Missions or Bust!

Greetings from Spokane, Washington. Time continues to fly by; it’s hard to believe we are already in July. We celebrated our anniversary recently and found ourselves looking back at the many things God has brought us through the last year. We want to thank you all for your faithful prayers as we transitioned from Botswana back to the US and began to look at the best way to move towards long term missions involvement overseas. Several opportunities have come that will allow David to continue to gain valuable flight experience, but that present challenges as well. We value your partnership on our journey to spread the gospel and want to briefly share how God is leading in our lives.

 Even as God led us from Botswana he kept the desire to work in long term ministry on our hearts.  In many ways this was our reason for returning to Spokane. Christ the Redeemer Church’s strong missions focus and encouragement from fellow attendees continues to bless us. Moody Aviation provided exceptional  training before our years in Botswana and they are once again doing all they can to help us continue in missions.

We still feel strongly God’s leading toward life long service with Wycliffe Bible Translators and are seeking the most expeditious manner in which to become Wycliffe members. From an aviation standpoint this requires that David gain more flight experience.  We’re happy to say that God has already provided  some much needed flight time and that another opportunity looms on the horizon. 

Through Moody, David was connected with Brigade Air ministries. Brigade Air runs week long summer camps introducing aviation as a means for ministry to high school youth. David spent the third week in June helping run one of these camps in Columbia, CA, introducing campers to flying, sharing the news of Jesus and logging 25.5 flight hours!

 He has also been working in Moody’s maintenance hangar assisting staff in working on aircraft since February.  As for the looming opportunity; each fall Moody senior flight students take a 10 day trip through mountains along the west coast. Due to a small senior class, and because of his maintenance work, there is room for David to join the trip at a reduced cost. This 1 time chance would be a fantastic way to earn most of the remaining flight experience he needs in realistic mountain conditions under the tutelage of veteran mission pilots. It would also provide great preparation for Wycliffe’s flight evaluation test we hope to take next summer. The challenge is our inability to afford this trip even at a reduced rate. We currently need 3,000 dollars and we need the full amount by August 31.

While we are tempted to be discouraged, we know we serve a big God who provides more than all we ask or need.  Please pray with us that God will provide the money we need for this trip. Also will you consider giving toward the financial cost of the trip? Your prayers and giving would greatly aid us in completing the flight hours needed to qualify for Wycliffe’s flight evaluation test. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.  Thank you for taking the time to be a part of our lives.

David and Stephanie Boogaard

moved in and settling

there's something to be said for having your own place and unpacking your bags.
something to be said for a great smelling meal cooking in the slow cooker, sitting at a table in the comfort of your own home, afterwards listening to pleasant music whilst sitting on a comfortable chair or love seat with lamp illuminating the page of a good read.
we are in! after two months of living with great friends!!! we have finally moved into a place we'll call home for a while.
thanks for your continued prayers.

now the settling begins. David's at Moody Aviation each day volunteering in the shop. in the evenings he's begun studying for his Certified Flight Instructor's rating. I am looking for part time employment. But am enjoying being at home, unpacking and making our apartment home.

thanks be to God for a time of rest

we're on our way

After months of moving around Gaborone Botswana we have returned to America.  We arrived 7 Dec in Chicago and have been visiting family and friends ever since.  Its been so good to be back.  We have been able to visit most family on both sides and a good number of friends.

David and I are really looking forward to unpacking and settling into our new apartment in Spokane Washington.  That will happen in February.  Until then David is in Alaska helping our friend Paul Hadfield, of Arctic Barnabas, fix an airplane.  Meanwhile I, Stephanie, will continue my visit in Chicago until after my sister Tina's golden birthday.  David and I will then meet up in LA to visit his brother and fam. Finally to end up in Spokane Washington where we'll get to settle into our new apartment.  

Why Spokane?  Before leaving Botswana we'd been really seeking out what God wanted us to do. We had three options, Chicago: near my family; LA: for a possible job opportunity for David; or Spokane WA: to earn a flight instructor rating through Moody Bible Institute.   Our goal and prayers is to return overseas to do missions through aviation and to keep David flying.  In answer to our prayers God shut the doors on both Chicago and LA but had them wide open for Spokane. So there we will go.  David will attend Moody and earn his flight instructor rating - this will give him the missing flight hours he needs until he'll have enough to apply for a Technical Evaluation with a mission.  Also through some folks at our church in Spokane we'll have an apartment for free. And God's given us a car that's also waiting for us there.    

So we're looking forward to what God has in store for us on this next chapter in our lives.  We pray he'll continue to prepare us for the future and continue to bind us together.