THE HUNTTING JOURNEY

Many are the experiences, people, and places that shape a person during the course of his/her life.  A person’s family and heritage, as well as whether or not they have a relationship with the Creator of this universe also weighs in heavily, and combining all the above creates a unique personality.  The goal of recording our journey is to hopefully provide a look at what shaped Kari and me, and how God used it to bring us to this point in our lives.

Kari

KARI’S BEGINNINGS

Kari was born in the Pennsylvania town of Jersey Shore while her parents were in training with New Tribes Mission.  She has one sister and one brother.  Her parent’s goal was to live in a remote tribal village in the jungles of Borneo, Indonesia and learn the language and culture of a group of people called the Beginci [bu-geen-chee].  They eventually did just that, and when Kari was two years old they moved to Indonesia and shortly after moved into the tribe.

As Kari grew up she learned the Beginci language along with English and was soon fluent in both languages.  It was also necessary to learn the trade language of Indonesia called Bahasa Indonesia, and she became fluent in that tongue as well.  Growing up in the tribe was nothing special for Kari, since she did not know anything else.  Her friends were the girls in the tribe her age, and she washed clothes in the river, pounded rice, cooked meals with them, and lived their lives.  Much was sacrificed by her parents in living in the tribe, including Kari’s dad almost giving his life after he contracted malaria, enduring a long river trip to the closest airstrip before he could be flown to the nearest hospital.  Kari was led to the Lord by her mom at a young age, and it soon became clear to her that the people she lived among lived in fear and darkness.  They needed a Savior.

As time passed her parents learned the language and culture and helped in the translation of chronological Bible lessons, and soon began to teach the people.  A few of them saw their need for a Savior early on and before long a small church began to grow.  It took many of the people years to accept God’s message to them and many died before they believed God’s story and His plan for salvation.  Knowing that those who died (many of them friends of Kari and her parents) faced an eternity without Christ was very difficult for Kari and no doubt shaped her desire early on to bring the gospel to the unreached.  Kari spent 17 years in Indonesia, most of which was spent in the tribe, and after graduating from high school in Central Java, Indonesia, she moved back to the States and attended the New Tribes Bible College in Waukesha, Wisconsin which started the formal training required by this mission for service overseas.

Clif

CLIF’S BEGINNINGS

Clif was born in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin while his parents were attending the New Tribes Bible College located in downtown Waukesha.  He has one brother and two sisters.  His parents had a desire to serve on the mission field as well, but God was leading them to support tribal missions through the use of the airplane.  Clif’s dad completed his aviation training some years later, and when Clif was five years old, shortly after he accepted Jesus as his Savior, his family moved to Senegal, West Africa.  This was a very difficult time for his family.  Clif’s dad almost died as well of a combination of malaria and typhoid, and that along with many other difficult circumstances led to a decision to move back to the States two years later.

Three years after that God led them to the field of Indonesia.  There they served in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, often referred to as the Spice Islands, where Clif’s dad logistically supported the missionaries in that region by flying in food, mail, and medical supplies.  The airplane also served as an ambulance in times of emergencies and was invaluable for the missionaries there as transportation around the region.   Four years later they relocated to the island of Borneo and supported missionaries in the western region of that island, including Kari’s parents and the Beginci people.

Clif’s perspective growing up was similar to Kari’s, however due to the nature of his parent’s ministry, he quickly learned how necessary the airplane was in many of the remote regions of the world, and saw the need for pilots in these areas.  This coupled with a love for aviation and a desire to be a pilot from a very young age helped shape Clif’s desires and goals as he grew up.  His family served in Indonesia for seven years before returning to the States.  Clif graduated from high school in Baker City, Oregon the next year, and moved to Wisconsin where he attended the New Tribes Bible College as well.

CLIF AND KARI

Kari and I met at a boarding school on the island of Borneo, Indonesia while we were both in eighth grade.  At the time, who could see what the future would hold?  We were friends for a couple of years before we started dating, but then my family moved back to the States leaving us faced with a long distance relationship.  We did this for a year until we both graduated and moved to the same state and attended the New Tribes Bible College together.  We dated for a year there as well and were married at the very young ages of 18 and 19 in the small town of Port Washington, Wisconsin.  This is where our stories join, and where the long journey of pursuing mission aviation started for us.