A few real-time updates

North Carolina has entered phase 2 of re-opening which means we have been cleared to resume training. We will begin on Monday June 1^st with a tentative ending in mid-August. Currently Kenya’s border is still closed. Please pray fervently that reported COVID-19 cases would reduce and that this would be a catalyst for improved lives world-wide. That as a result the borders would open and AIM AIR would be able to increase much needed flights for the kingdom workers that they serve. Pray that we will be able to depart in time to attend Africa Based Orientation (ABO) in October.

A moment about AIM AIR (AA)
 

In the last year AA has been evaluating the need to make some organizational changes; both in how they operate and how they fund those operations. This is partly due to the struggles of operating under 2 governing bodies; the FAA and the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA); and partly due to a changing market (those that need AA services and how they are provided). The COVID-19 situation has brought many of those issues to the service. Most of AA flights require crossing borders, and right now they are closed. They have been granted special permission to cross borders for certain flights but it is greatly reduced. Previously, AA was funded solely from flight purchases. They are shifting to subsidizing that cost with raised funds. Aviation is expensive and doubly so in an international setting. Would you consider contributing to the AA operational fund?

https://usgiving.aimint.org/project/aim-air-operations

To learn more about AIM AIR check out their website.

https://aimair.org/

An indelible imprint

An immeasurable reward that comes with serving in missions is the privilege of meeting so many individuals who leave an indelible mark on our lives. It is deeply contrasted by the reality that living a life of transition means saying goodbye too often. This reality is magnified when the meeting and the goodbye are so close together.
Delivery supplies to missionaries in South Sudan isolated by COVID-19Grandma Irene saying goodbyeKids first time seeing the oceanEvery Thursday after lunch you could find all the children of the Bethel apartments on JAARS campus lined up outside Irene’s door. Grandma Irene; as she became known, opened the door with a smile on her face and popsicles in hand. She loved nothing more than to kneel down and listen to a child prattle on about a big jet, a caught lizard, a princess dress or anything they felt was imperative to tell her until eventually she would say, “I’ll be right back, I have to go take care of my big boy.” Her big boy is her husband Jim. One day Jim was told by doctors that due to his bone cancer he had 2 years to live. He decided that if he only had 2 years he wanted to spend it serving the Lord. So, for 6 months every year Jim and Irene would move from their home in Illinois to JAARS and volunteer in whatever compacity they could. Their first trip to JAARS was 17 years ago. While being a grandmother to any child, and a caregiver to her ailing husband is impressive, that is only the beginning of what makes Irene special. She has a drive that is fueled by compassion and her love of others through Christ. She would often say to me, “Oh, you know me, I have so many things going on.” We couldn’t keep up with her ever-increasing list of projects. On top of all this, we can add humility to the list. Irene would never compare anyone. Irene would tell us, “Don’t compare yourself. Get that negativity out of here. We all do only what each of us can do for the Lord.”

She ran the sewing shop on campus and many of the bed quilts, window curtains, kitchen towels in the housing here were made by her. When COVID-19 struck she stepped into action very quickly. While being very careful with isolation due to Jim’ health she began coordinating mask making. I started by just ironing fabric, then She found out I could sew. You don’t tell Grandma Irene no, so I started sewing masks. The JAARS sewing team; with Irene at its core, has collectively made upwards of 3,000 masks, 50 isolation gowns, and 200 ear-saving headbands for the healthcare systems in our area. This doesn’t include the clothes she makes for Jim, the Easter baskets she made for all the kids here, the mother-baby gowns and surgical drapes she makes and sends to Africa, or the denim stockings for the 40 kids that her church in Illinois sponsors. The few things I’ve listed actually pale in comparison to all the things that make Grandma Irene so special to all the families here. As Jim and Irene pulled away from campus there were many tears from children, Irene and parents alike. It is a sad parting because all the families here are in transition and may not see them again; it is a sad parting because this will probably be Jim’s last trip of service to JAARS and it is a sad parting because we have said goodbye to amazing drive, daily encouragement and the energy Irene brought to us. It was a somber day as all of us in the apartments as we contemplated the imprint on our lives where Irene used to be.

Connect with God

• Pray for reduced COVID-19 cases and causes
• Pray for AIM AIR as they make tough decisions and operate in this unstable time.
• Pray for Irene as she cares for Jim in what are possibly his last days.
• Anna and the kids have 2 weeks left with homeschooling. We are looking into which curriculum to use next year. Pray that they finish well and for curriculum decisions.