Missions Fair

When MMS received an invitation to participate at a church Missions Fair in Mansfield, OH, Dwight jumped at the opportunity. We always enjoy sharing about the unique ministry of MMS and the way God uses this ministry to further His Kingdom. We spent Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday morning at the church, participating in various activities.

Dwight talks to an inquirer in front of the MMS Display

A bonus to our trip was spending an overnight with Ron and Connie Daughtery, who live in Mansfield. Ron is the chairman of the MMS Board of Directors. Their neighbors, Dan and Fran Manningham are also friends and it was great to see them too. Dan and Dwight serve on the Board of MSI (Mission Safety International) together. In fact they will be traveling together on Thursday to the semi-annual board meeting of MSI in Elizabethton, TN.

l-r Dan and Fran Manningham, Connie Daugherty, us and Ron Daugherty

New to MMS

l-r Rena, David Schwartz, Briana, Asher (13 mo) and Jeremiah Morris, Bob and Lisa Schwartz

Just last week MMS accepted a new couple for training at MMS. They are Jeremiah and Briana Morris. Jeremiah pilots for an airline based in Colorado and desires to use his skills in missions. He will be getting the mechanic's training in order to meet the pilot/mechanic licenses required by most missions. We hosted a supper for them and their delightful son, Asher (13 mo), along with staff members Bob and Lisa Schwartz and their son David. Pray for Jeremiah and Briana as they share their vision with friends, family and churches. We look forward to their move to MMS just as soon as their financial support has been raised.

Mozombite's new family member

Amy, Asher and David Mozombite

In an earlier post (March 17 - you can look it up in the archived posts) I (Rena) put up pictures of an adoption shower that Jen and I attended for Asher who was to arrive from Ethiopia. He arrived in the USA on April 4th and is adjusting well to the Mozombite family. He has such a happy personality and is liberal with his hugs. For more pictures go to their blog at http://www.mozosonmission.blogspot.com/

The highlight of Dwight's day - a hug from Asher

David has just completed his training at MMS. Pray for him as he takes his FAA exams next month, ending with the Oral and Practical exams on the 12th and 13th of May.

Resurrection Eggs

Javin (5) and Chanelle (9)

We trust you had a blessed Easter Sunday as we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord. After church we shared a meal with Jen and Jason and the grandkids. The children were proud of their new Easter clothes. Javin (5) was especially excited to show us his "Resurrection Eggs" that he received from his Sunday School teacher that morning. We thought you would enjoy his interpretion of those eggs! Some of the facts will need to be straightened out at a later date, (and we had a hard time not laughing at some of those facts) but we think he did a pretty good job.

Farmer? Not Anymore.

When Rena and I met in 1973, Dad still farmed in central Kentucky. He had a beef cow and calf operation with which she became acquainted on visits before we went to Bolivia in 1976. The beef herd consisted primarily of a hundred Angus cows.

Thursday, April 9th, was sunny and dry. Even though the air was cool, I knew it was a good time to get the lawn tractor out and cut some grass. Seeing the neighbor's cattle in the field across the road and my mowing in the yard, Rena was reminded of my farming roots and snapped this picture.

In my farming days, the tractors I drove were bigger, the fields were a lot larger, and I was a lot younger. The closest I come to agricultural activity at this stage of my life is cutting grass and helping Rena tend flowers. (Since our cat died a couple years ago, we have no livestock.)

Our reliable indicator of spring's arrival.

Podcast

Feel free to listen to a podcast from MMS via the website of IAMA (International Association of Missionary Aviation)here

More Springtime Action

While I was working on the house last weekend, a young man pulled into our driveway and asked if we'd like the willow tree in our front yard removed. For the past few years the tree hasn't looked healthy but did produce green leaves on most of its branches. After some discussion and a bit of bargaining, we agreed that he would take the willow and three pine trees from our yard.

After seeing a tree in this spot for twenty-one years, the yard looks quite different now.

Ahh, Spring!

In the spring a young bird's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of nesting. (My apology to Tennyson.)

Our comfortable home here in Coshocton County has not only sheltered our family, it also is a bird house. Each year, birds have made nests in the eaves and once they get started on their family I don't have the heart to shut them out.

This year I beat them to it. With strategically placed hardware cloth I blocked their access. On the East end of the house I had to borrow a ladder tall enough to reach. Jason dropped by to help me set up the ladder and stood by to make sure I didn't hurt myself.

Birds seem to think the doors at the MMS Aviation hangar are condominiums just for them. This year Dave, the facility maintenance manager, saw some very coarse push brooms in a catalog. Realizing sections of the broom could be placed in the primary bird entrances, he ordered and installed some. The idea is proving to be a good one because we have far fewer birds in the hangar this spring, and we don't hear them nesting in the doors either.