Share Your Passion | Take to the Skies | Arby

Guys, prepare yourself for an epic post.  That cool kid sitting in the airplane?  That's Arby.
Arby is on my brother dorm and as I've gotten to know him this year, he has become a true friend.  Goofy, silly, and caring are just a few of the words that describe this Filipino pilot.  Arby grew up in the Philippines and has a passion for missions.  He has lately been trying to convince me to teach there and I told him only if he is my personal pilot.  Arby is loves what he does.  I have seen few and far people between in my college years that are as passionate about what they are studying.  Arby's hope for his future in aviation and missions is the coolest.  See for yourself.

Flying has always been such a wonder to me! From as long as I can remember, it has been in my thoughts and conversation, never losing its spark of interest in me. People have asked me throughout the years what I’ve wanted to be when I grow up. Each time I have given the same answer for that very question—“I want to be a pilot.” I am proud to say that by God’s grace, I am doing something I have always dreamed about. Once I turn the keys to bring the engine to life, an aura of adventure and excitement fills me up from head to toe! Even the burst of power on takeoff brings a heightened sense of command as I lift off of the ground and take to the skies. The view from my classroom (and later my office space) is dynamic; my eyes are nurtured with something different each time. When it is time to bring my machine back to the confines of the earth, the mastery of my skills all come together to a singular phase: landing. It is a momentous battle with the wind and a fight that must always be won. Flying is always a fascinating experience.

For a large portion of my life, I have wanted to fly with the Marines. Their commitment to duty and the instilled pride has drawn me to them. To me, they were a cut above the rest. I wanted to earn the title of “Marine”. This changed when I had broken the wrist on my dominant hand while playing sports. It left me out of action for 6 months. You can imagine the troubles I went through with only one hand to use. It was gruelling, but what I started to notice of the Lord was of far greater importance. He has been pouring out His love on me and it was only then that I started to see and believe it. From then on, I decided that I wanted a part in showing His love to others just as He showed it to me. I wanted to live my life for my Father and serve him the best I can. I wanted to be a missionary pilot.

God has opened and closed many doors that have transformed my life. He put me through a 12-month intensive program to train me as an aircraft mechanic (something at the time I didn’t know I needed to be in order to serve as a missionary pilot). I didn’t like it at first but once we started getting our hands dirty with actual planes, it became a grown-up version of Lego to me. Now, by his grace, I am going through flight training. I have a few hundred hours to rack up in the plane before I can even start training for the flying later in the mission field, but I know for sure that the journey is worth it. I love how he has taken me through the winding, scenic route around the curves of the mountains instead of the straight shortcut that runs in between the trees. There is so much more to see and do by taking that path, and I am grateful for what my God has done. He has instilled in me a passion for the Great Commission to the unreached people groups in third world countries. When that time for me comes, that will include flights to small dirt strips in the midst of mountains. MEDEVAC flights are a possibility. Flights with cargo of all sorts including food, medicine, or even live animals! People need to be moved from point A to point B. What could take 2 weeks of hiking through unforgiving terrain can be shortened to a mere 20 minutes of flight. What’s really exciting is when the Bible is translated in a people group’s native tongue. I would have the honour and privilege of delivering those Bibles and seeing the joy that it would bring! I may not be at that stage in my life yet, but I know all the work right now and later will pay off and cultivate relationships that point right towards Christ.

 He hadn't been to the Asian market before, so we went there afterwards.  He was pretty excited to find some boxed Filipino food.


Thanks so much for taking me flying Arby!  It was SO great!

 

Share Your Passion | Eat With Joy | Gabrielle

Oh man.  All the things I could say about this girl.  Gabrielle and I met two years ago when I interviewed to be a prayer leader on her hall.  I instantly loved her quirkiness, sense of humor, and love for the Lord.  Second semester of last year, we became roommates.  Just a couple weeks into being roommates and ministry partners, we labeled ourselves the dream team.  We just had a jive that seemed to work perfectly in being roommates and in our ministry responsibilities.  Gabs quickly became one of my very best friends.  She loves sweet potatoes, Adventures in Odyssey, elderly people, and ASL.  From joking and giggling about boys, to dancing around our room to Hillary Duff, to farmer's market dates, to heart-to-hearts, this girl gets me.  She's carefree, bold, and loving.  She has truly taught me what it means to speak the Truth in love, which is something I value in friendships.  She is a constant encouragement and support to me and I couldn't imagine these last two years without her.

What am I passionate about? Well that's easy! I'm passionate about The Lord and what He has created. The Lord gave us the earth to rule over and subdue (have dominion over) (Genesis 1:28) and I believe that is both a calling and a command. It is provision by God that the earth and all that comes from it can meet our needs for food, water, shelter and clothing (all our basic needs). Not only will The Lord provide all our needs (Philippians 4:19) He has already done so through the creation of this place we call our temporary home.

The command: We are supposed to rule over the earth. The earth is a lesser creation than humans because it has no soul and was not created in God's image. God granted man dominion over plants and animals (not the other way around), so it is our duty to fulfill our needs with them. What does that mean exactly? It means EAT! It means to thank The Lord for the blessing of provision by consuming that which He has given us. It means we should not be afraid to hunt for our dinner or pierce the soil with a spade and drop a couple seeds in the hole. It means to pick fruit off the trees and allow our bodies to be nourished by them. It means to go fishing and enjoy the bounty. This is a command we can take pleasure in as we seek to enjoy the bounty of the earth with the people around us we are blessed to called family and friends. We often gather together over food, so may we remember each time we do that we are acting in accordance with God’s command to eat what He has provided. Therefore, eat with JOY!

The calling: This is a beckon for STEWARDSHIP. The Lord did not say to “over-plant” and “over-eat” and succumb to our gluttonous hearts. The Lord speaks to the foolishness of gluttony and the wisdom of stewardship many times in scripture. What does practicing stewardship of the earth mean? It means to till the ground, plant the seeds, grow the things our bodies need. It also means supporting others who are doing the same. It means local and sustainable farming. It means eating organic and in season fruits and veggies. It means being kind to the earth so the next generation may also have good things to eat. In this "disposable" world we live in it is easy to think that it is our right to have everything we want and plenty of it. Indeed The Lord created the world to provide ENOUGH for everyone to be filled properly. The blame certainly does not fall on The Lord for any shortage in food or "need" that we feel to manufacture nutrient replacements to make up for those lost in processing. No, the blame falls on us for not sustaining the earth's resources and the bounty God gave us for survival.

 

My passion is "the call;” the call to be wise and sustain the earth as an act of worship to the God who cares and provides.