Recent flying events

It's been a while since I shared any flying-related photos - anyone might think I haven't been doing much!

In actual fact there have been a couple of things worth posting about:

Last weekend I flew the gliding club's towplane from Kaitoke up to Feilding to finish my glider tow training and get the rating signed off.

Today we had the Kapiti aero club Christmas BBQ and prizegiving. To my surprise I was awarded the cup for airmanship, in recognition for the various things I've done to prepare myself for MAF. It was a real honour.

Aircraft at Manawatu Gliding Club, Feilding. CIG is their towplane (a Piper Pawnee).
I did my rating in our Piper Cub, BRP. A little less power, but still does the job.

Receiving the cup for airmanship from Kapiti Aero Club CFI, John Harwood

Big news

Over the last few months I have been waiting to hear from MAF International regarding my placement and start date. A couple of weeks ago I was told that there are a number of issues which mean that the April 2019 flight standardisation course has been cancelled, meaning that everything would be pushed out to at least October 2019. This affects not just me, but pretty much every other new pilot joining the organisation.

However, I have just been informed in the last few days that MAF International is considering me for a junior flight instructor position at their flight training centre in Mareeba, Australia (about an hour's drive inland from Cairns).

I will travel to Mareeba for some assessments from 21-25 January to see whether they think I would be suitable for the role. If those go well, MAF will arrange for me to gain an instructor's rating at their flight training centre (8-week course, likely in the first half of 2019) and aim to start working later in the year. I would then be involved in training brand new pilots to be able to fly for MAF in the future.

I'm still a bit stunned that MAF are considering me for this - it's not something that many people would be given the opportunity to do. But I'm also really excited about the possibilities that this would give me for serving within MAF, not just immediately but also further down the track (once I go to the field, I could potentially be involved as a check pilot or training pilot there, rather than just a standard line pilot).

This opportunity has God's fingerprints all over it:

• Given the delay until at least October, I had started looking into doing an instructor rating at the aero club. However that was going to be a delicate balancing act between time, money and sanity. I was also concerned that I might lose my focus for MAF. This opportunity alleviates all of those concerns.
• It would mean that I would be within the MAF system a lot sooner than otherwise, so if things change and a field position becomes available, I'll already be there.
• I wasn't sure how I was going to cope being thrown in the deep end in terms of moving somewhere like PNG, having to adapt to a new culture, language, climate, living standards, and job all at once. Moving to Mareeba first for a year or two would help to spread that transition.

As far as I can see, it's all win-win-win-win! The only downside (if you can call it that) is that I would likely be bonded at the flight training centre for a couple of years. But that's neither here nor there - it may not be a long delay compared to when I would start otherwise, and as I said it would help the transition, so I really don't mind.

I am incredibly thankful for how God is working things out in ways that far surpass the plans I was coming up with! I don't know where this will lead - there are many possibilities that having an instructor rating could open up. But I do know that with God directing it, it's going to be amazing!

Unfortunate events

The last couple of weeks have been trying, to say the least. From the Bible we know that there is an ongoing battle between good and bad spiritual forces, and I was certainly feeling it recently! However, after the first couple of events it somehow got easier to cope with what came next, as I was reminded that God will not allow anything to happen to us that we can't handle.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Ps. 91:1-2)

Here is a list of what happened.

Tuesday morning, 4 Dec: I woke up to find the power was off for no apparent reason. I rang the electricity company to ask them to fix it; it was sorted out by the afternoon.

Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday: Just after midnight my hot water cylinder burst. I was unable to turn the water off so called my parents (in between handling buckets and mopping up) and they were able to come and help call a plumber, clean up etc. The cylinder was replaced the next day.

Overnight Wednesday 5 Dec: My mum was rushed to hospital with what turned out to be meningitis. Thankfully she responded well to treatment. She was in isolation for a few days and was in hospital for a little over a week until she went home on Friday 14 Dec.

Friday 7 Dec: My colleague and I took our cars in for maintenance (so we could share a ride to work). When we went to collect them, while crossing the road on foot we were nearly hit by a car speeding down the median strip.

Monday 10 Dec: We had a fire at work in the roof space of the building next to mine. Everyone was evacuated and told to go home. I had left my bag in my office with keys etc. in it, so had to leave the car behind. Due to chemical hazards and concerns about asbestos, we were not allowed to return until 14 Dec.

Despite all these things, I had a sense of security knowing that God is in control. Each one of these could have been worse - for example, if the hot water cylinder had burst while I was at work or away for the weekend. A number of people commented that this could be good preparation for the difficulties I will face when I go to the mission field!

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah" (Ps. 46:10-11)

It's Christmas time

It's anybody's guess as to where I'll be next Christmas, but for now it's time to let the neighbourhood know the reason for the season!

Timing is everything

Here's an observation that came from a presentation I gave to a local church youth group recently. (This wasn’t so much of a promotional thing for MAF but sharing with them about what I’ve learned and experienced of God and how He is calling me to join MAF.) I mentioned how, if I’d gone to aviation college straight from school and got my CPL then, I could have been flying for MAF for 15 years by now. Yet that time has not been wasted, because I have learned more, experienced more, and met more people than I would have otherwise. Similarly at the moment there has been a delay with me heading to the field – at one point September 2018 was the aim, then April 2019, and now (as I was just informed last week) nobody really knows [1]. One of the kids came up to me afterwards and said, ‘If you had been flying for MAF already, you wouldn’t have been here to speak to us tonight.’ What she said was absolutely true. None of us know who we are going to meet, or whose life we will have an impact on. Regarding my placement at MAF, I know that God’s timing is perfect, and I don’t want to rush ahead of Him. And in the meantime, there are people He wants me to meet and help and inspire. The same is true for each of us, so my encouragement to you is to look out for those opportunities!


[1] I'll update everyone regarding this when I am able to. I've been told that there are a number of issues that MAF International needs to sort out before they can assign me to a programme. Basically, I have been accepted, so it is just a matter of time.

Paraparam 'Touch and Go' event

Last weekend MAF held a 'Touch and Go' event at Paraparam - my home aerodrome. Mark Fox, CEO of MAF NZ, came down for the weekend and it was great to catch up with him and work together promoting MAF to those who visited. I did quite a bit of flying on Friday and Saturday, taking local pastors and supporters for short scenic flights. It was great to connect with people and show them a tangible bit of MAF! On Sunday we had an open time for the public to come and look at the plane and talk to us, and probably had about 40-50 people come to visit. I really enjoyed it!

I have been borrowing the 206 for the past two weeks and have taken 80 people for flights in that time

Getting out of the plane after a flight

Mark and I talking with supporters after a flight

Minnie Kendon visited on Sunday afternoon

Hawkes Bay weekend

I'll be honest, when the invitation came to take part in a missions conference in Hawkes Bay for the weekend I had the 206 in Paraparam, I didn't really want to go. I'd waited for months to have the plane available to take my Wellington-based supporters for flights that weekend! But after discussing with my home support team, I reluctantly agreed to accept. However, it turned out to be an awesome time of connecting with people, and I'm really glad I went. When I was flying back on Sunday afternoon and reflecting on everything that had taken place, it didn't take much to see God's hand at work in the background bringing everything together in a way that far surpassed my original intentions. As always, His plan is the best and we would be wise to seek it out!

I want to thank everyone who hosted me - Paul and Elaine for their hospitality, the Women in Missions Hawkes Bay committee for inviting me to speak at their conference, and Riverbend Bible Church for allowing me to speak and arranging to meet with the missions committee over lunch. Everyone gave me a very warm welcome and I was greatly encouraged by the different conversations I had with a number of people.

Here are a few photos to sum up the various events:

Ready with a banner at the Women in Missions conference

Speaking at the Women in Missions conference

A quickly organised 'show and tell' with the plane

Giving a presentation at Riverbend Bible Church

Out and about in Hawkes Bay

This weekend I'm in Hawkes Bay for several events. The weather forecast for the Wellington-Kapiti region was pretty bad today and even worse tomorrow, but after the low cloud cleared this morning and before the wind got really strong (forecast 50 kts at 3000 ft), I managed to take off, headed up towards Palmerston North, shot over the Manawatu gorge, and got slightly pummelled in the lee of the ranges getting to Hastings.

The 206 safely on the ground at Hastings

Tomorrow (Friday) Mandy from the MAF office will arrive and between us we'll be holding an open time at the aero club for people to come and talk to us and look at the plane. There is also the possibility of taking some people for a scenic flight, but it will depend on the weather conditions - if it's too lumpy (like it was today) then we might call it off.

On Saturday I'm speaking at the Women in Mission Hawkes Bay conference. This event is held every year and features a range of presenters, both veteran missionaries and newbies like me.

Finally, on Sunday I'll be giving a short presentation at Riverbend Bible Church, before flying back to Paraparam in the afternoon.

Raewyn from my home support team is being my taxi driver/tour guide/personal assistant :) I really appreciate her willingness to help and her local knowledge - it means I can focus on the presentations and not have to worry about all the logistics as well.

It's 206 time!

This weekend we had our church retreat at Waikanae, about 10 minutes' drive north of Paraparam. Last Friday I got a lift down to Blenheim to collect the MAF Cessna 206 and fly it back across Cook Strait so that I can show friends, people from church and local supporters the plane and take those who are interested for short flights. I'll have exclusive use of the plane for nearly the next two weeks, culminating in an 'official' MAF promotional event from 16-18 November.

It's here! ZK-MAF at Paraparam airport

Friends from church checking out the plane - unfortunately it was too windy to go for a flight today.

VOR/DME, ILS, RNAV - tick!

I sat (and passed) my instrument renewal flight test today. Thankfully the weather co-operated - the last few days have been unsuitable with a low freezing level and extensive cloud and rain. It's always best to avoid turning your plane into a popsicle! Today the freezing level was high enough - about 4000 ft according to the forecast (but actually about 6000 ft) and there was no cloud along our intended track. There was a pretty stiff southeasterly though (about 30 kts at 3000 ft), which made for plenty of bumps getting in and out of Paraparam, but apart from that it all went pretty well. I also enjoyed flying with Paul and getting feedback from an 'external' person on how I'm doing.

For those who care about the details... I opted to do the VOR/DME approach at Ohakea, followed by the ILS, then came back to Paraparam for the RNAV. These use three different instrument systems on the aircraft. The VOR and ILS use signals from radio transmitters on the ground, while the RNAV uses GPS. ILS (instrument landing system) is a precision approach and this was the first time I had been tested on it. Being at Paraparam we are quite fortunate to have two aerodromes nearby that are equipped with ILS: Wellington and Ohakea. I had done two ILS training flights into Wellington a couple of months ago, and both times we had to land and then hold on the ground for half an hour for a departure clearance (which is an eternity when you're sitting there with the prop running, watching the $$ mount up...). To use Ohakea at the weekend I had to ask the air force for permission, which was granted without too much fuss. One of the conditions was that I phone them on the day to advise my intentions, and they even offered to ensure the tower was on watch for while I was there, which was a pleasant surprise since normally they are off watch on Sundays.

Below is my GPS track for the entire flight - the logbook entry for what we did reads:
PP AGAXA3 KAMET H467 FOXTN H313 OH VOR/DME 09 via arc, miss app, vectors ILS/DME 09 miss app, H313 FOXTN H467 KAMET 1H RNAV 16 PP

Ten minutes at TradeMe

On Friday I had the opportunity to give a ten minute talk about MAF at the TradeMe head office in Wellington. This was organised in next to no time at all thanks to a friend from my badminton team who works there. People seemed to be engaged and there were quite a few questions afterwards.

My calendar is looking pretty full for the next few weeks! Between now and the end of November I'll be giving talks at the following places:
- Maungaraki Baptist, Lower Hutt, 21 Oct
- Women in Mission conference, Napier, 10 Nov
- Riverbend Bible Church, Havelock North, 11 Nov
- Olive Tree Church, Lower Hutt, 18 Nov
- An over 50s home group, Upper Hutt, 24 Nov

Plus a few more with dates to be confirmed:
- Home school family group, Lower Hutt
- Queen Street Chapel, Levin

I will also be attending my school's centenary celebrations on 26-27 October, and am planning to take plenty of information sheets to give to people.

Finally, MAF is organising a 'Touch and Go' promotional event at Paraparam from 16-18 November. They're in the process of contacting local churches and supporters to invite them to hear more about MAF and also to have the opportunity to go for a flight in the 206. I'm looking forward to meeting people with an active interest in MAF and also getting to be the pilot for some of the flights!

TSCF

Recently I was sorting through some emails to get an idea of how long, on average, each presentation takes to organise, from making first contact to actually giving it. So far, the average is around 6-8 weeks. But averages are just that - some are longer, others are shorter. In some cases, much shorter!

This week I gave a talk at TSCF (Tertiary Students' Christian Fellowship) at Victoria University of Wellington. It was great to see their enthusiasm and to be able to encourage them in their faith.

I had sent a cold-call email to the group back in July, but on 18 September when I realised that their semester finished in mid-October, I sent a quick follow-up email. Things swung into gear really quickly after that, and I actually ended up giving two talks on consecutive weeks - the first on 27 September discussing 'the conflict between science and faith' as part of an outreach event to non-Christians, and the second on 4 October sharing about MAF and my journey to get there. Both were great events - about 40 people came to the first and I am told there were lots of good discussions that ensued. About 20 people came to the second and most of them signed up for my newsletter - definitely the highest proportion so far! To any TSCF people who are reading this, a big thank you for having me and welcome to my network of supporters!

I thought 9 days was pretty quick to organise a talk, but another group has outdone that already - a string of emails today was all that was needed to arrange for me to give a presentation in exactly a week's time, on 12 October! All will be revealed as to where it is... and I'll try and remember to take some photos this time (something I forgot to do at the TSCF talks).

Thank you Kapiti aero club!

Another big shout-out to:

This time for their generous offer of financial support towards my first year in the field!

I've benefited hugely from the unique mix of instructors' experience, aircraft types, and courses on offer. Through the one organisation I've been able to gain my commercial licence, instrument rating, aerobatics rating, type ratings on C182 and PA18 (to go with my pre-existing C152 and C172 ratings), as well as learn some strip flying and basic mountain flying techniques. There aren't too many other aero clubs around that can offer the whole package - not to mention a great environment and camaraderie between its staff and members, as well as a strong safety culture and highly professional approach towards all their operations.

You can check out their website here: kapitiaeroclub.co.nz

With the club's contribution I am now up to 35% support, so more than a third of the way to the target that MAF International has set for me.

Strip flying practise

Last week was pretty good weather so on Saturday I decided to try taking the aero club's Piper Cub for a short hop over to the Kaitoke airstrip for some landing practise. The Kaitoke airstrip is about 600 m long and has a decent slope on it - not too dissimilar from the types of strips that MAF flies into. It's been a while since I tried landing with a tailwind so that was a bit of a challenge (for this strip, landing uphill with a tailwind is easier than landing downhill with a headwind). But I managed ok, and successfully brought the plane back to Paraparam in one piece!

Here are a couple of photos of the view landing on the airstrip, compared with landing on the grass runway at a 'real' aerodrome.

Landing on the Kaitoke airstrip

Landing back at Paraparam

A view of me landing from the outside (taken at Foxpine on a different day)

Meeting a MAF pioneer

During my various travels around the world, I've come across many people who hold New Zealand in high regard. Whether it's a rugby-playing nation where people love the All Blacks; or the US, where they love our accents, Lord of the Rings and Flight of the Conchords; or Nepal, where Sir Ed Hillary not only climbed mountains but did a great deal of good for local communities, I feel a special connection with others who have gone before.

Many people know of the New Zealand connection in the founding of MAF. Murray Kendon was a Kiwi who was called up to serve in the RAF in WWII. While flying bombers in Europe, he was troubled at how aircraft were being used to spread death and destruction. What if they could be used to bring hope and healing instead?

Murray passed away in 2014, but he left a huge legacy. MAF is only one part of that. I've read a number of stories of the things that he and other MAF pioneers experienced, and while part of me is thrilled to soon be following in their footsteps, another part of me felt extremely unworthy to be doing so.

That is, until I met Minnie Kendon last weekend.

Minnie and Murray were married shortly before the end of the war, and moved to New Zealand in the early 1950s to travel around the country, working with Youth For Christ and raising support for MAF. Eventually they settled down in Auckland, then moved to the Hutt Valley, where Minnie still lives. A contact of one of my home support team members is a good friend of Minnie's and offered to arrange for me to meet her, which I gratefully accepted. I must admit though, as I was driving to her house, my mind was blank on what I should ask. Where does one start? How does one talk to someone who has inspired so many?

I needn't have worried - conversation flowed easily. We talked about how God leads and provides in the small things as well as the big things. We talked about how His timing is perfect. Minnie shared how Murray was a great organiser, and this was a point where something clicked for me. The feeling of being unworthy to follow in his steps lifted - because I don't have to follow his path. He was called by God to be an organiser in the founding of MAF, and God has called me to a different role (being a pilot). Murray's passion was for the 'mission' part of MAF; mine is leaning more towards the 'aviation'. But that passion I have for flying is going to be crucial for instilling the discipline I need to be a MAF pilot. If I didn't have a passion for flying, it would be a problem!

The other thing that struck me - and in saying this, I mean no offense - was how ordinary she was. She spoke of how they came to New Zealand in the 1950s and how they got on with life. My grandparents had done a similar thing around the same time. She was a little embarrassed every time it was mentioned that many people are inspired by her and Murray and all that they have done. I know the feeling... because I'm an ordinary person too. The thing that sets us apart, though, is that we serve an extraordinary God. If people are inspired by what she has done, or what I'm about to do, it's because they are inspired by what God is doing through us (whether they realise that or not).

So I thank Chris for introducing us, and I especially thank Minnie for having me visit.

Completion of a 7 year project

A little over 7 years ago I started an ambitious project. It was an idea that had been planted by Dan Stolebarger, whom I met as one of the tour leaders on a trip to Israel in 2006. He had taken the challenge upon himself as written in Deuteronomy 17:18:
"When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel."
In context, the passage refers to the kings of Israel who would be appointed as leaders over the nation, hundreds of years in the future from when Moses wrote this. By copying the Scriptures for themselves, it was an act of humility and one that would safeguard them against pride (as well as the practical aspect that there were no printing press facilities at the time). Dan shared that as a leader in his family and in ministry, humility and safeguards were worthy things for him to pursue.

Copying the entire Bible by hand - are you mad? It would take a long time... should I get special books for it? Which version should I choose? In the end I decided to give it a go and stocked up on regular hardback school exercise books and used my favourite version (for what it's worth, the NIV - yes, I know it has its flaws).

After I passed the MAF flight test in January, I had just begun the New Testament. At the time, things were looking promising for starting with MAF in September. Some simple maths showed that, if I was diligent about it, it would be theoretically possible to finish by then. I didn't want to be lugging hardback exercise books with me overseas. As it turns out, September is no longer on the cards, but I still managed to finish ahead of this self-imposed deadline.

So this project, which began on 27 June 2011, is now complete - 7 years, 1 month, and 24 days later!

(I'm not sharing this to boast or make anyone think I'm super-spiritual - I'm not. It's just to celebrate an achievement of something that's taken a long time.)

My Bible looking a little worse for wear (hey, I've had it since I was 13) and the stack of notebooks

An excerpt from Psalm 139 that gives me comfort as I plan to move overseas

An encouraging week

I'll be honest, the week before last was a bit of a struggle. I'm still waiting to hear from MAF when I'll be starting and to where I'll be moving, and the uncertainty can sometimes become overwhelming. That was the case the week before last, and I couldn't seem to rise above that feeling of being in limbo. In my head I know that God has it all under control and that things will work out in His perfect timing (as they always do), but I was having difficulty translating that into everyday life. I sent an email to my prayer partner last Saturday and had a breakthrough of sorts: instead of asking for prayer that MAF would hurry up and tell me where and when I'm going, I asked for prayer that I can learn to be patient.

In the parable of the ten minas, Jesus told the story of a businessman who gave his employees some money and told them to 'Occupy until I come' (Luke 19:13). In the parable, the businessman represents God and the employees represent us. So the meaning of this phrase is, while you're waiting for God's plan to be accomplished, get busy doing what you need to do. For me, that means working diligently for my current employer, serving faithfully in my church, and sticking with my flying plan for what I want to do there. This change of mindset has helped - at some point, the day will come when I will get the news from MAF. But until then, there is no point stressing about it; that isn't going to change the situation, and it doesn't help me.

So this week already started off looking a lot brighter as I decided to get stuck in to what I am able to progress now, and (try) not to worry about what lies ahead. I had a meeting with my home support team on Monday night and we made a deliberate effort to spend a significant portion of our time together praying for each of the churches and ministry partners who have committed to or are thinking about supporting me.

Then on Wednesday I received four encouraging responses about giving presentations to various groups ranging in size from 20 people to over 1,000 people, and an offer by someone to refer me to two other churches. It was a timely reminder that God is still working behind the scenes, even if we can't always see it.

Winter flying

This time next year, who knows where in the world I'll be! But for now, I'm trying to make the most of clear winter days to go flying.

Saturday was one such day, so I arranged with a couple of workmates to fly from Paraparam down to Kaikoura (about 1.5 hrs flight time one way). Kaikoura is famous for whales, which you can see by signing up for a whale watch boat or flight. Or you can use your own plane...

We only caught a glimpse of one whale before it submerged, but since that was only a small part of the trip and we all acknowledged that whale behaviour is completely outside our control, it wasn't a deal-breaker. I chose to fly us to Kaikoura via the coast at low altitude (1500 ft) so we could see the work that had been done on the main road and the changes to the coastline since the earthquake there in Nov 2016. After lunch we came back via the mountains, cruising at 7500 ft and circling around the top of Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku (9500 ft - highest peak in NZ not in the Southern Alps) before heading back via Blenheim, Picton and the Marlborough Sounds.

Inland Kaikouras - view out the front, from Kaikoura looking south

View looking west

Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku

Marlborough Sounds

Our GPS track

A year ago today...

A year ago today I sat (and passed) my CPL flight test. The first of many big boxes to tick along the way to flying for MAF!

A lot can happen in a year... since then I have:
- completed type ratings in a C182 and C206
- obtained an instrument rating
- learned some strip flying techniques through both Kapiti and Marlborough Aero Clubs
- passed the MAF flight test
- clocked up a further 160 hours of flight time

A sincere and substantial thanks to each of the instructors who have helped me along the way! (in particular Ben, Terry, John H, John N, and Sharn)

Kapiti Aero Club

As mentioned earlier, the bulk of my flying since I got back into it in 2016 has been through the Kapiti Aero Club. On Thursday 19 July I gave a talk for a 'pilots night' presentation about MAF, how I got there, what I'll be doing in the future, and how people can support me. I really enjoyed it - it was a great turnout and everyone seemed to be completely engaged all the way through. The feedback was awesome and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to share what I'm doing and why!

Transition Training

For most of the last two weeks I've been in Melbourne for Transition Training. This is a ten-day residential course run by Missions Interlink Australia, with the aim being to help missionaries make an effective transition to a new culture - not just surviving, but thriving. I was expecting to be pushed outside my comfort zone, and I was. Many of the topics gave me things to mull over and pray about, and suggestions to look into in order to be able to prepare myself further for going out to the field. Overall, the word I would use to describe it is 'intense'. But don't get me wrong; it was highly beneficial and I definitely got a lot out of it.

It was a relatively small cohort - 11 adults and 5 kids (who had their own programme). Between us we are heading out to 5 continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Australia). It was great getting to know each person and to be encouraged by their stories.

(I apologise for the vagueness of this post - we have been asked not to post any details about the programme online, so that those who will do the course in the future will get maximum benefit. We have also been asked not to put any photos of participants online, to protect those who may be serving in sensitive countries in the future.)

Presentations are go!

Last week my response cards arrived! Here they are about to go in the box which already contains some magazines, brochures, pens, key rings, a clip-board, sign-up sheets, and free post envelopes - all the necessary stuff for taking along to a presentation.

Speaking of presentations, I gave my first official one to my home church, Calvary Chapel Wellington, yesterday. A number of people signed up to pray and support financially - I am grateful for each one of them!

Ministry partnership

Last week I received an official acceptance letter from MAF International, and this week a similar letter from MAF New Zealand. Although there are still some details to be worked through (such as when and where I'll be serving initially), it's the green light for getting stuck into building ministry partnership!

Ministry partnership is more than just about raising funds to support myself. First of all, it's "ministry" - a term that encompasses a range of things:
- people supporting me financially to fly for MAF
- my work at MAF encouraging people in their faith
- people supporting me spiritually through prayer
- me supporting people in their lives through prayer

Secondly, it's "partnership" - not sponsorship, which is one-way, but a two-way relationship between two equal parties. It's a Biblical principle that those who give support are rewarded by God equally with those whom they are supporting in ministry (1 Sam. 30:24, 1 Cor. 3:6-8, 1 Cor. 9:10). My role in this ministry is not better or superior than my supporters' role. They are simply different, and both are necessary and equally valuable.

I know that people will have different reasons for supporting me. For some, it will be because they are already friends with me; for others, it will be a way they can be involved in overseas mission work; for yet others it provides a focal point for their prayers. My prayer is that, with God's help, I can truly form deep, two-way partnerships so that we can be encouraged by one another and built up in faith.

MAF NZ recruitment retreat

In February MAF NZ held a weekend retreat in Tauranga for people interested in finding out more about working for MAF. It was great to hear about how MAF is organised and how it operates internationally, as well as to hear personal stories from a number of people who have served with MAF in different parts of the world. Throughout the weekend my sense of peace that this is what God is calling me to just grew and grew. It was humbling to share my own journey with other people and see them encouraged by my testimony.

A highlight of the weekend was getting to fly ZK-MAF again. As it turned out, Kapiti aero club decided to organise a multi-day trip to the Bay of Plenty on the exact same weekend. They arrived at Tauranga on the Saturday afternoon, at the same time our group was there for trial flights. Since I had been signed off with a type rating when I did the flight assessment a month earlier, I was allowed to go by myself with some aero club passengers.

Although it was only a short flight - about half an hour - it is one that will always bring a big smile to my face, because one of those passengers was my instructor Ben. It wasn't so much to impress him with the aircraft (although he was impressed), but to share a tangible bit of MAF with him as a thank-you.

The preparation

(Start here: The beginning)

This part is perhaps best told in pictures!

My first step was to get my PPL current again. I had my first refresher lesson in May 2016.

Taking part in a forced landing competition, June 2016

By November I felt I was ready - technically and spiritually - to take the next step of faith and ask my instructor about doing a CPL.

Cue another 6 theory exams and another 100 hrs of flying, including 20 hours of rather long cross-countries. I'm not complaining; it was a great way to see the country!

On the ground at the Porangahau airstrip as part of my CPL cross country flight test, May 2017

Next was the CPL flight test...

... then single engine instrument rating (which involved another 30 hours flying and three more theory exams).

From here my plan was to prepare myself as best I could for the MAF flight assessment, which was to be conducted in a C206. This was a scary prospect, as up to that time most of my flying had been in either a C152 or C172.

For those who aren't familiar with the different aircraft types, here is a quick run-down:

Aircraft

# seats

Engine power

Cruise speed

C152

2

100 bhp

95 kts

C172

4

180 bhp

110 kts

(C182

4

230 bhp

135 kts)

C206

6

300 bhp

120 kts

As you can see, the C206 would be the largest aircraft I had flown, both in terms of physical size and engine power.
On top of that, I had been told to expect some MAF-style components to the assessment, including navigation and landing on tight airstrips.

The first box to tick off was to get some experience flying an aircraft with a bigger engine. One of the Kapiti aero club members made his C182 available for hire in Nov 2017, so I got a type rating straightaway and took it for a few cross-country flights, clocking up about 10 hours in the process.

Taking some colleagues to New Plymouth, Dec 2017

I also went down to Blenheim to learn some strip flying at Marlborough Aero Club in their C172.

On the ground at an airstrip in the Awatere Valley, Dec 2017

Finally, there was nothing more that could be done to prepare. It was time to meet the 206.

ZK-MAF is the only MAF aircraft operating in New Zealand. It's mostly used for promotional flights and flight assessments, having been retired from over 12,000 hours of active service for MAF in Cambodia, Arnhem Land, and other places.
MAF pilot applicants have the option of doing a quick familiarisation flight (e.g. 1 hr) and then getting straight into the assessment, or having a few lessons and completing a formal type rating before being put through their paces. I chose to do the latter.

I arranged with the MAF instructor/assessor to spend two days learning the ropes before sitting the flight assessment on the morning of the third day. We had two short flights on the first day (general handling, and circuits), then after some dual check circuits on day two he allowed me to go out for some solo practise. After the first solo flight, I was struggling to come to grips with this enormous, powerful aircraft - with the gliding performance of a fridge - and was having serious doubts about my ability to fly it for an assessment. When I got back on the ground, I sat in it for a while and vented to God. He had brought me this far and I had done everything I could to prepare, but I didn't feel ready. Maybe I should just ask to finish the type rating and then go home, come back in a few months and try again? No, the Holy Spirit said, just go out after lunch for one more flight. I did that and felt a little better, but I knew that if I passed the assessment it would only be because God enabled me to.

I was given the assessment scenario that night, planned a couple of different routes, and committed the whole thing to God in prayer. The next morning I chose to begin the assessment by praying for our flight. As I started the engine I was filled with peace about what lay ahead, and as we were en route to our first location I actually felt like this was a real MAF flight and I was a real MAF pilot. A couple of hours later when we arrived back, I was almost sad that it had to end - I had enjoyed it that much!

What a lesson in doing things in God's strength (and not our own), using the abilities He has given us, in faith.
Oh, and by the way, I passed.

With ZK-MAF after passing the flight assessment

The call

(Start here: The beginning)

By the time 2012 rolled around, life was pretty settled. I was enjoying my work and had many opportunities to travel; I was involved at church and had a good network of friends there. Then late that year a couple from our church - Ken and Erica Mathews - announced that they were going out as missionaries to work with MAF. At their farewell service, Ken spoke about the work of MAF and I felt an intense burning in my spirit that I should be following. The dream of being a pilot and Mum's suggestion about flying for MAF bubbled to the surface. I asked Ken whether it would be possible for someone with a private pilot's license to get involved in short term mission trips, his response was, 'You'd need at least a CPL' (i.e. commercial pilot's license). That put a dampener on that idea, but the sense stayed with me.

In early 2013 the research institution where I was working went through a major restructure and change of direction. There was significant upheaval throughout the organisation, with various research teams being transferred to universities. The group of 11 that I was part of saw five people leave. Out of those who were left, I drew the short straw of the acting team leader role, even though I too was in negotiations to move to another research institution. What a joke.

Except it wasn't a joke. 9 months of uncertainty took its toll on my mental state. Eventually things got sorted out and I ended up moving to another team within the same organisation. But God taught me many things during that time, not least of which was that I had been holding on too tightly to my job. I finally came to the point where I could say regarding it, 'The Lord gave, and if the Lord wants to take away, blessed be the name of the Lord.'

There was no doubt in my mind that God had given me this job. The sequence of events were one 'coincidence' after another. I acknowledged this in my journal at the time, that if He now wanted to take it away, it was only because He had something better in mind.

Fast forward with me to early 2016. I was on a work trip in Melbourne, Australia and was lying in bed reflecting on my life. I had one more mortgage payment to make on my house. What would I do with all the extra cash that would be available to me? I knew I needed to use it for God's glory, but how? What was my life all about anyway? Why had God blessed me with so many talents and opportunities? I was using them individually, but surely He had a plan that would see them combined. And what about the dream of being a pilot, and the burning I felt in my spirit when Ken spoke about MAF?
Then the Holy Spirit challenged me about I'd been telling people for years, 'Once I pay off the mortgage, I can get back into flying.' Was I prepared to follow through with that?
What if I was able to get a CPL... what else did MAF want in their pilots?

I sat up and reached for my computer. 'MAF pilots', I typed into Google. As I read through the list of qualifications for pilots, I was able to check off every box in the list. I felt my spirit soaring as I could finally see, for the first time ever, how everything in my life fitted together:

• CPL with 200 hours flight time, 100 hours pilot-in-command, 10 hours night flying experience (all of these are needed for a CPL issue anyway)
  
• Single engine instrument rating

Ok, let's assume I can get those. What else?

• Agree with MAF's vision, purpose and values (no problem there)
  
• Committed Christian (absolutely)
  
• Willingness to live and work in basic conditions (no problem given the amount of hiking I do - we call it 'tramping' in NZ)
  
• Good physical fitness (I enjoy mountain biking, ran a marathon in 2015, and play badminton for the Hutt Valley division 4 reps team. So it's a 'yes' to that)
  
• Experience travelling and/or living overseas and in other cultures desirable (another yes; lived in the UK and USA for a year each, and travelled to over 30 different countries, including Kenya and Nepal)
  
• A one-year or equivalent Bible college qualification

This last one made me smile. Back in 2001 I entered a Bible trivia competition on our local radio station where the prize was an all expenses paid 'Certificate in Christian Ministry' 1 year course by distance learning. I won the competition and completed the course for fun. But it turned out that even that was part of God's plan.

I think the last point kind of clinched it for me. I started praying. 'Ok, Lord, You've got my attention. Thank You for showing me Your plan and how literally everything in my life fits together for becoming an MAF pilot. I get that my intellect will be used in doing mental arithmetic on the fly - sorry about the pun. And I'm sure the musical abilities You've given me will fit in with missions work. But where does being a research scientist fit in?'
He answered me straight away. It's for the money.

Instantly a weight lifted from my shoulders. All that angst from the previous year; I needn't have worried. A good paying job, to fund the rest of my flight training for CPL, instrument rating, and whatever else might be needed.

The next thing I Googled was the Kapiti aero club. According to their website, they offer flight training up to CPL and even C-cat instructor ratings. Of course, I would have to get up to speed again at private pilot's license level before embarking on CPL training. It was 11 years since I had last flown any kind of powered aircraft. I wasn't sure how much I would remember. But there was only one way to find out.

Next: The preparation

The opportunities

(Start here: The beginning)

1998 was my first year at university, studying physics and mathematics as double majors for a Bachelor of Science. I quit ATC not long after after coming home from the ATC power flying course, but one day a few months later I was tidying my room and came across my notes. Reading through them I noticed that a few of them, with my instructor's name as an author, were subtitled 'Welair Aviation Ltd. Paraparaumu'. Paraparaumu (or Paraparam as known locally) is about 45 minutes' drive away from Lower Hutt. Wouldn't it be great to keep having lessons with the same instructor! So I found a phone number and called them. Sure enough, my instructor was working there, and was happy to take me on for more lessons. Over the course of the next year we covered the syllabus for the private pilot's license. I sat and passed my flight test on 30 June 1999, a few weeks after I turned 19.

Taking some Sunday school kids for a flight, 2003

For the next few years as I worked through my university degrees - bachelors, honours, then PhD - I would go flying once or twice a month. I learned how to fly a bigger plane so I could take three passengers at a time instead of one. I pretty much stuck to the local area, mainly because I was terrified of talking to air traffic control.

In 2005 I completed a PhD in physics and had been given a 2-year fixed term post-doctoral job virtually on a platter about six months before (another story which was completely God's doing). One important thing to note: it was based in London at Imperial College.

When I arrived at Imperial it was orientation week. I went to check out whether there were any Christian groups on campus that I felt were worth joining. Imagine my surprise to see a glider on display in the quad! I signed up without hesitation and didn't mind the 6 a.m. starts on Saturday mornings to be picked up for the drive to Lasham aerodrome.

I had just under 9 hours' gliding experience from my ATC days, but all of that bar two short flights was from an aero tow. At Lasham they use a winch for launching, which takes quite a bit of getting used to. Although I clocked up another 9 flights during the year I was there, still to this day I have not flown solo in a glider. But being part of the club allowed me to get my aviation 'fix'.

Feeling excited about flying in a glider again, Oct 2005

After a year at Imperial, an opportunity arose that was too good to turn down - moving to Stanford University in California to continue the rest of my post-doc there. That was a great experience in terms of what I was able to learn, but it came at a cost of personal sanity. At one point I had the choice of extending my stay for another 12 months, and was seriously considering it. But after a five-month period where I had maybe 3 weekends off, I decided enough was enough and that I would go home to New Zealand. Again, God had paved the way well in advance for me to transition seamlessly into a permanent job as a research scientist when I arrived back in August 2007.

Within a couple of months of getting back home, Mum had convinced me that buying a house was a better option than renting, and I had found a place that I quite liked. The sale went through and by October I had a house, complete with a brand new mortgage. Financially it made sense to try to pay that off as quickly as I could, so I let my pilot's license lapse (since I was overdue for a medical and a biennial flight review anyway).

Over the next few years occasionally the topic would come up in conversation. 'Yeah, I've got my private pilot's license,' I'd say.
The response would usually be, 'Wow, cool!' Oh yeah, ten points to me on the awesomeness scale.
Then, 'So how often do you go flying?' Ba-dum! Minus five.
'Well I've let things lapse while I pay off the mortgage. But once that's gone I can always get back into it.'

Next: The call

The beginning

"'Begin at the beginning,' the King said, very gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'" 
(Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland)


I don't know where or when the end of this story will be, but I can tell you how it began.

I grew up in a Christian family in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, with my mum, dad, and two younger brothers. Like most kids I went through phases of wanting to be different things when I grew up. But when I was 11 years old (pictured below) God planted the desire in my heart to be a pilot.

Me, age 11-ish

Now when you hear the word 'pilot', most people think of airline pilots. That wasn't the type of pilot I wanted to be. I had dreams - literally - of being at the controls of a small plane, flying around. This was in spite of having never been in a small plane, not having any relatives who were pilots, all the usual things that trigger such a thought in a child's mind.

I told my mum about this. She said, 'Maybe you could fly for MAF one day.'
'What's that?'
'Mission Aviation Fellowship, they fly missionaries around, that sort of thing.'
Sounds pretty boring, I thought, and left it at that.

In my early teens I found out about the Air Training Corps (ATC). Established during the second world war for boys who were too young to enlist, it taught them military discipline and basic airmanship in preparation for joining the Air Force when they were old enough. These days it's more like Scouts with an Air Force flavour. I had some great times during my 5 years at ATC, but the highlight would have to be getting selected for the National Power Flying course, held annually at RNZAF Base Woodbourne in Blenheim. About 30 cadets from all over the country were treated to a 10 day intensive flying programme, where one of the aims is for everyone to fly their first solo - a major milestone for any pilot. I flew mine at the age of 17, on 20 April 1998. The dream was alive.

Me with instructor John after flying my first solo

Next: The opportunities