MMS Aviation's news about Preparing People and Planes for Worldwide Mission Service

GroundCrew Issue - August 2007 - Page Four

President's Pen - Dwight Jarboe

I’ve always admired mountain climbers. I’ve never wanted to be one.

Recently I read an article about Mount Everest, whose summit ridge separates Nepal and Tibet. The Himalaya mountain range is the highest on earth and is often referred to as the "roof of the world".

On May 29, 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. I was four years old then, with no idea there was a Mount Everest, much less that anyone climbed it. By the time I was in elementary school, the event was mentioned in our geography text books.

So, why risk the danger and discomfort to climb a mountain? The standard answer was, “Because it’s there”. At least during the mid-1950s that seemed to be adequate motivation. You might ask a similar question, “Why repair these damaged airplanes?” To answer, “Because they’re there” or “Because they need it” would not be adequate reasons for MMS Aviation to be involved. The planes in this issue are tools needed to minister to people in the name of Jesus. This is more than adequate motivation for our mechanics, no matter how challenging the work may be.

Consider, for example, the Cessna 310 of Missionary Flights International. This smaller plane complements the service of their three Douglas DC-3s. It is older, but well maintained. Like personal electronics, aircraft electronics (avionics) rapidly become obsolete. The instrument panel and avionics upgrade brings newer technology to the cockpit, enhancing the safety of the 310’s flights.

For years the Cessna 206 from Honduras has met transportation needs of church workers, medical personnel, and missionaries. The plane's structure has been adversely affected by the salt air after being based in a seacoast town. Yet it will return to service in excellent condition, having been thoroughly inspected and repaired as necessary. We restore it because to replace it with a comparable used 206 would cost over four times as much.

A large part of a mountain climber’s reward must be the view from the summit—it just may be the real reason many people climb. I can assure you that a view from the maintenance hangar—as a plane takes off to return to service—is pretty good too. However, the real reason we at MMS Aviation maintain airplanes is to obey Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations”.

Prayer and Praise

Please Pray

... for the hangar staff as they enjoy the mixed blessing of sending qualified mechanics to other ministries while still having to complete projects here with fewer and fewer hands.

... for new families to respond to the Lord’s leading and actively pursue mission service through MMS.

Praise God

... for safe and successful Rapid Response trips to Tanzania, Zambia, and Florida.

... for Joshua Adelsberger, Alasdair Munro, and Dano Whited completing their time with MMS and moving into field service.

... for staff members Dale and Deborah Coates being granted American Citizenship.

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