In The Home Stretch

Two more days and, Lord willing, I'll be home in Coshocton. My flight is scheduled to depart Sacramento around noon on Wednesday and, after a layover in Minneapolis, I should arrive in Columbus, OH around 9:30 PM Eastern. Coshocton's about 70 miles NE of Columbus so we'll have a short drive to make once I collect my bags. Karen's going to meet me at the airport.

In preparation for departure, nearly all of my MMS office tasks are complete, I'm starting to move everything that's going home closer to the suitcases, all the house cleaning supplies have been located and, as you can tell from the photo, I'm falling back on about 17 years of professional janitorial and custodial experience to whip this place back into shape. Before I left California to begin mission service with MMS in 1997, my work days and work nights were spent ensuring that public school students had a clean and safe environment in which to learn.

We Are Thankful

Karen and I are very thankful for the opportunity to stay in the Calvary Bible Church missionary house this trip. It was a total blessing to unpack and to stay unpacked for two months. Prior to learning the missionary house was open, we'd anticipated staying with six different families over the course of our eight weeks in Grass Valley. Not that we would have minded the fellowship, but having our own place did help lower some of the stress of constantly being on the go.

Over the course of this trip we met individually with seventy-five people, presented our ministry at two churches, were interviewed by a missions representative of another church, shared with three Sunday school classes and four Bible studies, had multiple follow-up appointments, and chatted with many other folks in the course of our travels. Thank you for your prayers over the past two months. We believe God was glorified as people learned about MMS and grew to know us better.

I'm tired. It's a "good" tired, to be sure, but still tired and I'm ready to be home with Karen and the missionary mutts.

Well, I'd rather keep blogging, but I need to keep cleaning. Thanks for checking in!

It's Been A Good Trip

Carpenter's Crew

This morning I had the privilege of sharing our ministry with the Carpenter's Crew Sunday School Class at Calvary Bible Church. It was a good group, they asked good questions, and they were very appreciative. I also learned that one member of the class, a pilot, is the son of a missionary who used to have MMS maintain his airplane! Is this a small world, or what? I praise the Lord for His making this special connection possible. And thank you Carpenter's Crew for making me feel so welcome. Have fun with the wrench pens...

Final Logistics

Now that my final speaking engagement of the trip is finished, it's time to start thinking about that final load of wash before I head back to Coshocton, Ohio. Yes, that final load of wash, cleaning the missionary house, preparing the borrowed car for return, making the last few phone calls, entering two months of donor contact data, organizing electronic files, returning library books, tracking contacts, logging expenses, trying to figure out how Karen packed so much of my stuff into only two suitcases, writing thank you notes, and realizing how hard I'm going to have to work to drop the twenty pounds I've loaded-on eating so many great meals provided by so may gracious hosts and gifted cooks. It's been tough, but somehow both Karen and I have survived.

As much as my jeans have shrunk around the waist, I've got a feeling that the sooner the Midwest weather allows me outside and back on my bicycle, the better.

A Good Walk: My First Round of Golf in 2008

We've had some rain out here in Grass Valley, CA, too. It started yesterday with some gentle showers just as we walked to the first tee at the Lake Wildwood Country Club golf course. Yep, that's right, the Lord allowed me to get nine holes of golf in yesterday afternoon as part of a threesome with one of the young men from church (Thank you, Grant) and a client of his. Wahoo! We walked nine holes, enjoyed some good fellowship, and for some unknown reason I shot one of the best rounds of my short, 3 year golf "career" which was rather amazing as I was using borrowed clubs (Thank you, Matt) and hadn't played in four months! It was so much fun. (Thank you, Lord!)

We did get a little wet from the rain showers, but I actually had a game on until the 8th hole when the wheels kind of fell off. My drive on #8 barely passed the women's tee, and seven strokes later I was in the water hazard substantially short of the green. I had one birdie putt on a Par 5 (which I promptly turned into a bogie playing "ring-around-the-cup-collar") and a couple shots at par which also turned into bogies. No crisis, I struck the ball well off the tee and pretty much kept it in play with my irons.

Golf is my relaxation. It helps me laugh at myself and be an encourager to others. It challenges me to focus while keeping my mind clear. It totally reflects the realities of life in each stroke and has so many spiritual analogies it blows my mind. Mark Twain called golf, "A good walk spoiled." I would disagree with that. If the "good walk" IS spoiled, it's not because of the game.

Karen's Doing Well & Staying Warm

During our separation, Karen and I have developed a routine of talking on the phone three times a day. We check-in with each other in the morning, the afternoon, and night. If we can't see each other, it's certainly a blessing to be able to talk to each other. Karen's doing well and is back in the swing of life and service in Coshocton: managing our home, serving at MMS, and singing with the worship team at our church, Fresno Bible (Fresno, OH). Tucker and Tanner (the Cocker Spaniels) have had their Spring buzz-cut after becoming rather woolly-bully heading into winter. Hope, the Lab/Great Dane mix is still riding herd on the two Cockers.

During one of our phone calls, Karen held the phone down to Tanner and I talked to him. Karen said Tanner's tail started wagging, he cocked his head at the phone, ran to the front door and waited, and then ran all the way out the back door onto the deck to look for me. He's a good dog.

The weather back there is still wet, though it looks like they're going to have a break in the rain today. The flood watch has been canceled for the first time in two weeks. Snow is still a threat. One of the things that Karen and the dogs enjoy when the weather is so damp, cold, and wet is having a fire. It's a nice picture isn't it? It could make a guy homesick if he'd let it...

The forecast says it should be cloudy with temps in the 30's when I arrive at Columbus airport Wednesday night. I really won't care what the weather is, I'll just be glad to be back together with Karen and to cozy up to that fire.

Projects In The Hangar: MAG 206

The Missionary Air Group (MAG) Cessna 206 was flown up to MMS from Honduras for inspection and repair. MAG operates throughout the northeast coastal plains of Honduras providing transportation and cargo service for national church workers and missionaries, medical evacuation and mercy flights, and responding to humanitarian and relief needs.

Inspection of the airplane revealed serious maintenance issues needing to be addressed. Without the ministry of MMS, the airplane would have been scrapped as junk. Mike Dunkley, a career missionary and aviation maintenance technician, is the MMS Team Leader supervising the apprentice mechanics performing the restoration and repair work. The four month project has turned into a 12-month project but will be returned to service for approximately $70,000 in parts and materials. While there's no question that is a large amount of money, it reflects a savings of $130,000-$150,000 over what MAG would have had to spend in order to buy another airplane to replace this one.

And while MMS has provided MAG the means to save this money, MMS apprentice mechanics are also gaining the experience they need to pass the FAA Airframe & Powerplant exams to receive their mechanic certificate. This certificate will then qualify them to join one of the 125 or so organizations using aircraft for Christian ministry around the world.

It's a unique vision with a unique application: preparing people and planes for worldwide mission service. Karen and I are blessed to be part of this ministry through your gifts and prayers.

Spring In California

One thing I enjoy about being in California is that Spring arrives in conjunction with the calendar. The calendar says "Spring Begins" on March 20th and you know what? Out here it really does. Back in the Midwest, Spring doesn't begin until calendar actually says "Summer." You don't even think about planting anything before the end of May.

Here in Grass Valley all the bushes are in blossom, bulbs are in bloom, green buds are bursting on the trees, and the grass already needs to be mowed.

Back in Coshocton, OH, it's a different story. Dead grass, bare trees, gray sky, dormant bushes, endless overcast, and the mower will be storage for another month. It 's going to be a while before green begins to dominate the browns and grays. Several people back there have asked me to pack Spring in my suitcase and bring it back with me on my return flight next week. Trust me, if I could I would.

Remedial Bachelorhood

Without Karen, the past twenty-two days have been tougher than I imagined they would be. When I dropped her off at Sacramento Airport it was like half my brain and half my heart had tickets to Coshocton, too.

This is the longest we've been separated in the 5 1/2 years we've been married and the crash course in remedial bachelorhood has been a challenge. I haven't had to do any real grocery shopping, laundry washing, daily errand running, or house cleaning since our marriage as Karen is such a gifted homemaker and manager. She does it all and does it all well. My gifts are in other areas.

As I wandered the supermarket aisles with a little hand basket, shopping for groceries slowly came back to me: hot dogs, corn chips, salsa, mustard, Tabasco, Dr. Pepper, M&Ms, and ice cream. It's a short list, but a good list, and it covers all the important food groups.

My answer to cleaning the house was to to my best to not get anything dirty--I would simply live "clean."

As far as laundry, I'd rather just go buy clean clothes than wash dirty ones but before she left, Karen explained that that wasn't an option. That meant I'd need to actually figure out the washer/dryer combo. Four weeks is just too long to keep clothes fresh without a bit of help. So there I was in the laundry room trying to remember water temperature ratios, analyzing color combos, selecting spin cycles, figuring soap dilution formulas, and deciphering cryptic measuring cup marks when I realize how huge the washer tub was. It was so huge I could do all my laundry in one load. It all fit! That meant I didn't need to separate a thing. It was full-speed ahead from that point forward. Cold/Cold water, add a cup of detergent, stuff the clothes in, select "Large" load, twist the dial to a ten minute wash, pull the control knob, and stand back.

I mean what's the worst that could happen?

Praise Report: Dental Donation

Don't you love popcorn? Oh, I do. In fact, there I was the other night with a large bowl of hot, steamy popcorn liberally drizzled with real butter resting on my lap. With Mel Gibson's We Were Soldiers Once...And Young in the VCR and with salt shaker easily within arm's reach, I settled back into the couch for a quiet and restful evening of war, cholesterol, and hypertension.

Anyway, as the battle at LZ X-Ray grew to a crescendo, as the bullets flew between Gibson's air-mobile troops and the North Vietnamese regulars, I was shoveling popcorn into my mouth with a high rate of fire when BAM...I had something of an explosion in my own mouth...quickly my attention left the movie battlefield to focus on the discomfort located in my lower left jaw.

It seems an unpopped kernel of popcorn had found its way into my feed chute and jammed between my molars while my teeth were in full stroke and grind. Without going into a triage setting, I knew that bad things had just happened from the tooth bits and chunks of amalgam against my tongue.

The worst part was I still had 2/3rds of the bowl of popcorn left!

Over the next coupled of days I was able to see a dentist and he confirmed that my molar was cracked, catastrophic damage had occurred, and that a crown was necessary. Ka-Ching! "Do you have dental insurance?" No.

He thought for a minute and said, "Well then, I'll just donate the crown as a gift." I almost fell out of the chair.

Isn't that totally cool? Isn't that just a full-on blessing? Wow! I think so and I praise the Lord for the dentist's generosity and God's grace in all things. Please rejoice with me in this.

The prep work on the tooth has been completed and I'm scheduled to have the permanent crown in place the evening of April 1, just prior to my return to Ohio April 2.

A friend of mine told me that if I'd been eating a donut this wouldn't have happened. So true. But I believe there's a place for donuts and a place for popcorn in everyone's life. I'll just be a bit more discerning the next time I sit down with a bowl of popcorn.

Praise Report: Sale of the Super Chipmunk

Today I'm thrilled to be able to share a praise report that the Lord has provided a buyer for the Super Chipmunk airplane.

The Chimpunk, yes that is its official name, was donated to MMS in damaged condition several years ago. It is an airplane designed for aerobatics and was previously used on the air show circuit.

It was donated so that our guys could repair it and then the mission could sell it and use the proceeds from the sale to further our ministry of preparing people and planes for worldwide mission service. After extensive repairs and extensive prayers...the Chipmunk has been sold! Hallelujah! It's a pretty airplane, isn't it? And yes, the smoke is supposed to be coming out of the engine! It's all part of the air show package.

Easter

The tomb is empty...

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

February and March, California and Ohio

So why am I sitting out here in the sun wearing short pants and short sleeves while Karen is back in Coshocton hunkered down inside watching snow fall? Let's see if I can answer that in 125 words or less. We left Ohio February 1st (February is THE worst winter month in Coshocton) and came to California to reconnect with friends and churches, share our ministry, build new relationships and seek new financial partners. It's pure coincidence that the trip happened to be scheduled in February...

At MMS, Karen and Rena are the two staff wives who receive, track, and receipt all the financial donations received by the mission. Rena covered for Karen in February but was to spend the month of March in India. As I can pretty much run the HR department from my laptop, it was much more critical for Karen to return to Ohio and to her duties at MMS. We felt it would be more beneficial in the long run for me to remain in Grass Valley to continue building relationships and sharing our ministry. Not only that, but I really would have hated to waste all this warm sun and blue sky.

So, Karen, bless her heart, returned home to our missionary mutts and the remaining Midwest winter, March 4th. I'm scheduled to head back to Ohio April 2nd. While I'm having a great time meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends out here, I greatly miss Karen and look forward to being together again very soon.

Please pray that this last full week in California will be filled with appointments that bring encouragement to those with whom I visit and will more importantly glorify the King of Kings.

Hmm, I used a few more than 125 words...

Posting From Beneath California Pines

I'm actually posting from Grass Valley, in northern California. GV is located at about 2,500 feet elevation in the foothills of the High Sierra Mountains about halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. The photo is of Calvary Bible Church, my home and sending church. I'm staying in Calvary's missionary house which, like everything else up here, is surrounded by 150 foot tall pine trees. It's going to be nearly 70 degrees under a clear blue sky today, tomorrow, and the next day. When I walk outside I'm washed in crisp mountain air, the aroma of pine trees swirls into my lungs, and that big beautiful ball of fire in the sky warms my skin. Karen says, "It's like going to church at camp." It's absolutely gorgeous up here.

However, Karen is back home in Coshocton. It's not gorgeous there right now. She and the dogs are still "enjoying" Ohio's wintery mix of rain and sleet and some snow. All the packed snow has melted, the flood waters are receding, and Karen has seen her first Robin, but from my perspective there are distinct advantages to spending February and March in California.

Yeehaw!

Meet Our Mutts

Our dogs have played, and continue to play, a large part in our lives. My original pair of Cocker Spaniels, Napa and Toby, were with me for 14 years and became quite an active part of my ministry. In fact the dogs always write page 2 of our newsletter, Coshocton Flyer. It's not uncommon for their page to be preferred reading over my page.

The photo above features Napa, Toby, and Hope. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Napa and Toby in 2004. That was tough. But several months later our vet directed us to Tucker and Tanner, a sister and brother from a litter up in Killbuck, OH.

The photo below features Tanner (affectionately called "Fat Boy" by the breeders) and his sister, Tucker. They're our current Cockers. You can see how much larger both Tanner and Tucker are compared to Napa and Toby. Tanner's a big boy and a big baby. What a goofball. Tucker is serious about her food, or your food, or anyone's food which she naturally thinks is hers.

Karen's dog, Hope, is a Black Lab/Great Dane Mix and is almost fifteen years old. She's "The Queen" of her dog domain and isn't afraid to remind Tucker and Tanner who's really in charge whenever she thinks they're out of line. She's grayer, older and slower, but can still hop on her paws like a puppy and bark like crazy when it's time to go for a walk.

While Tucker and Tanner enjoy a walk through the neighborhood, they prefer a ride in the car followed by a long run through the grass fields around the Coshocton County Airport.

Hey, thanks for taking the time to meet our mutts.

How To Become A Financial Partner

There are three ways to become a financial partner with MMS Aviation and to let MMS know you'd prefer our personal ministry would receive the benefit. Karen and I would be thrilled, and deeply blessed, if the Lord would lead you to do so!

1. If you're trying to build flight miles on your credit card, the simplest and easiest way to become a financial partner is to click on the Credit Card Donation link in the middle of the light green sidebar right here on our blog. The link will take you to a secure page on the MMS Aviation website. Just complete the form, add our names in the appropriate box, and just like that you're helping prepare people and planes for worldwide mission service.

2. Maybe you prefer the convenience of having gifts automatically deducted from your bank account. If so, just send an email to: accounting@mmsaviation.org, include our names in the email, and MMS will be glad to set up the electronic transfer.

3. Or you can make a check out to "MMS Aviation" and mail it to: MMS Aviation, 24387 Airport Road, Coshocton, OH 43812. Include a note with our names on it, and you're helping reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the use of airplanes.

That's pretty cool.

Faith Support? What Does That Mean?

I've been asked to explain what being a "faith-supported" missionary really means. Basically, it means Karen and I are not paid a salary by MMS.

While MMS provides an opportunity for full-time service, Karen and I serve as volunteers. Once accepted for service, MMS "deputizes" us to solicit financial contributions for the mission. Donors then let MMS know that they prefer that their gifts be used to support our work.

Our monthly income is dependent on building relationships with individuals, families, and churches; inviting them to consider opening financial partnership with MMS, and asking them to prayerfully consider preferencing their donation toward our personal ministry.

One of the interesting aspects of this process is that there's no guarantee of just how much support is actually going to come in. As we never know how many donations will be preferenced to us each month, we never know how much we're going to receive each month, and consequently we're considered to be living on "faith" that the appropriate "support" is going to come in. Hence the term "faith-support."

MMS Aviation: Background

MMS Aviation prepares people and planes for worldwide mission service. Founded in 1975, MMS prepares people to serve as missionary airplane mechanics through a thirty-month aviation maintenance apprenticeship while maintaining, modifying, and repairing missionary aircraft from around the world.

Because everyone at MMS (staff and apprentices) are faith-supported missionaries, MMS is able to provide its direct services labor free to mission organizations, charging only for the parts and materials used in the repair process.

Families and individuals who complete their thirty-months of service with MMS then join one of the 125 organizations using aircraft for Christian ministry around the world.

MMS families currently serve in: North Africa, Brazil, Zambia, South Africa (2), Indonesia (2), Kenya (2), Mongolia, Tanzania, Uganda, Canada, Peru, Mexico, Florida (5), North Carolina (3) and (6) serve as staff at our Coshocton hangar facility. Two other families are currently transitioning to service.

If you'd like to learn more, please visit the MMS website: http://www.mmsaviation.org.

Welcome

Welcome to Keith & Karen's Missionaries, Mutts, and Stuff where we hope to help share the realities of worldwide mission service, provide glimpses into the lives of those carrying the Gospel beyond the end of the road, and have a little bit of fun, too.

We'll keep you posted on happenings at MMS and in our lives. We look forward to including you in what we do and providing a point of close connection between us through which God will be glorified.

Thank you to all the young adults at Calvary Bible Church, Grass Valley California who encouraged us in this blogging adventure. Special thanks to Joel Winger, who walked me through the steps, supplied the technical insight, and provided the assistance I so desperately needed in getting this blog up and running.