CONTACT

In need of our prayers

Many of you may be aware of the plight of missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham who were kidnapped on May 27, 2001 in the Philippines by the terrorist group Abu Sayyak. You may not know that they are also members of the PCI Heartland chapter in Kansas City, Missouri. When they are home on furloughs, they participate in Pilots for Christ activities there.

Martin and Gracia have served with New Tribes Mission in the Philippines sine 1986 where Martin flew as a missionary pilot and Gracia worked in support roles of the aviation program. New Tribes Mission

Plants churches among unevangelized people groups in remote areas of the world.

Martin grew up in the Philippines where his parents, Paul and Oreta Burnham, have been missionaries for more than 32 years. Norvin and Betty Jo Jones, Gracia's parents, are also missionaries. Paul and Oreta are caring for Martin and Gracia's children, Jeff 15; Mindy 12; and Zach 11; while they wait for their parents' release. Waiting is hard for the children. The last word they heard from their parents was a letter received in January of this year. Pray for Philippine nurse Deborah Yap who is also in captivity with the Burnhams.

May we "pray without ceasing" for the Lord Jesus Christ's safe-keeping of our brother and sisters in the Lord and for their soon return to their families. We know that "God can make a way where there seems to be no way" for "all things are possible with Him"!

Ways You Can Help the Burnhams and Deborah Yap:

• Pray for them daily. (use the enclosed flyer as a reminder)
• Tell others of the Burnhams' need of prayer.
• You may e-mail New Tribes Mission at www.ntm.org for more flyers to be sent for distribution in church bulletins.
• Inform your Congressmen of the Burnhams' need for help.

President's column

I am frequently asked questions that boil down to, "What can I expect from membership in Pilots for Christ?" There are lots of ways this question can be answered, but there is one common denominator that everyone discovers sooner or later. Let me describe this common denominator by what it has done in my own life.

As a Christian aircraft owner, I would occasionally fly missionaries and pastors. These flights were more blessed to me than the people I was serving. My wife and I became local community evangelists when the opportunity presented itself and this was always a blessing. It wasn't until we went to Africa as missionaries that I discovered the full blessing and the constant presence of the Lord while serving as the Lord's representatives in His work.

When we returned to the states from Africa, I felt a let down and thought I would not be able to recapture these blessed feelings of the Lord's presence. I found I can recapture those blessings

through Pilots for Christ and I count every minute working in the Lord's Air Force as a blessing. I see people coming to the Lord at air shows and community events. Through our chapter's work with disadvantaged children and in support of disaster relief, I am blessed with His presence in the work we do for Him. Every mercy mission brings the Lord's presence as He heals passengers, brings passengers to salvation and even influences the weather to facilitate our mission. Moreover, I have watched this happen in the lives of other members of Pilots for Christ. Jerry Poff's experience of the Lord's divine healing of a twelve year old boy he was transporting for surgery, (last newsletter) or his experience at ground zero in this newsletter, testify to the Lord's presence. The Master's Hand can be seen in the experience of the Florida chapter's crew in their flight to New York in this newsletter. In Pilots for Christ, I see the Lord's presence and blessing at every hand. If it has not already happened to you, join the ranks of those who are blessed through serving Jesus. Become active in Pilots for Christ. Your membership card is a ticket to adventure with the Lord Himself leading the way.

Jim McConnell, President

Changed Forever

There are few instances in our lives that change us forever. There are fewer situations that change large groups of people forever. September 11, 2001 was one of those times. I know that you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when the planes hit the World Trade Center. However, has it really had an impact on what you do and how you live now?

It was not until I actually saw the site and worked with others who were daily giving of themselves in the search and rescue of others that it really changed my life. These men and women were completely dedicated, determined and desperate to see the recovery of their friends, neighbors, and loved ones who were "lost" because of the tragedy. All of a sudden money, position, power or any other earthly thing meant nothing. It was only the hope of saving someone from the "pit" that mattered. It was the driving force that kept them going day after day.

Needless to say, it was a place where God used His people to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of the workers. It was a privilege and humbling experience to be used by God in such a way. We saw hundreds of workers come through the tent just get some nourishment so they could go back and search some more. We were able to provide good food for their bodies and food for their souls to encourage them and for some to find Christ.

Since that time, God has used this tragedy to illustrate to me the condition of this world and the desperate need for His people to be working to feed others and to save them from the "pit". Life, in reality, is no different for a lost world than for those in New York City. But, experiencing the tragedy first hand has given me a new determination for working in the field of lost souls.

Our nation will never be the same because of this tragedy. I pray the Church also will be changed forever in its efforts to reach the lost.

Pastor Jerry Poff, PCI Chaplain

Homecoming

The original plan was to make the flight a three-way relay with Florida, North Carolina and Virginia PCI chapters participating in flying Betty Meade from Melbourne, Florida to Glen Falls, New York.

Mrs. Meade's heart's desire was to be home with her family before departing for her heavenly home. It would be a 2100 nautical mile round trip.

After contacting hospice in Melbourne, we were told that it would be too hard on the patient to switch planes along the route. A direct flight to New York would be necessary. In fact, the doctor, who released our cancer patient, predicted she would not survive the flight. However, Steve Miller and I felt led of the Lord to fly the entire 2100 miles.

We left Merritt Island in our chapter's Saratoga PA-32 and arrived at Melbourne at 6:50am. We were surprised to find the ambulance with the patient and her two daughters and husband waiting for us. We had hoped to depart at 7:15am for the 7 1/2 hour flight, but were delayed two hours while we waited for the patient's oxygen to arrive. We were then behind our flight plan with an ice storm moving into New York at 6pm. Peggy Mattison, Mrs. Meade's daughter, accompanied our patient as nurse care-giver. Steve Miller offered a wonderful prayer for the flight and the family and we departed. We all had a sense of God's presence and that we would make it home safely.

We filed IFR and were vectored out over the Atlantic Ocean. As I looked down at the beach, I could see surfers enjoying the action in the foaming waves. Little did I realize that in 7 hours we would be landing on the ground with a foot of snow amidst gusty winds and mountains....quite a contrast to the flat lands of Florida. Winter surfers next to the airport would be skimming down snowy mountains instead of the mountains of water in Florida.

We refueled in Plymouth, North Carolina while our patient slept comfortably. We then began to experience a phenomenal tail wind. As we approached the Washington to New York area, we received an amended clearance which consisted of 15 new check points. After scrambling with the low altitude charts, we crossed Kennedy Airport at 7,000 feet, clocking a ground speed of 203 knots, the fastest anyone had ever flown the plane.

We got to Glen Falls, NY exactly on our original plan of arrival. Praise the Lord! God had made up the two hours with a mighty tail wind. We were greeted by sons, daughter- in-laws and grand kids, about twenty in all, who were joyful that mom had come home. The family had bag lunches for us and hugged and cried with us as we took their treasure out of the plane. Liquid love poured from all of our eyes as we watched the reunion. I couldn't help but think of the soon to come heavenly reunion that was being prepared for this lovely woman.

With a snow and ice storm on the way, we fueled up and headed back. It was my turn to take the controls and I finally found an altitude for our best ground speed and track. We were knocking off 68 knots--the slowest and the fastest our plane had ever flown! I laughed when New York Approach cleared us into Bravo Airspace at 7:45pm pointing us out to numerous arrivals into Kennedy as "the slow moving Saratoga".

At 8:30pm we finally realized that with the head winds we were facing, we would not make it back to Florida nor to the North Carolina commissioning service of their new chapter. We landed in Trenton, New Jersey for a fuel stop. I asked on five mile final for progressive taxi-ing to Hess FBO which we had found in the AOPA directory. On three mile final, the tower asked for my name which to aviators spells trouble. After giving my name, I was told to taxi to the end of the runway, take the last right turn onto the taxi-way and follow the car that would escort us to the FBO. When we turned off the runway, three police cars encircled us with red and white lights flashing.

I asked the tower if this was their usual welcome to Trenton and was told, in a business like manner, to follow the lead escort. The mystery was solved when we reached the FBO. They had concluded that we were terrorists because there was no Hess FBO on the airfield! But, after seeing the stretcher, empty oxygen cylinders and the error that had been printed in the AOPA directory, they released us.

We had a beautiful flight back to Florida the next morning.. We stayed at 2,500 feet VFR all the way home at 124 knots to avoid head winds at the higher altitudes. We saw alot of the country the "old way".

We arrived in Florida in the early afternoon to temperatures in the 70's with the surfers still carving the waves along the coast line.

We praised God for a beautiful trip. It was more than worth the fatigue to see the look on the family's faces in Glen Falls.

Dr. Bob Lehton

President, Florida Chapter

Editor's note: Mrs. Meade spent fifteen more days with her family before she went home to be with the Lord on March 4th.

Chapter president Israel Caleb reports that many people in northern India are homeless and without food because of the conflict between Muslims and Hindus in India. The India chapter is doing all they can to show the love of Christ amidst the turmoil. Various PCI chapters and individuals donated a total of $884 to help their efforts in response to the chapter's request for financial aid. Israel Caleb told his chapter members, "We are functioning as the hands in the body of Christ towards the world carrying the love of Jesus in our hearts." The India chapter asks for our continued prayers for peace to be restored in India.

(Anyone interested in donating money to the India chapter for the present crisis or for the ambulance fund may send a check or money order to PCI International Headquarters, 3314 Whitetail Lane, Bealeton, VA 22712. Please indicate to which fund you are contributing.)

This chapter continues to fill the needs of their isolated community by flying people to far-flung medical facilities. They were able to help hurting people in a number of unusual circumstances during the past weeks. One patient was flown to Texas for leukemia treatment; an eighty year old woman, who fell and broke both of her legs, was flown to Albany, Georgia from Shreveport, Louisiana for specialized care. The chapter was able to fly another man, who had been waiting for two years for a lung transplant, to Gainesville, Florida. PCI pilots were able to get the patient to Gainesville about fifteen minutes before the organs arrived.

Monroeville chapter specializes in mercy missions and the above are just a sample of how they care for suffering people in the Name of Jesus.

The commissioning of PCI's newest chapter took place on February 16 in Shelby, North Carolina with Brian Dwan taking the helm as president, Tony Conner, vice president and Karel Rybnicek, secretary/treasurer.

This chapter has been blessed with an abundance of aircraft.--a Navaho, Aztec, Cessna 320, a Cessna 310 (all twins), a Robinson 44 helicopter, a Cessna T-206, 3 Cessna 182's, a 172, an Ercoupe, a Mooney 231 and a Mooney Rocket 300--thirteen aircraft in all!

The chapter has been involved in numerous activities since its commissioning. On February 21st, they had an outreach for disadvantaged teens where they were flown on sight-seeing rides around the area using their member-owned C-T2006, C-172 and Ercoupe aircraft. Several of the teens have been attending Christian camps in the mountains of North Carolina.

In April, they will be providing airline transport for a cancer patient from Charlotte, North Carolina to Houston, Texas. The chapter has also received a request to transport a bed-ridden senior citizen from Florida to North Carolina and they hope to work with the Florida chapter to fulfill this request.

The North Carolina chapter is currently working with Stan Allen of the Sky King, Tuscaloosa, Alabama chapter concerning the transportation of a seventeen year old girl who has a malignant brain tumor. They will fly the patient on numerous trips in the coming months from Alabama to the Duke Research Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Brian Dwan asks that we remember their young patient in our prayers.

It is probable that the chapter will help in flood-recovery efforts in the recent disaster in Kentucky as they work with several churches and their missions in that area.

President Brian Dwan reports that, "Our chapter continues to grow on a weekly basis. We praise God that He has blessed us so!"

After much prayer and delays from bad weather, the Oregon chapter flew their first mercy mission on March 20th from Crescent City, California to Grants Pass, Oregon. Their passenger was 56 year old Rick Davidson, a quadraplegic patient who was suffering from multiple sclerosis and had just been diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer. His desire was to visit with his mother whom he had not seen in five years. Oregon chapter member Jim Carpenter flew the patient in his Beechcraft Bonanza to Grants Pass, Oregon accompanied by nurse care-giver Tammy Radford. Upon arrival at the airport, David was surrounded by many family members including his mother. Their two and a half hour visit was filmed by the local television station as well as covered by the town newspaper. After the family visit, Jim Carpenter flew his patient back to California. Chapter members continue to pray for Rick Davidson's healing.

The Oregon chapter is planning a fund raiser to obtain money to pay for a place in an Oregon Air Show. They also plan to enter a float in the local Boat Nik parade in May.

Correction: the last issue of Contact mistakenly reported the titles of two Oregon chapter officers. Toni Kenyon is secretary/treasurer and Stacey Hanley is in charge of publicity.

SEPTEMBER 6-9TH

NORTHPORT, ALABAMA,

MAIL CHECK TO: PCI SKY KING CHAPTER E-MAIL: allens412@comcast.net

13829 Moonlight Lane

NORTHPORT, AL 35475 PHONE # 205-344-1416

REGISTRATION FEE $75 PER PERSON

MERCHANDISE CATALOGUE FOR PCI STORE