Leftover Jalapenos? Hot Pepper Jam!

Even though salsa season has ended, our pepper plants continued to produce! What to do with a pile of jalapenos? Why, you make hot pepper jam, of course! Well, at least that's what we did last evening.

Karen has this great recipe that tastes wonderful spilled over a block of cream cheese and eaten as a dip with crackers.

And it's totally festive as we head into the holiday season because the green and red jalapenos are mixed with green and red bell peppers in a pinkish jam. Oh man, my mouth's already watering waiting for those holidays to arrive. By the way, did I mention we pickeled some hot-pepper eggs that need to "age" for a year? Come on...summer of 2010! But back to the hot pepper jam...

The raw materials.

Head pepper chopper.

Chopped jalapeno peppers nearly fill our two quart bowl.

Karen measures out the pepper mix (notice the two bowls of sugar!)

Karen loads the jelly jars with the hot jam.

If you come out for a visit this fall, we'll have the salsa and the pepper jam waiting for you! But you'll need to wait for next summer for the hot-pepper eggs...

King Air Phase Inspection: Day 7

The guys continue to move closer to completion of Phase Inspection 3 & 4 on the King Air. Josh is reinstalling the interior, Andy is finishing the inspection of the tail structure, and Ian and Mike are inspecting the inside of the engines with a borescope. It's important to look inside a turbine engine and to inspect the rotors and vanes for the smallest defects due to the high-speeds and tremendous pressures generated within the engine.

Ian, on the ladder, positions the scope so the internal components of the right engine can be seen on the borescope's video screen. Mike, on the right, controls the scope imagery, and Dale assists in analyzing the visual details.

Ian removes the right side exhaust port of the left engine so it can be "scoped" as well.

Dale continues work on the annual inspection of a local Piper Comanche.

Maintenance Continues on the King Air

The inspection process of Gospel Carrier International's King Air 200 continues to go deeper into the airframe and the engines. Simultaneously conducting phase inspections 3 & 4 is a great maintenance strategy minimizing aircraft down-time, while utilizing maximum manpower.

Ian & Paul inspect engine filters, Dennis & Tim address an airframe issue on the wing, and Mike checks engine components. Chuck, Andy, Josh, and Jim are also assigned to the project.

The Pratt Whitney PT-6 engine.

Ian closely scrutinizes one of the filters for the engine.

Paul matches new O-rings with various engine filters.

GCI's King Air

Gospel Carrier International's Super King Air 200 is in Hangar C to undergo phase inspections #3 & 4. The King Air is one of the larger and more complex aircraft we regularly work on. It's always a big job, using multiple personnel, to work through the in-depth inspection process required to ensure the aircraft's ongoing airworthiness.

The King Air in Hangar C.

Ian maintains the left engine.

Chuck works on the nose gear steering system.

Josh, Andy, & Paul refer to the manuals as a regular part of the King Air inspection.

Josh & Andy install the right main gear strut after disassembly, inspection and repair.

The King Air will be with us through next week.

A Surprise Visit, Drums, Bicycles, and the MMS Tomato Garden

We thought we'd start this blog with a photo so you know we're really still out here.

Here we are earlier today by Gospel Carrier International's Cessna 172.

Our daily blog has somehow turned into a weekly blog...so let me recap the past week for you:

Surprise Visit
On Tuesday I came out of a two hour meeting just before noon to find a note asking me to call Karen. When I called, Karen said that Fred & Mona were coming down from the Akron, Ohio area to take us to lunch. What a wonderful surprise! I called Fred & Mona and found out they were only about five minutes out of town. I jumped in my car at the shop, Karen jumped in her car at home, and we all met over at Bob Evan's Restaurant.

We had a great time of food & fellowship with Fred & Mona. They've pretty much adopted us as their missionaries over the past years. Having them surprise us was a wonderful break from the ministry routine and quite an encouragement. Thanks, Fred & Mona! We're totally blessed to have you as part of our team!

Back on the Drums
I'm back into the swing of things on Fresno Bible Church's worship team. I'm able to practice on Wednesday nights and complete the full rehearsal Sunday morning before worship. It's really fun to be reunited with Josh, guitar; Ben, bass; Helen, keyboard; Karen (as in MY Karen), singer; and Marilyn, singer.

Back On My Bicycle
I was cleared to test ride my bicycle! I was a bit hesitant, but I've been on the bike twice this week. Once for fifteen minutes and the other for twenty minutes. No complications but I'm being rather careful. No hill climbing!

At MMS
I pretty much spent my week in meetings, working to recruit new candidates, or focused on supervising the five families raising support to start service. Karen and I will meet one of the five families, Mark & Jenny Beckwith, at Columbus Airport Monday afternoon. They're arriving from England to start apprenticeship with MMS. We first met Mark and Jenny as part of our trip to England for MAF-International's Facts-N-Friction course in July of last year.

Speaking of MMS, did you know that MMS has its own tomato garden? Yep. Here's what a tomato garden managed by a bunch of airplane mechanics looks like:

Here's Karen by the MMS mechanics' tomato garden.

It's not easy being a tomato plant at MMS...

A Week In Review

I really don't know where the week went. It was Monday and now it's Saturday. That's so weird. Let me try and recap the week.

Heather, Lucas, Les & Diane Visit MMS
Monday being a holiday, Tuesday was our Monday and on our Tuesday/Monday we were blessed to have visitors from California by way of north central OH. Heather and Lucas, her 1 year-old son, traveled out from Grass Valley, California to visit Heather's parents up in the Wooster, Ohio area.

Karen and I met Heather in Spring of 2008 during our two month trip to the Grass Valley area. Heather and her husband, Justin, are part of one of the young adult Bible studies we spent time with during our California trip. A year and a half after our trip west, it was such a blessing to have Heather come east for a tour of the mission and to bring her parents along, too. It was great to see Heather again, to see Lucas, who wasn't yet born during our trip out there, and to meet Les and Diane, Heather's parents.

It was a beautiful day for a tour, we had great fun sharing our ministry, and we even wrapped up the visit with lunch at China Buffet down at the bottom of the hill below the airport. Good food, good friends, good fellowship. Thank you Lord.

Since then, Heather and Lucas returned to California, we're now facebook friends with Les & Diane, and we just marvel at how God makes connections between His children! Heather, Lucas, Les, and Diane--we look forward to the next time the Lord allows our paths to cross!

Randy Pearson Visits
Randy is a long-time friend of ours and a former missionary pilot/mechanic in Indonesia. Randy's also an MMS Board member and is part of the leadership of our sending church (Karen's home church) in Lancaster, PA: Grace Church at Willow Valley. Karen actually knew Randy and Shirl before I did through her own worship and church activities at Grace.

Randy drove the seven hours out for the MMS Board meeting Thursday evening, stayed over night with us, and then spent Friday morning at MMS getting to know some of the guys in the hangar. We hope to spend a week or so in Lancaster, PA sometime before Thanksgiving. It's been quite a while since we've been back there and there are so many people we want to visit with!

Paul & Kristin Gettle Visit
I've worked with Paul & Kristin for nearly four years now. My first contact with them was as initial inquirers into possible apprenticeship with MMS, then as applicants, then approved candidates and, for the past three years, I've been their supervisor as they raised the financial support necessary to begin service with MMS.

Well, praise the Lord, Paul, Kristin, and their three boys were in town for the week looking for housing as they're at 100% support! They're signing a lease on a house and will return to Alabama to pack up all their household goods to make the move up to Coshocton.

It was fun to have Paul & Kristin over Friday evening for hot dogs, sloppy joe's, Karen's home made macaroni salad, ice cream, and a taste-off between the Wal-Mart brand "vanilla oreo" and the authentic Vanillia Oreo. It was unanimous that the Wal-Mart budget brand fell far short of Oreo's vanilla Oreo. In this instance, it pays to pay the extra money for the real thing. Not so with Dr. Thunder (Wal-Mart brand) vs Dr. Pepper. I'll go with Dr. Thunder in that face-off and save a few cents a can.

At The Mission
Things are incredibly busy at MMS. We have more airplanes than we can fit into three hangars, five aircraft projects underway, two engines are being shipped to different parts of Africa, and there are two more airplanes waiting for a spot in the schedule. We look forward to Paul & Kristin moving to the area soon and another new family, Mark & Jenny Beckwith, will arrive from England in two weeks to get ready for apprenticeship. Sometimes its hard to keep track of it all.

Thank you for your gifts and prayers which enable us to serve. Lord willing, we'll be taking some pictures for the next blog post!

A New Apprentice Couple and Visits from MMS Grads

New Apprentice Couple
Last week I oversaw the week-long candidate evaluation/orientation of a young couple from California, Jake & Cayton. The evaluation was the culmination of about six months of communication and paperwork between us.

Once in Coshocton, Jake spent Monday-Wednesday serving in the hangar while Cayton interacted with the MMS ladies in various social settings. Thursday morning they successfully wrapped-up the process with an interview with the Candidate Selection Committee and were accepted for apprenticeship.

Karen and I then moved right into the orientation phase of Jake & Cayton's candidacy. We spent all day Thursday and Friday introducing them to MMS as an organization and specifically focused on how they will go about raising the finanical and prayer support needed to start service with us.

Karen and I (R) in the MMS conference room orienting Jake & Cayton (L).

With the orientation completed, Jake & Cayton have flown home to California to start their homework and make preparations for support development. We look forward to their return to Coshocton in the Lord's time.

Visits From MMS Grads
It was a real treat to have Ryan & Rachel return for a visit while on furlough from ministry in Brazil. Ryan and Rachel graduated MMS and have served in Brazil for nearly nine years. We enjoyed having them over for dinner, getting caught up on all the news from Brazil, and talking about various aspects of mission service. Ryan & Rachel were one of the first couples I worked with when I arrived at MMS twelve years ago.

Ryan, Rachel, Seth, Nathan, Hanna.

Herb and Rose also dropped in after two terms of service in Canada. We hadn't seen them in nearly four years and enjoyed having them over and spending a day with them. Somehow they were here and gone before we realized we didn't take any pictures...but we'll take some the next time we see them whether in Bird-In-Hand, PA (where they've resettled) or back here the next time they head west.

Herb and Rose have a special place in our hearts, not only as MMS grads, but because they were part the personal connection that led to Karen and I getting to know each other.

This Has Been Quite The Week

If you've followed the last couple of posts, you know the week started with the departure of the Moody 182. The airplane isn't the only thing that departed MMS recently.

The Saturday before the 182 departed, MMS gathered over at the Shelly's to wish a fond farewell to three families that had completed their service with MMS and are transitioning to ministry beyond our hangar doors. Whenever MMS gathers for a "covered dish" (or pot-luck for all you west Coast folks), you are guaranteed an amazing array of delicious food followed, typically, by tubs of ice cream and a variety of toppings. When we send families out, we like to do it in style. Here are the families heading toward the field:

Scott & Lela Lazaros, David & Amy Mozombite, and Gertjan & Glenda Kamphorst.

Scott and Lela have four boys and are headed to Alaska. David and Amy have two boys and a girl and are headed to Bolivia. Gertjan and Glenda have a boy and a girl and are headed to Indonesia.

It's been such a blessing to have served with each of these families. This is the tough part of MMS, constantly making new friends and then watching them leave to continue their mission service. Preparing people to serve is a huge part of what we do at MMS, but it doesn't make it any easier to say so-long to friends.

Most of the MMS family gathered for the occasion.

Beyond that, we had a candidate evaluation going on, one of our graduate families was in town for a week on furlough from Brazil, a new apprentice family rolled into town today to look for housing in preparation for moving to Coshocton, and another MMS family is coming in for a visit tonight after completing their service in Canada. The hangar and our home has been hopping! I'll post some more pictures in the next post.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

(As a health update: I'm feeling fine, am back full-time at the shop, and have been given the green light to resume normal activities!)

Now That The 182 is Done...

With so much of the last few blogs focused on the wrap-up and departure of the Moody Aviation 182 restoration project, I thought it might be time to review some of the other aircraft projects currently underway.

Engine Overhaul for CMML in Zambia, Africa
As I type this, the "hhmmmm" sound of a high-performance aircraft engine running at high rpm travels from the test cell, across Hangar A, and into my office cubicle. It's not loud in my office, but there's no mistaking there is a lot of power under control not all that far away. It's smooth, it's sweet, and it's proof that this engine is only a matter of minutes away from being crated up and shipped to Zambia, Africa where local mechanics will install it on the firewall of a Cessna 207.

Josh oversaw the tear-down and build-up of the engine. He's the one at the controls in the test cell, logging engine performance, measuring oil consumption, and tweaking engine settings. Ah, the rpms just dropped. They're cooling the engine before shutting it down. It's a wonderful sound, an engine, overhauled, and running like it was built to run.

Josh, Dennis, and Tim observe the engine run.

Cessna 337 for Ministry in Canada
The 337 is in for both engines to be overhauled and for the airframe to be inspected. This is another major project. Both engines have been disassembled, specific parts sent for inspection, and parts are being ordered to begin the build-up of the front engine. Scott and Chuck are working together on this project: Scott on the engines and Chuck on the airframe. All eight fuel tanks have been removed and the de-ice boots are being replaced. You can tell from the picture there's a lot to do before this airplane begins to come back together.

LAMP's Cessna 337 project

Honduran 206
This project is nearing completion. The goal is to have it back in Honduras before the end of the year. The interior is being prepared for installation and electrical and rigging work continues. There's still a bit of work to do on the instrument panel itself. Tim and Paul are teamed up to get this airplane back into the sky.

Honduran 206

Other Projects
There's another major restoration project getting ready to ramp back up and that's the Cessna 206 for ministry in Brazil. Two airplanes are in for annual inspection: a local Comanche and a second Cessna 172 used by Gospel Carrier International.

Thanks for your interest in these projects and the men doing the work. It's a privilege to serve in such a strategic way.

Now That The 182 is Gone...

With so much of the last few blogs focused on the wrap-up and departure of the Moody Aviation 182 restoration project, I thought it might be time to review some of the other aircraft projects currently underway.

Engine Overhaul for CMML in Zambia, Africa
As I type this, the "hhmmmm" sound of a high-performance aircraft engine running at high rpm travels from the test cell, across Hangar A, and into my office cubicle. It's not loud in my office, but there's no mistaking there is a lot of power under control not all that far away. It's smooth, it's sweet, and it's proof that this engine is only a matter of minutes away from being crated up and shipped to Zambia, Africa where local mechanics will install it on the firewall of a Cessna 207.

Josh oversaw the tear-down and build-up of the engine. He's the one at the controls in the test cell, logging engine performance, measuring oil consumption, and tweaking engine settings. Ah, the rpms just dropped. They're cooling the engine before shutting it down. It's a wonderful sound, an engine, overhauled, and running like it was built to run.

Josh, Dennis, and Tim observe the engine run.

Cessna 337 for Ministry in Canada
The 337 is in for both engines to be overhauled and for the airframe to be inspected. This is another major project. Both engines have been disassembled, specific parts sent for inspection, and parts are being ordered to begin the build-up of the front engine. Scott and Chuck are working together on this project: Scott on the engines and Chuck on the airframe. All eight fuel tanks have been removed and the de-ice boots are being replaced. You can tell from the picture there's a lot to do before this airplane begins to come back together.

LAMP's Cessna 337 project

Honduran 206
This project is nearing completion. The goal is to have it back in Honduras before the end of the year. The interior is being prepared for installation and electrical and rigging work continues. There's still a bit of work to do on the instrument panel itself. Tim and Paul are teamed up to get this airplane back into the sky.

Honduran 206

Other Projects
There's another major restoration project getting ready to ramp back up and that's the Cessna 206 for ministry in Brazil. Two airplanes are in for annual inspection: a local Comanche and a second Cessna 172 used by Gospel Carrier International.

Thanks for your interest in these projects and the men doing the work. It's a privilege to serve in such a strategic way.

Moody 182 Returns to Service (Video)

As a follow-up to yesterday's blog, here's another of Paul's videos. This one documents the 182's departure. Paul does a great job, doesn't he?

#22 The Moody Bible Institute Cessna 182 Returns to Service from Paul Jones on Vimeo.