An Inside Look

Here are some snapshots of the past two weeks that may help solidify the goings on down at MAF.

This is a photo of the actual wreckage of N5156H, the aircraft used by Nate Saint in the Equadorian jungle to reach many tribal Indian villages. While trying to reach a certain group of native Indians, Nate Saint along with four friends were killed by the arrows and spears of the very people they were trying to reach. While tragic, the event was a spark that ignited a fire among the mission community and as a result, many dedicated their lives to serving as missionaries overseas. The book Jungle Pilot is an account of the five men and their families who risked everything in order to share God's love with a people who had never heard. I was one of the people who read the book, which was a huge factor in my decision to become a missionary pilot. Seeing the wreckage is a great reminder that God uses everything to glorify His name.

My ride for the first week--flight evaluation. This is a modified, turbo-charged Cessna U206G, long the workhorse of mission aviation around the world. It is very much the truck of the airplane world, capable of hauling almost 2 tons of people/cargo in and out of very small landing strips. Training through Moody Aviation, and then Servant Wings, I came well prepared to fly this beast, which can be a very tough bronco to tame if you're not used to it.

I mentioned that Joy was my cheerleader during the past two weeks, well, here she is again providing moral support for team Konop!