50/50

Looks like my Moody training has paid off...so far! My first week of MAF evaluation was spent in the air, performing various maneuvers, takeoffs and landings, mountain flying, and a "cross country." I was also tested on my aeronautical knowledge with several written exams and an oral exam. At the week's end, I've received the "stamp of approval" from the flight department. It was fun getting to know my instructor/evaluator during our flights, and I felt very comfortable with everything.

While I've been off flying, Joy has helped out in the MAF office wherever she's needed. She has also gotten to meet many of the MAF staff and here lots of stories about serving overseas. We are spending the evenings with long walks, reading, and relaxing in the "Treasure Valley" sunshine.

Next week starts off with a visit to the local "shrink" that will last all day Monday. We have to take a 500-something question test and individually interview with the doctor. The rest of the week will be spent in the shop, for my maintenance evaluation. All is going well so far, and we are encouraged as we go through the process that God is continually affirming His call on our lives. Thanks for the many prayers so far!

April Showers Bring...What?

Here we are, heading full steam ahead into what's supposed to be May flowers, but the April showers are playing tricks on the vegetation here! No folks, that's not rain falling, that's called snow, and yes, it's the end of April, and this was taken in Vancouver, WA, where it's never supposed to snow. By the way, the temperature was 48 degrees. I'm not really sure what to say. I'm no stranger to snow, but this is a stretching the boundaries a little, don't you think? I've witnessed blizzards and late spring "NorEasters," but I've never before seen anything like this. Of course, the shower didn't amount to much, but nonetheless it was an interesting sight. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Nampa; everything is packed and we're excited to begin the next challenge on our journey. Blessings! And don't forget to watch for strange things falling from the sky!

SHOWTIME!!

It's coming down to the wire now, Joy and I will be leaving Sunday morning for Nampa, Idaho. We hope to arrive around dinner time so we can get settled and relax before the big debut. Most everything is in order; we still have to get physical exams done today so the doctors can send in their evaluation of our health. Other than that, we got everything done on time. Now all that's left are a few landings, putting a few bandaids on a couple airplanes, and trying to convince a shrink that I'm not crazy for giving up everything I have here in the States so I can go overseas and fly over dense jungles. I'll give it a shot.





We had our monthly Servant Wings meeting on Saturday where we were "comissioned" and sent forth from yet another organization that prepares mission pilots. I was really struck though with our conversation with the treasurer of the club. I was expecting a rather large bill for all the flying I've been doing lately to prepare for TE, but she said that a lot of people have stepped up on our behalf to help pay for our expenses! We've found out that we probably owe about half of what we were expecting! What a relief! And thanks in advance to those who have contributed financially on our behalf; we were really wondering how we were going to pay for all these bills and still stay on track with MAF. We don't know who you are...yet, so thanks for being part of the team! Continue to pray that we will be able to pay for all the upcoming flight costs (our TE will cost about $2000).



Sunday I got a little more practice in, mainly takeoffs and landings...it's really hard to touchdown a 3500 lbs bird in 100 feet! I was encouraged though, the practice went well. Joy was my "judge" letting me know precisely where I touched down on the runway. We treated ourselves to a little picnic lunch in Vernonia, Oregon, not too far from Portland.

Look for updates in the next few weekends for news on how our evaluation with MAF is going! We cherish your prayers.

Any More Hoops?

It seems fitting for me to let anyone who reads this blog know that I have finally reached 400 hours of flight time! I have now officially met all of the requirements for attending technical evaluation. Now that I have my hours, I won't be flying much at all from here on out, mainly because it is REALLY expensive. Just about the only flights I'll be taking are one's that our corporate members in Servant Wings will be paying for. I may fly a day or two before we leave for Nampa, Idaho, just to knock any rust off. That will be the last chance I get before being evaluated by the MAF staff. Joy and I are both a little anxious about it, but we are confident that God has called us to this ministry; He has prepared us both for this challenge in more ways than we realize. I think it will be fun to finally see how MAF operates, and to be under the "wing" of some of the greatest and safest pilots in the world.

In other news: here are a few pictures of our extended cross country project at Moody. It was kind of our senior project, our mission was to navigate from Spokane, Wa, to Chandler, Az, and back. We saw a lot of God's beautiful country from the barren deserts of Nevada to lush valleys in California and the incredible Rocky Mountain Range. This picture was taken just outside of Las Vegas, Nv, on our way to see Hoover dam and the Grand Canyon. Here's another one you might recongnize. This is part of the Golden Gate Bridge. As we were flying through some of the busiest airspace in the US, our flight instructor asked the air traffic controller if we could make a little "detour" and take the scenic route around the Bay area over Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. He said sure, why not, I'll work you in, and we got some really cool pictures as we were pretty low to the ground. After our little detour, we flew down the California coastline all the way to Monterey!