Finance Manager and Media Coordinator Needed at MMS!

This is a rather simple post. MMS Aviation critically needs a Finance Manager. If you have an interest in expanding God's Kingdom and seek to unleash your passion to shape eternity through using the financial gifts and talents He's provided, please contact me! 

keith.dodson@mmsaviation.org         740-610-5329           www.mmsavation.org

And, as we seek to grow as a mission agency, the Media Coordinator position is a cornerstone from which we can increase awareness about and the impact of a ministry often called: "The best kept secret in missionary aviation." I've been pounding a keyboard for Jesus for 25 years now. Won't you join me in helping get The Word out?

24387 Airport Road, Coshocton, OH 43812

740-622-6848

info@mmsaviation.org

Paw Spa Reviews on Page 2!

 Here's our latest newsletter for your reading pleasure!

Join us in ministry!

Latest Hangar Snapshots from MMS Aviation

Well, I just finished my fifth consecutive Monday commute to MMS prepping our staff for a seminar next week (though there was a candidate evaluation in that timeframe as well). While I am working from my office in Graham, NC this morning, Monday I'll make my sixth weekly commute to MMS--this time with Karen by my side. That is an upgrade for sure as missions is a lot more fun when Karen's beside me. Our entire group will receive training by a representative of Support Raising Solutions on Wednesday and then Karen and I provide the training on Thursday.

Thursday morning, I'll lead our staff, apprentices, and spouses through three PowerPoint presentations: "Photography for Non-photographers," "Awesome Newsletters," and "Partnership Principles for Veteran Missionaries." After lunch, Karen will lead a computer workshop on how to use MMS's donor software package: TntConnect. Karen is expert in its use and is the mission resource for any training or troubleshooting related to that software.

Enough yaba-yaba. How about some photos!

Apprentice Rebekah makes adjustments to the flap tracks on an amphibious Cessna 206 used for ministry in Brazil.

Supervisor Jay and apprentice Bryan troubleshoot an electrical problem in the cockpit of an Aerostar used for ministry in Haiti.

Supervisor Chuck (right) takes our newest apprentice, Kyle (left) through learning how to flare a tube end during our introductory "Basic Training" program. I spent the past year coaching Kyle through the support raising process and now he's in the hangar fully funded!

Project Supervisor Jim works with Apprentice Bryan to install avionics upgrades to this Maule bound for missionary service in Haiti.

And no blog would be complete without a portrait of a rudder pedal!

Thanks for being part of shaping eternity through your partnership with us and MMS Aviation! If you'd like to be personally involved in each of these projects (without having to quit your job and move) feel free to CLICK HERE and get started in missionary aviation TODAY!

Hangar Still-Life Photographs

 I'm in the middle of five trips to Ohio to help prepare for a seminar October 7-8. It's been awhile since I've had so many opportunities to take some snapshots in the hangar. I've selected some still life shots that caught my eye. I hope you enjoy them.

Airplane

Apprentice

Drill Bit Index

Solitude

Valve Grind

Thanks for your friendship, encouragement, gifts and prayers that make you part of this amazing process of preparing people and planes for worldwide missionary service.

Candidate Evaluation & Partnership Orientation: Aaron and Mary Richards

Evaluation Season Arrives at MMS Aviation

We're in "eval" season right now. In fact, Karen and I just returned from MMS Aviation where we assisted with the evaluation and subsequent partnership orientation of MMS's newest approved candidates: Aaron & Mary Richards.

Here we are with Aaron & Mary after their acceptance for service with MMS Aviation. 

Aaron is an engineer for a railroad and Mary is a medical assistant.

After we walked the Richards' through ten months of mobilization and application, MMS invited them to participate in our In-Hangar Evaluation. Evaluation is where MMS makes the final determination of suitability for service as an apprentice in our ministry.

Evaluation week is a challenging time where applicants are placed under the microscopes of hangar operations and missionary life for 72 hours straight. It's intense as we closely examine the applicants and the applicants closely evaluate us with God's gifting, God's will, and God's calling in mind.

Director of Maintenance, Tim Obarow (left), supervises Aaron through an aviation maintenance project.

Aaron works with Apprentice Josh Snader to disassemble an engine for overhaul.

Project Supervisor Chris Jutte (right) talks Aaron through a bore-scope inspection of the inside of a turbine engine.

Aaron and I talk through earlier repairs he made to this Bearhawk, soon to be back in missionary service in Haiti.

While all this was going on in the hangar, Mary was interacting with several MMS spouses as they went "thrifting" in Amish country, enjoyed "non-technical time" together, and explored the realities of home management in Coshocton County.

Coshocton County: "A friendly place with a slower pace."

Our Specialty is Helping Others Raise Their Support

Once accepted, Approved Candidates like Aaron and Mary are oriented for the initial phase of their ministry: Team Building (partnership development). To serve as part of missionary aviation, each family must build a team of financial investors and prayer partners to send them into service. 

Karen and I have the privilege of training, coaching, resourcing, and encouraging each of our approved candidates through this process. We meet weekly with each family by computer, and mentor them over the next 12-18 months as they raise the relationships necessary to meet the physical and spiritual costs of missionary service.

Through your gifts and prayers, you are as much a member of MMS Aviation's mobilization process as we are!

Mobilization Update

• A family we just finished coaching to full financial support will soon move to Coshocton to begin ministry.

• We're currently coaching two Approved Candidates through the Team Building process.

• There are three more Candidate Evaluations scheduled this year.

• We are very close to opening two new applications.

Your "Kingdom Investment" in this ministry

sends others into ministry! 

Thank You!

Keith & Karen's Summer Newsletter with Bonus Photos!

Here's our latest newsletter! You can increase your zoom settings to make the page larger!

Global Flyer, PAGE 1

Global Flyer, PAGE 2

Bonus Photos

Here's one of the projects currently at MMS. The guys and gals are upgrading the instrument panel in Gospel Carrier International's Piper Malibu. How'd you like to make sense out of this? I am SO glad God called others to tackle such things as their daily ministry!

And YES--It is Salsa Season at the Dodson House once again! It's been a tremendous season for tomato growing. We'll work on our second batch this Saturday.

Thank you for following our ministry, partnering with us, and praying for us. 

CLICK HERE 

to join us 

preparing people and planes for worldwide mission service!

A K&K Photo Update--WITH bird shots!

Greetings, Blog Fans! Here's a quick photo update. We're working on our next newsletter, but until that hits the news stands...here are some photos to tantalize your emotional, spiritual, and relational "taste buds" so to speak. It's HOT right now...if you're interested in a weather report. Oh and did I mention HUMID?

Karen creates another quilt for kids with cancer.

Speaking of quilts, we visited Virginia's Quilt Museum.

And enjoyed some scenery at Monticello: Garden View #1

Garden View #2

Selfie AT my office desk.

Selfie OF my office desk.

Northern Cardinal on our backyard fence.

Chipping Sparrow on one of our Winged Elm trees.

And, regarding missionary aviation, Jason Maust (left) completed apprenticeship with MMS and Missionary Flight Training with Missionary Air Group (MAG, here in Burlington) to become our 4th graduate of the Pilot/Mechanic Partnership between our two organizations! Jason is pictured with MAG's Chief Flight Instructor, Sean Garrigan (right).

If you haven't visited MMS Aviation's new website: 

CLICK HERE!

Coming Back to Life?

Coming back to life after eight weeks of COVID CRAZY...who'd a thunk it? We're not even sure how to do it, but each of us are working it out as best we can, together, like it or not. No one seems to be happy. Everyone perceives others as too afraid or not afraid enough. So little "middle" remains. 

Liability and lives and liberty and limits and great loss all intertwined in a complex tapestry of political, cultural, personal, private, public, spiritual, medical, and financial threads seemingly fallen from their spools and knocked from the very loom on which we'd anticipated creating a wonderful warp and weft.

Now...what is left? Life. We ARE coming back to life. As a neighborhood, as a city, a county, state, and believe it or not, even as a nation. Through God's grace we are coming back to life.

May these photos visually inform, inspire, and involve you with our personal "coming back to life." It's going to be okay. It may not be a pretty process, but it's going to be okay. We have Christ's word on that.

Chickadee fledge feeding

Bluebird fledge feeding

Brown-Headed Nuthatch fledge waiting to be fed

In seven years of watching our backyard birds, we've NEVER seen more bird families take flight in one spring: Chickadee, Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, Brown-headed Nuthatch, House Finch, and Downy Woodpeckers have all brought their fledglings to feed in our yard. We are coming back to life.

Bell Pepper, Banana Pepper, Habenero Pepper, and two Beefsteak Tomato plants.

Roma Tomato Plants (the heart of Karen's Side-street Salsa)

Our salsa garden is in the ground and healthy. We are coming back to life.

I'm back in the Mobilization Office (MOBOFF)

Karen leads a multi-mission software training session online.

After mobilizing MMS candidates from home for seven weeks, I'm back in my office downtown. Karen continues to train missionaries at MMS Aviation and around the world in donor management software from her office at home. We are coming back to life.

The missionary pilot and our staff gather on the MMS ramp to pray over the Cessna 206 before departure. It came to MMS for engine and avionics upgrades.

The upgraded Cessna departs Richard Downing Airport in Coshocton, OH 

on the first leg of its journey back to ministry in South America.

 And the hangar at MMS Aviation is back in full operation! We are coming back to life. 

Thank you for partnering with us to prepare people and planes for worldwide missionary service. Your faithful prayer and financial partnership over the time of this pandemic is a true testimony to God's grace, love, and provision. None of this would happen if it weren't for your direct involvement and personal investment in our lives.

INVEST

Keith & Karen's Spring Newsletter

Greetings from Graham, North Carolina where the shut-down continues but we're on the back side of the slope. Lord willing we'll soon meet the criteria for Phase 1 of the re-start! Here's our latest newsletter and yes, it went to press BEFORE the shut-down started. Production lead times sometime fall behind reality. May our newsletter provide a brief insight into rolling back into our roles with MMS Aviation!

Karen on "Living the Corona Life..."

 Me "facilitating" a conversation between Keith's Mom and the on line banking help line.

Keith's Mom is tucked away in her apartment being very well cared for and protected by the staff at Brookwood. We are so blessed to know she is in a good place and close by even if we can't visit right now. Yesterday she needed a bill paid so I went on the handy-dandy on line banking that I had previously set up for just such a time as this. So glad we set this up! This will be a piece of cake! Oops! The account I want to pay her bill from hasn't been activated for on line bill pay. A quick call to the bank provided another opportunity for a "quick call" to the help line for on line banking.....well, maybe not so quick. Turns out they needed her expressed permission to make any changes even if my name is on the account. The young lady was so helpful, patient and kind! When I explained that Mom W was locked in at her home and we were locked away here at our home she came up with very creative ways to help us get this little problem solved. Kudos! I did have to laugh however as I held up two phones so the helpful young lady could talk with Mom W! Corona Creativity! Bill paid!

A bear for the bear hunt!

Last Saturday our neighborhood had a bear hunt for the kiddos. What a great idea! I wanted to help the kids have a good time so I dug into my sewing stash and found some fuzzy-wuzzy-fabric that was just asking to be a bear! He fit perfectly on our garden flag post. Keith got in on the fun and put stuffed critters in the tree, on the roof and above the garage door! We had as much fun watching out the windows as the families who drove or walked around searching for bears!

Keith & I model fabric masks.

When I heard that fabric face masks were becoming a needed item I pulled out some more fabric and what elastic I had and revved up the sewing machine. There were several medical workers in our neighborhood who were glad to receive them. We kept a couple for ourselves for food hunting excursions or other such necessities.

As I hear from our many missionary friends in so many places all around the world I have been filled with thoughts of how blessed we are. I know this is hard for everyone. It is a strange and new feeling knowing that we can't just run out for a simple errand or worship as a congregation. I am surprisingly affected by that even though I often am at home anyway! However, it is a huge blessing to be "stuck" in such pleasant places: a home with a roof over my head, cool when it's hot, warm when it's cold, dry when it's raining; running water; all of the basic supplies we need (plus much more!); electricity; phone service; technology to communicate, work and connect outside of our solitude; a yard to enjoy; things to be entertained by. Not to mention a loving husband to walk this "shelter-in-place" with! The list goes on and on. It's good for me to remember what I often take for granted.

Mr. Blue heading into his nesting box.

Watching the birds nesting and the spring blooms coming and going and the trees and grasses getting beautiful and green it reminds me that many things around me continue to be predictable and life is going forth as usual in many ways. Keith caught this shot of "our" Blue Bird heading into the nesting box out back preparing for a new family. So normal! Ahhhh. Smile.

In my devotions this week I was reminded how we panic when we feel like things are out of control. Who hasn't felt that panic at least at some point in this pandemic environment that is so disrupting our lives? This really IS pretty much out of my control. However, it is NOT out of God's control and I can rest in that. I trust. No matter whether my personal circumstances seem "good" to me or "bad", I know God is using all this in big ways and small for good. He is trustworthy. He has proven that to me many times in my life.

In the midst of this time I pray you are able to let God fill your heart with trust in Him and give you eyes that will take notice of His blessings in the midst of (and even in spite of) your circumstances!

We Are All Living In A Different World

How the world has changed since our last blog! And how the world continues to change as I write this post.

A few bullet-points to bring you up-to-speed on ministry in the midst of COVID-19:

Keith & Karen

• Karen and I are fine. At this point many of you are under more severe restrictions than we are in Alamance County, North Carolina. As of Friday, there are two confirmed cases of the virus in our county.

• As of this post, we are not under stay-at-home orders though all the other hygene/health related recommendations requirements you're already very familiar with wherever you live are in place. While downtown Graham is yet to be a ghost-town, my office is pretty much an isolation chamber. Karen and I talked about it over the weekend and, at this point, there continues to be advantages to me going in to the office. Should the number of viral cases spike, I'll put myself in a work-from-home mode. If the State doesn't do it first.

• Our Spring newsletter, soon to be distributed, was created prior to COVID-19 going critical so it will focus on ministry updates as if the world had not changed.

Look for us on the cover of our next newsletter mailing!

Ministry

• We continue to fulfill our ministry responsibilities as before. The nature of our work being relational in nature, administrative in form, and personal instead of mechanical, the partnership coaching and training process continues even in this environment. Especially now our skills are needed more than ever for everyone living on faith support. 

• As of this morning, MMS Aviation has closed their hangar doors for the duration of this crisis. Actually, Karen's and my work load may very well increase as the hangar load decreases. Raising support and maintaining support, has never been more challenging in this generation of missionary work.

MMS Maintenance Team Leader Mike Dunkley repairs a missionary aircraft prior to hangar shut-down.

Prayers

• Prayers that God's people will be a source of calm and confidence in a sea of panic
• That relationships with our neighbors will grow as we reflect Christ in a time of focused intimacy in local isolation.
• For contentment in the moment, grace to fill our hearts, and open hands with which to freely give.
• Praise that Karen and I can fulfill our ministry responsibilities from the office or from home.
• Wisdom as we coach, train, and encourage our missionaries in this new context of relational development and personal connection.

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in this difficult time. Be assured we're still at work, expanding God's Kingdom, regardless of COVID-19 or any other challenge this world can throw at us. 

And YOU are the ones MAKING OUR CONTINUED SERVICE POSSIBLE!