NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

"Are you sure we can make it?" This was the question of the day. And even though he was sure, I wasn’t so sure.

I have flown with my husband many times, but this was a new experience for me. He decided to take me up in the Cessna 185 to show me what he had been learning and to land on some of the training strips. Now, it is one thing seeing a nice long paved runway out the front windshield and it is quite another to see a short little dirt strip coming at you very fast. As we were descending the last few feet, I tried putting myself in his shoes.

Now, on these short, little strips, it is of the utmost importance to land exactly in the right spot every time. And if at all possible, he also must fly the route and pattern the same way every time. He must pay attention to every detail and be prepared to abort at the last minute when you see a cow or pig run down the airstrip. He must be prepared to fly whenever they need him because you never know when there will be a medical emergency and someone’s life depends on him getting there in time. He must be prepared to be unloaded on by the missionaries in the tribe who have not seen another person who speaks English for weeks. He must be prepared to encourage them. He is the grocery man and he may get blamed for not delivering the right groceries because the supply buyer bought the wrong ones. He will be carrying people’s children back and forth to school. He will be delivering God’s Word to people who have never had it in their own language. He will be taking families out to live among tribes that have never heard of Jesus Christ. He will be responsible for the lives and well-being of many people. He will have to keep the aircraft in good condition and perform the maintenance required to do so. He also has a wife, two little children, and a home to look after. He is the leader of the family, the daddy, the husband, the friend, the pilot, the mechanic, the mailman, the missionary.

As this all flashed through my mind and we safely landed on the short, bumpy dirt strip, I sat in awe of the man seated next to me. This godly man, who is willing to do what God has called him to, to use his talents to bring God’s Word to those who have never heard- is my husband.

Please pray for him as he has an awesome responsibility. Let’s just say that I’m glad it’s him and not me!

Click here to see a short video of flying on the 1100′ training strip.

• We will be wrapping up our time here in Arizona within a couple weeks. Please pray that we will finish strong, as we are very tired. Also, that our transition back to Texas will go smoothly.
• We will begin several months of Partnership Development when we get home. Pray that God will open up opportunities for us to be able to share about our ministry.
• As we begin to prepare to leave for the Philippines next year, pray that God will provide the finances for the many things we need, as well as for all the steps that need to be taken to get us there, that they will happen quickly.
• Pray that we will glorify God and be a blessing to all those we come in contact with.

• Because of some extra projects that have come up, the staff here at NTMA have asked for volunteers to stay longer than we orginally planned. Please pray that God would show us specifically if He wants us to stay and help or go ahead and come home when Josh is done with his training.
• Please pray that the Lord would continue to bring us financial and prayer partners.
• There are still two big purchases we need to make to help equip Josh for his job of pilot/mechanic. A toolbox- $2000 and a helmet- $1500. Pray that God will supply the finances for these things.
• There is alot of paperwork and logistical things that need to happen in order for us to leave for the Philippines next spring. Pray that all of these things will happen in God’s timing and we will trust Him for that.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Since we started Missions training in Missouri in the Summer of 2006, I have only been able to fly about 3 hours, so it almost felt like an early Christmas present when I was able to start my flight training 2 days before we left to go to Texas for Christmas. During our two weeks of “vacation”, we traveled over 3,000 miles and spent over 50 hours in the car with two toddlers. Thankfully, the Lord blessed both of them with cheerful attitudes for most of those hours, and we were able to have some good time with our families. We arrived back in Arizona on Monday evening, and I started flying again Tuesday morning. After a couple of flights just to get familiar with a new type of aircraft (a Cessna 185, the same aircraft I will be operating in the Philippines) we started focusing on landings, probably the most important and most difficult part of the type of flying we do. We marked a box on the runway that is 14 feet wide and 90 feet long, and our goal is to touch down inside that box every time. Once we can consistently touch down in the box, we move to shorter and more challenging airstrips that will prepare us for what we will face overseas.

On November 17th, we were able to travel home to Texas for a week to be with our families for Thanksgiving. A friend of ours from Texas has a Cessna 205 and offered to fly us home and back. The flight went very smooth and took about 5 hours there and 5 hours back. It sure beat driving for 14 hours each way!

We got to spend alot of time with our families and friends. Our friends, the Majors, from Missouri came and spent 4 days with us and my brother was also able to drive down too. We had a full house at my parents on Thanksgiving Day!

The day after Thanksgiving, my family has a tradition of decorating the house for Christmas, making homemade pizza, and watching the classic, "It’s A Wonderful Life." Josh and I were also able to go out by ourselves for a whole day, something we haven’t done in over a year! Yea! It was a blessing to be able to spend some time together.

We are back into the groove of things here and Josh will start flying within a couple weeks. We are looking forward to going home again in 3 weeks for Christmas break!

Thank you all for your prayers and support of our ministry!

We have some expensive purchases coming up for some things that Josh will need to do his job on the field efficiently and safely. He needs a new toolbox- $1500-$2000 &  a helmet for when flying- $1000-$1500. Please pray that the money will come in and we will trust God to supply it.

Over the holidays, we will have lots of people to see and meet with. Pray that we will have wisdom and that God will orchestrate events so we can meet with those He wants us to.

Please pray for Josh’s safety as he beings to fly.

Pray that God will begin to prepare our hearts for a new place of service in the Philippines and we would not be afraid of the unknowns.

Pray that God will continue to grow us as we seek Him and His heart and our passion for Him and for the lost would lived out in our lives.

"Mommy, tell me about David and the Giant." This is something I hear on almost a daily basis. He has the story memorized but still asks for it all the time. Well, lately he has developed quite the imagination and the other day, he gave an impressive theatrical appearance. It was one of those instances where you are trying so hard to hide your smile. He comes running up and says, "Shhh, Mama. There’s a giant outside." He grabs a couple of those big legos and heads to the door. He slowly opens the door and peeks out. In a whisper, "He’s right there!"  He pauses for a second throws open the screen door and throws the blocks out.  "Look, Mama.  I hit him right in the head, just like David!" After this exciting event quieted down, I pondered a bit about my little boy. Even though he can be a handful sometimes, he loves to hear about the men who were mighty warriors for God. And if he wants to imitate them, then that is fine with me! When he grows up to be a man of God as David was, then I will truly be blessed. So, just a thought. When you have kids running around banging doors and throwing legos, remember what happens when you tell your kids Bible stories!

Happy Fall Y’all! It has been a little different fall for us since the weather here is still short sleeve and there aren’t many trees to be had! The sunsets are gorgeous though!

Josh has basically completed the maintenance part of his training, but is still helping out keeping the planes running down in the hanger. He will start flying at the beginning of December. He is very ready to get in the air again!

I continue my daily adventure of taking care of the kids and the home. God has really been teaching me alot about contentment and finding my fulfillment in Him and not in what I am or am not getting accomplished.

The kids are doing well and as busy as ever. Little Josh and I do a little class together everyday for an hour learning ABC’s and such. He really enjoys that. He spends his days playing outside and taking his "choo-choos" with him wherever he goes. Anna is cruising around everywhere and getting into everything. She continues to get new teeth and her hair is getting so long!

We are leaving this Saturday to go to Texas for Thanksgiving for a week. We are really looking forward to some time with family and friends.

We will be finishing our time here sometime next spring and hope to be leaving for the Philippines around January of 2009.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. We are so thankful for each of you and the blessing you have been to us. Thank you for your involvement with expanding the reach of the Gospel to those who have never heard!

Last month I had the opportunity to tour the Kodiak factory in Idaho. Mission organizations have waited years for an airplane like this. Designed with input from Missionary organizations around the world, the Kodiak is tailored specifically to our needs. It was an incredible experience just to to sit in the cockpit and see it fly. Despite it’s rugged, bush flying construction, the cabin is very modern, featuring three massive LCD panels that display all the flight information. It even includes a touch-screen climate control system! This awesome machine should be able to operate off of most of our current airstrips while carry nearly twice the weight, and cruising much faster. A major factor for New Tribes is that the Kodiak operates on Jet fuel which is readily available around the world, where the traditional av-gas is becoming expensive and difficult obtain even at prices of $12.00 or more per gallon. Pray with us that production will go smoothly for this unique tool for speeding the expansion of the gospel.

Please pray for Josh as he begins his maintenance projects this month.

Our goal is to be heading to the Philippines sometime in the winter of 2009. Pray that God will bring the financial support that we need and that all the events will fall into place in order to accomplish this.

Pray for us to train and raise our children in God’s ways and that He will give us wisdom on how to do that.