Departing For Ecuador!

As this post is being written, we are packing for our flight to Ecuador.  More about that later.  First, an update on the past few busy months.  In the middle of July, we reached our first year in Oregon. For each one of us it has been a year of change, learning and growth. While the grace of God in providing for us and protecting us is a little short of astounding, it would not be true to portray our lives as without trial or difficult days.  Were that true, we would learn little but self-reliance, which is certainly not the correct response to the hand of Providence. 

Gracie is growing up really fast. She has discovered that daddy is indulgent and takes advantage of it pretty regularly.  For example, she likes to dance or jump on his belly until he begs for mercy.  She is also obsessed with the Disney movie Frozen.  Her parents may go crazy if they hear the songs from the movie too many more times. However, to see her sing the songs and act them out is pretty adorable.  Gracie is staying with grandparents while we are in Ecuador. 


Karen has been enjoying making new friends at a mom's summer Bible study, working as a server at Old Spaghetti Factory, as well as coming up with new ideas for when Gracie wants to do "school". Karen is also contemplating going to India on a church mission trip in January. 

Sheet Metal Practice Project

Joe has continued his studies in aviation maintenance, and recently reached the halfway point. Two of the more interesting courses recently taken were on aircraft sheet metal and welding.  School will restart in late September.  Joe also continues to instruct at Hillsboro Aero Academy.  To further his career there and to widen his job options upon completion of mechanic training, he trained for and obtained his multiengine pilot rating in Helena, Montana this summer.  

Two Engines are better than One!

The main purpose of our seventeen day trip to Ecuador is to learn as much as we can about the missionary aviation work being done there and to assess how we might fit into a similar program (not necessarily in Ecuador). As we have been preparing for going to Ecuador, we compiled a list of questions we hope to answer through this trip.  The process of this compilation has involved intense introspection on basic issues. We have been asking questions like: What are our motivations for what we are doing? What does our personal relationship with God look like? How can we best use our God-given gifts and talents? How can we use our personal tendencies and strengths to maximize our effectiveness and how can we avoid pitfalls? Are we cut out for the missionary life?  If not, what other things does God want us to do? Are we exercising (or lacking) faith by asking these questions?  The process of facing these basic questions has been both humbling and exciting.

Aircraft in use by Alas de Socorro in Ecuador (from their Facebook page)

Since we are going to a mission aviation base, we hope to answer specific questions such as: what options are available for schooling and socializing for children?  What is every day life like for the non-pilot (Karen)?  Can Karen safely move around independently in society? What are some cultural norms and how do Westerners fit in and develop meaningful relationships across the culture? What is expected of the pilot-mechanic?  What is the safety culture and program like for the flight operations?  Who are the people being served by the mission and by the operation? Who is not being served and why? What are the joys of this service, and what are the hard parts?  How do the people there cope with that hardship?

We also want to get an idea from the pilot-mechanics and their spouses of how they knew that they were called to this mission in this place.  How did they receive and heed God's call? We want to find out what they have learned, what they did well and what they may wish they had done differently.  

Stay tuned -- as we experience the journey and some of these questions are answered, we will keep you informed about some of the things we learn.  If time and internet service permit, we will be posting several times while there.  We appreciate and yearn for your continued prayers and encouragement.  

Ecuador Visit With MAF

As we prepare for our trip to Ecuador (August 24-September 10) we have been studying the culture and history of Ecuador, and particularly the history of MAF in Ecuador.

MAF recently celebrated its 70-year anniversary.  From humble beginnings with one airplane, MAF has grown steadily to an organization with over 100 airplanes that transported 90,000 passengers and 8 million pounds of cargo last year.

Curaray River

One of the earliest missions by the organization involved the support of a 1956 outreach to the Waorani (Auca) people of Eastern Ecuador by American missionaries Ed McCully, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian and MAF pilot Nate Saint. As you probably know, the five were killed by the Waorani a few days after contacting the tribe on the bank of the Curaray River. Within a few years after these were killed, the sister of Nate Saint, Rachel, and widow of Jim Elliot, Elizabeth, returned to the same tribe that killed the missionaries. Their forgiveness and selfless efforts supported their message about Christ's love.  As a result, seven of the nine killers and many others from the tribe eventually came to Christ. They began to walk a "new trail" of forgiveness that saved the Waorani people from extinction.

Mincaye Sitting in an Alas de Socorro Airplane

This fascinating story, dramatized in the movie End of the Spear, has also been the subject of several books, including an excellent book written by Elizabeth Elliot, Through The Gates of Splendor.  It is both humbling and inspiring to read the statements and letters by the five missionaries.  Most notable is Nate Saint's statement explaining that if the Waorani attacked them, they would not fight back because he and the other missionaries were ready for heaven but the Waorani were not.

The flight program in Ecuador in recent years has been taken over by the local affiliate of MAF, called Alas de Socorro (translation: "wings of relief").  There is an active effort to continue to minister among the Waorani in Ecuador.  It will be a fascinating learning experience to visit the same locations as these events of 70 years ago.  At the same time, we will see the currents efforts of God's people to share the Love of Jesus with those in both spiritual and physical need.

We would be very appreciative of your support of our trip both through prayer and financially.  To date, we have raised approximately one-third of the money necessary to fund the trip.  Donations made in our support to MAF are tax deductible.

Our Oregon Home

Family Walk

Happy Ladies

Recently we reached 9 months in Oregon.  It really is beginning to feel like home.  God has been really good to us in so many ways. Karen is excelling at her job, and even received an award from her employer for her successes.  Gracie is growing up so fast and just celebrated her second birthday. She has discovered the joy of music that borders at times on obsession.  Karen and I have no idea where that comes from!  I continue to progress through AMT school, which I am enjoying. I am also continuing to flight instruct at Hillsboro Aero Academy. 

Here are some photos of our adventures from recent months:

View from the Cockpit in Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River enters the Pacific Ocean

Mt. Hood and Mt. Hood Reflected

Part of an Airplane Alternator

A Jet Engine

Classmates Working on an Airplane

My Taiwanese Flight Student

A Beautiful Spring Day in Oregon

Of course we have struggles too. Our busy lives leave us with limited time to spend together as a family. There are always those tough days at work or for me at school. We also miss our family and old friends from Pullman. Through all, we take comfort in the words of the apostle Paul and say with him, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And we are not alone.  We have been blessed in finding a good church (Village Baptist) and to develop a new network of friends here both among classmates and at church. We also know and greatly appreciate that many of you are praying for us as we pursue God's will for our family.  

Looking ahead, we have exciting events scheduled for later in the year. On our summer break from school in late August to early September Karen and I will be visiting Ecuador for two weeks with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).  This trip will allow us to evaluate our skills and aptitudes as they relate to mission aviation in general and MAF in particular. We would appreciate your prayers that logistics would work out as we prepare for this journey. If you would like to financially support our trip through a donation to MAF, a special donation page has been set up for this purpose: http://www.maf.org/adams. 

Work, School and Rain

The passage of time and change of season are evident here in Portland where the rains have begun.  We have been pleasantly surprised, though, how warm it stays when it rains here. Back in Pullman, the rain is often quite cold; sometimes you just wish it would snow instead of rain. In Portland over the past few weeks, the rain and clouds have been burning off by early afternoon on most days, but the locals tell us that the days of gray darkness will soon come!

Bacon and Yogurt!

Since I last posted a lot has gone on in our lives.  Karen has been doing an amazing job and getting high accolades from her managers at the restaurant where she is a waitress.  She has gotten past the steep part of the learning curve and is feeling a rhythm in her work, resulting in a significant reduction in her stress level.  She is also receiving better shifts and really raking in the tips.  She's working 4-5 evenings a week from about 5-9.  While mom is at work, Grace and I hang out until it's time for her to go to bed.  I really enjoy spending more time with her than I did a few months ago.  We are working hard on her letters and she is able to identify several letters correctly now.  We also count the stairs as we walk up to or down from our apartment.  She is a really sweet and well-behaved kid; we have been blessed amazingly.

In the latter part of September I started the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Portland Community College. Classes run M-F from 7 am to noon.  Our apartment is less than 15 minute walk away, so I just walk back and forth to school each day.  The program is going well for me, and I am done with the first module already.  There are about 20 people in the cohort (class) and we all get along quite well, which is important since there are many group projects.  There is a substantial range in age and background among my fellow students, but most of them say, "I was always fascinated with airplanes (or helicopters) since I was a little kid."  Lots of kindred spirits! Two others in my cohort in the program are headed for missionary aviation, as well as several more in the upper cohorts.  Several of the instructors have been directly involved in mission aviation.

Weighing an aircraft with a team of students

Much of the program is hands-on work.  For example, several different teams in the class weighed an aircraft and then made a record of that weight as if it was an official record that would be used in actual service.  The program is well respected in the industry and does a great job of breaking up the massive amount of learning necessary to pass the FAA written and practical exams into bite-sized pieces.  So far I'm really enjoying the experience and I'm looking forward to each day.

During the first two weeks of classes, I was somewhat distracted by the fact that my oral/practical exam (also known as a checkride) to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) was impending and then ongoing.  The CFI checkride is one of the most challenging in aviation because the FAA wants to make sure that instructors who are teaching people to fly airplanes are qualified, knowledgeable, know how to teach and will teach proper procedures by both word and example.  This is understandable and I'm glad that the requirements are stringent, but it does make for a long and difficult trek to becoming a CFI.  Because of this, my primary activity outside of family for three months after moving to Portland was preparing for this exam through study, lesson plan creation and actual flying of aircraft as if teaching a student.  I received instruction to this end from Aero Maintenance Flight Center in Vancouver.  I can't say enough nice things about the people there and especially my primary instructor, Theresa. The course of instruction I received there not only prepared me to be a flight instructor but also improved my professionalism and knowledge base.    

Joe has been a flight instructor for five minutes

The FAA approved examiner assigned to my checkride is notable for having extensive checkrides, and mine was no exception.  Due to my school schedule, the examiner's schedule and a maintenance issue with an airplane, the checkride took place in three different sessions spread over eight days.  The total time of the examination was over 12 hours, of which the bulk was oral questioning, followed by about 2 hours of flying airplanes with the examiner.  On Saturday, October 4, the examiner signed off that I am a certified flight instructor. 

Once I had this certification I was qualified to apply for positions as a flight instructor.  I interviewed at at Hillsboro Aviation and just received word that I have been accepted to a position as a flight instructor.  The location and hours of this job are a perfect fit.   

In summary, it is both exciting and humbling to see how God has worked everything out for our family over the past few months as we follow His will for our lives.   We are also grateful and thankful for the prayers and support we receive from our family and friends.  

New Adventures in Portlandia

Well Joe has been asking me for a couple weeks to write about our new adventures in Portland and while I love to procrastinate, the time has come to update you all. We have been living here for a little over a month now and it is starting to feel like home! I love this area; it has the best of both worlds. We live at the very edge of Portland and there is a hay field across the street as well as several awesome walking trails right by our house so that makes it feel like Pullman. But if I drive two miles down the road, we are right smack in the middle of the Tanasbourne district with tons of shopping, outlet stores and restaurants. They have a huge library with a great kids section and all of these outdoor fountains around that the kids can play in. There is also a little strip mall and an Albertsons right below our apartment. I am definitely a fan of living in the burbs. 


  

Joe has been working hard to get his flight instructor permit. He drives up to Vancouver several times a week to get instruction and practice his skills. Gracie shares his love of airplanes and gets excited whenever she hears them fly overhead. For a long time, she called them "air-d-da's" but now she usually uses the right word. 

Reading with Daddy

Speaking of Gracie, she is growing up so fast and talking more and more every day. She loves to take Spike for walks, go the pool and read books. She is also a great helper in the kitchen and will stand on a chair and "help" me fix food. One of the things we didn't expect is how much she would miss and ask for her cousins and friends in Pullman, but fortunately she has been able to FaceTime with her cousins as well as meet several new friends. 























We got to take Grace to the coast a couple weeks ago. She loved the sand and would have loved playing in the water but it was so cold it made her cry every time the water hit her. 

 On the way home we visited the Tillamook cheese factory. The best part? Free samples!! 

I got a job working at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It has been more challenging than I expected but I love the people and the work. For those who know me well, it's like getting to work football every day! I definitely have a new respect for waitresses though. All that food is hard to carry and its tough to remember what everyone needs and get it done quick enough to keep them happy. I definitely will tip great waitresses more from now on! :)

Hope that you all are well! You are in our thoughts and prayers. Send us a note with how you are doing or better yet come visit soon!!

In Portland!

The house shrank as I backed the van toward it!

All our stuff in the van

We have had a really busy week.  Last Saturday, some good friends showed up to help us with final packing at our old house in Pullman.  By the time the day was up, almost everything was in boxes.  On Sunday we rested a bit and said some more goodbye's.  On Monday, Karen's brother drove me to Spokane to pick up the van. Then Karen's other brother, my uncle and my mom helped us load the van (thanks, everybody!).  

The really big van. At first it looked like we would never fill it up, but somehow we managed. It was nice not to have to pack it very carefully, because we had plenty of space.  With all the help, we were done loading by early afternoon.  Our friend Ruth came over to help with cleaning and we had an empty, clean house by 5 pm.  

Empty!

Goodbye Pullman!

Karen and I decided to start the trip to Portland and make it to a friend's house in the Tri-Cities in order to break up the journey.  First we stopped in to say hi/bye to Gracie at Grandma's house.

On the road in the truck: Mt. Hood and the Columbia River

We arrived in the Tri-Cities about 9:30pm. Thanks, Michael and Lettie for letting us crash at your place! Tuesday we were off by 7 am. Grandparents and Gracie set off from Pullman in another vehicle about the same time.  The race was on: we had a 140 mile head start but we were driving the slow moving van. The drive was beautiful and pretty stress free. We arrived about around noon, an hour ahead of the rest of the crew, had some lunch and got our apartment keys.  The unpacking of the van started around 2.  
When we signed up for it, it seemed like a good idea to get an apartment on the third floor.  After about 20 trips up the stairs with boxes, that seemed like less of a good idea.  Plus, it was over 90F outside.  All of us were dripping with sweat, chugging water and Gatorade. Karen's mom took care of Gracie and we just soldiered on, up and down, up and down. We finally called off work for the evening and went to eat.  Here is the tired crew:

Heroes!

Wednesday was mop up of the last few remaining items, and unpacking. The crew left Wednesday evening.  A massive thanks goes out to my parents, Karen's mom and Karen's brothers for their help.  We could not have done it without all of you.  
We are now on our own in Portland. We have been unpacking, exploring the neighborhood, making address changes, working on resumes--all the myriad of details that surround moving.  

Gracie in her new apartment

Please know that your prayers for our move were answered; it really could not have gone any better. Your prayers are much appreciated. 
The next step for us is to get jobs. For Karen, this involves applying for a waitress job (she's already gotten her Oregon food handling permit!)  For me, this involves finishing my CFI (certified flight instructor) and then getting a job as a CFI. 

Moving This Week

The time has come. The boxes are packed (well most of them). We will be loading the moving truck Monday morning and driving it to Portland on Tuesday. The past few days have been busy ones; full of decisions on what to pack, how to pack it, what to keep and what not keep. We have been busy trying to get rid of excess stuff for the past six months but still I'm amazed at how much we have. This is the stack of boxes in the front room that is ready for loading on Monday:

The other thing we have been doing a lot of in the past few days is saying goodbye. Almost every day this past week has included a visit with a good friend who we will be seeing less frequently. Then there were the group goodbyes at work and at church. Today we had our last visit to my parents' farm, where Gracie had to say goodbye to her beloved "ba-ba's":

A big thanks to all of those who have helped us get ready to move and who helped us pack. We couldn't have done it without you. I will post an update on the move as soon as I can after we get settled in Portland. We also appreciate all the warm wishes we have received and the prayers we know you are sending up for us.