Greetings From 38,000 Feet

October 25, 2014

It seems very strange to be sitting at the back of an airplane rather than at the controls.  In fact, I am as far back as you can get in seat 22C of this Airbus 319.  Elizabeth is beside me reading yet another book written by a missionary: The Hand on My Scalpel by David C. Thompson, M.D.  It is a short read that she and I both will nearly finish on this 4-hour flight from Columbus to Tucson.  Ethan and Anna are both juggling activities of reading, playing games, or just snoozing.

The flight attendant just announced that the local time in Tucson is 3 hours behind Columbus.  So this is how you get more hours in your day!  I wish it were that easy, but the words of one of my business professors from college come to mind; “Time waits for no man, woman, child, or beast.”  This was usually quoted just after a student came in late for class.

We are on our way to Arizona to continue my flight training.  I am very excited to learn how to safely take off and land conventional-gear planes, or “taildraggers” from legendary missionary pilot, Paul Dye.  My first lesson with Mr. Dye will be tomorrow morning at the New Tribes Mission private airport, “Tribal Air”, with criss-crossing runways one of dirt and the other gravel.  The airfield and guesthouse we will be staying in is in the town of McNeal, AZ, population 238.   I plan to train with him through November 7^th and then we will drive back to Tucson where I will connect with Kevin Dunn of UIM Aviation and will get a taste of true mission flying into short strips in the mountains and canyons of Arizona and Mexico.  We will be with UIM for about 10 days.  

Image of the Sectional showing Tribal Air

 I have this euphoric sense of peace, accomplishment, and confidence coming in to this training with Temporary Airman’s Certificate in my wallet with the ink barely dry saying that I am now a Commercial Pilot.  I have a feeling that my peace will soon turn to perspiration, and my confidence shaken, but I still know that God has called me to mission aviation and with Christ all things are possible! (Phil. 4:13)

Image of a Cessna 185 "Skywagon" similar to the one I will be training in

We left Winston-Salem on Monday morning, drove to Roanoke, VA to pack up some of our belongings from storage there and then drove on up to Coshocton, OH on Tuesday to begin preparing the house there where we will be staying.  The house is great.  We have been stripping wallpaper and painting the rooms.  Have you ever stripped wallpaper?  Let’s just say that we are getting a good lesson in teamwork, patience and perseverance. 

The Wagner family owns the home.  They are a super-generous, friendly couple that live on one side of us, their youngest daughter and her family on the other side, and their oldest daughter and her family across the road.  They have already made us feel like part of the family…what a blessing!

Please pray for us while we are on this wild west adventure.  Pray for safety, for increased skills in flying, and for protection from spiritual attack from the enemy.  We praise God for all of you who are upholding us by your support and your prayers.  You are just as much a part of this as we are.  I hope to post some pictures from this trip soon.

A financial update:  we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!  We now need just under $700 per month for me to begin to turn a wrench at MMS Aviation.  Praise God!