Ben and Cathrine Kooi Giving wings to God's Word It’s the end of Christmas break.
We hope every one of you had a great Christmas. We sure did! We’re now back in AZ after a great trip to Michigan.
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Other Helicopter Considerations
Who can maintain a helicopter?
In the USA, any Airframe & Powerplant mechanic can. If fact, they can work on any FAA certified aircraft (i.e., airplane, helicopter, glider, etc.)
But have you ever noticed that a helicopter is quite different from an airplane? Not every A&P mechanic has much experience working on helicopters.
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Helicopter Time for the Philippines
We’ve received the official word that we’ve been waiting for… The Philippine field has decided to get a helicopter!
After much prayer and seeking counsel, we feel that now is the time for Ben to get his helicopter license.
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Life raft training
All NTMA over-water flights carry a life raft and inflatable vests. The question is… Does anybody know how to use them?
Back in September, Ben and several other NTMA guys went to the wave pool to find out.
At the pool, they were given a raft and vests. After an explanation of the equipment, they jumped in and put it to use.
They acted out several scenarios… Some pretended to be hurt, 
others "panicked," and others were helpful to the guy playing pilot. One time an instructor pulled a patch off the raft making it deflate. So they even got the chance to use the "patch kit" - in the water!
It was a learning experience! They all had a lot of fun. And they learned a lot… At least we hope so! 
A Missionary Pilot’s Wife
In the past few weeks, I’ve had the priviledge of attending a class for missionary pilot’s wives (MPW’s).
There are so many things an MPW can be involved in on the field… correspondence ministries, teaching, bookeeping, flight following, flight scheduling… The list goes on.
Once a week, a group of us women who are new at this get together with “veteran” MPW’s. We’re going over a booklet of the “best advice” previous MPW’s could offer.
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Our everyday life at NTMA
Our everyday life has settled into a routine now. It seems to be full of aviation!
Ben starts his day by jogging on the airstrips. Then he spends from 7am to 4pm working on or flying planes. So far, he has worked on a diesel Cessna 182 (heading to Africa), a R44 helicopter (heading to Asia), and a Cessna 185 (a USA-based trainer).
He has finished 8 of his 13 maintenance checks for his inservice training. He also finished his instrument flight check.
The kids and I are at the hangar everyday at least once. We always try to go over at break time. Then they get to see Daddy, play with all the honorary “uncles” in the break room, and see the airplanes.
We can hear the planes and helicopter while we do homeschooling. From our sandbox, we can watch planes land and take off. It’s really something special when we get to watch Daddy fly!
Life seems to be all about airplanes. But these particular airplanes all have one goal… “Giving wings to God’s word.”
May our everyday routines always be overshadowed with the urgency of sharing God’s good news with others!
Our baby RuthE.
She’s here!! The Lord has blessed us with another daughter. Ruth Ellen Kooi arrived on Sunday, September 7th. She was 9lb 2oz and 19 inches long. She looks just like her sister did except for slightly darker coloring. She’s a precious little one!
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Billy the Bull Snake: protector from rattlesnakes…
Moving to Arizona has introduced us to many new things. Some things we really like. But some things we’re not so thrilled about.
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The Waiting Game: a baby update
The most common question I hear these days is, “How are you feeling?” Answer: absolutely huge!
I guess that’s par for the course when you’re a week and a half from your due date. Baby Kooi is due on Friday, Sept. 5. So far everything is on schedule and progressing well.
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We made it to Arizona…
So we made it to Arizona! It seems like we have been working towards this for a long time. The Lord allowed us to have a good move with our greatly overloaded trailer and suburban. When we arrive there was a lot of help that came to get all of our stuff inside. Then came the work of unpacking and finding places for everything.
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