Touch and Go
Many years ago, as a student in Bible College I was studying to become a missionary pilot.
My pastor, Sid Collison, was my flight instructor and one of the basic skills that he taught me was called “Touch and Go.” I would take off and then circle the airport and the return to the landing runway and just touch the ground and then accelerate for takeoff again. We would practice this many times as it’s always a good idea to know how to take off and land when flying a plane! That routine was similar to what Jo Ann and I are about to experience. In a few short days, we will “land” back in Pennsylvania after five months on the road traveling from coast-to-coast reporting to our supporting churches and visiting with family and friends. However, we’ll only be in PA for 10 days before we take off again! This time, take off will be via Turkish Airlines back to Europe. We will barely touch base at our home in PA and then be gone again.
Flight Completed
Planes don’t have a rear view mirror, but since we have been driving all summer long, we’ll just imagine that we are still in the car! Visiting our family, friends, and supporting churches this summer has been one of the best times of home (US) ministries we have ever experienced. There are too many blessings to begin recounting them, but we are so thankful to the Lord for allowing us to enjoy this time. Thank you for praying for us as we traveled the highways from Pennsylvania to California and back with many stops between.
New Flight Plan
While there is much to love about being in the states, there is still much to do on the fields that are ready for harvest beyond the borders of our country. Classes have already begun at the Christian University (UDG) where we teach, and the students are waiting for our return to begin taking the courses we have been assigned this semester. Our class schedule will be compressed to allow for all the required class hours to be taught. Please pray for strength and wisdom as we teach in what will be a very busy two months of concentrated classes remaining in this semester. The war in Ukraine still rages on with no end in sight. Only the Lord knows, if, how, and when the conflict might end. Meanwhile, refugees continue to flood across the border of Moldova, and we anticipate that a significant amount of our time and resources will be spent helping these dear people. We are praying about several different options for how to minister to the refugees but will need to be on the ground before we can make concrete decisions. We are so thankful to many of you who have given to help the Ukrainians and ask that you would continue to pray for us as we reach out to them. Please pray for their physical and spiritual needs.
Immediate Plans Upon Landing in Europe
We are in Michigan at the writing of this letter and plan to be back in Pennsylvania on
October 1. Our flight back to Europe is scheduled to leave Washington DC on October 10 which will take us to Athens, Greece where we have a meeting of ABWE European team leaders. We are scheduled to fly from Athens and arrive in Chișinău, Moldova on October 16. Please pray that the Lord would guide and protect us in these travels and plans.
It will be necessary to purchase a car upon arrival in Chișinău. We still have funds available from the sale of the car we owned last term and are hoping that a good car can be found at a reasonable price for the unique ministry needs we will have this term. Please join us in prayer for this need.
Thank you for allowing us to return to Moldova for such a time as this. Your prayers and gifts make it possible for us to continue serving in cross-cultural ministries during these amazing and exciting times.