Gabon Blog

If you are having trouble viewing the blog link posted in the previous blog, click on this one instead.

http://www.gabonpilot.blogspot.com/

Rapid Response to Gabon

Three of our MMS men, are currently in Gabon, West Africa preparing a damaged airplane for shipment to MMS for repairs. Staff member, Dale Coates and apprentices Andy Porter and Paul Jones make up the team.

Dale Coates, Andy Porter and Paul Jones

Damaged airplane after forced landing

Pilot, Steve Straw has posted the progress being made on the project, on his blog, so check out the link below to see our guys at work.

http://gabonpilot.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-wings-have-been-clipped.html

It will be secured in a sea/land container and travel by ship and then over land. The estimate is that it will take three weeks to get here.

We would appreciate your prayers for their safety, stamina (long work days) and health.

Fresh Peaches

I really enjoy fresh peaches. They are tasty on my breakfast cereal, delightful as a quick snack, and I've been known to add a little vanilla ice cream to a bowl of them on occasion. The last bunch of peaches Rena brought home from the grocery was maturing a bit too quickly and I couldn't keep up with them. So, it was time to make a pie.

Mom taught me how to make good pie crust, but this time I must credit Mrs. Pillsbury. (She makes them in a big factory and exchanges the pie crusts for some of your hard-earned cash.)

It's ready for the upper crust.

Just out of the oven a few minutes ago, don't know how it tastes yet but I'm optimistic.

Thirty Six Years Ago

A couple of young people got married August 24, 1974 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Thirty-six years later, to the day, they celebrated the event by driving about 65 miles to Canton, Ohio to have supper at the Bombay Sitar restaurant.

The waitress brought a complimentary dessert with a candle to help the celebration. 

That young couple have gotten a little older, haven't they? (They're also wiser, and more convinced than ever that they did the right thing when they married.)

Little Visitor

At MMS we have many visitors who stop by for a tour, and we are happy to show them the airplanes, explain the MMS ministry, and show how God is providing and working through mission aviation. Some visitors just drop by and others plan in advance and schedule, especially when they are bringing a large group or coming from out of town. Friday, two groups of visitors stopped by. Here's an account of one group.

A little boy named Dane has a passion for airplanes. His grandmother is familiar with the MMS ministry and attends a supporting church of ours near Columbus. She knew her grandson would see lots of airplanes at MMS and scheduled a visit. Dane enjoyed seeing the airplanes, and his grandmother and an Aunt and Uncle learned more about how MMS Aviation serves the mission aviation community.

The first plane they looked at in hangar "A" will be sent to Brazil.

On to hangar "C".

Standing inside the painting booth housed in hangar "C".

The red airplane caught his attention. This Cessna Skymaster is being prepared for a ministry Canada.

Dane at the controls. A missionary pilot in the making?

Time to Reminisce

Chuck and Margaret Chamberlin are retired missionaries who worked in India. As a little girl, while growing up in India, I knew them as Uncle Chuck and Aunt Margaret. They currently live in Warren, OH. Dwight and I did one of those spur of the moment ideas when I realized that their daughter, Karen, and her daughter, Bronwyn were visiting from Australia for a few days.  We just had to go to Warren to see them. Karen and I are close in age and hadn't seen each other in at least 26 years. What fun it was to catch up! It was worth the 5 hour round trip!

Chuck and Margaret Chamberlin, their granddaughter, Bronwyn, and daughters, Karen and Sharon

A  time to reminisce as we pour over pictures from our trip to India two and a half years ago

Rena, Karen and Sharon, childhood playmates in India

Vacation Days

The day after we returned from AirVenture, we repacked and left for Brown County State Park in Southern Indiana for a family reunion. The descendants of Dwight's maternal grandparents have a reunion every two years. Each time in a different location.  Over forty relatives showed up; some for just one or two days and others stayed for five days.

Our cabin shared with Dwight's parents and our daughter and the grandkids

Great trails to explore

Great scenery. Javin with his Great Grandpa

Me (Rena) flanked by my sisters-in-law, Susan and Paula. Surviving the heat for a potluck picnic.

Talent night the older cousins participate. The younger ones particiaped too. We just have too many pictures to post.

Side trip to the "For Bare Feet" sock factory.  A great place to visit.

More of God's beauty.

Trail riding with cousins

AirVenture Day 7 (Sunday)

Today was a light visitor day. By mid afternoon many vendors and displays across the airport were showing signs of packing up.

Above is the welcome table just inside the IAMA tent where we were all set up with our displays.

Dwight washes his hands at the portable sink. Note that he is pressing the pump with his foot to make water come out of the tap.  Pretty nifty contraption!

Pictured below is out host couple, Terry and Trish Jacobson who so graciously opened up their home for our week here. Jim Newman from MMS also stayed here along with two other missionaries who stayed Monday and Tuesday.

We are now done and preparing to travel home tomorrow (Monday). We will wash clothes, repack and head out to IN for a family reunion for a few days.

AirVenture Days 5 and 6 (Friday and Saturday)

The days have been long and busy so am combining two days in this blog. We leave the house where we are staying, around 6:30 AM and get back around 8:30 PM.
Please pray for an aviation maintenance student I (Rena) talked with on Friday.  He had no understanding of the scope of aviation used in missions and as I began to talk to him he began to understand the need out there. While sharing with him about the possibility that God may touch his heart with the desire to be involved, his eyes began to tear up. I believe God has already begun a work in his heart.

We have had some free time during the day when Jim and Tim work at the table, to look at airplanes, watch some acrobatic airplanes, and visit some vendors and exhibitors.

This is on the baggage door of an older Cessna 210