Our First Newsletter

The first issue of our newsletter went in the mail today! If you are not on our mailing list, or just can't wait, you can view the newsletter here.

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Wanted: Tools of the Trade

There are lots of preparations to be made as we get closer to serving with MMS. One of my responsibilities is to get together the tools I will need as an aircraft mechanic. MMS has provided a tool list to help me ensure that I will be well-prepared when I arrive. 

Although I have plenty of tools for home maintenance and automotive repair, I do not have many of the tools needed for aircraft maintenance. Furthermore, I will need a full set of tools dedicated to keeping at the hangar. As I keep an eye out for good deals, I also want you to know that you can support our ministry by helping me with my search. If you know of any quality tools on this list, at a good price, please get in touch with me!

Encouraging News!

After taking a couple weeks off for the holidays, life is back in full swing. This means we are once again actively inviting potential ministry partners to join us in our ministry with MMS Aviation. The process of sending letters, making phone calls, and meeting face-to-face involves a lot of work and perseverance, and we went several weeks without anyone new joining us. As much as we try to exercise patience, it can be difficult to go that length of time without any new prayer or financial support.

Well, this past week we received some great news. Several families expressed their desire to partner financially with us, for a total of $295/month! This brings our total monthly support to $1,160, or 22% of our goal. We need to have raised 25% of our monthly financial need by February, and we are now only $150 away!

We are thankful for God's provision and for each person who has chosen to invest their time and resources in the work that God has called us to. We also appreciate your prayers on our behalf, and for those who are currently serving at MMS. There are some exciting changes happening at MMS (related to the partnership with Missionary Air Group), but these changes are also creating a more intense workload for some of the administrative staff, including those who work closely with us on support development.

We're excited about how God is at work in the world, and the ways that we get to participate in reaching people with the love of Jesus Christ. Thanks for enabling us to follow this call, and we pray that you will fulfill the unique role that you were created for, whatever (and wherever) it might be.

How to Change the World

As long as I can remember, I've wanted to make an impact on this world—for my life to have significance and purpose. In the American culture, we are taught from a young age that we can do anything we set our minds to, and that we can quite literally change the world. Whether it's making a scientific breakthrough, becoming a successful businessman, working to eliminate poverty, or simply being a positive influence in our family and community, most of us have aspired to do something meaningful with our lives.

Where Your Treasure Is...

Today is "Cyber Monday", the premier online-shopping day of the season. To my own surprise, I was nearly lured into making an impulsive purchase within an hour of rolling out of bed this morning! I sat down at the computer with the intention of quickly checking my email. But after a few mouse clicks I mysteriously had a $129 item in my Amazon shopping cart!  

Now, I have to admit, it's really no mystery how the item got in my cart. I have wanted a product like it for a long time, but had decided to wait until I could afford a more expensive model that would better suit my needs. But this less expensive one seemed like such a great deal! How could I pass it up? An offer like that doesn't come along every day! Isn't it better to have something now? Something is better than nothing! And so on... Fortunately, I stopped this line of reasoning before clicking "Place Your Order".

As an engineer I tend to think analytically, and I can identify a number of irrational tendencies that nearly led me into making a foolish, impulsive purchase. Behavioral economics is a fascinating topic to me. But is there a deeper issue? Not an issue related to psychology, logic, or irrational human behavior, but a matter of the heart?

These words of Jesus are recorded in Matthew 6:19-21

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

We are bombarded by a culture that tells us we need more stuff, and constantly encourages us to compare our material possessions to those of our neighbors, family and friends. The holidays are a prime time for retailers to fuel the fire of discontentment that threatens to consume us. Ironically, this is also a time when we celebrate all that we are thankful for, and express gratitude for the blessings God has given us.

There's a lot I could say regarding these issues, and Jesus' words in Matthew 6. But as this blog is centered on our missionary aviation ministry, I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude for all of those who have heard God's call to partner with us in taking Christ's love and reconciliation to the world, and who are sacrificing earthly treasure in order to store up treasure in heaven. My guess is that most of you who give of your time and resources do not consider it a sacrifice at all, because you understand the truth in Jesus' words. You look forward to the day when you will inherit the incorruptible treasure that's being stored up in heaven, and hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant! ...Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21). Thank you so much for the example you set, and for encouraging us to steadfastly follow the vision that God has placed in our hearts—to take the Hope of Christ to every corner of the world!

Update: November 9, 2012

One of the challenging, yet rewarding, aspects of our ministry with MMS Aviation is gathering a team of ministry partners. This group of individuals, families and churches will be a vital lifeline as we minister through missionary aviation. The value of our ministry partners goes beyond providing monetary support, but today I want to give an update on our progress toward our financial goal.

In order to begin serving with MMS Aviation, we must reach 100% of our monthly financial quota. I am happy to report that we have reached 13% of our goal. There are also a number of families who have expressed their desire to support our ministry but have not yet settled on the details. While 13% might not sound like a lot, it's exciting for us to experience God's provision, and it encourages us to continue sharing the vision He's placed in our hearts.

Once again, we thank God for those who have chosen to partner with us through prayer and financial support, and all who have been an encouragement to us as our family follows this new path. We continue to trust that God will meet every need as we faithfully share our vision for the ministry He has called us to. That's not always easy, and we are sure to face times of discouragement. We appreciate your prayers as we weather the difficult times, strive to keep our focus on Christ, and remind ourselves of His past—and future—faithfulness.

Lessons from the E.R.

Last week started out with a bang...or should I say, "a snap"? Monday after school, Ian was playing with some friends at the playground. While jumping off a platform his foot got caught, causing him to land on his arm, which took the brunt of the fall. As soon as Tara saw his arm from across the playground she knew something wasn't right.

Tara gave me a call while she, Ian, and Ella were on the way to the emergency room. I met them at the hospital. Although he was being very brave, Ian was obviously in a lot of pain, and the doctors gave him morphine as soon as they found a bed for him.  As parents, it was quite shocking to see our son's arm visibly broken and bent out of shape, not knowing whether it was only a broken arm, or whether there was more serious damage. As Ian's father, it's still difficult for me to look at this picture and remember the pain and fear that Ian was enduring.

Soon after giving Ian morphine for the pain, the hospital staff took x-rays, and eventually sedated him to set the bones in place and put his arm in a splint. Fortunately, although he had broken both bones in his forearm, there did not seem to be any further complications. Now, after several days, the worst of the pain is over, and Ian is on his way to recovery.

I am so thankful for the medical facilities that are available here in the United States. In a matter of hours, Ian was attended to by well-trained medical professionals, and the healing process had begun. But what if he had been born in a third-world country? What if he lived in a remote jungle village in South America? Would anyone know how to set the bones to heal properly, or would Ian have lived with a deformed arm for the rest of his life? And how would that affect him? As parents we certainly would have been fearful, not knowing what the outcome would be.

As I ponder these questions, I can't help thinking of the important role that missionary aviation plays in meeting the physical needs of people living in remote areas of the world. While our vision for our ministry in missionary aviation goes beyond physical healing, meeting physical needs is often a first step in demonstrating the love of Christ to people who are in need of Him. What a privilege it is to be able to be involved in this kind of work! I am so excited to have the opportunity to devote my life to taking the love and hope of Christ to the world—hope that lasts not only for this life, but for eternity!