We Passed MAF Technical Evaluation!

The Airplane Joe Flew During His Flight Evaluation

Thank you to all who prayed for us the last couple weeks. We are excited to share with you that we successfully passed Mission Aviation Fellowship's technical evaluation (TE). 

No, Joe didn't fly this one!

The next step will be to return to Nampa, ID from July 10th-August 18th for candidacy. At that time we will officially become members of MAF and we will be assigned to a location. We are really looking forward to finally knowing where we will end up.  It is exciting to contemplate telling all our friends about where we will be serving and what we will be doing over the coming months.  

We were impressed with MAF as an organization. MAF is highly professional and it is clear that they take good care of their people. Joe appreciated the emphasis on safety and high standards for both flight and maintenance. I appreciated how they involved me in the process and provided lots of opportunities to connect with MAF career wives and staff. We felt that the organization has good accountability and transparency.  They care about how the family is doing, they stress the importance of work/life balance and they have lots of resources in place to help us to thrive. We both have a lot of peace about moving forward.

Cessna T206 in the MAF Hangar

One of my big questions during the week was how to best prepare for candidacy and the big decision on where to go. Here are some of my thoughts: 

1. Many people shared their experiences serving in many places and how God used the good times and the hard times for their growth and blessing. There will be pros and cons no matter where we go. 
2. The organization has a healthy approach governed by prayer that balances where they need personnel and what our desires are. They will make an offer about where to serve, and we can say yes or no. I believe God will confirm our decision by giving both Joe and me peace about it. 
3. We can best help the candidate committee by being open to all our options and understanding/articulating the common values both Joe and I share (like what type of ministries we most want to support, what our gifts and skills are, what kind of schooling options we would like). 



Walk with dad after a long week of TE

4. Ultimately our trust needs to be in God. Struggles are a part of life no matter where you live and people will let you down. We believe God has prepared this opportunity for us, He is with us, and He will take care of us. 

Gracie had to see the dinosaur at a fuel stop!

One of the things I've been thinking about is how to balance commitment to the organization with what is best for our family. I know that misguided commitment to God's work can be incorrectly used to justify unhealthy neglect of personal needs or relationships. I do not want that for my family. I'm thankful for the wisdom of those at MAF who helped me work through my thoughts on this. God impressed on me that what is needed is not only deep commitment but also authenticity. There will be difficulties; adversity will happen. If we have not settled in our hearts that we are serving where God wants us until He makes it clear it is time to leave, then we aren't going to be able to persevere. However, we also need to be honest about what we are feeling and the problems that arise, so that we can reach out for help from others and resolve the issues. 

Karen, Gracie and our soon to arrive Timothy!

We would appreciate your prayers for the following: 

1. Baby Timothy is due May 3rd!!
2. Karen is doing an online training on "Serving Others by Listening Well." 
3. That Joe will be able to finish well at his job at Hillsboro Aero Academy and that his students will succeed at their training. His last day will be June 30th. 
4. As we anticipate the busyness, changes and challenges ahead, we want to make sure we have good patterns of self-care established like spending time alone in prayer and Bible study, getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, getting regular exercise, taking time to relax and connecting as a family. Pray we will prioritize these things regardless of circumstances.  
5. That God will prepare a team of prayer and financial support partners.  

Thank you again for your prayers and support! It means a lot to us!