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Final Step

I did something tonight I haven't done for years--ran three perfectly flat miles at almost sea level. I've either been in very hilly places, or much higher than that for quite a few years. In a few days I'll be back in Oakhurst, and will have the oportunity to ride my road bicycle. I haven't done that for three years, and am really looking forward to going for some long rides.

By Saturday evening we should be in Oakhurst. I just received an e-mail inviting us to a get-together of old-time Summit Adventure staff from the mid to late '80s, when I worked there. We've got two other engagements that day, so not sure if we'll be able to make it or not, but I'd like to try.

I think we have a busy three weeks ahead of us in Oakhurst. We have appointments to see many friends and supporters. We'll be at our home church for four Sundays, and sharing at one or two of the services. I'll need to do some work on our home, and we will need to find new renters before we go. The boys will spend a week at camp, and right after that we leave. So, we're on to our next step of this summer furlough.

Shell Update

Here's an update from the program manager in Shell:

• We continue to make progress towards a solution to our license issue. This week we received the document from the Ministry of Government that we think will be a key to fixing the problem. We are scheduled to present it to the Director of Civil Aviation, Monday the 19th. Please pray that he will do as he as he said he would - normalize our licenses - when he receives this communication from the Ecuadorian Government.
  
• Chad Irwin returned to Ecuador from ten days in Ohio with his family after the death of his father. Continue to remember the family before the Lord.
  
• We're having some difficulty getting permission to open a new strip in a new area of ministry in northwestern Ecuador. The airstrip is called Rio Onzule and lies beneath restricted airspace. We just received permission from the Air Force to use it. Unfortunately, Civil Aviation believes it to be too dangerous. The airstrip looks different than all our others with significant slope. Now we just need to help DAC see that we can operate there safely. We're hoping some pictures of Papua strips will help!
  
• Lu and Carol Marvin returned to S. Cal. after helping us for few weeks with our new radio project. The first phase involved replacing all the equipment at our two repeater sites after operating for seventeen years in a very hostile environment. Bruce Harcey and Dale Shaylor spent three nights on the top of a mountain to do the change at our South repeater site. It was amazing to watch the Lord work in His ways and in His time to help the project along.
  
• Two work groups are with us this week doing great things. Our regular team is a little thin, as is often the case during the summer. Please pray for balance and safety.
  

Camp Flying

This update from Bruce has been sitting in my e-mail inbox for a couple weeks. thought you might like to read what's been going on in Ecuador.

There is an extraordinary excitement in the air as jr. and sr. high school children get ready to board the airplane. For some of the younger ones it will be; their first time flying in an airplane, being more than 10 miles away from home, and quite probably being the first one in their village to see the ocean. Compassion International is hosting a Christian Summer Camp at an ocean-side location. Their 'ticket' to qualify was to recite from memory a chapter from the New Testament. Philippians 1 and 2, Romans 8, I John 3, and St. John 15 were some of the assigned chapters. The program was open for anyone to participate. Of the 1000 participants 66% were non-Compassion supported youth. Not being a Compassion Kid meant they were required to pay an eight-dollar fee. It doesnít sound like much but trying to come up with that kind of money in a jungle village is challenging. Some were bringing out handicrafts, like spears, necklaces and baskets to sell and cover the cost.
Understandably it made for a very busy month of flying. The airplane was full - taking back returning campers and in turn bringing out a new group for their week at camp. Being away from the peer pressure in the village and immersed in a resort-type camp setting can be an ideal scenario in which to share the Gospel with young people. I was told that 150 youth made a decision to follow Christ during the month of camps and many others were renewed in their walk and made re-commitments with a desire to learn to be a disciple of Jesus. Thank you for your part in making sure these young people are able to hear the Gospel and participate in such a life changing experience. As the leaders of this event have told us, without MAF this type of ministry would not be possible. Please continue to pray for the young people living in the Amazon Jungle. Currently we are flying discipleship training teams out to villages to follow up and provide continued encouragement and teaching for these young lives.

Water on the runway from a passing rain storm means the 'jungle waiting room' is full. Finally, the weather has cleared and the kids are on the plane and ready to go.

Summer Update

We're spending our last night in Idyllwild. Tomorrow we head off to Palm Desert for four nights. I've enjoyed my time in this peaceful mile-high town in the pines. I've been here many times, but this was the first time I hiked to the top of Taquitz Peak to the fire lookout, and to the top of San Jacinto. The views of Southern California were great, and the granite and pines reminded me of the area around Yosemite.

Two weekends ago we spent a couple nights with Ellyn's brother and his wife. The boys had been looking forward to that for days, and had planned ahead by buying some silly string. It took a bit of patience, but finally they surprised Rich with the silly string.

On the way to Rich and DeeAnn's I stopped by the velodrome in Carson and watched a friend race at the Junior Nationals. That was a neat experience, and I brought my father-in-law along. We had a great time visiting in the car. We actually did a repeat this past weekend as he and I went shopping for wireless networking items, as well as dropped off some luggage with a friend who will get it up to Oakhurst for us.

Last Tuesday we were blessed to spend an evening with the Calvary Chapel West Covina missions committee. They put on a great bar-b-que, and we enjoyed spending time sharing what MAF is all about and what we do in Shell.