The Wings Of The Morning

“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:9-10)

As I write this, I am in the midst of making all the necessary preparations that are needed so that I can leave Canada by November 2nd. While organizing all the individual details that need to be taken care of, I have been constantly reminded of Psalm 139:9-10. It is at times like these, leaving familiar surroundings and going into the unknown, that I find myself most in need of “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). But I know that, looking back over the past months of fundraising, He has orchestrated events to enable me to serve Him in Papua New Guinea. And with His strength and provision I will do just that.

To get you caught up on what I have been doing, in early August I was able to head out to British Columbia for a fundraising trip. That trip allowed me to follow up on the contacts that I made when I was out there in March. From that trip God provided some new donors, which was a huge blessing. Thank you so much to those new donors! Then I was able to take some personal time for a vacation to spend time with family. While I was on vacation God added the blessing of more new ministry partners, so the fundraising total is now up to 95% of the goal! Now I have turned my attention towards preparing to leave for PNG. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity as I have started the visa & work permit applications for PNG, while also putting my affairs in order here in Canada. With all the different things to do it has gotten a little hectic at times.

Over the next few weeks I will be on the move as I visit different places to meet with some ministry partners and churches. On September 27th I was able to re-visit the Killam and Forestburg Baptist Churches. That was a good time of reconnecting with people that I had met back in May. This coming Sunday, October 4th, I will be speaking at the Castor Evangelical Missionary Church to update them on the progress of my journey with MAF. Then on October 18th I will be heading up to the Athabasca Missionary Church to re-connect with them and bring them up-to-date as I move forward towards landing in PNG. In early October I will be making my way to Calgary where I’m going to be connecting with some new friends and reconnecting with some old ones. If you live in any of these areas it would be great to meet up with you!

As we descend into winter I will be saying my final farewells to all my friends and supporters here in the Great White North. Around November 1st I will be flying to England to participate in an orientation course that will be held at the MAF International office in Ashford. I will be there until the 11th of November, at which time I will be jumping half-way around the world to touch down in Cairns in northern Australia. I will be helping out with the program there until I begin the flight standardization course at the end of January. The standardization course is basically comprised of familiarization flights so that I can learn MAF procedures and standards. Once that is completed around the end of February I will be making the short hop to plant my feet firmly in PNG. I cannot wait to be a part of the ministry that is transforming lives as told in the story below.

First Life Saved After Airstrip Reopens
Just a few short weeks after the much-awaited reopening of their airstrip, the people of Wauru were faced with a life and death situation. The memories of the historic day when Brad Venter and Sebastian Kurz canoed for seven hours to inspect the strip and then flew in the next day to officially reopen it, were still very fresh for them. “Basically, our first flight to Wauru was a medevac request. If the strip hadn’t been reopened, we would not have been able to fly in there and I am pretty sure the woman would be dead now”, said Brad Venter, MAF Wewak’s senior pilot, when telling about the first operational flight into Wauru.

It was less than two weeks since the opening when Brad got a call on the evening of Thursday August 20th from Philip Mawi (President of the Yapsie Local Level Government) to say that there was a sick woman in Wauru who urgently needed to be flown out to the hospital. Brad discussed the situation with Philip and it seemed that the woman had complications giving birth and was in critical
condition.

Loading the patient onto the airplane at Wauru
August 21st, 2015

From his recent airstrip survey Brad knew that getting the word out to request an emergency flight is a challenge on its own for the community. Brad picks up the story of the medevac: “Wauru does not have a radio and they only have intermittent cell coverage if they walk up a nearby hill to get a signal. Because it was dark and we could not fly, we had to wait until morning and see if the situation had changed before making a decision as to the best course of action. The following morning we heard nothing from the village and neither had Philip. So, eventually, we decided that we had to fly there anyway and see. So, by 9 am on Friday, Paul Woodington and I set off for Wauru in the Airvan P2-MFL. On arrival there they advised us that the woman was still critical and needed to fly out. She had given birth the previous day but unfortunately the baby had died and she had a retained placenta. She was very weak. Paul prepared the aircraft and soon we were on our way to Telefomin. I radioed ahead to arrange for an ambulance and on arrival in Telefomin she was transferred to the ambulance and driven to the hospital.”

In mid-September Paul Woodington flew the woman from Telefomin back to Wauru after she was considered well enough to return to the bush. It is clear that if Wauru had not been opened she would have died in her village.

The preceding story is only one of many that I hope to be involved with once I reach PNG. But it can’t happen without your help.With regard to financial support, 100% of the outgoing support has already been raised! As I mentioned for the monthly support, 95% has come in, leaving another $230/month still to be raised. From now on, any one-time donations will be divided into the monthly total. With those financial needs in mind, would you prayerfully consider supporting the first four year term of ministry at $50, $75, or $100/month or whatever the Lord lays on your heart? I am hoping to reach this ministry target as soon as possible so that I am able to serve the people of PNG through MAF. Thank you so much for your consideration and for your incredible support!

If you would like to help with financial support and/or prayer support that would be great. You can donate to this ministry online, by phone, or by mail. Please designate your donation to go towards Ryan Cole. If donating by phone, call toll free 1-877-351-9344. If donating by mail, please make your cheque payable to Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada. If donating online you can follow this link: https://mafc.org/missionarypages/cole/index.html#donate

If you are unable to give financially but still want to be a part of this, then please feel free to sign up for my MAF newsletters by sending me a message at ryancole277@yahoo.ca

If you know of other people who would be interested in hearing about this work with MAF, then please spread the word. Because the more people that know about this, the better.

Thanks for reading this and thank you so much for your support. With God’s provision and blessing I will be writing my next letter to you after I have landed in Australia!

-Ryan

To donate by mail, send your cheques to:
MAF Canada
264 Woodlawn Road W.
Guelph, Ontario
N1H 1B6

For USA donors online:
https://maf.org/donate?fid=NxJL1Lk3Lhk%3D&fdesc=xFqs0FDMQGRCrYqqrUs7fg%3D%3D#.VL8qZdLF-Sr

More Info:
www.mafc.org
http://maf-papuanewguinea.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/281213732064928/

The Journey Continues

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1).

Many times over the past 5 months I have been reminded that fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint, and it can only be done with absolute faith in God. That has never been more evident than now as I move into the final 18% of the support raising journey. There comes a time in every marathon when the runners have to reach the point of being radical, some would say even crazy, in their attempt to finish the race. Many would say that MAF pilots and staff are radical in their approach to life. Not only because of the situations in which they operate, but because they shun the ideals that the world holds as important. From leaving comfortable secure lifestyles, to depending completely on God for financial support, to then operating in remote, often primitive and dangerous, situations for perhaps the rest of their careers.

At the Camrose Airport Fly-In Breakfast
Sunday, May 31st

At the end of May I was able to set up a MAF display at the Camrose Flying Club Fly-In Breakfast. It
was interesting to see all the different airplanes and speak to people about the work of MAF. I was able to see some old friends and make some new ones. Then on June 7th I was able to speak about MAF at the annual Zinger Fly-In Breakfast just outside of Coronation, it was a good opportunity to meet new people and have detailed discussions about the work of MAF. Speaking to groups of pilots is good because they more fully understand the need for and the effectiveness of airplanes in remote areas of the world.

At the MAF fundraiser auction back in April we had sold a number of scenic flights. As a result of one of those scenic flights I was able to fly out to Waldheim, SK on July 27th and 28th with my aunt and uncle. Through some contacts in the area I was able to meet some new people and speak to them about the work of MAF. While I was there I also had the unexpected opportunity to speak about MAF at the local Mennonite Brethren Church. It was nice to share with my aunt and uncle the joy of flying and the unique perspective seen from a small airplane thousands of feet above the surface of the earth. From that altitude you get an appreciation for just how small we really are. When looking at creation from that perspective, I have often remarked that I don’t know how a pilot would be unable to believe in God. To see the world from a bird’s-eye view makes it absurdly obvious that an intelligent Creator is responsible for all that we see.

WIFI Bibles in PNG

A MAF Pilot Demonstrating the WIFI Bible

Here’s a bit of interesting news about MAF airplanes utilizing smartphone technology in PNG. A new project has started that uses a wireless digital Bible, or WIFI Bible, to allow passengers to download the Bible and other Christian resources. The WIFI Bible is a small wireless server that is distributed by Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship. It is accessed through a WIFI connection and the content is free to access and download. MAF Netherlands has funded WIFI Bibles for all the MAF Bases in PNG and battery powered WIFI Bibles for every pilot’s bag! That means we should be able to equip all the pilots and bases with a WIFI Bible by the end of this year, so that MAF customers have the chance to download Gospel music, the Bible in several languages, Jesus films and other Christian resources. Check out www.wifibible.org to find out more about this project.
In early August I will be heading out to British Columbia for a fundraising trip. This trip will allow me to follow up on the contacts that I made when I was out there in March. Then I will be taking some personal time for a vacation to spend time with family before I turn my focus to preparing to leave for PNG.

At this point in time, the forward looking schedule is as follows: I will start my transition and Cross-Cultural Training in September. Then I will go to the MAF International headquarters in England for two weeks in early November for Orientation. Following that, I will head to Mareeba, Australia for my final Flight Training and Standardization in January and then from there I’ll make the final move to Papua New Guinea!

To make this timeline possible we have launched the “Final Push To PNG” fundraising campaign. On June 22nd we launched the final fundraising campaign with 22%, or $1100/month, of the support remaining. Currently there is 18% or $950/month to go. Thank you to everyone who joined my team to help make this possible! But we have a way to go yet...

100% of the outgoing support has already been raised. From now on, any one-time donations will be divided into the monthly total. With those financial needs in mind, would you prayerfully consider supporting the first four year term of ministry at $50, $100, $200/month or whatever the Lord lays on your heart?

I am hoping to reach this ministry target as soon as possible so that I am able to serve the people of PNG through MAF. Thank you so much for your consideration and for your incredible support!

If you would like to help with financial support and/or prayer support that would be great. You can donate to this ministry online, by phone, or by mail. Please designate your donation to go towards Ryan Cole. If donating by phone, call toll free 1-877-351-9344. If donating by mail, please make your cheque payable to Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada. If donating online you can follow this link: https://mafc.org/missionarypages/cole/index.html#donate

If you are unable to give financially but still want to be a part of this, then please feel free to sign up for my MAF newsletters by sending me a message at ryancole277@yahoo.ca

If you know of other people who would be interested in hearing about this work with MAF, then please spread the word. Because the more people that know about this, the better. Check back to find out about events where I'll be speaking about MAF.

Thanks for reading this and thank you so much for your support,

-Ryan

To donate by mail, send your cheques to:
MAF Canada
264 Woodlawn Road W.
Guelph, Ontario
N1H 1B6

For USA donors online:
https://maf.org/donate?fid=NxJL1Lk3Lhk%3D&fdesc=xFqs0FDMQGRCrYqqrUs7fg%3D%3D#.VL8qZdLF-Sr

More Info:
www.mafc.org
http://maf-papuanewguinea.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/281213732064928/