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!