New Home

Two of the nine man loading crew from their church

A truck with a volunteer driver

My parents have a new home very near us. We are pleased with their decision to move 400 miles to Coshocton to be closer to us. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren are enthused about seeing them more often and so are we. Dwight and I went to PA a week ago to where my folks lived near Reading. He returned home on Labor Day and I remained for the final packing and to help with the driving to Ohio on Friday the 9th.

The Lord provided help in so many areas of the move and we're grateful. Some brought in meals or invited them to their homes for a meal, others helped pack or move furniture. One lady who stopped by, even volunteered to give Dad a haircut, which she did. The church deacons and others came to load the truck. A friend and fellow believer in Christ, whom Dad led to the Lord and discipled, is a U-Haul dealer and wanted to drive the truck for us.

The Lord gave us safety (many were praying) in spite of areas of flooding along and heavy rain on along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-70. We would appreciate your prayers for my parents amid all the adjustments and settling in.

Is it all going to fit in?

Bill and Mae watch the unloading from the porch of their new apartment. Does it look like Bill is directing traffic?

Gabon Africa Cessna 207

We have been keeping you posted from time to time on the work of the Cessna 207 for Gabon, Africa. As you recall, it was damaged during a forced landing and was shipped to MMS for repairs. Click here for that story. Check out the good news in the video below. We are excited about the progress that is being made.

Rolling Ridge Ranch

School started today for the grandchildren. So on Friday, Jen took off a half day from work and we (Jen and Rena) decided to do something really fun with the kids before the start of school. It was decided that Rolling Ridge Ranch in the Amish community of Millersburg, would be the place to visit. Chanelle brought along her friend, Kylee.

The Ranch has a petting zoo as well as a wagon ride through the countryside where exotic animals are cared for. We rode a wagon pulled by a pair of beautiful Percheron horses. Our Amish driver and guide was loads of fun and had many great stories about the animals we were seeing and feeding.

We have way too many pictures and video clips to post on this blog, but if you want to see all of them,  be sure to watch the video below set to music.

We're Getting Ready

A very special couple is moving to Coshocton and we are getting ready! We are quite excited. We spent a little time at their apartment sprucing things up.  Can you guess who is coming?
 

Getting that shelf paper cut to the right size (Jen and Dwight)

 

Chanelle gets the plants watered.

Chanelle and Javin clean the railing

The shower curtain is hung. Looks like someone(s) is ready for a shower

A Few Hours in Michigan

After a trip to Rena's parents near Reading Pennsylvania in the middle of last week, Friday morning I was back at MMS Aviation.  I wouldn't be there most of the day so I returned some phone calls and checked on progress of various projects in our hangars.  At 9:30 am, a Cessna 172 RG arrived to take me to the Ionia County Airport in Michigan near Grand Rapids.  I'd been asked to speak at the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (SMAT) graduation ceremony.  Sixteen aircraft mechanic students and nine pilots were the graduating class of 2011.

SMAT flight instructor, Terry, did the piloting duties.  He began by giving me a safety briefing.

It was a beautiful day for flying.

SMAT is moving into their new building on the Ionia County Airport.  The hangar which housed the mechanic school will become the maintenance shop for their flight training fleet (I stood behind that hangar to take this picture of the new part of the facility).

It's usually a challenge to make a really nice aircraft hangar into a good auditorium, but the SMAT staff did pretty well.  It was a pleasure and an honor for me to deliver a challenge to the graduates.

Oh yes, Terry got me back to Coshocton at 5:30 pm.

Visitors from India

It has been great to have my (Rena's) brother, Bill, and sister-in-law, Deborah visit us for a few days before returning to their ministry in India.  They are dorm parents at Hebron International School. In addition, Bill is head of the Alumni Department and Deborah also does some tutoring.

Bill and his big sister, Rena

We enjoyed an evening at Jen and Jason's home

Javin and Chanelle show their Uncle Bill and Aunt Deborah the finer points of a Wii

Chanelle shows Deborah a craft that Deborah's Dorm girls might like to do.

Javin challenges Bill to a Chess game

"Bringing in the Sheaves"

Later in the week, when Dwight returned from Air Venture in Wisconsin, we took an evening to go to Holmes County into the Amish communities, to have supper in the little town of Charm.




Bill thought he would help with the harvest!

Deborah enjoying the cows behind a fence. (They are not kept inside fences in India))

Local traffic

As we publish this, they have just arrived back in India. You can follow their activities on their blog