Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hi there. I'm not using this blog very much anymore. I am using

FACEBOOK.

So...check me out there!

Take care
JOEL

New Asas de Socorro Video

This video was done by the team in Manaus, the city where one of our flight bases is located. Check it out.

2008 Blog Post :-)

Hi there. Well, here is my yearly blog update! :-) As most of you know, we have completed our first year of training in the city of Anapolis, central Brazil. It has been a real neat time. We now have been asked to remain here, which I felt was the direction from God even before Asas leadership talked to us about it. We will remain here another year and a half to receive avionics training (a big need in our Amazon flight bases), complete the Brazilian mechanic written tests, and serve as the maintenance coordinator for the missions school airplanes while working on additional language and flight training. Here is the team that I work with day in and day out....except Steve Saint (second from the left) of course. He was here for just a visit this month. Most of the folks here are students and instructors. Milton (far left) is the training director and Rocindes (fourth from the right) is the Asas president. All these folks are awsome people from all different parts of the world. It is an honor to work with them.

A Typical Monday

Hi there. Since I have not written since 2 Christmases ago...it's probably about time. :-)

Well, I thought I would let you shadow me during a typical Monday here of training at Asas de Socorro. Several people have asked what my days/weeks are like so here we go......

Monday 8:00am -

To start off the week, all the team here at the headquarters in Anapolis gets together for a time of worship and sharing. After that, we also hear the news from the different bases up north and get briefed on all the projects going on for the week. Then we spend time in prayer.

It is always a great way to start the week and get everyone on the same page.

After this meeting, then everyone breaks up to go to their different areas. The Administrastion folks go to the office down the road. Mechanics go to the maintenance shop, mechanic students go to thier class, and we in the flight dept. go to our weekly flight operations brief.

Monday 9:30am-

During our pilot briefing we usually review any aircraft accidents that happened around the world during the past week to learn for others' mistakes.

We usually address any new flight procedures needed and hack out the flight training schedule.

Steve also leads a discussion about safety usually tied to some accident.

Please note..these accidents we usually discuss happen to others, not us! We have an excellent track record due to the intense focus on safety and correct precedures.

After this meeting, my week varies quite a bit.

Sometimes I'm off to help in the mechanic shop...we do inspections and repairs on our aircrafts as well as some outside customers to generate some revenue to help reduce our operational cost.

Other times I'm up for a training flight....

Or it's back to the books since I still have to take several tests to validate my airplane mechanics license. Yeah...I have to read all these books. I finished school 8 years ago, so I have some remembering to do.

At 12:00 I go home to my wonderful family for lunch. After lunch I take the kiddos to Portuguese class and then head back to the airport around 1:15pm to keep chugging away at any projects I have, study, or take another training flight.

We wrap up the day at 5:30pm and I'm off to pick Grady and Hadley and go home.

I'll go into more detail at a later post on some of my other projects.

Merry Christmas to you all. I pray the God reveals himself to you in a new way this season.

We are really enjoying our time here in Saline. This is a beautiful and peaceful place! I love living by the lake. You all need to come visit!

My daily prayer time has been very special these days. I love looking out over the lake while talking with God, the created of all of this. It give me a sense of how powerful and truly amazing he is.

We all come and go....But God remains forever. What a privilege to be part of spreading His kingdom throughout the earth. Having that intimate connection with Him is what matters most in this temporal world.

Getting Ready

What is next?..... That seems to be the question on my mind lately. A lot of decisions to be made.

But....It's incredible to be connected with God!

The Bible says in Psalms 31

...I am trusting you, O Lord. You are my God! My future is in your hands....

There is a lot of peace knowing that our future is in God's hands.
If it was not for that, I would be stressed.