A couple of days
ago, I shared a post on Facebook and Instagram talking about a recent “funk” I
was in and am now out of (praise Jesus!). I also shared that I’m going to
America in March with Josh when he goes for his training!! This is such an
answer to our prayers, and I am unbelievably excited! We’ll arrive a couple of
weeks before Josh’s Kodiak training actually begins and spend that time
bouncing around Florida and a few neighborhoods in Wisconsin. I can’t wait to
see my family and friends’ (non-pixelated) faces again, and give them the hugs
I’ve been saving up. I have a list of foods I want to eat, shopping I want to
do, and time I want to spend. And knowing that this time I’ll survive the
eventual goodbyes in addition to knowing (and loving!) who and what I’m coming
back to in PNG really helps with the fear that sometimes creeps in.
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| Just a little excited to have TWO Kodiaks in PNG! |
Hand-in-hand
with news of Josh’s Kodiak training coming up is the news that Kodiak Number 2
has landed in its forever home of Papua New Guinea! Early Saturday morning we
heard the buzz of turbine engines, and by the time we could race outside, it
was right over our house! All we could see were tires and belly pod – he was so
low! People emerged from their houses in their pajamas, or with toothbrushes in
hand to cheer. After a couple quick turns around the base, it headed for the
airport.
Even as we
speak, the NTMA crew is removing the extra fuel tanks, and prepping Kodiak2 to
begin flying in country. Since this isn’t NTMA Kodiak Ground-Zero, it can get
flying and serving in country much, much quicker than the last one. With the
arrival of this plane, we are two-thirds of the way finished transitioning from
our Cessna206 program to our more-efficient Kodiak program! KodiakNumber3 is
still on its way. It couldn’t have been timed any better because our other
pilots just finished their stateside Kodiak training and are heading back to
PNG. Perfection.
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Two Kodiaks all clean and ready to fly!
Photo by Josh Verdonck |
As much as we
love the Kodiak, it is not our Savior – our ministry here in Papua New Guinea
is not mastered by aircraft, however cool, but by the God who inspired its
creation, provided for its production, gifted it to NTM, and carried it to PNG.
He is the one building his Kingdom here, using some very cool tools, and I am
so excited to be a (very small) part of it!
Labels: adventures, aviation, celebrations, husband, josh and erin verdonck, missionary aviation, missionary life, new tribes mission, new tribes mission aviation, ntma, papua new guinea, quest kodiak