Henrica- Bending Metal!

 Normally, when you think of airplanes, 

"Bending Metal" is not a happy term, 

but in Henrica's case... 

She's been doing a lot of it in her 

aircraft sheet metal course!

She was given technical plans, tools, some sheets
of aircraft aluminum, and, after instruction, she
was on her way to fabricating a sample of an 
aircraft control surface!

Her classroom in the aircraft hangars of Blue Ridge
Community College located at the Shenandoah
Regional Airport in Virginia.

VOILA!

Henrica's skills are blossoming! 
Thank you for your support that keeps our program
thriving and supporting efforts like our aviation internship.
We can't do it without your teamwork.

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Around the Patch in 2024!

After an Annual Inspection with our visiting
friend, Dan, our Cessna 207 is back, hard
at work! In terms of flight hours, 2024
was our SECOND busiest since 
starting the service in 2009!

 

257 passengers got to their destinations
and over 16,000 pounds of cargo
was delivered!

Our most popular route, hands down, 
continues to be linking the Bongolo 
Hospital with the capital city
of Libreville

A regular part of our regimen is pilot recurrency
training. Above is the flight tracking route for 
one such training event over the skies of 
Bongolo.

Your support of these efforts results in people 
having a tangible encounter with Jesus, 
the one true HOPE for the world. Here
is a scene from one of the waiting
areas at Bongolo- raised hands 
indicating decisions to 
follow Jesus!

Your support also helps in the training programs
at Bongolo! Here are the newest graduates of 
the nursing assistant program, with our boss, 
Pastor Serge B., in the middle. Other training 
programs- Adult Medicine, Aviation, Surgery, 
Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, and more!

This is why we press on, with your partnership!

Thank you for joining us for this adventure!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

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OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Which type of STRAW's do YOU prefer?!?

 We don't live in the US, but we have heard rumblings...

But, we know which STRAW's you REALLY prefer...

(L to R): Joe, Alace, Henrica, Sam, Steve, Gram, John & Megan

A short "Straw" family update

We were so thankful to be able to spend Christmas and New Year's

with family. My sister has a beach house in NC which gave us 

a great setting for enjoying one another.

Sam (on the left): Getting his master's in international relations in Taiwan

Joe (in the back): Works in I.T. security in Chicago; active in his Alliance church and community group

Megan (on the right): Freelance content writer- staying busy with a growing client list!

John (Meg's hubby pictured above): Now working with a boutique soccer agency! A dream job!

Henrica (middle): She has become like family! My children have known her since 2008!

Sam had time, before getting back to Taiwan, to go with Alace 
and I to Pennsylvania and visit my (Steve's) father (93 years old!).

Sunrise on 2025!
We send you our love!
"Cheers" to a Wonderful New Year!

How to Move an Airplane from Africa to the USA

 You may recall that we BORROWED an airplane from our good friends at JAARS Cameroon. It served us very well but our own airplane has been on site for some time and JAARS has finally decided that the best thing to do with the airplane would be to move it back to the USA for refurbishment and redeployment!

HOW DO YOU MOVE AN AIRPLANE

FROM AFRICA 

TO THE USA?

... call up some friends!

Our friends from JAARS Cameroon, Grant, Jess and
Emmanual (NASA suit) were joined by local friend,
Bah (in the back)

They were also joined by our good friend, whom you've 
seen on this blog many times before, Dan S. from JAARS USA!

Simply put, to move an airplane from Africa to the USA...
You might think, "Hey- just fly it there!" However, the 
alternative is to pull it apart into much small parts
and then...

... take a break!  ...well, yes, but then...

You put it in a shipping Container... then on a big boat...
then across the Atlantic Ocean... and there you go. Done.

Much, much, much easier said then done...
We are so thankful for this team.
We are a small operation in the middle 
of the Central African Rainforest and 
CANNOT do these tasks without a great amount of teamwork.

Thank you for being part of the journey and standing with us!

And... p.s.  ....

During the visit of the Cameroon team, Dr. Bintou, 

pilot Rob's better half, was able to give 

Emmanuel an eye exam at the 

Bongolo Eye Clinic!

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Henrica- 1st Snow EVER!!!

 Share in Henrica's Joy of experiencing 

her first flakes of Snow in her Life!

(Henrica is our first Gabonese aviation intern who, 

with your help, is being sponsored as a student at

Blue Ridge Community College (Virginia) to

receive her FAA Airframe & Powerplant 

aviation mechanic's license!)

A Gabonese Snow Man!

By contrast, here is one of her favorite places in the world...

Her home village and her grandma...

Henrica with our family for Christmas!
(L to R): Sam, Henrica, Joe, Megan

Thank you for joining with us to support those who are 

called and are following the path of Expressing God's 

Love and Care through aviation!!!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

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Featured In ALLIANCE Annual Impact Report!

As you may know, I am an ordained minister with the Alliance (Christian & MissionaryAlliance- C&MA) and the work that we do in Gabon partners with local Alliance work. In my passport country of the USA, annually, the Alliance sends out an "Impact" report and, this year, they made mention of our work!  on Page 18 you see this...

It's always nice to get a bit of recognition. It's not why we do it, but we appreciate people taking notice. We enjoy the connection to the larger body of believers who, along with us, have this audacious idea that the Creator God has in mind to bring each one of us deeper towards are greatest Joy as we journey closer to HIS heart... and we want to make that know to all Nations!

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VIDEO: Libreville Landing

 

It's A Miracle! I CAN READ!

 A story from my colleague, pilot Rob Peterson:

We climbed up through the clouds and set course for Libreville.  As we flew, Ron (one of the Bible Translators) shared the following story with me.  

Taking off from Mouila

In 2017 we started work on the Gisir Bible translation with 4 Gisir translators.  Two of those have gone to be with the Lord since this project started. Théo is the only one of the original four.  Some months ago he told the regional coordinator that they should find a replacement for him as he was ready to resign.

Théo had cataracts and they had progressed to the point that he could no longer read.  When I (Ron)  heard that he wanted to resign, I asked the regional coordinator to encourage him to stay with us until we finish the book of Acts. If he couldn’t read, he could still bring his ears and evaluate the translation that way. So he came to this workshop.

As soon as we projected the Gisir text onto the wall with a projector, he looked at it and said, “C’est un miracle! Je peux lire.”  (It is a miracle! I can read!)   While waiting for the second cataract surgery, and then glasses, he could not yet read very well close up.  However with the text projected on the wall, he discovered he could read and fully participate. 

As a result, and with optimism that his vision will be even better following the second surgery and glasses, he expressed that he is ready to keep working as part of the team!

As the only original team member still with us, and as a good translator, I’m very glad about that. I appreciate the Bongolo Eye Clinic and what they are doing.

Ron, a 35-year Bible Translation Veteran

Now, what Rob and Ron did not know, is through an interesting work of circumstances, Dr. Bintou, Rob's wife, was the one who did 90% of Theo’s cataract surgery! Isn’t it wonderful? Bintou says, "I might be biased but I believe that aviation is the perfect intersection of ophthalmology and Bible translation."

Please continue to pray for Bible translation work in Gabon. 

Theo

Not long ago, Rob led the annual inspection on the airplane. We are thankful for an aviation-specific visitor, an airline pilot from the US that helped Rob and a local Gabonese apprentice. Please pray for diligence and that they finish the inspection so the airplane can be operational on schedule for all the upcoming flights. 

Rob & our local apprentice

Aviation Visitors!
Come visit us and lend a hand!!!

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