserved.  Jesus is Hope for the people of Thailand and for all people everywhere! 

Happy Day to you all as you remember who it is that we serve and why we serve Him, the very One who came to serve us, to bring Hope to the hopeless!          - Elizabeth

Holding Short

Hold-Short Line

I taxied my friend's Cessna 172 up to the hold-short line, the line separating the taxiway from the runway that must not be crossed until you are cleared for takeoff. I looked over to my son, Ethan, sitting in the right seat and said over my headset, "Son, we can't do this. If they catch us, they will put me in jail! I do not have a pilot's license." Then I woke up. Weird dream, I thought...what did I have for dinner? I dream often, but I hardly ever remember any of the dreams by morning. This one was different. The dream about almost flying would not leave me. I thought about it daily for weeks.  Finally, I told Elizabeth about the dream and said, "Honey, I think God is trying to tell me to learn to fly." I was nervous approaching the subject with her. I did not know what she would say. You see, my brother-in-law (Elizabeth's brother) Mark was a pilot and was killed in a tragic crash of his private plane in 1999. That is another story for another day of how God can turn tragedy into triumph.  Elizabeth without hesitation said, "Go for it!"

I took my first flying lesson the very next week on a cold January day of 2011... on December 18th, seven weeks ago I graduated from Liberty University's School of Aeronautics with my FAA Mechanic Certificate with Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) ratings in hand. Of course a lot transpired during those three dots: leaving my position with Renewanation; earning my private pilot's certificate; selling our house in Roanoke, VA of 15 years and moving to Lynchburg, VA; soaking in 1900 hours of instruction in one year of A&P school; and other leaps of faith.

Two weeks ago, my family and I drove up to Coshocton, OH for a week-long evaluation with MMS Aviation. MMS, which stands for Missionary Maintenance Services, is an amazing ministry which has served over 100 organizations which utilizes aircraft. Since 1975, MMS has been preparing planes and people for worldwide missionary service. They train apprentice mechanics and offer real-world maintenance experience for those who already hold their licenses. Maintenance is performed in their three hangars in Ohio and Rapid Response teams are deployed all over the world to respond to a maintenance emergency. All maintenance is performed free of labor charges to the missions organizations. The evaluation went well and MMS invited us to join their team. After praying over the decision for a couple of days, we said YES! Below are a few pictures of my work during the technical evaluation. 

Measuring valve stems and guides

Laying out sheet metal for circuit breaker panel

Closing up the "patient" after sealing gas tanks

As I performed my work, I felt compelled to pray over the airplanes. I know that the missions organizations must be chomping at the bit to get them back in service. Aircraft are critical to missions work. Did you know that in many parts of the world, a minute of flight can save a missionary an hour of ground travel?  What can take days by foot or river, can take minutes by air.  Not to mention that sometimes ground travel is simply not an option due to terrain, terrorists, or time. For many missionaries, the airplane is the only means of transportation in and out of their village. I have learned over the last year just how critical the need is for qualified pilot/mechanics. Every mission organization that I am aware of that utilize aircraft are asking the Lord of the Harvest to send out these workers into His harvest. The ministry of MMS Aviation is crucial. I am honored and humbled that God would ask me and my family to join them.

As a missionary family we will now begin the journey of building a team of those who want to be involved in what God is doing in and through us by supporting us with their prayers and finances. Our move to Coshocton will be up to God's timing.  Until then, we will continue to live in Lynchburg while I complete my necessary flight training (currently working on my Commercial Pilot's Certificate) and building my flight hours. In aviation speak, we are holding short and ready for takeoff.

To learn more about MMS Aviation, visit www.mmsaviation.org