Dear Friends,
Just wanted to pass along this exciting news from our friends in the Stewardship Development office.
This is the BIG news, the Kodiak plane is soon on its’ way to South East ASIA where it will have a large part in seeing the Gospel reach out to the many who have not heard there. Please read over our co-worker’s letter below. Please pray with us about the many folks this will be instrumental in helping to hear the message Gospel.
Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf.
Because He Loved the WHOLE world,
George and Linda Heckman
Serving at the NTM Home Offices
Member Services
Sanford Florida
Dear Praying and Supporting Quest Friends,
An exciting day has arrived in the history of the Mission.
Presenting Kodiak Serial #0031 — the first of 14 Kodiaks to be delivered to New Tribes Mission!
Just a bit of history: New Tribes Mission (NTM) was founded in 1942 and today has 3,076 missionaries working in 20 countries. As our name depicts, they work primarily among primitive tribal people seeking to fulfill Christ’s Great Command to evangelize and make disciples among “every tribe and tongue.” NTM is now working among 255 tribal groups and began work among nine new language groups in 2009. NTM has 108 Bible Translations in progress, with 48 completed, of which 5 were completed this year. It is documented that there are some 2,300 language groups yet to be contacted with the gospel. The task of world evangelism continues for us using these new Kodiaks as a valuable tool!
Here is #0031 just last month
At the end of December it rolled out of the paint-shop in Everett, Washington
This first NTM Kodiak will soon be flown to Indonesia to be based on an island in support of the NTM helicopter. The tribal areas being served and opened up to the Gospel are so remote and rugged that NTM must also use a helicopter to reach some of these 23 isolated language groups on the island. Only two of these tribal areas can be reached by road –if you wish to travel 9 hours on what is euphemistically referred to as a road but actually is actually only a jungle path.
This Kodiak will also be serving other islands with hopes to continue expansion further east to other islands. NTM has operated a fleet of 28 piston powered Cessna 185 and 206 aircraft. Paul Wyton reports that “Avgas is very rare and expensive in Indonesia and the Kodiak, being turbine powered, will be a huge help because it burns less expensive and available jet fuel. Two of the areas to be served have been without air service for a number of years and the Kodiak will greatly help those programs move forward.”
Below is a typical mission airstrip! Obviously this 185 landed just fine, but looking over the nose of PK-YMU at this short airstrip, you might offer a prayer for the hundreds of such landings and take-offs in these primitive settings every day. This is a Kodiak strip for sure -but it is a reminder to us to uphold these men and their amazing machines.
Paul Wyton adds… “We at New Tribes Mission are thrilled with what God has done to provide this crucial tool. We believe that for decades to come the Kodiak will play a strategic role, providing access and sustaining tribal church planting teams in some of the most remote tribal villages on the face of the earth. People groups who are today cutoff and isolated will have an opportunity to hear the Good News of the Gospel, lives will be changed and churches will be planted. We are so thankful for Quest Aircraft, for their vision to undertake this very difficult task and for their unswerving determination to see it through. We are also very grateful for the many Quest donors who have given generously to provide the matching grants that subsidized the purchase of the 14 Kodiaks NTM has on order.
Thank you so very much!”
Paul Wyton – NTM
Director of Development
Write to us for the address for contributions if the Lord places this project on your hearts.