Home Church Invitation!

 After much prayer and consideration, we have accepted a request from our home church, York Alliance Church (PA), to be their missionaries in residence! 

The role will be a minimum of 5 months.
Steve will continue in some "from a distance" roles in Gabon.

Rob has been doing a great job, in Gabon, holding down the aviation operations, allowing Steve to feel released from those operational duties. Thank You Rob!

What will be our roles?

First, we want to share stories of God's faithfulness and activity among HIS people in Gabon! It is our hope to express gratitude for the teamwork of our sending church that makes what we do possible. Our prayer is that this inspires others to consider joining God's work right where they are at and, perhaps, cross-culturally in another part of the world like us!

We'll be in touch regarding our speaking / visiting schedule!
We want to see as many of you as possible!

Secondly, there is a need for interim ministry work at YAC in their student ministries- a place that Alace and I served from 2000-2007 before they launched us to work overseas!

(photo circa 2009)

We are really looking forward to reconnecting with our dear brothers and sisters. As we share our stories, pray and dream together, we are anticipating that God will also confirm our steps in ministry going forward as well.

Some of our training is in France... brrrrrr!!!

We will continue our training in spiritual direction (Sustainable Faith) and debriefing (Le Rucher), as we feel the Lord is asking us to build our equipping in these areas.

We will also be in the US to better mentor Henrica, our Gabonese aviation intern through to the end of her FAA A&P mechanic license training and her Associate's Degree from Blue Ridge Community College (VA)!!!

Thank you for continuing your TeamWork!

We continue to be financially supported by people like yourself. 

Please consider joining the team in this important task with us.

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Fly The Friendly Skies!

Come fly with us!!!

Here are some pictures from recent passengers... 

all VERY HAPPY with their experience on board!

We love happy passengers!!!

Thank you for your teamwork that 

makes this possible!!!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Tools That Make an IMPACT!

 Through the generosity of so many of you...

HENRICA has an AWESOME set of TOOLS!!!

Thank you THINGS ABOVE PROJECT Board Chair, 
Tim B. for the delivery!!! He drove all the way 
from York, PA to Henrica's school in Virginia,
Blue Ridge Community College

Please pray for Henrica. Between now and the end of the year, 

She will have many FAA exams- written, practical, and oral.

Also, she will finish other courses to obtain her 

Associates Degree! You may recall that 

this is all in the English language- 

her 3rd language!!!

Thank you for your support!

It's only with your teamwork that Henrica

can continue and this unique program, using 

the tool of aviation to express the Love of God

in tangible ways in and our Central Africa, will

be able to continue! Together we make a great team!!!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Flying For Life!

 This past week, our aviation services were called into action for a medical evacuation. A small baby was born missing the connection between mouth and stomach. Without surgery, she will not be able to eat.

The condition is called Esophageal Atresia.

Loading up into our Cessna at the airport

Captain Rob with family members and Doctor Josie S.
providing in-flight care 

Thank you for your partnership!

Together, as God's children, we have 

such a great opportunity to be HIS hands

and feet! Through this we are all reminded 

of a loving God who cares for All... 

especially the least of these!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Bongolo Baptism!!!

 aka. The Lord's Love in the Louetsi!!!

Just prior to departing for our spiritual direction training and retreat in France, I was asked to officiate a baptism in the Louetsi River, just below the falls and the hydro-electric plant (originally built by missionaries!). 

Those being baptized were from the group of international
worker families at the mission station.

After our time of singing in prayer, we headed into the 
chilly (but refreshing!) waters of the Louetsi.

As the group gathered proclaimed "DEAD TO SIN!", the 
baptisms started. As the "baptizand" was raised out of
the water they shouted "ALIVE IN CHRIST!"

The service was finishing, BUT WAIT! Moved by the Holy 
Spirit, a visitor from the US stated his desire to be baptized!
After some words of testimony affirming his decision, it
was back in the river! 

In Gabon, I enjoy all that I do, but have rarely been 
able to do much pastoral work as I have in the past.
I miss this aspect of my equipping and love when 
I have the opportunity.

As we mentioned, after the baptisms, we returned back to our home in Libreville and then, soon after, were off to France. There, we would have the last of our in-person training events (3 total) from this academic year (1 year to go!), for our spiritual direction course. In consultation with our sending church (York Alliance, PA) and mission leaders, we decided to add time to this event for our own spiritual retreat (aka. sabbatical). (Note: Pilot Rob Peterson is keeping the aviation program moving along. Thanks Rob!!!)

It has been some time since our last extended spiritual retreat and much has happened. We ask for your prayers in this time as we seek to relax, refresh, and refocus. We sense the Lord stirring in our hearts for some course adjustments that lie ahead and anticipate more clarity from the Spirit. 

Thank you so much for these prayers, now and over the many years! We are on year TWENTY of being connected to ministry in Gabon in one form or another. WOW!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Video Tour - Bongolo Hospital

Bongolo Hospital is our primary point of service with the aviation operations for the Alliance churches in Gabon. There are many ways that this hospital is supported and one growing source of support is from Christian Health Service Corps! Not long ago, their CEO, Greg, visited and produced this video where Doctors Josie and David Skavdahl gave a tour. Enjoy!!!

Henrica- Bending Metal!

 Normally, when you think of airplanes, 

"Bending Metal" is not a happy term, 

but in Henrica's case... 

She's been doing a lot of it in her 

aircraft sheet metal course!

She was given technical plans, tools, some sheets
of aircraft aluminum, and, after instruction, she
was on her way to fabricating a sample of an 
aircraft control surface!

Her classroom in the aircraft hangars of Blue Ridge
Community College located at the Shenandoah
Regional Airport in Virginia.

VOILA!

Henrica's skills are blossoming! 
Thank you for your support that keeps our program
thriving and supporting efforts like our aviation internship.
We can't do it without your teamwork.

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Around the Patch in 2024!

After an Annual Inspection with our visiting
friend, Dan, our Cessna 207 is back, hard
at work! In terms of flight hours, 2024
was our SECOND busiest since 
starting the service in 2009!

 

257 passengers got to their destinations
and over 16,000 pounds of cargo
was delivered!

Our most popular route, hands down, 
continues to be linking the Bongolo 
Hospital with the capital city
of Libreville

A regular part of our regimen is pilot recurrency
training. Above is the flight tracking route for 
one such training event over the skies of 
Bongolo.

Your support of these efforts results in people 
having a tangible encounter with Jesus, 
the one true HOPE for the world. Here
is a scene from one of the waiting
areas at Bongolo- raised hands 
indicating decisions to 
follow Jesus!

Your support also helps in the training programs
at Bongolo! Here are the newest graduates of 
the nursing assistant program, with our boss, 
Pastor Serge B., in the middle. Other training 
programs- Adult Medicine, Aviation, Surgery, 
Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, and more!

This is why we press on, with your partnership!

Thank you for joining us for this adventure!

OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE (C&MA) (click here)

OR:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)