Heroes!

Growing up, heroes were superstar athletes like Michael Jordan or Jack Nicklaus, or they were astronauts like Neil Armstrong or our President, Ronald Reagan; you know, men and women who were heroes to millions of people.  Now that I have grown up, heroes are much different.  They are men and women who you have probably never heard of, yet they are superstars still the same.

Meet Paul Dye.  Mr. Dye is a legendary missionary pilot with New Tribes Mission.  They even made a movie about his experience escaping in a Cessna 185 in the black of night from Columbian guerilla soldiers who were keeping him hostage.  Yes, his daring escape and amazing flying skill are worthy to call him a hero, but that is not why I call him one of my heroes.  It is because of his love for the Lord and his Christian witness that he shows even when noone is looking, such as how he and his lovely wife Pat faithfully witness week in and week out to those incarcerated in a prison near their home in McNeal , AZ.

My family with Paul and Pat Dye outside the hangar at NTMA in McNeal, AZ

My family and I have just returned from a trip out west where I was able to train with Mr. Dye in the very same Cessna 185 in which he made his escape from his Columbian captors in 1985.  I now consider him and his family part of our family.

I met two other heroes while on our trip out to Arizona.  The young man in the picture below is Blake Haines.  When I was nearly finished with my training as an Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic at Liberty University, I learned of a young man on the other side of the country who had just earned his A&P certificates and was tragically injured by breaking his neck while jumping at an indoor trampoline park.  His father is a pilot for UIM (United Indian Mission) Aviation.  That young man was Blake Haines.  I began to pray for Blake then and still do today.  I got to meet my new hero Blake when he came for a visit to the UIM Aviation hangar in Tucson where I was helping with an annual inspection of one of the mission’s Cessna 206’s.  I had been following Blake’s journey to recovery on Facebook and was continually challenged by his strength, determination and faith.

I got to talk with Blake a good bit that day and came away in awe of his attitute and Christian witness in the circumstances that he finds himself in.  Would I have this same witness?  Could I fight the way he is fighting to help free myself from the restraints of a wheelchair?  Would I have the faith?

Great to meet Blake Haines in person while at UIM Aviation in Tucson, AZ

On the other side of the age range is my new hero, Randy Spiers.  We met Mr. Spiers at Canyon del Oro Baptist Church where we visited while staying in Tucson.  Several people introduced themselves and learned that we were there continuing my training as a missionary pilot.  We were told we needed to meet Mr. Spiers, that he was a missionary for decades with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  After the service, I introduced myself to Mr. Spiers and learned that he “was” not  a missionary, but rather he continues his missionary work with Wycliffe as a consultant.  I invited him out to lunch and we spent several hours with him hearing his stories and even continued the visit at his home.

At 91-years-young, Mr. Spiers sits behind two computers powering three monitors while he is currently diligently helping to translate the Bible into the Assyrian language.  This computer savvy senior is living a life of true servitude.  Lord, if you keep me on this Earth for another 50 years, may my life continue to serve you in such as way as Mr. Spiers, my hero.

Randy Spiers behind his computers in his office

Heroes to me now come in all shapes and sizes, colors, and ages, but they all share at least one thing in common; they know the Lord, Jesus Christ as their savior and are living in a way that would bring Him honor and glory!