Flyin' Bryan

Why are we here?

“Where are you going?” Believe it or not, this is a question I have been asked and have even asked myself a lot lately. Currently, I am training for my instrument rating, a rating that will allow me to fly confidently in clouds. Clouds are great, and I am told they are important, but they sure are annoying to fly in! To become an instrument-rated pilot, you need to become confident about where you are and where you are going in three-dimensional space with only the navigational equipment in the plane. This is important because if you were to lose communication with air traffic control, it is expected for you to fly safely to your destination. Our plane has a GPS unit, and because of that fancy sextant, navigation is easy! But like any good teacher, as soon as you become comfortable, it’s time to challenge the pupil to the next level.

That is why my teachers have been failing almost all the navigation equipment on the airplane every flight! GPS is gone often and what is left is navigation by fancy ground-based aviation radios called VORs. Navigation via VORs is not impossible, and most of the time is not even that difficult, but sometimes depending on the simulated situation, it makes my grey matter overheated. In one of my last flights, I was asked to fly the “056 radial off the Liberty VOR and track inbound”. This is not normally a hard request, but my brain was not engaging, much like the transmission when I was a pimply teen learning to drive a stick shift. I correctly identified where I was going, but I did not correctly identify where I was. I wrongly believed that I needed to turn right and proceeded to do so. My teacher, watching me do so in quiet judgment and apathy, like my face when I see other people’s children throwing a tantrum in a store about a cereal decision, gently asked me “Where are you going?”. A question like this from someone who knows where they are going quickly erodes the fragile belief that you, a student, know where you are. I quickly did a 180-degree turn and confidently pretended like I knew where I was the whole time. Real men don’t need directions, between the powers of our testosterone and blind confidence we can do anything!

“Where are you going” has been a primary thought of mine for over a decade now. For those of you who don’t already know, I am training to become a missionary pilot/mechanic. This path first started in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2007, which is when I would’ve first felt called to this form of ministry at a “Mission Aviation Fest”. Fast forward 11 years, and my wife and I submitted interest forms to an organization where I could get trained called MMS Aviation in the winter of 2018. This road has been long, and God has been good. After our time of training, we will have to decide about where to serve long term. Because of this, the question “Where are you going?” is always there, a continuous thought that plays repeatedly like an earworm of your favorite song.

My wife and I have reached a prayer-laden decision, and we believe God is clearly leading us in one direction. But regardless of our future, this question “Where are you going” still haunts me. As a believer I am assured of where I am going, based completely on the blood of Christ. However, an estimated 1/5 of people worldwide do not have a Bible translated into their language. And The Joshua Project estimates that 3.4 billion people are unreached/underreached. So, the question that should be haunting you the reader is “Where are they going?”

I am the least productive evangelist you will ever meet. If I am given the option to share in front of a group of nonbelievers or clean a run-down 7/11 gas station’s bathroom so someone else can, I would pick the latter. It’s not that God’s grace and redemption are unworthy of daily utterance, but I do not feel gifted as an evangelist.

So why am I here? That’s easy! God has called us to this, has provided for us in this, and has given me this burning question, “where are they going?” I view flying/fixing airplanes as my only slightly less stinky 7/11 bathroom. If I can use my ability as a fancy flying cab driver to move Bible translators and evangelists from one area to another to further the reach of the gospel… then Hallelujah!

That is why we are here. We do not know completely the steps ahead, but we know that we are in God’s hands, and ask yourself this… where else would you wanna go?

August 2023

above; My beloved “Shark Tank”

“Bryan, could you park in the back corner, I don’t wanna be seen in that thing.” This is what my true love said about the mechanized contraption that I have grown so fond of. This hurtful statement was uttered on our way to church in Ohio one summer morning. “Why?” I asked somewhat confused and hurt. She replied through clenched teeth, “It’s ugly!” Inside I knew she was right, but there are things you shouldn’t say. Like when supper is burnt and tastes like charcoal, you are still expected to say it “tastes like manna from heaven”, even though it looks like it came from the other place.

Just look at how happy Shark Tank’s new owner is…

What these hurtful and cutting words were aimed at, was my 2002 Mazda Protégé, affectionately known as “Shark Tank”, so labeled by the son of the chief instructor here at Missionary Air Group. The reason behind its moniker, and the reason for my wife’s lack of fondness for it, was because I painted two giant shark teeth on both sides of the front doors. It looked AWESOME!! I am currently 17 years older than 15-year-old Bryan, but I think if young Bryan saw what old Bryan did to that car, he’d be proud. The reason I did this in the first place and really the reason for “Shark Tank’s” demise altogether, was one and the same, RUST.

Where I live here in NC, rust is a distant and foreign thought. For the majority of the South, rust is viewed as some Yankee problem, similar to Yankee’s inability to make proper sweet tea, grits, or pecan pie. Unfortunately, the origin of “Shark Tank” was far from the land that flows with sweet tea and pecan pie, it traveled with me on this pilgrimage first from PA and then to Ohio, and now to North Carolina, ultimately leading to her demise.

I bought this 2006 Mazda 6 to replace Shark Tank in my driveway, but never in my heart.

Ohio being a place originally settled by mostly outlaws, kinda like a US version of Australia, did not see the need for vehicle inspection, which led to Shark Tank flourishing in the “Buckeye state”. But the cracked windshield and wholly rusted-out frame components would not pass North Carolina’s “safety/money grab” inspection. The frame rails having the tensional strength of tissue paper did concern me slightly, but I made sure my soul was ready to journey heavenward before entering “Shark Tank”, and to Shark Tank’s credit, it did help me to remain twice daily vigilant to the fragility of life.

Matthew 6:19 tells us not to “lay up treasures for yourself here on earth, where moth and rust destroy”. These words were written 2000 years before my beloved Mazda was manufactured and are as true now as they were then. We know these words are true, but like female fireflies, we are attracted to shiny things. The Lantern Fish lights a small light right in front of its scissor-sharp teeth, to lure dumb fish to their demise. We are only slightly smarter and better smelling than deep-sea fish, but if we spend our time chasing shiny things instead of pursuing our relationship with Christ, I fear we will meet a similar eternal demise. I have seen what true heavenly treasure looks like when looking into the tear-filled eyes of someone that has just lost a believing loved one. Those eyes look towards the blinding splendor of heaven, which in turn makes this world a lot dimmer. Please, Lord, give me those eyes to see the beauty and love that is beyond. And please Lord, allow that to dim the shiny things.

But I will still miss you “Shark Tank”, no matter what Maria says.

Flying in the Canadian wildfire smoke made flying only by outside reference difficult, and more then once vertigo set in.

Here is a quick update from the end of May – till the beginning of August.

We have been blessed to have a lot of visitors in the last few months. Our pastor Tim Stauffer and his family came from our home church, Living Waters Mennonite Church. I was able to give them a ride in trusty old 1MG and I was even able to give Tim a chance at flying. He did a really great job and he was grinning from ear to ear. My fellow apprentice from MMS, Matthew Woods, and his family stopped by as well. We were able to reminisce on old times at MMS, and in doing so, made my heart homesick for that little town in mid-Ohio.

Tim Stauffer (our pastor from our home church) grins from ear to ear as I make him fly

We love our home here in North Carolina. Siloam Missionary Homes has all the outside space I have ever wanted, ever. We have a creek, a campground, and all manner of deer and barnyard fowl walking in our backyard at all times. The chickens make working under your car interesting though, as from time to time they peck at your legs for no apparent reason. But when such things happen I say in a deep and determined voice, “You can peck me now, but soon you’ll taste great with hot sauce”. These chickens are a little out of control, and whenever we leave any door open, house, or car, they walk on in like an overly aggressive encyclopedia salesman. Once, a chicken was stuck in our van for a 1/2 hour unbeknownst to us!

Recently when at the cabin with my in-laws we hiked to a 41-year-old plane crash. My father-in-law’s best friend was aboard this flight in 1982 when it crashed into the mountains in rural PA, killing all aboard. My father-in-law has wanted to visit this site for 41 years, and it was an honor to share this sober moment. Flying has risks, and I know that no matter how careful a pilot can be, you will never know when it will be your last takeoff. But we know the One that holds our hearts, and we rest that those aboard this flight did too. Walking and seeing the loose pieces of scattered aluminum the plane has become reminded me that things have no lasting value. We didn’t hike there to see chunks of aluminum, we hiked there to mourn the lost of a friend, and to celebrate where he is today.

We as a family made every pilot’s required pilgrimage to Kitty Hawk, NC. It was interesting to see just how short the historic flights were, and walking the distance of the first flights did not take long at all! If you would’ve told the Wright bros that day that in the future 300+ people would be in one of these machines at 30,000 feet cruising nearly the speed of sound for 13 hours, they would’ve laughed at you.

We made the required trip to pilot mecca aka Kitty Hawk, NC

Speaking of flying for 13 hours… Our trip to Africa is fast approaching! Maria and I will be investigating two ministries on the African continent that God has brought to my mind often in recent years. We will start our trip in Kenya and will spend time with the fine folks at African Inland Mission’s aviation branch “AIM Air”. Then after a week we will fly to Zambia and visit the smiling folks at “Flying Mission Zambia”. Please pray for us during this trip. Pray that God will make it clear where He would like us to serve, and that Maria and I will both have peace about our next steps. We fly out Sep 16th and return Oct 4th.

Till next time,

Driving fancy flying lawnmowers in puffy floating ponds is Christianity in a nutshell.

Due to the overwhelming outcry by whiny pilots, Cessna aircraft company designed windshields for their new model “172” in 1954 so pilots could see what was in front of them. They designed an amazing piece of crystal-clear acrylic that protects the pilots from high-flying bird droppings and prevents damaging their all-important hairdo. I have enjoyed looking through this plastic portal and have seen many beautiful sights over the last few months. That has unfortunately come to an end…

In 1929 a man named “Doolittle” did something. Jimmy Doolittle flew an aircraft by referencing only his flight instruments for the whole flight, without looking outside. This was a pivotal flight that only lasted 15 minutes but changed aviation forever. Because of this heroic flight, you can now hop on an overcrowded and smelly, “Spirit” Airlines flight from New York City, fly in clouds the whole way, and land safely in Los Angeles. And also because of Doolittle, I am no longer looking through that fancy acrylic 20 inches in front of my face.

I am currently training for my instrument rating. This is a license that will allow me to not limit flights just because some annoying elevated fog is in my way. Training for this license requires me to shortly after takeoff don some stylish sunglasses coated almost entirely with blue paint, blocking my vision of all of God’s beautiful creation outside. Instead, I focus almost trancelike on about 7 instruments in front of me, telling me everything that is happening outside. If you would like to try this at home, get one of those shiny windshield cover thingies’, cover your windshield, and just follow your phone’s GPS instead of looking outside. I know, I know, it’s not the same. On the road, you have other “obstacles” like people walking, and deer, but if I am flying in December, stray reindeer are a real concern of mine.

But pilots also have maps to follow made by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Your opinion of not trusting the government may be perfectly valid, but in the midst of mist, you blindly trust some bureaucrat’s map and the government’s radios. Republican or Democrat doesn’t matter when all you can see is various shades of white out the windshield.

So, what does this have to do with Christianity? The similarities between Christianity and flying by instruments alone are numerous, and I completely doubt I’m the first Christian pilot to realize this. Let me explain;

Your ears.

The two wonderful noise collectors on the side of your head are incredible! Not only do they collect the melodious sound of your singing in the shower, but they also provide your body with a sense of balance. Daily your eyes and ears work together, for example when you walk a tightrope over Niagara Falls, to provide you with the balance you need. But in an airplane in the clouds, your sense of what is up or down is almost completely erased. Your eyes staring at the gauges are telling you one thing, but your ears are telling you something completely different. Blindfold someone smaller than you and spin them rapidly and then get them to walk straight ahead and you will see what I mean. Now imagine that in one more dimension, and you will see just how difficult this can be.

This world has been confusing, and it will only continue to be so. Defining right from wrong is daunting sometimes, and you can sense almost daily changing opinions. But we have hope amid the haze. We have truth in the Bible, which is a more perfect set of instruments or maps than any engineer or bureaucrat can ever hope to produce. And we have the Holy Spirit, which, unlike the overworked and stressed-out air traffic control, will never fail you. Like air traffic control, the Holy Spirit will correct you when you are going astray, but without the annoyed smoker’s voice, you hear crackling loudly in your ear.

But just like ATC, the Spirit will not help you if you don’t ask and seek a relationship. ATC/maps/instruments are the only way pilots have life, and The Bible/Holy Spirit/Jesus’s Blood is the only way you can have eternal life too.

Maybe you think you don’t need any of this but remember EVEN “Spirit Airlines” pilots don’t fly blind.

The overwhelming blessing of G.P.S.

Look admit it… you would be hopelessly lost without GPS. You might be of a certain generation and think “How dare this youngin’ write ‘I’m hopelessly lost without GPS’?” You might have warm and nostalgic memories of being completely lost and opening that trusted and stained 8-year-out-of-date atlas, only to discover you still don’t have the faintest idea where you are. Maybe you fondly remember driving to the nearest sketchy gas station and just praying some seasoned, and road-hardened truck driver will guide your poor soul back to the exit towards the goldfish convention you were looking for. You may think those were great times, but I can assure you, nostalgia will make even root canals seem like good memories.

GPS, even with all its faults, has improved our lives greatly. Before GPS you actually had to leave your house in the RAIN to get that taco bell your sleep-deprived brain desired! Now it’s only three clicks and one grub-hubber away!

But GPS has its share of issues. For example, it has made us all lazy in planning before trips. When was the last time you planned in advance where you were going to stop for gas on a road trip? When was the last time you owned or opened what historians call a “map”. Pilots especially have welcomed with open arms the bliss that is GPS. Before, when the Wrights were still flying, pilots had to plan with winds and checkpoints, and recorded times. Now a fancy box paints a magenta line and tells me how long the trip will take, and all I have to do is not fall aslee… oops, what I meant to say is, “fly the line like a professional”.

But even though the government bequeathed us, mere peasants, the wonders of their fancy flying clocks, GPS is not what this post is about. God’s People Serving or G.P.S is what this post is about. I have been absurdly blessed to be surrounded by Godly men and women that have guided me to where I am today. I wish everyone would have the experience I have had with people mentoring them on this journey of life. As I write this, faces and names come to the very forefront of my gray matter, and I almost tear up in gratitude.

I think of a man that is the closest I have ever met to the apostle Paul. He has taught with his very example what it means to love, and I mean truly LOVE people. He has told people to their faces they are sinning, but not in an outwardly pious way, that I find myself wanting to do it in. Do these people run after his stern and firm rebukes? No! In fact, it seems to make them only love him more. He daily spends his life looking to improve the community in which he is planted.

Then there is a man I know that wakes up in the hours reserved for God’s nocturnal creatures, to tearfully and passionately pray for his family, his church, his ministry, our ministry, his employer, and anyone else that God lays on his heart. This man not only does this but has also opened his household’s door to a plethora of children left in the cold of society.

Then there is a man that I know that I currently am using as my G.P.S. He has had a busy life, and it has not always been the cushiest, but he has shown me what it means to be a faithful servant, serving our King with a passion and fire that is more infectious than chickenpox or poison ivy.

The list here could go on for a long while, but I wanted to highlight the people God has laid directly in my path as I have walked this road of life. My prayer for y’all is that you too can have a full pound of gray matter worth of names and faces that will point you to the King, and what it looks like to serve Him.

Oh, and hang on to that nasty stained atlas, you never know when you will need it to start a fire.

MAY 2023

above: God’s blessings are anew every morning.

My mama always told me not to look down on other people, no matter how much nose hair, and bad breath they have. But over the last several months I find myself looking down on most of the central North Carolina citizens. And no, it’s not because of numerous nasal follicles, or the fact they call me a Yankee, it’s just a byproduct of flight training.

Got the opportunity to fly into an airport where the big boys fly:)

Flight training has been going well. Learning flight maneuvers is both difficult and intimating, but to my disappointment, my instructors have yet to let me do a barrel roll, loop, or anything fun. One of the maneuvers I am perfecting is called a “turns around a point”. In this maneuver, you fly 1000 feet above the ground and try to maintain the same distance from one point on the ground as you do a 360-degree turn around it. With winds blowing hard or thermal activity, this seemingly simple maneuver can make even Sully Sullenberger struggle. Because of these variables I have practiced “turns around a point” often recently, many times finding myself over the same house. If you look up and see a small airplane circling your house, don’t be concerned, it’s not the police circling after you ran that last “yellowish” light, it’s just some poor flight student.

Cutting my shirt after my first solo flight. This is a tradition from when the instructor sat behind the student and would grab the student’s shirt tail to get their attention.

This might be a two-part newsletter. As I write this, I have not yet taken my flight test, so there may be an update on the back side of this newsletter once I do.

Currently, our fall plans have a trip scheduled-ish in September to Nairobi, Kenya; Arua, Uganda; and Lusaka, Zambia. On this trip, Maria and I will be visiting AIM Air’s base in Nairobi and Arua, and we will also be visiting Flying Mission Zambia’s base in Lusaka. I don’t know where God has planned for us to serve, but He has put AIM Air at the forefront of my mind over the last several years. I don’t know why, but I do remember having this same feeling, this same “forefront of mind” about us serving at MMS. Going to MMS seemed impossible for me to even envision, and going to AIM would have its fair share of impossibility to get past, but God has proven time and time again that He is a much better pilot for our lives than we could ever hope to be. So please pray that during this trip God will make it clear and that we will be willing to take this next step regardless of the stacks of impossibilities.
Let me give y’all* a 30,000-foot view of the work AIM Air and Flying Mission Zambia do and why we are interested in visiting them.
*and yes I say “y’all” at a daily increasing rate since moving from the Yankee latitudes.

AIM AIR

AIM AIR
African Inland Mission’s (AIM) aviation branch is called “AIM Air”, which is a name I can respect as it is short and gets to the point. AIM Air operates from two bases in east central Africa. Their main base is in Nairobi, Kenya where they fly missionaries to northern Kenya and surrounding countries. Their other base is in Arua, Uganda where they fly to additional surrounding countries to the north, west, and south. You may be wondering why I’m not listing all the countries they fly into, and the reason is, I’m not sure how far and wide they would like that information broadcast. Maybe I’m being too cautious, but my big mouth has gotten me in trouble before😊. I will say this, look at the news, look at some of the saddest humanitarian crises that are happening in East Africa, and there you will more than likely find an AIM Air airplane.
AIM Air operates two types of aircraft, currently, they have 3 Cessna 206 (small, 6 seat, gasoline-powered engine similar to your car’s) and 3 Cessna 208 (larger, 8-13 seat, jet fuel-powered engine).
Flying Mission Zambia

Flying Mission Zambia

.Flying Mission Zambia
Flying Mission Zambia or FMZ is based in Lusaka, Africa, and you may recognize the name as I have been there before. I was there in the spring of 2021 with a rapid response team from MMS to do some much-needed repairs/upgrades to two of their airplanes. The reason we are visiting FMZ on this trip is because 1. I really enjoyed my time at FMZ and I could really sense the Spirit was at work there. 2. We will already be on the African continent and so we will be “local” (only 1200 miles away😊).
FMZ operates their fleet of 3 Cessna 206 (^same model airplane as AIM’s^) almost exclusively in Zambia. There are numerous hospitals, clinics, and distance mission posts that make the airplane a very useful tool. When able, ground transport to field hospitals can be days, and if flooding during the rainy season, maybe not possible at all. Transporting people is one thing, but what if you can’t get medicine? What if surgeries need to be canceled because the generator needs a part or is simply out of gas? We live in a world where two-day shipping is now slow, but most of the world lives where 40-day shipping is lightning fast! But now imagine needing surgery for a broken leg…. 40 days would kinda be a bummer. Planes exist to expedite the process as much as possible so that maybe that surgery can happen sooner, maybe that leg can be spared, maybe a husband can get back to work, and maybe a family will not be devastated, and maybe they will want to know more about this God the people (surgeons, nurses, pilots) that made the surgery possible keep talking about.

We made a flash trip up to the Buckeye state on March 23rd. A few weeks before the 23rd I flew up with MAG so they could do an apprentice pilot review and let me tell y’all I felt like I was a tribesman looking down on his village for the first time. I MISS COSHOCTON!

Coshocton at night

Then on the 23rd, I aided my friend Josh in the final stages of packing Samaritan’s float plane headed to PNG. This plane will now make a months-long journey over land and sea until it reaches its destination in Wewak, PNG. Please remember to pray for Josh and his family as they start serving in PNG with Samaritan Aviation.

Helping pack at MMS

Maria puts up with me for a decade! It’s hard to believe that this April we have been married for a decade! I remember when my sister celebrated her 10th anniversary, and she WAS OLD!!

Look at these youngins! This photo turned a decade old in April!

Yes, we actually went to McDonald’s on our first date and for some reason, she agreed to another date…

… and 10 years later we need to buy more ice cream!

We celebrated in the most logical way, we went to McDonald’s and got hot fudge sundaes just like on our first date. What can I say, I’m a hopelessly romantic kinda fella. Thank you, Maria, for walking beside me on the smooth paths, in the rough patches, and through the fires, you are truly my better half.

Happy birthday Aria!

Aria turns 4! This little girl of ours is so sweet…. and sometimes very dramatic, but we love her and can’t imagine life without her. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she says “a princess with a unicorn.” If we serve in Africa, she might meet that nice Nigerian prince that emails me all the time, and who knows maybe one of her dreams can come true.

I’M A PILOT!!

I passed my pilot’s test! I am now a “private pilot”, but I have several more ratings to train for. Next is my “Instrument rating” (so I can fly into clouds), then “Commercial” (so I can carry passengers without legal headaches), and then hopefully “Flight Instructor” (so I can teach the next generation of mission pilots)

Love y’all,

January 2023

above: It’s not gold but she’s happy.

Christmas travel woes

Several thousand years ago a newlywed couple made a cross-country trip to their ancestral land. Today we like many others, make a similar trip. This is the story of our 2022 road trip up to PA.
Our journey and the aforementioned trip by Mary and Joesph had many similarities. For one, we both traveled many miles to spend Christmas in our ancestral lands. Both they and our children received gifts, even though gold seems like a slightly better gift than what our children got! Both of our trips required many potty breaks (this is of course speculation, but we have three children, and Mary was great with child…). Both of our trips involved paying taxes (I forgot till December to pay my property taxes), and both of our transportation involved gas, theirs producing it, and ours consuming it.
There are, of course, differences in our travel stories. For one, their trip ended in one of the two most important events in human history (the other being the death and resurrection of Jesus). While for us, we just drove through a few states at 70mph with climate control and a radio. But our trip was not without event.
It all started at the beginning of our Christmas journey to PA and I, being a foolish man, embraced my inner Ebenezer and purchased Sheetz’s 88-octane gas. It was only $2.49 a gallon, and in the days of $6 milk and $5 eggs, every dollar helps. I have used this gas before and then mysteriously started having car problems, but my frugal-biased brain decided that there was no way that my new car problems could be cheap gas related.
After filling up my tank to the brim with this discount fuel, I had a wave of pride in just how frugal I was. Some men feel pride in something they built, I feel pride in how much money I can save. My pride continued for the first 200 miles of our trip, but then my van started to hiccup. That hiccup turned into a full-on dry heave, leaving my imagination to envision Joseph dragging a dry-heaving donkey to Bethlehem. I decided that fixing my van in a parking lot somewhere as my family froze, was not a great option, so I decided to spur the dry-heaving donkey harder. It seemed less sickly at 75mph and above, so that is where I kept it. I hoped that if the van engine were to fail, that it would be glorious with pistons exploding out of the hood on their way to orbit. But my faithful donkey got us safely to PA.

My nephew Jayden reviews our handiwork.

After arrival at my parent’s house, and more importantly my dad’s warm shop, I opened the hood and pouted. But with help from my mechanic nephew Jayden, we were soon able to mend the sickly beast of burden. All it took was two coils and knuckle skin, both of which are replaceable.

Evelyn smiling because when this picture was taken, our donkey almost got us back home to NC again.

Christmas travel can be eventful, but we are so grateful for Christmas and the opportunity to remember the birth and sacrifice of Jesus. And I am also grateful my donkey has cruise control.

Missionary Air Group update.

Alan gently reminding me that straight ahead is grass and if we would like to land on the runway we should start turning right.

Since the last newsletter, I have been progressing well in my flight training here at Missionary Air Group, or MAG for short. Right now I am training for my private pilot license which I will probably have by the next newsletter. Then after that, I will start instrument training so I can play airplane peek-a-boo in the clouds.

Alan Brooks and I stand in front of N381MG.

My primary flight instructor is Alan Brooks, a retired corporate pilot with more hours in jets than I have hours in breathing. He has farming origins so he is so down to earth, even in a not down-to-earth job (dad joke…😊 sorry). He is really patient even as I struggle with fundamentally simple things. It’s like having an Olympic runner teaching an adult with short legs how to jog. But I am improving, and I would appreciate your prayers for continued learning ability.

The Cessna 172 I fly (N381MG)

In the above photo, you can see the Cessna 172 that I fly. Its tail number is N381MG, a number that I need to repeat after every radio transmission. This number is burned deep into my brain at this point. I may forget my anniversary, but I will never forget N381MG. Watch the video below of me performing a mock engine failure landing. This was my first one and it was fun!! My instructor claims my engine off landings are better than my engine on landings and I should start flying gliders😊.

My first logbook entry as an A&P

Here is a quick update about the end of Nov, Dec, and the beginning of Jan.

Family hike (Maria and I went polar plunging here at midnight)

Christmas is a fantastic time to reconnect with family and friends. At this point, I have come to the realization that in the view of my parents (in-laws included), my sole purpose is to connect grandparent with grandchild. Just kidding, I know that they love me too, but the grandchildren are cute and little, something I am less of. We had a great time this Christmas with my family, and Maria’s. We went to a cabin with Maria’s family over New Year’s Weekend. One highlight was at the stroke of midnight on Dec 31st, Maria, I, and a bunch of other family members scurried across the ice like jumbo penguins and jumped into the mountain-spring-fed river. It felt amazing, even though I think only now my toes are defrosting.

Our new church

Our new church is High Falls Mennonite Church in Robbins, NC. We feel welcomed here and it feels like a solid church. Thank you for praying for us, especially for the prayer request of finding a new church.

Cleaning out the fridge after power failure.

We live at Siloam Missionary Homes in Snow Camp, NC. Siloam was started by a couple that wanted to supply affordable housing for missionaries. They offer a beautiful library, “Wreck” center, gym, food pantry, campground, farmette, and multiple playgrounds. Below you can see a video I made giving a tour of Siloam. Unfortunately, when we were up in PA, Siloam lost power during that crazy winter storm for about two days. When we came home and first opened the fridge door, we were greeted with a smell that was a cross between a cow’s breath and fermented refried beans. After intense Clorox use, our fridge now smells swimming pool fresh.

Pray for me as I continue flight training. There is a real chance that by the next newsletter, I will be a privately licensed pilot. I don’t know when my test will be yet, but I would appreciate prayers during the month of February, as I will be getting really close (including possibly taking my test then).
Pray that God will make it clear where we are to go next. We are still looking at possibly joining AIM Air in Kenya, but we are open to wherever God wants us.
Praise that we were able to find a Church. Having a solid church is so important, and we believe that we found one at High Falls.
Praise that we had a safe trip up to PA and back for the holidays. Our old donkey is doing great (most days), and I am so grateful it didn’t keel over on the highway. Till next time,

November 2022

above: my first day at Missionary Air Group.

I love random facts that most definitely will never improve my life. When I share some fact with Maria she will often answer with a half-hearted “interesting” and then yawn. I will communicate to Maria interesting stories of spacecraft orbital mechanics and the crazy way Bernoulli’s principle affects our daily lives. She communicates that I should be a good example to my son, start eating and stop making rockets out of my mashed potatoes.

above; Our send-off from our beloved church in Ohio.

Here is an interesting fact; Leaves don’t change color in the fall, the tree just stops producing chlorophyll (the green color) which allows the leaf’s true color to be revealed. The yellow, red, and orange are there all year long, but the green is covering it. Fall leaves always bring the feeling of closure to a year. Temps are cooler, days are shorter, football fans are more obnoxious, and the feeling of change is in the air.

above; Maria and our mountain of junk.

The Martin family is in the middle of a season of change too! For example, I write this newsletter from my North Carolina living room which is currently overcrowded with moving boxes. I think every couple should move two times within 3 years just so they can experience the joy of throwing their spouse’s things away. My wife would ask “Bryan why are you keeping these nasty moldy hats?” to which I would respond “it’s my penicillin experiment, why wouldn’t I want to keep them?”

above; our new house.

So, what’s next? Right now, we are still unpacking, the children are still finding friends, we are looking for a church, and I will be starting flight training in a week. Needless to say, we would definitely appreciate your prayers in the midst of this busy season. We are so grateful for all the help that we received from so many people. Your notes of encouragement, gifts of time, food and money has really made this transition easier.
Your encouragement has made this transition as easy, as a photon traveling in outer space. (Maria here, that means easy because a photon is a massless particle blah blah blah yawn) Thanks!!

MMS/MAG Update

A lot has happened since the last newsletter! After working 33 months at MMS, sweating over 9 tests, and after repeated attempts to bribe my test giver (he never took my $5, his loss), I am now a newly minted airframe and powerplant mechanic! Getting my license was an interesting experience.
I had to take 3 written tests at a designated testing center located at a local airport. The proctor was the owner of the testing center, and she was also the remote secretary for a local construction company. My quiet exam room was intermittently interrupted by passionate conversations about roofing.

above; Chuck Egbert shakes my hand and presents me a signed completed test form. Oh, and me grinning like an idiot.

Next, I had to take 3 oral exams. I sat in a room with Chuck Egbert (co-worker at MMS, and FAA-approved test giver) as he asked me questions that felt like they ranged from how to test aircraft fabric strength to why is it that round pizzas come in square boxes? After an hour of intense finger and eventually toenail biting, I passed.
Next 3 practical exams. During this part of testing, he would ask me to perform a maintenance task and then watch me perform it. This was nerve-racking at first, but after a short period of time, I quickly found that I was enjoying it. It was like an escape room but with the fun additional pressure that instead of just failing at a fun game, I would be failing a life calling. After about a day and a half of tasks, he told me to do one more, and to my great joy, it was super easy! Amid finishing that task I realized that I am now an A&P! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the prayers and financial support over the last few years, and thanks for the support of my amazing wife, without it I wouldn’t be here.

above; Posing in front of the MAF Cessna headed for Liberia.

Three days after becoming an A&P I flew out to Missionary Aviation Fellowship USA HQ in Boise, Idaho to aid in preparing a Cessna Grand Caravan for service in Liberia. This was a fantastic experience as before this I had no maintenance experience on this type of common mission airplane. We were doing upgrades stateside before it flew to Liberia as this both helped with reducing the amount of needed paperwork and wait times on parts. MAF treated me well and I was able to stay at one of their beautiful guest houses.

above; MAF’s Grand Caravan.

One highlight was I was able to see Nate Saint’s actual airplane (see Freddie’s video about Nate Saint below). After two weeks of becoming homesick, I headed home one week before moving.

above; Nate Saint’s actual airplane.

Here is a quick update about the end of Sept, Oct, and the beginning of Nov.

above; moving is “fun”

October 29th was moving day. I got home from Idaho on Oct 22nd, and between then and the 29th we had a lot of packing to do. Maria’s mother and sister came out to help the week before and made BIG progress. But it still took most of the last week to pack up, give away, and burn all the stuff we didn’t wanna move. Our house down here was fully furnished so we had to get rid of all our furniture. It was with great joy that I burned our terrible snot-infused sofas!! I have been daydreaming of burning them for over a year, and it made me as happy as I thought it would!
We decided to rent a trailer because Uhaul wanted over $1000 for even a small truck. My co-worker volunteered/I begged and he agreed he could pull our trailer with his Expedition. Little did he know that apparently all our boxes were lined with lead. He claimed it pulled well, even with the hitch dragging on the ground the whole way. We are so grateful for his help and all the help from others unloading!

above; my co-worker overloaded Ford.

Pray for us as we look for another church. A strong church with strong spiritual input is crucial for us as a family. We were blessed with the brotherhood that we experienced at Crosspointe church in Ohio. Please pray for us that God will show us our next church.

Pray for Maria and the Children. Pray that the children will be able to make quick friends. Pray for Maria as we continue to unpack. Having three children and everything scattered everywhere is stress-inducing!

Pray for me as I start flight training. Pray that I will be able to learn and honestly just allow myself to be bad at something. Starting at MMS I felt overwhelmed day after day, but towards the end, I was starting to be useful. Now I am going back to being useless again! So pray that I will be calm and relaxed.

Praise that we had a safe move. We had a convoy of four vehicles and I was concerned because mine are both barely highway worthy, but we had no mechanical issues.

Praise for our new house. It is really nice and we LOVE living in the woods away from the noise of Coshocton. Every truck in Coshocton had no mufflers, and every truck owner loved to hear their truck roar. So yeah, this place is really nice!

Praise that I passed. My Airframe and Powerplant license was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I could feel all the prayers.

Till next time,

September 2022

Above: Aria enjoying a carousel.

Between eating Elmer’s glue on a dare (little boys are gross) and making leaky clay “bowls”, art was easily one of my favorite classes in school. I am not a natural artist, and I am constantly amazed at the beauty others can produce with a simple pencil to paper. My art is less Rembrandt and more Picasso, with stick figures and pine trees dominating my masterpieces.
Art is both a natural gift and a carefully crafted skill. I am a gifted procrastinator, but it has taken me a lifetime of trial and error to hone. Procrastination grows from one-day late homework assignments, and when perfected leads right to one-day late mortgage payments, trust me. But art is different. Art is beautiful and is meant to inspire, stir emotions, sadden, and bring joy. Don’t believe me? Listen to the “Hallelujah Chorus” from the lips of a full choir accompanied passionately by a full orchestra.

So what is the art of saying goodbye? Goodbye is mostly a meaningless word. Of course, we say goodbye when we leave friends, church, or family potlucks. But what is the art of saying goodbye? How can we communicate the joy, sadness, and general mix of emotions that goodbye brings? Goodbye is more than a word, it’s an idea of departing the known and entering the unknown. When Christopher Columbus left to travel West, he didn’t know what lay ahead of him, so he probably said goodbye to his wife Karen Columbus, and left for the unknown. Goodbyes are not always empty, and soon we will say it again.

Camping with our church small group. This is one of the last times we got to spend time with them.

So what’s next? Lord willing we move to North Carolina on October 29th, and we begin to say hi to a bunch of new faces. But in so doing we say goodbye to all the friends and the loved ones we made here in Ohio. Maybe I am being overly dramatic, but there is a real chance that I will never see some of you again. When I wrote “the art of saying goodbye” in the December 2019 newsletter, Janie Martin my wife’s grandmother was pictured helping us pack up our house in PA. That was one of the last times we ever saw her on this side of eternity.

So to all my loved ones in Ohio, goodbye, and thanks for all the buckeye candy, it tasted way better than even the most premium Elmer’s glue.

Currently at MMS

Me working on installing the windshield in the Lance. Fitting windshields in airplanes is painstaking and proof we live in a fallen world.

Currently, at MMS I am still working on the avionics upgrade to LAMP’s 1977 Piper Lance. Things are going well with the project, and we are getting closer to completion daily. A few weeks ago, I was in charge of rigging the aileron, rudder, elevator, and trim systems. I was basically in charge of making the airplane control cables the correct tension and the correct travel. This can be a long process, but pilots appreciate airplanes that turn in the direction they point them in. Anyways, I tensioned the cables and had them checked by my boss. Then after break, we tested them again and found the tension changed. So I corrected them and moved on. Then we checked the cable tension again an hour or so later and they changed again. Needless to say, I was beginning to think unhappy thoughts. It was only after much unprofitable frustration that my boss thought about testing the cable tension with a different cable tension tester. Lo and behold, our cable tension tester was to blame for all the confusion. So we corrected it and we were back in business.

Mike Dunkley (my current team leader) and I cheesing it up.

I am studying half-days now as I prepare for my future mechanic license tests. My three written tests are scheduled tentatively for the 22nd of September and my oral and practical exams are planned for October 5th – 6th. On October 8th I will fly out to Boise, Idaho for two weeks to aid in preparing MAF’s Grand Caravan for service in Africa. I arrive home on the 22nd of October and we move on the 29th. Right now feels like the calm before the storm!

I got the opportunity to represent MMS Aviation at Oshkosh this year. Oshkosh is the world’s largest airshow, with over 10000 airplanes in attendance this year. With my wrist in a cast (more about that later) I was almost useless at the shop. So I was really glad to get the opportunity to go to the mecca of aviation.

Part of the Oshkosh crew (and my burnt forehead)

Here is a quick update about the end of July, Aug, and the beginning of Sept.

I may have had a motorcycle accident. It is a long story, and I did a write-up about it you can read if you click here. The short story: I was driving on a Sunday afternoon when Maria was in PA, and a car didn’t see me and turned into my lane of travel. I got knocked out and rushed to the ER. Praise God I only broke a wrist, had a concussion, and banged up my knee bad. I am better now, but please pray I get full wrist movement back.

With my cast on I couldn’t do much at the hangar. Most of the time mechanics wish for more joints instead of fewer. So we jumped at the chance to help an Ohio friend move to Boston. The couple rented a giant Uhaul truck that I drove up amid heavy Boston traffic. We were able to spend a few days visiting Maria’s sister Diana & her husband Jesse. They currently live in Boston as he attends Sattler college. Boston is beautiful but I always feel like a country bumpkin whenever I am in a city with more than 5 McDonalds.

On Labor Day we visited the Pittsburgh children’s museum. It was a super fun place with all types of interesting activities for the children. There were ropes attached to a stand that if you pulled just right, would make projected kites fly on the ceiling. There was a water room with all matter of water toys and a big table of ice shavings that Evelyn mostly just ate.

Evelyn turned one on September 14th. I can’t imagine living life without our little girl with curly strawberry hair. She is not as proactive about walking as her older siblings were; Aria learned to walk at 9 months, and Freddie at 11.75 months. But she is a happy crawling baby and besides Freddie carries her everywhere she needs to go.

Upcoming dates

Sept 22nd I will take my three written exams, Oct 5th-6th I take my oral and practical exams, Oct 8th-22nd I fly to Idaho to aid MAF in preparing a Cessna Caravan for service in Africa, Oct 29th Move to North Carolina.

Prayer and Praise

Pray that I can stay focused when I take my exams. Pray that my brain will remember all the things I studied. Pray for our family as we say goodbye. Pray for the children during all this time of change and busyness.

Praise that we have our home situation already figured out in NC. Praise that we don’t have a basement apartment (more about that in the next newsletter). Praise that I survived my motorcycle crash. Praise that we survived MMS Aviation! 😊 It was hard, but we couldn’t have done it without your prayers!

Till next time (and by then from North Carolina),

Motorcycles are awesome and I nearly died on one.

above: I got to ride a Harley on highway 1 in California in 2018 and yeah it totally makes you cool..

Here is a love story to all motorcycles, a defense of why I think they are awesome, and a short story of how I almost died on one. So first the short story of nearly dying…

Our newsletter is called “Flyin’ Bryan” and in a few months, I will start taking professional flight lessons. But last month I took an unscheduled flight that ended with me in the ER. Here is what happened.

The day was beautiful, with both bountiful supplies of sunshine and warmth. My lovely wife Maria and our three lovely but smelly children were in Pennsylvania visiting with Maria’s folks. Living 6 hours apart from the grandparents puts a strain on just how much spoiling can be accomplished, and so it delighted all parties involved to have Maria stay in PA for a week. That in turn left me to fend for myself in our now empty and quiet Coshocton mansion. Fortunately for me, the food situation was taken care of almost immediately. A local restaurant sells a two-pound burger, topped with one pound of bacon, topped with 8 slices of cheese, and finally topped with a whole tomato and lettuce all for $24 bucks. I had daydreamed off and on again about this heart-stopping masterpiece from the very first moment I learned about it. From the time Maria announced that she would be spending time in PA, to the time she finally left, my mouth didn’t stop salivating. So here was the game plan: I would cut this birthday cake-sized burger into 8 pieces and be fed from it for four days. To say that this was a faultless plan is not entirely true. The first few reheats were still delicious, but as time marched on, the reheats got less and less desirable. In fact, towards the end, my burning love for this burger was replaced with a contempt almost greater.

Anyways back to the warm summer day. I was at home alone, and the thought of driving an empty minivan to church seemed like a nonstarter. Most Sunday mornings consist of rushing out the door in a mad blur, hoping that all the children are at least dressed in human clothes and that I managed to brush my teeth, hair, and occasionally nose hair. So embracing the moment I grabbed my motorcycle helmet and the riding jacket and after a short nose hair brush, I headed at a much calmer pace. On the way to church, I was reflecting on how half my life I have been driving these mechanized death traps, first getting on one at 16 (I’m now 32). The warm sun shining down on me, and the beauty of the surrounding Ohio countryside made me think of my Creator. I started to pray and during which I asked, “God should I keep this motorcycle?”

After church and VBS drama practice, I once more hopped on my trusty bike. I had no reason to head home so instead, I decided to explore more of Holmes County. After about an hour of road apple dodging, I decided to head home. I was driving south from Millersburg on 83 just about to pass Walmart when out of the corner of my eye I saw a silver or white blur. My brain told me that “um you are GOING TO CRASH” and then the curtain fell.

The next I remember is waking up in the ambulance confused and with the taste of blood in my mouth. I asked the EMT what happened, to which he replied you have been in an auto accident. Me being the cheap wad that I am, of course, asked “who was at fault” fully hoping this luxurious ride to the hospital would not be on my dime. He offered up that he thought it was the other party’s fault, to which I laid my head back and relaxed. Then I remembered that my mother taught me that if I can wiggle all my fingers and toes I was not paralyzed. I hastily wiggled every willing digit, and to much relief, they all moved. Next on my mental to-do list was to contact my loving wife.

How I contacted Maria can be called many things, but in the middle of concussion-laden brain fog, I relied on an old trusty text. I texted her a picture of my feet on an ambulance gurney with the caption “been in a motorcycle crash”, and then I promptly passed out. Maria responded as any sane spouse would with follow-up questions, and concerns. All her texts were unanswered until I came to again and by that time the ER docs were scanning every part of me with machines that made grunting noises.

The Docs after running every piece of testing equipment they had, decided to discharge me. I was in a slight pickle being that my wife was 6 hours East of my current location and I needed a lift home. Fortunately, I am blessed with a lot of good friends, and their “good Samaritan” spirits were pricked because I was bleeding, and making moaning sounds. My friend Josh came and picked me up and graciously gave me a ride home.

The next day I slept almost the entire day. Concussions are weird and I have never had one this bad. I would not stay awake for a full day until an entire week after the accident. The only bright spot is that now when I fail at something I choose to still blame it on the concussion. Most people gently remind me that I wasn’t that good before the concussion either, so that excuse rings a little hollow.

On the second-day post-accident, I drove to the doctor to get a cast put on my wrist. I have never had a cast and thought this would be an interesting adventure. Trying to work on aircraft with a big cast and an immobile wrist proved to be difficult. Most of the time I wish my arm would have more joints versus fewer and having a wrist locked up made my arm as graceful as if I replaced the lower half with a baseball bat.

The definitely not OSHA approved cast remover.

After four weeks in August, my stinky cast was finally removed. The smell of my cast was impressive. I was both disgusted and interested in a smell that was a cross between Febreze and death. I sprayed my cast almost daily with Febreze to help calm the smell down. If you Google whether or not to spray a cast with Febreze all the experts say “it will only make things worst”, to which I say, “you have never had a cast in August.”

So I am good now. All casts are removed, spine straightened, and knee healed. My wrist is still not perfect, but it gets better daily. I still love motorcycles and even now I look at them with longing eyes. I miss working on them, and the dirt, grease, and bugs in your teeth that you acquire from riding them. But I feel God has made it clear to me that this is not the season, and I honestly don’t know if I will ever get another motorcycle. I praise God that my crash was not worse, and for the amazing support structure (wife, church, friends) that He has surrounded me with.

But…. I still wanna go vroom-vroom….

July 2022

above: the “ham-mock”

The Hammock

Let me tell you of a controversial word that could divide your family loyalty in two. This word may drive brother against brother, and may even make fathers disown their very children. The word is hammock. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Stop and say the word “hammock” out loud. If you said “ham-mock” you are a decent and trustworthy person. If you said “ham-mick” you are probably someone that should be on a no-fly list. I am not an English language master, for example, the words “pool” and “pole” escape my lips as essentially the same word. But I will die on this mountain that the swingy, sleepy thing is called a ham-mock.
We the Martin family have several ham-mocks. I have always been fond of sleeping and hammocks offer a unique burritolike experience. I have two “Wise Owl” backpacking hammocks, one for me and one for Freddie. I once made the mistake of sleeping with my 5-year-old son in my two-man hammock. That night started well with both our weary bodies retiring early. Then it grew into a long and uncomfortable one, as what once was my precious son got replaced by a boney-kneed octopus with restless leg syndrome.
One of our favorite hammocks is the one hanging on our back porch. Freddie and Aria both love to swing from it, and Freddie will routinely spend hours swinging back and forth daydreaming about new inventions. My relationship with this hammock predates my relationship with Maria, and I find my fondness for both has grown ever deeper over time. Unlike Maria, my hammock doesn’t take all the covers or lay criss-cross and demand more bed real estate… Hmm if I continue much longer, I maybe spend all my time on the hammock… Anyways moving on. I purchased this hammock on a short-term mission trip to Belize 14 years ago. After seeing everyone looking so comfortable hanging out in these lovely things, I knew I needed to acquire one. Recently after Evelyn’s surgery, I spent hours holding and rocking her in this trusty hammock. For some reason, Evelyn was comforted so well by the gentle swinging of that hammock.

Back to her old self. Right now she is constantly sticking out her tongue because her mouth feels funny, which is super cute!

We honestly don’t know the long-term consequences of our actions. Like the Central American factory worker that assembled that hammock 14+ years ago probably never imagined that their handiwork would be what a father needed in Ohio to help calm his hurting daughter. Or the factory worker in Lititz, Pa welding wheeled platforms that will one day allow medivac helicopters to leave their hangars faster and save more lives (I witnessed this firsthand). Our lives are interdependent, and the small things we do can make a giant difference thousands of miles away. I’m privileged with my job here at MMS because I am daily reminded of the missions that use these flying tools to aid people around the world, but we couldn’t be here without you. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (paraphrased) “So, whether you eat or drink, make helicopter dollies, trusty hammocks, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Enough writing; time to take a nap in my trusty ham-mock.

Currently at MMS

The annual I was working on for “Flights for Christ” Maule M5 is completed! Since completing the Maule, I have been busy! I aided in getting the AWA yellow and blue 206 annualed and ready for its trip into northern Canada where it will be used to reach far into the interior of the great white north.

AWA Yellow 206 ready to leave the MMS nest.

I also assisted in an engine change on Gospel Carrier Mission’s King Air 200. This engine change gave me great turboprop experience which will be very helpful in the near future.

The King Air that I helped change the engine on

I am currently working on an avionics upgrade to LAMP’s bright red Piper Lance. This airplane will also serve in northern Canada, which I am told is a big country. Avionic upgrades like this are crucial for ensuring continued safe flights for missionaries and their loved ones. Plus, I love the satisfying feeling of taking the unruly wire messes behind the old panels and making them into organized, labeled wire bundles. And yes, I am the type of guy that organizes my M&M’s by color before eating them.

My team leader Mike telling me a thing or two 🙂

Here is a quick update about the end of May, June, and the beginning of July.

This was only a photo op… we didn’t get to fly ;(

Evelyn’s surgery was a great success! On the day of the surgery, we had to leave the house by 5:30 AM to get to the hospital in time. We were unable to feed her after 6:30 AM and we feared a very unhappy and very hungry baby. But we could honestly tell people were praying for poor little Evelyn because she stayed happy all the way up to the time of surgery. The surgery took just over 5 hours when they inserted ear tubes into both ears and repaired her cleft palate. Time moves painfully slow when you have a child in surgery, and we waited for what seemed like ages. The only great distraction for me was that the hospital had $.50 cent wings, and nothing helps overcome nervousness like stuffing your belly. Finally, our doctor came out and said all is done, and we could come back to see her. There she was being rocked by a caring nurse. Her cry was so confused and painful. The second I saw her puff of hair, my heart skipped a beat. I love my daughter and I am so happy that she is okay. Thank you all for all the prayers, encouraging words, and kind deeds, we are forever grateful.

I competed in Coshocton’s “Indian mud run”

Aria turned 3 in May. I really can’t believe how old she is getting. It’s crazy to think that she was just 8 months old when we first arrived here in Coshocton and now, she is growing into this beautiful and expressive little girl. We love our silly dirt-munching (yup she still eats dirt) daughter.

Daddy/daughter birthday breakfast (note sad looking pig face)

Here is an updated timeline. I added a new event possibly next year. AIM Air in Nairobi, Kenya offers a 2-month internship to see the inner workings of their ministry. Currently we feel like God is opening doors for us to serve at AIM Air and are looking at pursuing this opportunity. I have been praying that this trip will make us grow as a family and help us to see the needs in the broader world.

Prayer

Please pray for our neighbor Roger. He keeps talking about the “big man upstairs” but is not yet willing to admit that he is not in good standing with the “big man upstairs”. I do see his heart softening to the idea, but not yet broken.

Pray for me as I test in September. Honestly, I am nervous and weirdly confident at the same time.

Pray for Maria as we prepare to move and get rid of almost everything. Our next house is fully furnished.

Praise

Praise that Evelyn’s surgery was a success and that she is healing so well.
Till next time,