Burlington, Here We Come!

It's been a long ten weeks since I earned my A&P mechanic certificate at MMS Aviation. During that time, we took a much-needed family vacation, got stranded in Kansas for eight days, visited churches and ministry partners, sorted and purged our belongings, started packing our house, and went to North Carolina to find a rental home. This transitional period has been a bit trying for our family, so we are happy to report that we finally have a move date! On December 5th, we will begin loading the moving truck, and we plan to be moved into our house in Burlington on December 8th.

We are excited about what's happening at Missionary Air Group, and are looking forward to being the first apprentice to go through the flight training program at their headquarters in Burlington, North Carolina. Not only is this a big step for us, but we are also paving the way for future missionary pilots who will be trained through MAG. You may recall from our previous posts that we are helping to pioneer a new method for training missionary pilots, which overcomes some financial hurdles and lack of experience that keep many prospective missionary pilots from reaching the field.

We appreciate your prayers for our family as we make the transition to North Carolina. During our house hunt we faced a large discrepancy between our expectations and the reality of the rental market in Burlington. We've mostly worked through this shift in expectations, but appreciate your prayers as we adjust to a smaller living space and the lack of outdoor space that we are accustomed to. We've already been thinking of ways to embrace the change, but I'm sure it will continue to be a challenge at times. That said, we are thankful that the owners of the house in Burlington have already begun to help in this regard.

The kids will also be making the transition from home schooling to a Christian school in Burlington. Although we love the flexibility of home schooling, we believe that the Christian school is the right place for them to be for this season of our lives. Ian is very excited about going back to school outside the home, while Ella is a bit hesitant. We've had a very irregular schedule these past several weeks, so it will be good to get back into a routine, but it may be a challenge for them as well.

Finally, we are praying for a few additional ministry partners to join us as we begin serving and training with MAG. The cost of living in North Carolina will be higher than living in Coshocton, so we are looking to increase our support level by a few hundred dollars per month. If you're not currently partnering with us and would be willing to prayerfully consider it, please read more about how you can be involved.

We are grateful for all of you who have come alongside us on this journey, whether through your friendship, prayers or giving to our ministry. We look forward to sharing the ways that God continues to lead and work in and through our lives over the next couple years in North Carolina.