Happy New Year!!!

Dear Loved ones, 

We hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a wonderful new year!  We pray that, in 2018, you sense His presence on the exciting journey He is calling you to.  

Peace and Love,

Steve & Alace

STRAW FAMILY PICTURE (left to Right):

Sam (our youngest): Graduated from Rain Forest Int’l School (Yaounde, Cameroon) in ’16, moved to San Diego, student at Mesa College; transferring to San Diego State next year as International Studies major; an official resident of California!

Megan (our middle child):  RFIS ’14 grad; then 2 years at Nyack; now on her second “gap” year in Chicago enjoying life as a Starbucks barista and nannying and very involved at her local church.

Alace:  member care coordinator for Missionary Air Group (who the Gabon aviation program merged with), based in Burlington, NC (oversight care for 12 staff units & H.R. duties); also serving on staff with JAARS for their Inter-Cultural Communications Course.

Steve:  Chief Pilot & Interim CEO for Missionary Air Group; it’s been a challenging year- taking on new roles that were a bit unexpected; praising the Lord for an opportunity to serve.  MAG has bases in Central America and, now, in Gabon!  Please pray for our main needs in recruitment and another pilot/mechanic to serve with the Peterson’s in Gabon.  We are consulting with three Alliance efforts (two in Africa; one in Central America) about collaborate ministry using aviation.  Please pray with us for discernment and effective use of Kingdom resources for the Gospel.

Laura: our newest edition!  Married to Joe this past September in Chicago; Moody Bible Institute Grad ’17; Intercultural studies/Linguistic minor; works at Moody in the admissions department and some nannying jobs.

Joe;(our oldest child) RFIS Grad ’13; Moody Bible Institute Grad ’17; enjoying the honeymoon!; working at Moody in I.T.; he and Laura will get grounded in their marriage and life in Chicago for a bit and see missions in their future.

Christmas Miracle!

Baby Isaac has mad ASTOUNDING, MIRACULOUS steps forward in his health!!!

Many of you have been faithfully praying for baby Isaac, son of Rob and Bintou Peterson.  Rob is our Gabon pilot/mechanic, and Bintou is a doctor in the ophthalmology residency program at the Bongolo Hospital.  They were in the US to work on citizenship for Bintou when they found out they were pregnant.  They decided to stay for the pregnancy and, had they not, it is almost certain that baby Isaac, who decided to make his appearance at week 26, would not have lived. 

Baby Isaac has spent everyday since his birth in a hospital room, on a roller coaster ride, with his esophagus being the area where development was struggling to happen.  The doctors were certain that he would have to have a tracheostomy, but Rob and Bintou asked if they could hold off just a couple more weeks.  In these past two weeks, miraculous healing has occurred!!!  PRAISE GOD!!!

READ THE LATEST UPDATE HERE

Shaking Off the Rust

After a lot of time helping on the admin side of things, it was time for me to try and sharpen up my pilot skills to better serve the cause.  

Thankfully our good friends at JAARS were able to fit me in and run me through my paces.

My very own cubicle!

JAARS has some great aircraft, like this Pilatus Porter...
unfortunately, I didn't get around to flying it.

My recurrency training was in the Cessna 206

My recurrency focused on mastering the aircraft in many configurations/scenarios.  Along the way, I was sharpening skills, learning a lot, and filling gaps.  My journey into mission aviation was a bit non-standard, so it was great to train with those that are among the leaders in the field and know what to look for to help pilots and mechanics succeed.

I'm very thankful for the aviation training department at JAARS and their desire to be a resource for all who are looking to advance Kingdom causes!

I'm also very thankful for all of you that have made major investments in keeping us resourced on this journey.  This training was possible to one particular donor that is so special to us.

Recurrent training will be a regular part of this work.  Please join me in praying for the ongoing resources necessary to keep me sharp and safe for the mission ahead.

More Airplanes Needed!

As many of you know, we are working hard with our organization, Missionary Air Group, to develop the first-of-its-kind Apprenticeship Pilot program for aspiring missionary aviators.  This is in concert with our partner, MMS Aviation (Coshocton, OH). 

Why is this work so important?  Some major road-blocks for those desiring to prepare and deploy as international mission pilots and mechanics, is that training and paying of the debt of training takes so long.  The apprentice model that we are creating will assists to shorten the overall time as well as leave no debt at the end of training.  The training also happens all during the context of working on mission aviation aircraft and under the roof of a mission sending agency, plus at least 30 hours of flight time on the field on their way to over 400 hours of flight training. 

Thank you for supporting us as we seek 

more efficiency for Kingdom work!  

We have an advisory team from larger mission aviation organizations to make sure that what we are creating leads to the outcomes that are actually valuable and desirable.  These same agencies are also looking into similar ideas under their roofs as well.

Alace gets to know the aircraft owner, Darrell, as he
opens the cowling for a closer look.

Training new pilots means giving them the right type of instruction in the right types of aircraft.  We need additional aircraft to expand the training experiences.  In the coming year, we are looking for the following:  a Cessna 182 with retractable gear ($85-$95K), a Cessna 206 G model outfitted as a field aircraft ($250-$300K), and a Super Decathlon tail dragger ($80-$90K).  Please pray for the provision of these aircraft.

In August, I traveled to Texas to inspect a Cessna 182 RG (retractable gear) whose owner is considering a lease agreement with MAG with the idea that it may lead to a sale, down the road.

In December we'll be doing some familiarization flights with the Cessna 182 RG and starting to train our first apprentice in January or February.  Thanks for being along for this journey!

Joe's Wedding!

Joe and Laura were married Saturday, September 30th, in Chicago!  It's hard to believe.  

At the reception... the hard part is over!  ...well... at least for that day!
Joe and Laura met at Moody Bible Institute, where they both graduated this
past May.  MBI asked both of them to stick around, so both are working
in Chicago for the time being, with an eye on some sort of int'l work in the future.

At the rehearsal. Pastor/missionary Stephen Albright traveled from Guinea (West Africa) to
perform the ceremony.  Stephen supervised Joe & Laura's internship, last fall, in Africa.

Here's the wedding party just after exiting the ceremony.
(venue: Columbus Park Refectory, Chicago)

Thanks to all your prayers for our family, especially the newlyweds.  They honeymooned in
Cancun, where Hurricane Nate passed overhead two nights ago with some high winds
and rain, but no damage or wrinkles in their plans.

Will my son hate me for posting this?!? 
Only if someone tells him I did...   ;^)
(taken from the airplane departing for the honeymoon).

Standing On Big Shoulders

I share the following story with you about R.G. LeTourneau- a man who seemed to be very willing to take audacious steps of faith.  I attended the university that he founded in Longview, TX and it was a turning point in my life.  Later, while doing my best to live an audaciously faithful life, I found myself intersecting R.G.'s path once more- this time in Central Africa.

A hydro-electric plant, powered by the rushing waters of the Louetsi river in Gabon, served a remote missionary base and hospital called "Bongolo".  In the 1940's, R.G. heard about the needs from a traveling missionary in the US and vowed to provide all the material needed to get this power plant up and running.  Alace and I passed by this plant for the first of many times in 2005, and heard the story.  So now, I share with you a bit more about this great man.  Enjoy!

Robert G. LeTourneau was born on November 30, 1888, to godly parents. From infancy he heard the Gospel. For a time, he rejected the message, but through the faithful prayers of his parents he was, at the age of sixteen, won to Christ. At 30 he dedicated his life to be God's businessman. He recognized the danger of that dedication being dimmed by his love for his machines, but by the grace of God that commitment extended over a period of fifty years.

He designed and built machines beyond the imagination of ordinary men. He introduced into the earthmoving and material handling industry the rubber tire, which today is almost universally accepted. He invented and developed the Electric Wheel. He pioneered the welding of various metals. His huge mobile offshore drilling platforms are supporting the machines that drill for the rich petroleum reserves under the seas around the world.

He demonstrated his concern for the Gospel witness by establishing regular chapel services and by employing three full-time Chaplains in his manufacturing plants. The monthly publication NOW begun by him reached 600,000 persons during his lifetime and circled the world with its message. He s traveled the world as a witnessing Christian businessman.

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Mr. LeTourneau built 70% of the heavy earthmoving equipment used by the allies in World War II. During the height of the war, from 1942 to 1945, his fertile mind pumped out 78 inventions, many of which were instrumental in helping to win the war.

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Many books about his life have published, including his best-selling autobiography, Mover of Men and Mountains (Zondervan), which is still in print, thirty years after his death. This book has been translated from English into several foreign languages. Who can tell how many have come to faith in Christ through his missionary ministry in Liberia, West Africa and Peru, South America? The outreach for God through aid to individuals and organizations by the LeTourneau Foundation has been worldwide.

LeTourneau University which he, together with his wife, founded may well prove to be one of his greatest accomplishments as his influence is multiplied and spread throughout the world by dedicated Christian young people who have studied at the college.

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R.G., or Pop as he was fondly called here on campus, had 299 inventions to his name! These included the bulldozer, scrapers of all sorts, dredgers, portable cranes, dump wagons, bridge spans, logging equipment, mobile sea platforms for oil exploration, the electric wheel and many others.

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His life's verse was Matthew 6:33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

You may be interested to stop by LeTourneau University to visit R.G.'s museum there.  CLICK HERE to learn more.

Gabon Airstrip Construction- PK-27 Project

Ground Breaking- June 2016

The national church in Gabon that we partner with, EACMG, is embarking on the construction of a social works campus on 65 acres of property, just outside of the capital city of Libreville.  There desire is that the various elements of the campus will be a way for them to demonstrate God's love to the country's largest population area.  There will be a hospital, schools, career training, homes for widows and at-risk children, as well as agriculture and fish-pond training.

The church has also asked that our aviation program get involved with assisting with the construction of a runway and then involving nationals in our work, which involves training.  Last year, I was contacted by a friend, Chase, who told me that the Lord had laid this project on his heart- even before I was really promoting it.  So, I contacted Pastor Jacob, my Gabonese friend as well as the national church liaison for international partnerships, to see how it would work.  It turned out that a team from a Pennsylvania church (Grove City Alliance) was coming this spring, in concert with E4 Project, to work at the site.  So, we would coordinate our team to dovetail with their visit, which was more focused on the construction of a bunk house for volunteer teams (national and international), as well as the first medical clinic building.


The vision is for the airstrip to be a complementing piece of the campus- to support transportation logistics that connect the people and resources to come into this campus as well as when they need to go out (ie. medical evacuation to a larger facility).  Engineering Missions International were kind enough to partner with the national church in assisting with the site design.  Two teams of volunteer engineers conducted short term trips to the site to do extensive work on elevations, setting perimeters, soil study, water source investigation, and more.  One of their many documents is here- the general site plan:



Things were starting to move into place for the first phase of work- the national church was ready to partner up, Grove City Alliance was coming to build the bunk house, Chase and friends were coming to pitch in on the airstrip... Here we go!

The Gabon national church teams got us off to a great start!  The clinic (the smaller of the two blue buildings on the plan) already has its' foundation done and it's ready for the floor.  In the distance, you can see the Grove City team was joining church members to build the bunk house.

Prior to the team of international volunteers arriving to start work on clearing the property for the airstrip, I set out, with my new friend Mikolo, to check how the perimeter lines, adjacent to the proposed runway site, were being maintained.

As you can see, we were in very thick Jungle!

Six years ago, when the property was purchased, church leaders and their families were given access to the property to have their own garden.  They knew that it would be a project that would happen in phases, over a number of years, so having people coming and going would help prevent squatters as well as bless people with food!  Little did we know whose garden stood in the way of the runway!  Keep reading!

(l to r)  Mike, Tom, and Chase.  The expertise needed for the job!

The team arrived to the international airport in Libreville, we spent a Sunday at church and meeting new friends, tried to get over jet lag, then made our way out to the work site first thing Monday morning.

From our guest house to the site would take anywhere from 50 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic.  You can see why having a bunk house on site is such a big need!

Clearing the perimeter and staking out the lines to guide the dozer!
We started at the East end and walked Westward.

Marking the highest elevation spot near the middle of the runway.

We made it to the West end marker and added our marker to it with the help of
our friend, Davis.

Then it was off, to town, to try and find equipment to rent.
We found out that, due to an economic crisis, due to low oil
prices, the cost of renting equipment had sky-rocketed!  Here
at this equipment dealer, they had no bulldozers for us. Even
if they did, we only had enough funding to rent it for about a
day and a half!

We found another equipment renter and were able to negotiate a deal for three days of work!
... a much better deal!  It came with an operator, so our team was able to focus on directing
the driver and then marking the runway ends and sides as he went.

I got to ride on the dozer and give our driver directions!
Re-living child hood fantasies!!!

Local Alliance church members showed up throughout our time there to join in the work.
Between the airstrip, the medical clinic, and the bunk house, there was plenty to do.

We also had a nice visit from the church president's wife (most colorful dress), and his son, Anat, and new bride of just one week!  We reviewed the site plan and they were very happy to find out
that their family's garden, situated in the middle of the Eastern end of the runway, would not be
destroyed with the bull dozer just yet.  Our three days of clearing was focused on the thickly-
forested Western end of the landing strip.  It would be months before their bananas and cassava
plants were ready for harvesting so, needless to say, they were very pleased!

Our local engineer, Mister PEME, came by to check out the work
and teach me some new French lingo related to GPS and elevation
terminology!  My friend, Mikolo, also learned how to photo-bomb!

By the end of three days of work, the dozer had cleared the entire rear perimeter, then started to
clear the width of the runway (over 150') starting at the West end, East-bound.  We estimate
that we'll need another 3 days to entirely clear the West half of the runway and another day
or two to clear the East half.  This work will be done on pace with the medical clinic.
We've done the lion's share of the work, thanks to many generous donors!  

Thank you to all that prayed and donated.  There were no injuries and we accomplished so much.  It was not without logistical challenges and moments of frustration, but over all, we developed many relationships with many old and new friends...

As always, it's great to hang out and listen Pastor-President Victor
talk about all that God is doing in Gabon and beyond!

For more info, here is a video overview, taken 6 years ago, when the project was still on the drawing board!  In the video you will actually see some of the initial site planning work that resulted in the plans that we used to set our markers for the land clearing that we were able to accomplish.

PK27 from E4 Project on Vimeo.

July Update- A Decade in Full-Time Int'l Mission Work!

Yesterday, July 4th, marks 10 years of FULL TIME INT'L MISSION work for us!  God has been so faithful to bring along our side a strong team of intercessors and funders.  We are blessed!

Praise God for the great progress we were able to make in constructing a runway at the PK-27 social ministry campus project in Gabon.  A bulldozer cleared the perimeter line along the rear part of the campus, where the airstrip will be located, then started clearing the jungle from what will be the West side of the runway.  It was slow going and there is still much to be accomplished for an upcoming phase, as the Lord provides.  (More posts to follow on this trip... stay tuned!).

Steve worked with the national church leaders along with 3 short term workers that came from the US.  We praise the Lord for safety and progress toward creating this important link to medical care work near the largest population area of the country.  Please pray for the additional funds that will help the national church to afford 3 additional days of dozer activity to finish the project.  Pray for this work to be accomplished in concert with the opening of the medical clinic.  

The medical community of Gabon is currently on strike and the church’s medical facilities are being pushed to their limits, as they continue their work through the strike.  

Please pray for Steve and Alace on their current assignment- recruiting and training up new aviation missionaries and their families, then providing care once they are deployed.  Pray for the funding of the church clinic and runway.  Pray for the many people coming to know Jesus as savior through the pastoral training, medical and aviation work in Gabon, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua through Missionary Air Group.  Pray that the Gabon government would start providing the second phase Turberculosis meds soon so that a resistant strain of TB is not created (see below).

Please pray for Joe, our oldest, as he and his fiancé, Laura, prepare for their 30 September wedding in Chicago!  Pray for Sam’s safety as he is in Colorado working for the summer and doing 2 online college courses.  Pray for Megan as she get’s settled in Chicago.  She has been praying for the right church home.  Pray for us to reach our neighbors for Jesus, even though we travel often.

Thank you for your prayers!  We can’t do this without your teamwork.

Love, 

Steve and Alace

* From a Bongolo Doctor…* ”The situation with tuberculosis medicines is very sad. The medicines for the first phase (2 months) of treatment are available in Gabon. However, the medicines for the second phase (last 4 months) are not available in the rest of the country, apart from Bongolo. This is causing most patients to have an interruption in their treatment, which can cause the tuberculosis to become resistant to the normal medications. Resistant TB is difficult and expensive to treat, and a large number of people with resistant TB will be a public health disaster. No one knows when the second phase medicines will be available. Patients who have started their treatment elsewhere are coming here looking for medicine, but we do not have enough for the entire country." 

June 2017 Prayer Items

Pray for the “P.K.-27” social works campus construction in Gabon.  Phase 1 is underway- a medical clinic and airstrip construction.  A short term team is joining Steve there from June 18-30.  Pray that this property would be used in mighty ways to express the Kingdom and draw people to Jesus.  Pray for the provision of additional funds as machine rentals have increased dramatically.  More info at www.Wings4Africa.org.  If you or your organization or church would like to come to be a part of another trip to help with PK-27, please email me at Gabon.Pilot@gmail.com

Pray for the many staffing needs with Missionary Air Group- both at the US base and at the international programs.  Pray that the Lord would draw pilots, mechanics, community health workers, and administrators to assist in the efforts to bring God’s love to remote people groups.  Pray for Steve and Alace as they recruit and train these new missionaries.

Pray for our aircraft in Gabon.  A recent annual inspection revealed many costly issues that need to be addressed.  Pray that the resources of mechanics, parts, and finances come together soon.  Pray that the aircraft can be flying again, soon, to help expedite Gospel efforts in Central Africa.

Pray for the season of pilot recurrency that Steve will enter soon after the runway construction project. 

MAG Open House & Facility Dedication

On April 22 over 300 supporters of Missionary Air Group descended upon the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport, in Burlington, NC, for the Dedication Ceremony of MAG’s new headquarters.

The MAG Open House and Facility Dedication was a day to honor those that were instrumental in the move into our new base and the office addition that happened concurrently. 

The new MAG World Headquarters features a 1000 sq. ft. operations wing, a 4800 sq. ft. hangar, and the newly constructed 1400 sq. ft. administration wing.  During the open house, the facility was prayed over and dedicated as a resource to advance the Gospel around the world. 

The new admin wing was built over the period of roughly one year. Manpower came from a total of 56 individuals, from 18 churches, from 8 states.  The result is a modern, welcoming, & functional space where MAG staff can support the international work.

The entire MAG Staff was on hand to participate- US-based teammates were joined by MAG international workers from Gabon, Guatemala, and Honduras.  Attendees to the open house were able to visit with the missionaries while touring the MAG facilities.

Another aspect of the day was highlighting needs where additional teamwork is necessary.  In this photo, one such need is highlighted- a new, $77,000 engine is needed for a MAG refurbished aircraft, so that it can start serving in the fleet.  Please consider becoming a MAG teammate 

and help in the effort.  

Visit www.SupportMAG.org.

A Cessna 206 training aircraft was on hand. MAG uses 6-seat aircraft such as these at our international service locations.  They are capable of operating from small, rugged airstrips, meeting the needs of remote people groups and demonstrating God’s love. 

The event was a good time for the whole family.  Our Kids Zone area featured fun and crafts designed to focus attention on the world and imagining life in those far off places.

Everyone was welcomed to explore our aircraft and imagine the types of missions MAG performs regularly. The majority of MAG efforts focus on gaining credibility among marginalized people through medical focused work, such that they become open to the message of the Gospel.

MAG is in need of more teammates!  Perhaps these young ones will one day join us.  Will you consider joining the MAG team?  We need YOU to join us in praying, in giving of resources, and in staffing our programs both in the US and around the world.   

Please visit the MAG website at www.flyMAG.org for more information or email info@missionaryairgroup.org.