A Possible Trip to Central America

Recently, an airplane operated by a ministry in Central America suffered a bird strike that caused significant damage to the aircraft. They called MMS Aviation to ask if we can come down to make repairs to the airplane and restore it to airworthy condition. We are still working out the details, but I'm excited about the possibility of traveling to Central America to help with this project. Would you pray for wisdom and guidance for those who are assessing the situation and making decisions about how to proceed? Thank you, and I look forward to writing more as our plans take shape!

Rapid Response: Waco, Texas

The last week of October, I left Coshocton with two other men from MMS Aviation, and drove to Waco, Texas to work on a Twin Comanche owned by The Harvest is Ripe Ministries. This small ministry's focus is church planting and pastoral leadership training in various parts of the world. If the name of the ministry sounds familiar, it's because I recently finished overhauling an engine for them. In fact, the main reason for our trip to Texas was to deliver and install this engine, and to install another engine that was overhauled by a different shop. The trip lasted a total of eleven days, and during that time we worked on the engine installations and several other maintenance tasks.

It was a good trip, and I enjoyed getting to know Victor Crawford, the owner of the airplane. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we couldn't complete all the work we had hoped to accomplish, but we did get both engines and one propeller on the airplane and got a good start on several additional maintenance items. Even though the airplane was not in airworthy condition when we left, we helped move the project to the point where a local mechanic can pick up the work and hopefully get the airplane flying before too long. Please pray that God will provide the people and resources needed to finish the works so that Victor can put the airplane to use in South America.

After returning to Coshocton I put together a video to show some of the work we did, and to allow Victor the opportunity to share about his ministry. You can view it below.

Missions Summit Reflections

As I mentioned in the last post, we had the privilege of participating in Calvary Church's missions summit last week. Four couples were invited to the missions summit. Two of them were veterans of overseas missions work, and two of them (including us) are still preparing to go. It was humbling to stand next to these veterans, who have many years of experience under their belts. But we were also very encouraged by them, and by the staff and members of Calvary Church.

Also invited to the missions summit was Jeff Hartensveld, Director of Mobilization for AGWM. Jeff spent more than 20 years as a church planter in Indonesia before coming back to the States to serve in his current role. He gave a very encouraging message in Sunday morning's services, and we had the opportunity to interact with him throughout the week. During one of these interactions, we discovered an interesting connection with MMS Aviation. As I told Jeff about my plans to serve in missionary aviation, he told me how valuable the airplane was in Indonesia, particularly after the tsunami in 2004. In his words, "I was platinum on MAF [Mission Aviation Fellowship]". As it turns out, the airplane that I helped to rebuild and send to Suriname (see page 2 of MMS's latest newsletter) was one of the airplanes that Jeff utilized after the 2004 tsunami! It was exciting for me to meet someone who had been a passenger on the very airplane I worked on, and the type of airplane I will be flying in a few years. This was also a validation of the importance of missionary aviation in advancing world missions, especially to those who have never heard of missionary aviation.

There are many things I could say as I reflect on the week, but I'll just pick a few:

Bridging denominational borders

I grew up in the Assemblies of God church (at Calvary, in fact), and that's where I first gained a heart for world missions. However, Tara and I have attended churches of various denominations as we moved from place to place, and MMS Aviation has no denominational affiliation. While Christian denominations still have their place, it is encouraging to see different churches and organizations working together for the common goal of making Christ known to every nation. We were the only non-A/G missionaries at the missions summit, yet we were embraced by everyone we met.

It's okay to dream big

If you know my story, you may recall that my desire was to begin training as a missionary pilot right after high school. That didn't happen, and instead I ended up going to college at my last-choice school while living at home (mainly to avoid going into debt). As it turned out, I had a great experience there, and met my wife at Toledo. Nevertheless, I still had to deal with the pain of giving up my dream of taking the Gospel to remote frontiers through aviation. Since then, it's been difficult for me to "dream big", for fear that I will have to go through the same disappointment all over again. But as Tara and I reflected on our week, we started dreaming about ways that God could bring together our passions and gifts (along with some others in the Church) in a unique and exciting way. I can't elaborate here, but you can be praying that God would pave a way into a place that currently seems impenetrable—one that we would love to invest our lives in.

Well, I planned on writing more, but it's time for some breakfast. Maybe I will pick this up in a later post. Thanks for taking the time to stay updated, and for your support of our work with MMS Aviation!

Missions Summit

This week we have the privilege of participating in the annual Missions Summit at Calvary Church in Maumee, Ohio. We, along with four other guests, were invited to spend several days with the people of Calvary, sharing our ministry and our passion for reaching the world with the hope of the Gospel and the love of Christ.

Yesterday was a busy day, sharing briefly in three morning services, talking in children's church (twice), and speaking with four groups of youth in the afternoon. In the evening we came back to share a meal with about 20 people from Calvary, and to talk more about our work with MMS Aviation and our heart for the world. Although it was a lot to pack into one day, we really enjoyed seeing old friends and making new connections with the other guests and the people of Calvary. It's exciting to see what God is doing around the world, and to see how our little mission fits into the larger work of building the Kingdom of God.

Throughout this week, we will have several more opportunities to interact with the people of Calvary Church, giving them a glimpse of our work with MMS, and encouraging them to live their lives for the glory of God. We appreciate your prayers over the next few days as we continue to participate in the Missions Summit, and look forward to sharing more with you later this week!

September 1 Update

This is an exciting week! The engine I've been overhauling for The Harvest is Ripe Ministries is on the engine stand and should be making noise on Friday! There are just a few small things left to do before it is ready to run.

This overhaul has been a great opportunity for me to gain engine experience that will be valuable when I eventually serve on the field as a pilot/mechanic. Not only that, but we are providing a quality overhaul to a small ministry with a tight budget, while saving them thousands of dollars compared to commercial overhaul shops. Whenever we see a project —whether a complete airplane or an engine—leave MMS, it is a great reminder of the unique ministry of MMS Aviation, and the privilege it is for me to be a part of it.

After the engine runs and paperwork are complete, I will be moving back to the Guatemala 206 project for Missionary Air Group. This Cessna 206 is an airplane that I will hopefully fly in the next couple years as I serve and train with MAG. After being repaired, the wings recently got a fresh paint job, thanks to Josh Adelsberger. The fuselage and other components are being repaired now and will be painted next, and before long we will begin assembly of the airplane!

Here's a photo of the repaired and repainted wings. Check back for more updates over the coming months!

These are the freshly painted wings for Missionary Air Group's Cessna 206. In the background, you can see the unpainted fuselage laying on its side for inspection and repair.

3000 Hours!

This week I logged the 3000th hour of my apprenticeship with MMS Aviation! I now have less than a year before I meet the requirements to take my Airframe and Powerplant examinations. I appreciate your prayers and support as I continue to serve at MMS and get closer to the next phase of our ministry/training with Missionary Air Group.

As I get closer to finishing my maintenance apprenticeship and move into the flight phase, we also need to be thinking about an organization to partner with, and where we would like to serve when we complete our five years with MMS and MAG. There are a couple of organizations we are interested in, but we are very open to where God leads us. Would you pray that He would continue to direct our path and show us the place where our family will fit well, can continue to grow and thrive, and where we can use our passions and abilities in service of God's Kingdom?

Back in the Engine Shop!

After completing the wing extensions for Life Builders International, I began working in the engine shop again. I am continuing to rebuild an IO-320 engine for The Harvest is Ripe ministries, and have finally begun assembling the engine. Before too long we will be putting it on the run-up stand!

Here are a few photos of my progress.

Crankcase together, cylinders installed.

Accessory housing and valve train installed.

Sump and induction tubes installed.

It's looking like an engine!