Flying

Karen has written several updates recently, and this time it's my turn (Joe). I love flying airplanes and I have a lot of friends who fly and who are also passionate about aviation. So, some random thoughts on flying, things I've done and what I know so far about flying in Lesotho.  

Flying is not "just a job" for me, and it was not initially a career goal. As a kid I did look up in the sky a lot at airplanes and wish that I was flying, but due to economic constraints and  parents' concern for safety, being a pilot was not something that I perceived as in the realm of possibility. As at result I came to aviation at almost 30 years of age when I rode with my younger brother in a rented Cessna 172.  I was hooked from that point. Karen could see how interested I was and for my birthday in 2010 gave me an introductory flying lesson and a headset. I don't think she realized at that time what a large life change her act would cause. Hopefully she would do it again! 

For those of you who are not aviators, you must realize that ratings or certificates in aviation never end. I can guarantee you that the most accomplished pilot is either consciously or unconsciously yearning for the opportunity to fly a different aircraft, or even better, to earn another FAA rating or certificate. Most of the time, an aviator has a mental list of the next achievements he or she wants to attain. Sometimes these are official ratings and sometimes they are personal records or personal goals. There are practical or career reasons for these attainments, but not always. Many times an aviator will get a rating "just in case" or to qualify for an aviation job he or she is dreaming about.   

Using myself as an example, as of today, I'm an instrument qualified single and multiengine land-aircraft commercial airplane pilot as well as an instructor for single engine airplanes, including instrument instruction. I am also a airframe and powerplant mechanic.  Since I have my dream job with MAF already, I have little reason for career advancement purposes to achieve more ratings. Yet I have a list of desired ratings which I want to attain, for personal fulfillment and a sense of achievement: high altitude endorsement, tailwheel, single engine seaplane, multiengine instructor, air transport pilot (ATP), commercial rotor wing, mechanic with inspection authorization (IA). Time and expense may prevent achievement of some of the goals, but I can always dream!

Karen with my airplane the day I flew it home

Shortly after I became a private pilot seven years ago, this ratings game plus the desire to be able to use aircraft as a real transportation tool drove me to get an instrument rating (a pilot is properly trained to fly through clouds) and then a commercial certificate (so I could be paid to fly). I also began to want to fly faster aircraft than I could economically rent where I lived in Pullman, WA. So I talked myself into buying an airplane. After some research I narrowed my options down to a few different models but there was really only one option for me in my search for speed: a Mooney. I purchased a 1967 Mooney M20F in 2012 and owned it for just over 2 years. I used it for customer service for our family business and for many personal trips with Karen. The ability to go in a straight over mountains and across country at nearly 200 mph brought us to several states and many adventures. Some of the trips in the Mooney stretched my abilities as a pilot, and though I made mistakes, God kept us safe. 

Safety was actually indirectly how I got into missionary aviation. In an attempt to be a conscientious pilot, I periodically attend FAA conferences related to aviation safety. In 2013, shortly before the birth of our daughter, I attended one that turned out to be a mission aviation safety conference. Though I had previously possessed a vague awareness of mission aviation, at that conference, I had my first exposure to missionary aviators. I found out that with my degree from Moody and my commercial pilot certificate, I only needed an mechanic certificate to qualify to be a missionary pilot. Over the course of the days after that conference I began to realize that God had been preparing me all my life for mission aviation. I was overjoyed at finding a way to fulfill my call to serve God in His kingdom while helping others and engaging my passion for flying. You can read more about my passion and calling here.   

But first I had to become an aviation mechanic. It would have been nice to keep my airplane and keep flying while I studied to become a mechanic, but as always in life, there was no way to have it all. So I made the decision to quit my job in the family business, sell my airplane and go all in on an aviation career by becoming a CFI (Certificated Flight Instructor).  After several years as an amateur pilot, I was finally becoming an aviation professional.  As I studied and prepared for this role, I quickly realized that I had a long way to go and a lot to learn.  Fortunately, I had a great and patient teacher in Theresa Nelson at Aero Maintenance in Vancouver, WA, and ended up working for a very professional flight school, Hillsboro Aero Academy, in Hillsboro, OR.  Meanwhile, I attended Portland Community College to become an A&P.

I have flown a couple different models of Cessna 206.  One of them was for a technical evaluation with MAF, and is the same model that I will be flying in Lesotho with MAF, a T-206G.  Before we go to Lesotho I will have opportunity to do a few weeks of training with MAF to standardize on their SOPs and operations in this model. All MAF pilots go through this standardization and I am getting more and more excited about this training after watching several videos posted by other MAF pilots who have gone through this process. To get their pilots ready to fly in challenging mountain terrain and to give them confidence to safely land on airstrips in these mountains that are sometimes less than 1000 feet in length, the MAF standardization takes place in the mountains of Idaho near the MAF headquarters.  The terrain and mountains there are remarkably similar to those in Lesotho, where I will be operating the 206 on dirt and grass airstrips that are 6-10,000 feet above sea level.  

Mountains of Lesotho

I find aviation to be immensely satisfying, both as a commercial pilot and as an instructor.  As an instructor, it's tremendously gratifying to see a student progress and take on the role of being a pilot. 

Besotho woman with baby in MAF airplane

They may struggle but then they "get it." They have the satisfaction of having worked to overcome an obstacle to success. They learn to make smart decisions, to be disciplined, to be methodical and to not let the unexpected fluster them.  I have the privilege of guiding them in that process, and I get to learn along with them.  Often, I have to overcome my own frustration.  Many times I realize that I don't know what I need to when I have to explain or demonstrate something to a student. But the net result is that we both learn.  I also love introducing people, and especially young people, to aviation.  General aviation epitomizes the freedom and community that can be had as a result of investing concerted effort in responsible use of a shared system.  General aviation pilots in the United States have the privilege of flying almost anywhere they want and mingling in the same airspace with airliners carrying hundreds of passengers. This privilege is a result of substantial training and careful attention to safety and good judgment that the vast majority of pilots exhibit.  It's a special community of which I am humbled and happy to be a part. When I take a young person on an introductory flight and see their excitement and joy as they take the controls of the airplane, I am hoping they will catch the bug and invest the time and effort to become part of the aviation community.  I can also use the airplane as a tool to save lives and bring hope to those who have lost hope. How blessed I am to be able to do something I love to help others!

3300 miles...

Cessna 206 in the MAF Hangar in Nampa

This summer, we logged over 3300 miles on the road. In June we traveled from Portland to peaceful Priest Lake for family time and then to Nampa, ID for MAF orientation.  After five weeks there it was back to our hometown of Pullman, WA, on to smoky Coeur d'Alene, ID, and finally past the recent wildfires in the Columbia Gorge on our way back to Portland a few weeks ago. Though we had a great time visiting many dear friends, it is nice to be home (and back in our own beds). Joe is happy not to have to pack and unpack the car for a few months! 

MAF assisting in St. Maarten 2017 following Hurricane Irma

Photo courtesy of MAF

Our training at MAF Headquarters was an intense five weeks of mostly classroom training.  We learned about MAF's locations of service around the world and how MAF does  more than just fly airplanes. For example, we use our technology resources to quickly establish satellite communication after a natural disaster, so that hospitals and disaster response teams can coordinate their efforts. Recently MAF disaster response staff arrived on the ground in St. Maarten, an island nation in the Caribbean that has been devastated by Hurricane Irma. They are assessing the situation to determine how MAF can use our aviation and communication services to best help those in need.  MAF pilots also completed an aerial survey over Haiti that was used by both MAF and other organizations to assess the needed response after the passage of the hurricane.  This type of collaborative service and coordination with various non profit organizations is a big feature of MAF's ministry.

Another part of our MAF orientation was security training where we learned ways to stay safe overseas (including doing some fun evasive driving maneuvers), as well as ministry partnership training where we learned how to share about our journey to MAF and what the organization does.

Us with the other crazy pilot families

My favorite part about training was feeling like I was part of a new family with MAF. It is a place where I can belong, grow, and have fun! MAF is a place were each person's different skills and gifts are celebrated and can be used to serve God and bless others.

Joe's favorite part about our training was seeing how collaborative MAF is with other organizations. He loved learning how they use their logistical expertise to creatively share Christ's love with isolated peoples.


Gracie loved having lots of outdoor space to play in and meeting lots of new friends. She got to go to her first movie night at a friend's house. Timothy also did really well and charmed everyone with his smiles.

Timmy and Gracie giggles

Gracie with her new friends in Nampa

AND a pet frog!

Many have asked us, "So, what's next?"

• Our full-time job over the next couple months is building a team of financial and prayer supporters for our ministry in Lesotho. Our goal is to complete this task by February. 
• Once we have raised all of the ongoing monthly support needed, then we can begin 12 final weeks of training: language learning, cultural adaption, flight standardization and maintenance standardization.
• After that, we will almost be ready to leave for Lesotho! A few final things remain including packing, immunizations, passports, visas and saying goodbye (for now) to family and friends.
• We hope to arrive in Lesotho by summer of 2018. 

Although it seems like there are still many things to do before we can go, we do not view this time raising support as simply necessary to get done before we can go. It is an opportunity for us to spend time building relationships through listening to others, praying for them and sharing with them the vision God has placed in our hearts.

It has been amazing to us to see how God has been confirming our decision to move overseas and preparing us to go. We can already see how this time of preparation will be one of personal growth. I hope to write more in another blog post the ways we see God shaping and refining us. One of the things I love about this journey is the constant challenge, and sometimes painful push, to reexamine who I am, to face my fears and anxieties, and to surrender more fully my needs to God's will and timing.

We will share a story from the Lesotho team in our next MAF newsletter coming in October. In the meantime, we want to share a few recent photos from our teammates in Lesotho! If you are not receiving our MAF newsletter, feel free to sign up at www.maf.org/adams.

Lesotho is south of the equator, so this is a photo from an MAF flight this August.

Photo Courtesy of Bryan Scott Eygabroad  

Matekane Airport in Lesotho with a 1,300 foot runway that extends to the edge of a 2,000 foot cliff.

A takeoff from this runway is quite thrilling (or terrifying) as the terrain drops away suddenly.

Photo Courtesy of Matthew Monson

MAF Assignment to Lesotho

We have been in Nampa, Idaho, at MAF for just over a week. It has been a whirlwind of training, orientation and exposure to the mission, vision and values of the organization.  We have learned what MAF has done in the past, how its scope includes much more than just aviation, and its plans for expansion and improvement in coming years.  The more we find out, the more excited we are to be joining this organization that is so passionate about sharing the love of Jesus with the world.

MAF Plane In Beautiful Lesotho 
(Photo courtesy of MAF)

All of our training sessions culminated yesterday in an assignment to MAF's Lesotho program.  The Kingdom of Lesotho (pronounced li-SOO-too), is a small, mountainous country located entirely within South Africa. Lesotho is the only country in the world that lies entirely above 3,281 feet in elevation. While beautiful, this small African nation is crippled by poverty, famine, and HIV/AIDS. We look forward to learning from the local people and sharing in their struggles and joys. 

​In Lethoso, MAF serves 12 rural mountain health posts from 22 dirt airstrips carved into the nation’s rugged mountains. Since 1980, MAF has provided safe, efficient air transportation for the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service (LFDS).  We look forward to serving the people there alongside MAF's existing staff.   

We will be sharing more about Lesotho and what we will be doing there soon.  For the next month, we are continuing training here in Nampa.  Your prayers and encouragement are much appreciated!

Basotho Children (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Where Will Our New Home be?

In five weeks, we find out where our new home will be! Perhaps Indonesia or Africa? 

Where will Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) send us? This question has been on our minds as we prepare to go to Nampa, ID this summer. From July 10th-August 18th we will be at MAF headquarters to join the organization and be assigned a field of service.

Here are answers to three of the most common questions we have been hearing:

• What will you be doing? Imagine living in a remote jungle with no roads leading to your village. What would you do if there were a medical emergency? What opportunities might you have if there were a safe way to travel quickly? How about if your family is translating the Bible into the local language but needs supplies? These are some of the logistical issues that MAF flight operations address. As an MAF pilot, Joe will be using his passion for aviation to support the local populace and various organizations that serve in low-infrastructure and isolated areas. Meanwhile, Karen's passion is the relational needs of those around her, both in her family and outside of it. While making sure the family is getting enough rest, fun and family time she will look for opportunities to reach out to those around her in the community who might need a friend. 
• How long will you be there? This is a long-term commitment! We will learn a new language, Joe will spend hours becoming proficient with the aircraft and runways, and we plan to raise our family there. We will continue to live in Portland for the next year or so as we prepare to go.
• How do you decide where to go? There are three influencers: God's leading, needs of the organization (MAF), and needs of our family. We believe God is already preparing the place for us (and us for the place). MAF takes seriously its responsibility to place us where we will be a good fit and to provide resources to help our whole family thrive. We will be sharing our personalities, skills and interests with MAF so they can help us make the best decision on place of service.

Timothy Harlow Adams

Now he has something to look at! 

Big Sister Love 

We are also pleased to announce the birth of Timothy Adams on May 6th. He was 7.5 lbs and 21 inches at birth but he is a fast growing boy! His middle name is Harlow in honor of Joe's grandfather. 

Big sister, Grace, loves singing to her little brother, sharing her "snugglers" (stuffed animals) and giving him a bottle. She seems to be adjusting well to being a big sister.

Please pray for strength and wisdom for our family in this transitional time. We would also appreciate prayers for safety in our travels. Look forward to getting an update from us in August about our location of service and what types of ministries we will be supporting!!

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! 

Our Journey Continues

The Graduate

It has been a while since a post and it is time to catch everyone up on what is in store for 2017 and share how God has been working in our lives. 

Joe finished maintenance school in December and is now a FAA certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic (A&P). This certification was the last major prerequisite to applying for mission aviation agencies.  While he was in school he was working as a flight instructor part-time.  Since August he has been working full-time at

Joe's ground students at HAA

Hillsboro Aero Academy as the ground instructor for 29 soon-to-be airline pilots from China. He teaches them a three-hour ground class four times a week, does some flight training (including progress check flights) and monitors the overall progress and well-being of the class. What he likes best about the job is working with instructors and school staff to help students to succeed and thrive.

Big Sister!!

We are expecting a baby boy this spring; due date is May 3rd. Gracie excitedly tells people that she has never had a baby brother before; it's the first time! She likes to sing the baby songs. Sometimes they are about how to be nice to our dog Spike.

Grace enjoys preschool and is learning how to write her name. She loves to do art projects. I quit my job at Old Spaghetti Factory the beginning of this year and am enjoying more time with family. It is especially nice to have weekends and holidays off.

We have applied to join MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship).They are a non-profit organization that uses aviation to bring hope and help to isolated people around the world. This means that within the next year or two our family is planning to move to another country and work/live there long-term.  

Airplane Magneto Overhaul

The first step to join the organization is a two-week technical evaluation (TE). This will be in Nampa, ID on March 12th-24th. During this time, Joe will be evaluated on his skills as a pilot and mechanic. Please pray for Joe as it is a stressful process and he does not have a lot of time to prepare beforehand.

If MAF thinks our family will be a good fit for the organization, then the next steps would be as follows: 

• First is candidacy, which happens twice a year. The next one occurs in July. Over a five weeks, we would learn more about the places MAF serves and receive basic training to assimilate into the organization. 
• After successfully completing candidacy, we will be accepted to the organization and will be assigned to one of MAF's 15 bases in six countries in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, and Latin America. 
• Over the next 6-12 months, we will seek a group of partners to support us through prayer and financial donations, during which time we will continue to live in Portland, OR.
• After that we will spend a few more months of flight and cultural training at MAF headquarters in Nampa, ID.  
• Next we would move overseas for a year of language training. 
• Finally, we would move to our location of service at the MAF base. 

Some of Joe's students touring a B-17
that visited the airport

We chose to apply to MAF after about a year of prayer and discussion in our marriage.  We researched numerous mission aviation agencies extensively, even visiting their headquarters, and eventually settled on MAF due to its reputation, its member care policies, and its support of the family. We also like the opportunity to be involved in a organization that serves holistically, helping with both physical and spiritual needs. They do this by partnering with many different organizations that bring medicine and doctors, disaster relief, education, evangelists, Bible translators, food supplies, agricultural technology, clean water projects, and more. One of the things I like is that they are very supportive of the non-flying spouse and do not have a lot of requirements on my time. This gives me the flexibility to spend more time with our kids or even pursue other opportunities.

A lot of people ask how I feel about moving overseas on this crazy new adventure and I can honestly say that I am very excited. I know that there will be sacrifices and challenges; leaving family and starting over in a

Joe's flight student Jerry after Jerry's first solo

new language and culture are not going to be easy! 

I admit that I struggle with the word "missionary" as I sometimes think of it as someone who has it all figured out. Or worse, as someone who tries to impose his or her views on others. However, I have learned that it is more about using our gifts and passion to partner with God on His mission to restore hope, beauty, justice and freedom to this broken world. God has given us so much grace and many blessings and we want to share those with others; both where we live now in Portland and eventually somewhere else far away in the world. 

View from Joe's airplane on a recent
training flight in a Cessna 206

Last summer we got to travel to the Middle East and serve refugees impacted by the war in Syria. Before going, I wondered if my story and prayers would matter to those very different from me, people who had lost so much. It was amazing to see that when I shared from my heart, it translated the barriers of culture, language and background, because it is the same God who works in the same ways all over the world. Also, by serving alongside a local organization, I saw firsthand the tremendous difference made in lives through unconditional love and respect, building long-term relationships and meeting physical needs. This is something both Joe and I believe in and that is why we are pursuing this path. 

Thank you again for your prayers and support! It means a lot to us. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have. We would love to hear your thoughts!