our Journey begins...

Just remembering...

2012-03-02T00:11:00.002+03:00

It has been a few weeks since my two sisters, Naomi and Becca, came to visit us here in Nairobi, but I still am remembering and appreciating that they took the time to come be a part of our life.
Here are a few glimpses of our fun week:

Thank you Auntie Naomi and Auntie B for all the love and time you spent with Miriam and for the time listening, learning and trying new things with Jonathan and I here in Nairobi.

Hair-do

2012-01-27T07:49:00.003+03:00

This is what Miriam calls
her new hair-do-

Dear family and friends...

2012-01-17T22:54:00.001+03:00

We are happy to share that there is a little Koski on the way!

It is due to arrive in July.

Miriam is very excited and asks lots of questions : )

New House

2011-11-03T07:07:00.000+03:00

Here are a few views of our new place, starting with the backyard.

Here is the dining room...

And the kitchen.

Then we have the living room...

and the entry/hallway,

which leads to the courtyard/car port area.

Here is another view from the front gate.

And finally, here's Miriam in her birthday dress from Auntie Sara and Auntie B. Thank you!

Camping at Lake Naivasha

2011-10-03T22:42:00.003+03:00

Two weekends ago we were able to get out of Nairobi for a couple nights at Lake Naivasha with Kristen, Ryan and Caleb.

A Vervet monkey helping himself to our neighbor's cooler

Check out the size of this geranium!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-10-01T18:16:00.000+03:00

This is a bit belated but for Grandma/Mom for her birthday:

eating loquats

carrying her 2 babies and a sock monkey

Papa holding Miriam up to see the baby elephants at the orphanage. Unfortunately, there were so many people, we only got small glimpses of the little elephants.

And this picture was worth posting for her pose alone : ) Miriam is watching a fisherman emptying the catch from his nets at Lake Naivasha.

Hi there- its been awhile!

2011-08-26T21:03:00.002+03:00

After over a month of orientation, of sleeping in many different beds, of eating meals in many different dining rooms, and of learning so many new things, we have been given a place to land.
We are now in Nairobi and temporarily living at an AIM compound, specifically,
the Muringa Compound in house #5.
As of today we have been here for 2 weeks and have thoroughly
enjoyed having a place to call "home".
Here is a little photo tour...

starting with a picture of the house. We reside on the right half.

Here is our new wheels- a Pajero.
And below are a few pictures of inside the house.

Jonathan just completed his first week at the hangar and Miriam and I have been meeting new people, finding places to get fruits and veggies, figuring out the area and learning as much Swahili as we can.

Going...going...

2011-07-12T05:29:00.000+03:00

It's the evening before we are to leave for New York and I (Rachel) am here with a little update.
We have been in Boston the last 5 days repacking, purchasing last minute stuff, packing, repacking and tons of other things you need to do before moving out of the country.
We have gotten to spend quality time with brother and sister in law Daniel and Tanya who live here and are graciously hosting us.
Miriam has enjoyed time with auntie and uncle as well as our old friend and companion Makwa.

Tonight we have all our stuff ready to go and tomorrow we drive to New York to AIM headquarters.
On Thursday the 14th we fly to Nairobi!

North Minneapolis Tornado

2011-05-23T23:50:00.000+03:00

Click here for some pictures of our neighborhood...

or cut and paste this address into your browser.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87217931@N00/sets/72157626790055592/

Easter Message, part 2

2011-04-25T06:38:00.000+03:00

http://vimeo.com/11775467?ab

Deep. Packed. Loaded. Simple. Powerful.

Easter Message, part 1

2011-04-22T19:22:00.004+03:00

http://vimeo.com/20960385

'nuff said.

A bit on anxiety and opposition...

2011-03-22T20:33:00.001+03:00

A few days ago our pastor, Eric, stated something that really resonated with me. He said that anxiety is contagious. That hit home regarding some of what we have been experiencing lately.

So often we get caught up in the questions...

How do we pack?
What do we take or leave?
What do we put in storage for later use and what do we simply get rid of now?
Where are we going to live?
How are we going to live?
How do we say goodbye to family and friends and home?

And the biggie lately:
What if our support does not come in before July?

It is not bad to have these questions, or assess the possibilities to be wisely prepared, but I do not think it is good to dwell on them and let them consume our time or overtake our thoughts. This creates anxiety. And just a little bit of anxiety goes a long way as it seems to snowball into bigger and bigger things. And we have seen that just a little bit of anxiety is quite contagious. Believe me.

The broader context of Pastor Eric's remarks on anxiety was that we, as Christians, will face opposition as we seek to follow God and his purpose for our lives. We certainly have seen this opposition manifest itself in various and sundry ways over the past three years. Things that would normally be just a blip on the radar quickly escalated into major issues, causing big waves instead of little ripples.

As we reach this stage with just over three months to go until we are scheduled to depart we have been primarily focused on support. Money...a topic that causes a colossal amount of anxiety and, as we have found out in raising support, opposition. Our Opposer knows this very well and has been busy. But God has also been busy and has provided us with nearly 70% of our ongoing monthly support!

One of the strongest by-products of anxiety and opposition is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of something different, fear of failing and fear of change can all be quite crippling. I could go on and on about this but that would miss the point completely. One of the coolest things about having our lives completely placed in the hands of Jesus is that He has already conquered our Opposer! We need not fear. Jesus emphasized this over and over - DO NOT FEAR!

In order to have faith to look ahead and face all the unknowns all we need is to look back. The track record over the past several years of how God has answered our prayers and confirmed His call on our lives to serve Him in Africa is astounding. He has affirmed us in so many ways that it really seems silly that we would have anxiety about these last three months and all the unanswered questions.

Great Clouds

2011-03-01T07:40:00.000+03:00

I have had clouds on my mind quite a bit lately...along with Hebrews 12:1-3. Nearly every version of the Bible in which I looked up this passage contains the phrase "cloud of witnesses." Pilots love clear blue skies with not a cloud in sight. I am no exception but I have grown to really appreciate the beauty of clouds and the many shapes they take. I love the beauty of flying over them, especially at sunrise. The dark of night is chased away by the rising sun that sets the clouds ablaze with vibrant color. Unfortunately, pictures simply can't do it justice...

Then there are the serene puffy clouds, not posing not much of a threat but rather playful and somewhat inviting.

Sometimes, when the clouds start boiling upward and form menacing dark towers that scowl and spit and hiss and rumble and flash, I cannot seem to get on the ground fast enough!

I love flying in the clouds as well, especially on days with no turbulence. The cloud seems to hug the airplane and envelop it with a sense of tranquility. Suddenly the already small airplane feels minuscule. It is at times like these that pilots can be lulled into a false sense of security. Whenever entering the clouds I need to make sure I am ready to fly and dialed in to my training to keep the airplane upright and on the right course to make it safely through to where I can once again see the landscape in front and below.

About that "cloud of witnesses." A couple of weeks ago we were at the funeral of a friend. He truly walked with God during his life and allowed God to use him in so many ways to reach those around him and across the world with the love of Jesus. It is possible that the author of Hebrews was referring to people such as our friend who, like so many who have gone before us, joined the great cloud of witnesses.

In so many ways I think we can also apply this concept of a great or huge "cloud of witnesses" to all of you who have come along side us and partnered with us in this journey that God has called us on. All of you who are praying for us, supporting and encouraging us in such a variety of ways are all part of a great big cloud of witnesses, cheering us on! It is a humbling thought...and tremendously uplifting as well.

Thank you!

Two Faiths, One Incredible Journey

2011-02-10T23:01:00.000+03:00

Now that we have settled into our new temporary routine back in Minneapolis I have had some time to reflect on a couple of things that I think are important to share, especially as relates to faith.

We, as followers of Christ, must have faith. The first and probably most commonly thought of faith application comes in the form of salvation faith. This is the faith that we have in Jesus as our Savior, Redeemer, Friend and Lord when we give control of our lives to him. It can be thought of as faith on a macro level.

The second form of faith is more on a micro level. This is the daily type of faith in which we trust that Jesus is with us right here and now and has gone before us, comes behind us and hems us in.

In reflecting on the past several months I have come to realize that I was stronger in the macro level of faith but pretty weak in the micro. This was especially true of the time when I was working for a big corporation, had a good salary and benefits and basically was quite comfortable. Except for the tugging on my heart that I was made for much more than that. That I was given a passion and skills which were not being used to their full potential.

Eight months ago I left the corporate world. It was pretty scary at the time to cut the ties that I thought sustained us. But I have come to realize more and more that, no matter how much control we think we have, God really has control. The difference between then and now is that I am much more aware of the micro level of faith and have seen God do some pretty amazing things to show us that he is in control. All we have to do is be obedient to him and his call to us.

I can think of some very tangible ways this has happened over the past few months. This is not all-inclusive by any means, but just the ones that stick out to me as I write. There was the time I went to pay our bill at JAARS for our housing only to find out that someone had anonymously paid our rent for us.

Then there was the day when it seemed God was saying we would depart in July, not January. We did not know where we would live or what we would do for six months. By the end of that day we had a home to live in, Rachel had her teaching job back, and I had a promising flight instruction schedule. Most importantly we had peace that God was in control and providing.

Then a few weeks ago my uncle, who is a carpenter, asked if I was doing anything and wanted to know if I could help him with a job he had. So I had work for two solid weeks during a really slow time for flight instruction.

This does not include all the times we have opened the mail and found a letter from someone wanting to support us or writing to us to say they were praying for us. Or the times we have had a gas card in the mail. Or a gift card. It seems like we have had a pretty big reminder on almost a weekly basis that God is taking care of us!

So many times it seems we have such small faith. But in reflecting on this, seeing how many times God has provided for even the smallest details in such obvious ways, it gives us a solid faith to continue on this journey. And to continue strong!

Hebrews 12:1-3 comes to mind. I love how Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message:

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

The adrenaline is certainly running!

Rolling Out A Website

2011-01-31T03:16:00.000+03:00

This past few days have been a steep learning curve for me as I created and published our first website, www.koskijourney.com, as another avenue for communicating. We will keep updating this blog with regular happenings but think that the website will be a good starting point for those just learning about us and what we will be doing through AIM AIR.

I designed this website on Apple's web creator, iWeb, and uploaded it via FTP to Hostmonster.com using Filezilla. Overall it was a fairly easy process but did get frustrating at times since I really know nothing about creating websites, webhosting, ftp, html, etc.

Now that we have a working site up, I will start to dig deeper into website development and am looking at using Joomla or Drupal to create another version that will hopefully be easier for us to maintain once we are in Africa.

If any of you have experience with this sort of thing let me know as I can use all the help I can get with this!

Jonathan

A Recap of Sorts...

2011-01-24T05:58:00.000+03:00

For those of you who read our newsletter, this is old news. If you don't read our newsletters, then read on!

We have a specific departure date - July 14! This is six months later than we had been anticipating but God is good and has showed us He has gone before us in this entire process and that His timing is perfect, not ours. To illustrate this, within the span of a few short hours of determining that we would be here another six months, we were provided jobs and a house to live in until July!

Even though we had been mentally geared to go in January we are thankful for the additional time here. Over the next few months Rachel will be teaching again at Northside Adult Basic Education in Minneapolis and I will be flight instructing and studying for my upcoming pilot exams in Kenya.

We are very excited to be this close to departing for Africa but we also know that there will be many challenges ahead and that the work will not be easy. Therefore we are grateful for this extra time to make sure we are leaving with a solid base of prayer warriors and supporters. We appreciate you and are grateful for your participation in this exciting work!

For Uncle Jeremy

2010-12-15T06:09:00.000+03:00

The next Dr. Seuss star...

The aftermath of Snomageddon.

Are you missing some hair?!?

The end of Orientation and Mountain Week

2010-11-27T18:14:00.000+03:00

Orientation is finished as of one week ago. What a tremendously incredible time! It was awesome to learn from those who have so much experience in mission aviation, both in flight and in maintenance. It was also very humbling and encouraging to see that their faith in Jesus came first in everything which then defined how they worked in the hangar or cockpit.

This past week we returned to MN and promptly got sick, which probably has something to do with leaving sunny warm NC and arriving in the frigid great white north! I am grateful, though, that we stayed mostly healthy through the end of our time in NC.

The second to last week of Orientation was Mountain Week. I went into the mountains near Asheville, NC, and had a chance to put together all the things I had been learning since August.


On short final for Brown International, a short undulating runway in a field owned by Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown, who not only let us use his field but also mowed the runway for us, and Steve, a new Instructor Pilot at JAARS.

Liftoff from Brown Int'l.


Evan, one of the instructors in charge of Orientation, discussing the runway with Mr. Brown.

Look closely! In the middle is a runway called Valhalla.

BJ, another instructor pilot, along with Evan and Steve - setting up Valhalla.

The view from the top of Valhalla.

Landing at Valhalla.

Taking off from Valhalla.

Landing at Valhalla.

Taking off from Valhalla.

Can you find the runway in the middle of the picture? This is Friendship.

Looking up the runway at Friendship.

BJ and I.

Taking off from Avery County in Spruce Pine, NC.

Landing at Avery County.

Ryan and BJ. Ryan is the owner of the FBO at Avery County who let us take over his hangar during Mountain Week and provided us with everything we needed.

Final Approach to Valhalla.

Pictures of Nani

2010-10-21T04:33:00.001+03:00

Nani dressed as a ladybug and butterfly

...and with her new Mauer Twins t-shirt

100 hour inspection

2010-10-02T06:16:00.001+03:00

Part of the Technical Orientation includes hands-on maintenance experience. The first two weeks of the TO were spent in a classroom learning/reviewing maintenance theory and learning maintenance items specific to the Cessna 206. There are only two of us in this orientation.

This week Matt B, the other Orientee, and I have been doing a 100 hour inspection on the C206. For me, as a pilot without a mechanic's license, this experience has been like drinking from a fire hose! It has been challenging but very good and I have enjoyed every minute. Learning how things work and what is happening in all the different systems will make me a much better pilot.

Here are some pictures from this week.

This is Matt. Matt is a pilot/mechanic and will be going with his family with JAARS to Papua New Guinea in January.

Inspecting the cables, pulleys, and fuel system under the floor panels.

Inspecting the cargo pod, trying not to get stuck! I have a feeling I will be spending lots of time in this position loading and unloading cargo pods...

Right next to us is a Quest Kodiak K100 which will be flying to Papua New Guinea sometime in the next week or so.

Again, trying not to get swallowed up by the airplane!

Washing the airplane...

...100 hour inspection complete.

Bugs and Spiders

2010-09-26T17:01:00.002+03:00

OK - so NC has some huge spiders and bugs...

This one was crawling up Jonathan's leg while we were having a picnic last night...he jumped about a mile when he saw what was on its way up!!!

Nani's days

2010-09-25T21:32:00.000+03:00

Here are how Nani enjoys spending her days:

Taking walks- sometimes she pushes the stroller and sometimes mama pushes her in the stroller.

Playing in the bottom cupboard with playmates who fit too.

Riding her "bike" as she calls it. She even talks about her bike in her sleep : )

Swinging at the playground- which she calls the "swings and slides"

And, as you may have all ready noticed from the pictures above, playing with her new friends.
This is Madilyn who is only 2 weeks older than Miriam.

Exploring NC

2010-09-18T22:54:00.000+03:00

Last weekend we drove to Montreat, NC with our friends Nick, Katilyn and Asher. We had a picnic in a neat play area near a stream and then played in the water for a while. Afterwards we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a couple of hours. Even though it was extremely foggy and we spent much of the drive in the clouds it was absolutely beautiful. On the way home we stopped at the City Table Restaurant and had some awesome BBQ.

This is one of the last pictures we have of Nani with her beloved Zizi (her binky/nuk/pacifier). This week she chewed a hole in it and had to throw it away. It was her last one and she has learned to go without!

Mentoring Program - Complete!

2010-08-27T18:02:00.000+03:00

Yesterday Jonathan successfully completed his mentoring program here at JAARS and can now officially go on to the Technical Orientation which starts on September 13th. This is a huge answer to prayer and we are grateful that God has allowed us to continue on in this incredible journey!


The Cessna 206 which Jonathan has been flying.

Here are some pictures of where we live...


We are in the apartment on the closest end.

Birthday Week!

2010-08-21T16:37:00.000+03:00

Miriam turned 2 this week with the exact day being Monday-August 16th.
We opened gifts and cards all week- a little each day to spread out the fun.

Here is a taste of the new 2 year old's fun:


Katylin played the birthday song as we sang.

Our new friends- Nick, Katylin and their son Asher helped us celebrate Miriam's birthday.

More of the fun-

From Minnesota to North Carolina

2010-08-15T01:57:00.000+03:00

Wow, it has been over a month since our last post. These last few weeks have been very busy and somewhat chaotic as we packed up our home, visited family and friends and moved across the country to North Carolina.

Here are some snapshots...

Early July - Jonathan attempted Long's Peak with Jim and Erin K and Scott M. A thunderstorm turned us around just a few hundred feet from the peak. One minute it was clear, the next found us inside a thunderhead with snow, rain, sleet, thunder and lightning.

The middle of July found us at Camp Patmos with Trinity's SH and JH campers. Between weeks at camp we were able to spend some time with family at their cabin close to Patmos. It was fun being in the north woods and hearing the loons.

The remainder of July was spent with family and friends as we sorted and packed up our house and two sets of bags, one for North Carolina and one for Kenya. Here Miriam is taking a rest from the work, naturally sitting right on the garage floor!

We had lots of help in the house - thank you to all those who did come, many hands made the work lighter. We only have a couple of pictures from this time but we had help from many - thank you again!

A huge answer to prayer is that Brian and Patty Arensen, also missionaries with Africa Inland Mission, moved into our home for the next year. We moved out and spent the last week in MN at Jonathan's grandma's house.

August 3rd we packed the Highlander (thank you Karen, for the use of your vehicle for this trip!) and made our way to MI.

Our dog, Makwa, rode along in the back. He must have known it would be his last trip with us as he was quite mopey!

We spent a few days with Jonathan's grandparents in MI along with his brother, Daniel, and his wife Tanya, who drove from Boston to pick up Makwa. Here are some more pictures from along the way...


Potty training always goes better in fields of clover!

Horsing around...

Cool as a cucumber - what a great little traveler!

We arrived in Waxhaw, NC, last Sunday and have settled into our little one bedroom apartment at JAARS. This week has been busy settling into a new routine as Jonathan began his C206 training program and Rachel and Miriam became reacquainted with life at JAARS. We look forward to hearing from you and will keep you posted with more regular updates as they occur!

June Recap

2010-07-01T21:57:00.000+03:00

Nani's first haircut - June 18th!

Sharing a giggle with Auntie Sharon!

Serious reading with Uncle Mike.

On a hike to Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Father's Day 2010!

With Lionel and Sara at CWW on June 28th.

We have started in earnest to pack, sort, donate, sell and throw stuff. It is amazing how stuff accumulates over the years. Even though we have prided ourselves on living simply there is way too much to go through!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we pack up our life as we know it and step into the unknown.

A Quick Update

2010-04-08T18:49:00.000+03:00

I just realized it has been several ~~days~~ ~~weeks~~ months since the last post! Here is a quick update. Last month we heard back from JAARS regarding their proposed training program which enabled us to solidify plans for this summer and fall. So here is the brief version. The first week of August we will be heading back to Waxhaw for 15 weeks of training. We'll be back in MN around Thanksgiving and, if all goes well in NC and our support is in, then we hope to head over to Nairobi the last week of December.

These last few weeks have been surreal with the end of this stage of our journey coming upon us. It seems like we have been in this process forever and that we have become somewhat comfortable with the process. Now that we are stepping out into the unknown there have been many mental and emotional challenges as we start cutting loose from what we know. But we are confident that God is with us in this and has led us this far. Being able to look back on the past few years and how doors have opened and closed and see that it has all worked out for the good gives us great confidence and faith to step out into the unknown towards that which God has called us.

Good News!

2010-01-30T18:10:00.001+03:00

The TE is officially over and I passed! The next step for us to serve with AIM-Air will be for me to complete a mentoring program here at JAARS sometime in the near future before I can go on to the Technical Orientation. We will know more about that in the coming weeks. For now we are resting and preparing to drive back to MN once the roads become passable. Currently there is a winter storm dumping snow, sleet, ice and rain on this whole region so we are staying put in Waxhaw for another day.

Thank you so much for praying for us these past few weeks and especially this last week. It was a stressful time for all of us. God is good and has seen us through this phase of the process and we thank Him for the clear direction He has given us regarding the next phase.

Intro to the Helio Courier

2010-01-25T20:51:00.002+03:00

Over the past few days I have been studying the Pilot's Operating Handbook and was hoping to take my first flight in it this morning. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and I have another day to keep on studying! Here are some pictures of N61JA, the Helio I will be flying over the next few days.

Slats are one of the many features of the Helio that set it apart from other aircraft in STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing) performance. They automatically deploy once a certain angle of attack is attained and help sustain lift to much slower speeds than a conventional wing.

From Ironton to Waxhaw

2010-01-20T05:29:00.001+03:00

We left Ironton early Monday morning and made our way to Manchester, TN, where we met up with Nathan and Ruth who happened to be there for a missions conference at their home church. They let their church know we were coming through who then put us up in a very nice hotel for the night. Thank you Temple Baptist Church!

One amazing thing about this journey we are on - people have been incredibly kind and generous. I cannot put into words how humbling this is and how this affirms God is watching over us and is taking care of us.

This morning we left Manchester and made our way to Waxhaw, NC. The following picture does not do the scene justice. We drove through the morning fog in the TN mountains along some very still lakes.

Sunset from our front door at the apartment where we are staying at JAARS in Waxhaw, NC.

More on our time in Ironton

2010-01-20T05:10:00.002+03:00

Here are a few more pictures from our time in Ironton.

Can you find the airplane? This departure required a turn to the right through an "escape" route to clear terrain and trees.

Hard at work...

At Elephant Rocks State Park

We met Nathan and Ruth Cain and their son Jeriah. Nathan has been doing his flight training with Lionel at CWW in preparation for mission aviation.

Miriam and Jeriah

Ms Sara cooked up a breakfast for us at 6:30am before we departed Ironton on Monday.

Profound

2010-01-14T04:50:00.000+03:00

I saw this quote today on IAMA's website and have been pondering it's profundity (is that a word?)...

"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light." -John Keith Falconer

2010-01-13T07:36:00.000+03:00

I really apologize for the audio ads that have now started to play once this blog is opened. If any of you know how to remove them please let me know! For now, just turn your volume down so you can read in peace. Unless you like hearing about vacuum cleaners or cough syrup.

-Jonathan

CWW Training

2010-01-13T07:24:00.005+03:00

We are now at the halfway point in our time at CWW. There are two primary reasons why we came here. First was to obtain the necessary tailwheel training that I (Jonathan) need. Up to this point I have only a couple of hours in a tailwheel airplane but no formal training or tailwheel endorsement. Second was to polish off any rough edges before we head to JAARS next week for the TE. The training provided here has been invaluable and I feel that Lionel has been able to accurately point out my weak spots and help me work through them to become a better pilot. This in and of itself has been a humbling yet much needed process, especially this close to the TE. I ask for your prayers for the rest of our time here in MO and for next week as the TE starts on Friday!

N7668K, the C180 I am flying. What a great airplane...

There are two runways here at Dove Field. This is taken on the very east end looking west down Runway 9/27. The northwest/southeast runway intersects this runway just before the big tree in the left side of the picture. There is a picture of this same view taken during the summer here.

Nani and I walking southeast on Runway 15/33

We are staying in the basement apartment of the Smith's house.

Nani after rubbing her head on the couch...a shocking moment was in store for whoever picked her up next!

Ironton, MO

2010-01-08T06:08:00.006+03:00

We arrived in Ironton, MO at about 6pm yesterday evening. The entire way we were threatened with a winter storm warning for most of the region but God kept the snow to our west as we made our way south from Des Moines where we stayed with our friends Julie and Julian on Tuesday night.

You would think we were heading in the right direction from Minnesota in winter, right? Just as we arrived in Ironton it started snowing and temps dropped to MN levels with sub-zero windchills! Nevertheless we were warmly welcomed by Lionel and Sara Smith who founded and run Christian Wings for the World, a missionary pilot training center. Sara had prepared a great meal for us after which we were made to feel very much at home in their basement apartment.

Today the weather was less than ideal for flying so I spent some time becoming familiar with Dove Field and met with Lionel for a few hours in ground school. I can already tell this time is exactly what I have needed to focus my thoughts on aviation in preparation for the TE. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will get some flying time in starting tomorrow.

I'll try to take some pictures of Dove Field to post soon. In the meantime...

This picture was taken a few days ago in Minneapolis when my brother-in-law Ryan and I were tossing cups of boiling hot water into the -15F air!

Somewhere in southern IA.

A happy camper. Well...most of the time anyway!

God of Heaven Come Down...

2009-08-08T01:54:00.004+03:00

This morning I was getting ready to leave the house when my phone rang. It was extremely difficult to hear the news that Ryan Williams passed away.

Earlier this morning I had read Psalm 146 which opens and ends with "Praise the Lord." Note that, in Hebrew, this is Hallelu Yah. My frame of mind all day has been more in line with the Jeff Buckley version however, in re-reading these verses, I am struck by the words of hope contained between the Hallelu Yahs of the passage.

I believe and pray that God will sustain the Toews and the Williams families as He promises. Even as I cannot fully comprehend the tremendous pain and sorrow they and the rest of the AIM-Air family feels right now nor can I understand why God allows such pain and sorrow, my heart keeps turning back to Hallelu Yah.

I believe Frank and Ryan are together in the presence of God. No more pain or sorrow.

A new Hallelu Yah rises within me...

2009-08-04T05:49:00.001+03:00

2009-08-03T18:00:00.004+03:00

Yesterday we received news that an AIM-Air C206 had an accident close to Wilson Airport in Nairobi on Saturday afternoon. Of the four on board, two were able to walk away, one is in serious condition in hospital...but the pilot, Frank Toews, did not survive.

Rachel and I had the opportunity to fly with Frank when he picked us up from Ngurunit in Northern Kenya and flew us to Nairobi. He knew that I was a pilot and interested in mission aviation so he brought along an extra pair of headsets so that we could talk. I really appreciated the fact that he did that and learned much during our conversation. I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of his death. Please pray for his family that God would surround them with His arms and hold them in His hands. Please also pray for complete recovery for Ryan Williams, the seriously injured passenger, along with the other two passengers. Also pray for the broader AIM-Air family in Kenya.

From the AIM-Air General Manager:

August 02 2009

An accident occurred on August 1, with an AIM AIM Cessna 206. It occurred around 2:30PM (EAT) near the Nairobi Wilson Airport. There were four people on board; AIM AIR pilot Frank Toews, AIM AIR mechanic Ryan Williams and two Americans. At this time there is still medical evaluation being done but this is what we know: The two passengers have some broken bones, minor burns, cuts and bruises. They are both being kept in the hospital for treatment and further evaluation. Ryan Williams' injuries currently include a fractured pelvis, multiple contusions and some significant burns. However, his prognosis is good and he is receiving good medical attention in Nairobi. Frank Toews, the pilot, did not survive the accident and has gone to be with the Lord and Savior whom he loved dearly and served well.

Please pray with us, specifically for the timely return for health of those who are injured, their families, and particularly for Frank's wife and 4 children as they trust God for strength and comfort during this difficult time.

We are trusting God, with all of you, to show Himself to be good, even beyond our expectations and understanding of what good could mean, in a situation like this.

Denny Dyvig
AIM AIR General Manager

2009-07-07T05:12:00.003+03:00

Greetings! Welcome to our new blog...I think we have finally found our blog home after a couple starts elsewhere. While we will continue to post family related items on our Xanga blog (feel free to join us there too at www.xanga.com/rajokoski) this will now be our primary blog for information related to our transition from Minneapolis to Nairobi. Karibuni!