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.
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 center, 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.
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!
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