Missions Emphasis Week

On February 15-18, Liberty University hosted its biannual missions conference called Missions Emphasis Week (MEW). To my delightful surprise SIX aviation missions organizations participated this year. These organizations were JAARS*, MAF*, NTB*, UIM*, AIM* and ABWE*. I had the privilege of not only hearing some of the representatives in class and at the airport, but I was also afforded the privilege of talking to many of these wise, godly men personally; one-on-one.

This years new addition to MEW, UIM, hosted Liberty's Aviation seminar during the conference. I met UIM's chief pilot David Wolf and Michael Busenitz who asked if I would be interested in a short term missions trip to Mexico with UIM to get a feel for their organization. This would be a uniqe opportunity if the logistics are worked out in the future for UIM to host a short-term aviation missions trip for Liberty aeronautics students.

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One of the biggest impacts made on me during MEW was due to the compassion of Dale Fogg from ABWE. He took liberal amounts of time to sit and talk honestly with me about missions aviation. However what he told me went beyond logistics, finances, and the training required to pursue a career. What Dale Fogg showed me was to take time to consider and understand the philosophies of each organization before choosing which to join. What stood out most about Dale Fogg was his love and passion for the lost far beyond what he called his mere tool to reach them; the airplane. He told me ABWE was looking for missionaries that were pilots, not pilots with some bible training. His passion and wisdom struck my heart and I sincerely thank him for his generosity.

One of the missions representatives I saw was a very familiar face, Roger Krenzin from JAARS whom I met and visited with first at the JAARS center in Waxhaw, NC, and later at Oshkosh Airventure in 2009. Roger was very gracious in gifting me a special 50th anniversary edition of missionary aviator Bob Griffin's book Cleared for Takeoff. What is so special about this book is that it is not only signed by Bob Griffin, but also contains a bookmark handmade by wives of former cannibals from the Ifugau Tribe!

In addition to the aviation connections I made and cherished during the week I was also moved what in my opinion was one of Liberty University's best convocation speakers since I've been enrolled. Don Richardson (renowned missionary, author, and speaker) spoke very profoundly on the role he had as a missionary in Papua New Guinea on a cannibalistic tribe in which he learned to present the gospel. The recording can be heard here:

Podcast

The week was encouraging, refreshing, and overall uplifting to my advancement into the field and calling as a missionary pilot. I hope the connections I made will prove fruitful and I will better understand which organization to join when my training is complete.

*JAARS: Jungle Aviation and Radio Services

*MAF: Missionary Aviation Fellowship

*NTB: New Tribes Mission

*UIM: United Indian Mission

*AIM: Africa Inland Mission

*ABWE: Association of Baptists for World Evangelism