Now We're Getting Somewhere (or part of the story about how we came to be where we are now)

There are moments when things just come together and it's bigger and more beautiful than we could have imagined. We are part of the HUGE story of God repairing and redeeming his beloved creation. Andy and I love a good story. We especially love when the weaving together of God's people is so perfect and intricate and lovely that there is no other explanation but God.

*cue tears*

I am sure that as time goes on we will accumulate more of these stories. The first time it happened for us was with fellow missionary aviation comrade Imie Mark. Andy and Imie, not yet a missionary aviation mechanic, met by God's sovereignty at an airshow. We met Imie again several years later at MMS -- both of us working to get onto the mission field!

It has happened again.

*enter tears from stage right*

We had no idea in March 2011 that God was beginning to write the next chapter of our lives. We didn't know that a spring break missions trip in a 15 passenger van with some Penn State Harrisburg engineering students and our 3 month old baby boy would catapult us into a new life entirely. But here we are. And that 3 month old baby boy is almost 7!

Here is the story as told by JAARS in their publication REV 7.
*article on page 2*

It was fun to go back through pictures of this trip and reflect on all that has happened since then! Here is our photo version of the story.

Steve Bevelhymer, a JAARS instructor and Andy's main contact for the project, sent this picture when the runway was complete. This is a far cry from how the land looked when the project got started!

Susy (Andy's younger sister), Penn State engineering student Ben, and PA Turnpike engineer Ken get started on the project.

Rough terrain for a runway!

Even rougher terrain for a runway!

Ben making plans -- the students surveyed the land, started clearing it, and created cost estimations for the project.

Ken and the students, Ben and James hard at work.

Perks of working on a project at JAARS...airplane rides!

Beginning to clear the land.

Micah was awarded "Youngest Missionary to Serve at JAARS" certificate! Here he is with veteran missionary Doug Demmings. Oh, the stories he could tell!

Micah and Doug Demmings

The youngest missionary hard at work!

We enjoyed fellowship with JAARS staff for dinner each evening and heard dozens of stories about God's faithfulness in their lives and the lives of those they were reaching.

The crew -- James, Ken, Andy, Ben, Susy, and Tim