France! Getting settled in...

 An update from Alace!

About 4 weeks ago, we set out!
Cincinatti to Philly... Philly to Paris!
Thank you American Airlines.

Arrival at Paris!!!
All checked bags arrived!
I posted up at the curb while
Steve went to fetch the rental car.

The bags all fit!!!

Operating on a lot of adrenalin,
after a 6 hour drive, we 
made it to our new home!
The "Ar Poull" manor house.
(note: Ar Poull means "the well"
in the Breton language)

After some recovery sleep, we got to work!
Here is the "haul" from one of 
our first shopping trips- 
unloading in the Manor
House kitchen.

April 28th journal entry...
We have been sorting, cleaning and moving in.
Steve’s been doing all of that plus some yard work.
He’s been weeding and hacking back overgrowth
to exposed borders and the entrance gate. 

We started prepping our room on the 
3rd floor for painting.

Steve's been staining and sealing the 
the wood floors.

We hosted our dear friends (currently with 
Barnabas Int'l; formerly Alliance), David and 
Janet Kronbach, who run the Rapha House-
another retreat center in France. 
They have been important mentors over the
past 2 years, sharing their wise counsel,
encouragement, and blessing.

Our epic door key!

The view out our side, kitchen door, 
looking West.

From the "south lawn" looking
back at the Manor House.

One of our neighbors, Fabrice, is a 
farmer who keeps his cows in the 
fields that surround our forested area.

Our 2nd full day, we dropped off the rental 
car and took in a professional football (soccer)
match- the local team, Lorient, versus our 
favorite team, Marseille. Let's just say, the
local fans went away very happy.

We also visited a local beach- it is just an 
hour from our home! It will be a very nice
day-trip excursion for our guests.

Our first weekend, we shopped for 
some plants to bring life to the house!
The plant market was a great place to 
meet many new people! There are a lot 
of British expats in this region. 

I decorated the window sill with my 
childhood set of classic books and 
a tiny painting from my Grammy.
The bookends I picked up at a local
thrift shop for cheap! The sunlight 
shines through them lighting up 
the cool veins inside!

We are likely to regularly attend a
french-speaking Alliance
church that is about 25 minutes away, but
the first Sunday, we opted to investigate an
English speaking church much closer. It 
was very sweet... and small! We were the 
youngest people there among a total of 8
worshippers!

We hung out with some neighbors!
The wife is from England and the husband
is American! They are very helpful to us and 
we had a lovely time visiting in their back yard.

Finally after a couple weeks of hard work, 
we finally got to sleep in our own bed!!!

Thank you for your support!

This month, we are officially switching to support

through our new sponsor- Oasis Rest International!

Here is the link to our "coming soon" 

announcement:  CLICK HERE

Here is the link to support us 

through Oasis:  CLICK HERE

TURBO REPLACED! AIRPLANE BACK IN ACTION!!!

 Thank you to all for prayers

and support!

Our Airplane is FLYING

Today with your help!

After the AMAZING response to our appeal
to raise over $5800, the overhauled TurboCharger
was transported to Gabon!

Rob and his hangar helpers, mister Bah
and mister Brice, knocked out an annual 
inspection PLUS installed the Turbo
that a kind group of Samaritan's Purse
visitors (who were coming out
to work at Bongolo Hospital)
had transported out to Gabon! 

So... it was very fitting that today...

Rob loaded up the airplane with 
his passengers...

... the very same guys from Samaritan's 
Purse that brought the Turbo to Gabon
with them from the USA!

At the end of the Bongolo runway, 
preparing for departure.

This is very much like "dry season" weather...
lower overcast with blue skies above!

Our airplane saves our visitors about
7 hours of driving through
equatorial African jungles!

Thank you, again, for all your partnership 
to keep our small aviation ministry flying
and serving to show the Love of God
to those on the margins where the
road ends in Central Africa!

>Your prayers and financial support are so important. 

To receive our email updates, sign up in the right column.

To support us financially, use our link through PayPal:

THINGS ABOVE PROJECT

GOAL REACHED!!!

With your help, within a week, over $5800 was raised
to get a new TurboCharger to Gabon!
THANK YOU!!!

With your TEAMWORK, our Cessna 207 remains
serving in remote parts of Central Africa as 
a demonstration of God's love.

Your prayers and financial support are so important. 

To receive our email updates, sign up in the right column.

To support us financially, use our link through PayPal:

THINGS ABOVE PROJECT

URGENT NEED- Turbocharger damage

Hello Supporters, 

our aircraft is grounded until we get a part. 

There is a lot of "head scratching" on how this damage 
occurred. Typically, you might expect more "symmetrical"
type damage on a part that spins at high rpm's. 

About a week ago, damage to the aircraft turbocharger 

was discovered. We have carried a spare on hand, but 

since we recently swapped the turbo and since we are

expecting to swap aircraft in just over a year, we were 

keeping our spare turbo on a shelf in the USA, hoping

that this sort of thing wouldn't happen.

Would you please consider assisting in this 

unexpected expense?

We will need to raise $5883

in the next week (by 09 April) 

so that the overhauled turbo can be 

sent to a visitor to Gabon

who has agreed to add it to their

checked luggage.

We will be using funds from the Things Above Project

(dba Elevation Squad) Wells Fargo bank account.

You will be sent a charitable donation receipt.

The giving instructions are below.

Thank you for your giving that allows 

critical aviation operations to continue in

Central Africa!

Here are pictures from a medical evacuation

from just last week:

PAYPAL THROUGH THINGS ABOVE PROJECT (click below)

Holiday Wrap-Up

 2025 Ends and 2026 Begins in a SWIRL!

Hard to believe this was just 2 months ago!
So much has happened! Alace calls it "A Swirl"!
In mid-December, our oldest, Joe, visited us
on our missionary-in-residence at York Alliance Church
to help us pull off an epic Christmas Party for the 
student ministry.

We had a great Christmas celebration dinner at a local 
restaurant in York with the AWESOME team of 
volunteer youth leaders from YAC.
We really miss this crew. It was an
honor to ministry alongside of them all.

As we were getting ready to leave PA on some holiday travel, 
we were surprised by my sister Bec (in black), and her daughter
(on my other side) who had just returned from university in 
England! It turned out that Henrica was visiting us as well, 
so worlds were colliding!

Then it was off to Ohio for Christmas at Alace's mom's.
Joe reunited with us along with his girlfriend, Christy, 
an MK from China, now a 2nd grade teacher in Chicago!

Then, for the New Year celebration, we were joined by our middle
kiddo, Megan, and her husband John (they also live in Chicago), 
as well as our dear friend, Leanne (from NC) who we used to 
work with in Gabon! Our hearts were full with all the family
and friends around!
(can you tell that Joe is the honorary selfie-taker?)

In mid-January, we were the featured speakers at a Mission

Celebration at Fairlawn Community Church (near Williamsport, PA)

which you can see online (click here). Then it was packing and

more packing for our departure on the 19th of January, 

returning overseas.

...And we know what you're wondering about all our travels in the US...

Yes, we did make it to a Buccee's!!!

Thank you for supporting us through the SWIRL!!!

Our time in the US was refreshing and encouraging. 

We can't do it without your teamwork!

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)

Christmas Miracle!!! (Henrica Update)

 We were sure we knew what it meant when we 

saw the following notice in the email inbox...

In October, we applied for a very normal, 

and almost always accepted, 

extension to Henrica's educational 

visa for a year of on the job

training, which our friends at JAARS 

are collaborating with us on.

We've been waiting for the response, but 

with little hope. The current environment

surrounding foreigners has made us 

pretty pessimistic. In our last update, we even

told you of the plans for Henrica to have to

return to Gabon on 11 February.

BUT... we all continued to pray.

Then, more difficult news. On 16 December, 

the US government announced INCREASED

travel bans which now included Gabon!

BUT, we continued to pray, but hope was dwindling

in our hearts.

Then, the alert came to check the status of Henrica's request

and we all held our breath...

This may or may not be a reenactment 😁 
Joe, our oldest child, who met Henrica as a
13 year old in Gabon, celebrates with her,
17 years later, in the USA!

HENRICA GOT APPROVED!!!

We praise God!!! Stay tuned for updates!

Next step: January 2nd, Henrica moves into 

her apartment at JAARS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

L-R: Joe, Henrica, Alace, Josi (Steve's niece), Steve, 
and Bec (Steve's sister)

HERE IS Hernrica's CHRISTMAS VISIT TO York Alliance Church:

Thank you for joining us in this journey!

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)