Sick Boy, Water Pump, Scorpion Bite

14 March-
“Good” is all he will say. “Isaiah, how is your tummy. How is your throat?” It is not a convincing “good” but it is the only word we can get out of him. Between throwing up and other form of losing food, it was a rough night. We ran out of diapers, and he isn’t making it in time to keep the clothes clean. So, busy night.

Rick asked me to come take a look at a pump someone brought to their front porch. Somehow, I was thinking bicycle pump, but it was actually an electric water pump. It was completely dead. They cleaned sand out of the pump, but it still would not turn. So we started tearing down the motor.
I was very happy I brought my multi-meter on our visit. After ringing out a few connections, I found a broken brush lead. Isaiah and Breanna came to watch, but after five minutes on the bench swing, he tossed his cookies, and they had to leave.
Rick took me to a shed where there were bits and pieces of everything. As I headed off he said, “I don’t think there are any snakes in there, but ... it is a place that isn’t used very much.” I thought of the massive spitting cobra carcass he showed me when we first arrived. The guards had killed it with a chicken half way inside its throat.
So, I grabbed a big stick and started banging on things as I advanced into the bowels of the shed. I saw a little DC motor to something, grabbed it, and exited. The brushes were too big, but I figured I could modify them with a grinder.
The problem was finding a working soldering iron. Both houses here have butane powered soldering irons, which makes more sense when electricity is precious. We had to take both of them apart to make one of them work!
I am still thanking God that it was an electrical problem since I am much more comfortable dealing with those
The next day after church we tried out the water pump. It worked!
Then on Monday, Breanna and Isaiah were picked up by airplane to fly to Gatab, where there is a clinic.
The local ministry that owned that water pump had a solar fridge that stopped working. We went over to check it out. It ended up being a wire that had come detached from the batteries.
Then that night a group showed up with a baby with a scorpion bite. A snake bite zapper was used to help reverse the effect of the venom. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Usually the zapper is all that is needed for scorpions, but if it isn't better the next day a trip to the clinic may be in order.

Communication ... between Breanna and me

Today, while fighting our way through Nairobi traffic and talking over the road noise...
Jerry: “Loren really encouraged me to consider taking out a loan...”
Breanna: “What! He encouraged you to consider using calogne? Didn’t you tell him you were trying to blend in.”

How we know we are in Kenya

We know we must be in Kenya when:

1. You get shocked when you play the electric guitar (barefoot)
2. The conductor on a matatu fixes the van while it continues to coast down the highway
3. The bathwater turns brown immediately after you get in
4. When the city water is ON it is a complete surprise
5. Grace wants to sing along with the tune of the "call to prayer" amplified from the mosque
6. Taxi driver pretends to drive with his hands (while he really IS driving) to ask us, using charades, if we want a ride.
7. You learn that jaywalking through half crazed traffic is the preferred way across a highway because of the crap people leave on the pedestrian overpass (literally)
8. You have more keys to the house than square feet of lawn.
9. The neighborhood duka (shop) owner interrogates you if you don't buy your daily milk from his shop.
10. We can watch movies on DVD, before we watch them in the theater.
11. Music never sounded so good, fruit never tasted sweeter, and people never welcomed us so warmly.

Acacias and Singing

We went to Nairobi chapel yesterday. It was two hours I could really lose myself in. The music was stirring: a blend of English and Swahili songs. Even Blessed Be Your Name sounded African. The mix sounded like a CD, which is not always the case in PA equipped churches in Kenya. I looked at the the cement walls, the angles of the various wings and hallways and was amazed at how clear the sound was.

Students at Machakos Academy near Machakos, Kenya. We participated in their Sunday school during Africa Based Orientation.

Then during the announcements, they displayed a picture of a beautiful girl from the worship team that died last week, from an unknown stomach problem. And they sang a song that asked what do we do when we feel God is a million miles away... We sing because we know how much He loves us. We sing because of who He is.

I had two images in my mind. First, Breanna asking me why everyone here knows how to sing, and sing well. At schools we went to during Africa Based Orientation, the kids sang together, waiting for the service to begin... without anyone up front. Just singing. The music surged and swelled, and completely washed over us.

My second image was of talking to another missionary under the shade of an acacia tree. He loved acacias. “They are just a picture of Africa to me,” he said. They do provide great shade, but when you look at them, they have thorns that over an inch long. “You will find that most things in Africa have some sort of thorn for protection like that!” He told me.

A rugged attraction is growing and pulling at me here. Every resource from plant, to animal, to person, has to be guarded. We have thorn bushes and we have spikes on our gate. But there is a beauty that lives in this hard land.
The people that walk this ground from childhood to elderhood, know what to do when the rains come or if the ground stays dry, when troubles come over the gate, or a friend drops by... they sing.

Peace wanted

We are getting used to our surroundings. Everything seems like it could become normal to us, then today happens. As usual, we took our matatu ride to language school ... no problems there. We are becoming used to the rattly mini buses, the cranked subwoofers, coasting downhill as fast they possibly can, and cutting other matatus off at each bus stop.

At language school one of the teachers shared at chai time that she had been carjacked this morning. She was taking a matatu to work at 6am and several guys came on the mini bus and after they pulled away, out came the guns. They let everybody go at 6:30, freed from their cash and cell phones.

Some of the more verbose teachers expounded on this type of crime, then moved on to home burglary. I am sure this was for our benefit, the three new students.

One thing to remember, the thieves can be reasonable, and you can negotiate, but they also don't mind killing people who don't cooperate.

The principal of the school said last year his neighborhood was broken into about three times. Once was while he was sleeping and they came into his bedroom. They told him to go back to sleep and started looting the place. After awhile, they became too comfortable. One walked by him with a flashlight in his mouth and arms laden with stolen goods.

"I thought: Now this man can not be too dangerous!" he said. And so he hit him and pushed him out the door, then locked it.

"Then I raised the alarm!"

I asked "You have an alarm in your room?"

With a broad smile, he said. "My alarm is this ..." And he let out an ear splitting yell. A couple teachers laughed.

One teacher said, "This is the natural alarm, not an ... artificial one. This one is natural!"

The principal said the neighborhood came alive and they chased the thieves for about 15 kilometers, "wearing ... not many clothes," he said, again with a broad grin.

He quickly pointed out that as Christians, you have to be concerned about the thieves, because if they are caught, they are "finished."

Then the teachers went into another story about another breakin last year. One thief was caught, beaten to death... "then how do you say in English ... grilled, no... barbequed." This last word came out with a boisterous laugh.

The three of us wazungu (white people) stood transfixed during all of this. I am sure our expressions gave away our shock!

So, the moral was the police are not the best help to catch thieves.

"Sometimes they arm them even better and send them back to rob again. How do you think they will treat him," pointing at the principal "if they come back now to his house again?"

The principal picked up the point, "So the people have no patience with the police. But the people have no prison. The cannot keep the thieves, so the only thing they want to do is kill them. They put tires around them, pour gasoline or parafine on them ... then barbeque them."

I looked down at my mug, wishing I could get more chai and walk back to class. But even if I did, it would not change our reality. I suddenly realized how desperate these thieves must be if they know a deadly beating is just a yell away.

"But, there are many wonderful things about Kenya, too! It is a beautiful place!" a teacher said with a smile.

This afternoon I saw "Peace wanted" graffitied on a wall. I thought maybe that is the cry of Nairobi, even the groaning of Africa. Then I realized that it is the agonized desire of every human heart, whether acknowledged or not. Peace wanted from the forces of evil, from the destruction of sin, from all that hates good. Peace wanted in the middle of a struggle not with flesh and blood, thieves, bandits, but a struggle in a world invisible to our naked eye.

It may sound over simplified, but the root cause is always spiritual evil. And for me peace comes from knowing God is sovereign. I also realize Nairobi is a great place to live compared to other parts of the continent. Sure I lock a gazillion locks on a gazillion doors every night, but today I prayed for protection. And that the thieves hearts would be changed. And their bodies disabled... at least until the hearts are changed.

That's why we are here...

Today was day two of language school. After locking our two front doors and our big front steel gate, we walked with the kids to some friends where they would spend the morning. Then Bre and I rode one matatu after another to head over to the language school. One of the last stops on the way already had to two matatus there, and a big fight broke out. People were running between all three vans pounding on the roof and sidewalls. Customers were "escorted" from one van to another, while other people blocked their way.

More banging, lots of yelling, tons of people running. It was ... interesting, except that we were both in the van! Then someone from our van started punching another guy in the back who was redirecting customers.

I mentioned this at the language school, and the teacher said "Yes, matatus always fight for business."

We are in class with another new missionary friend who flew out with us from New York. Today, after almost two hours of Kiswahili immersion, we learned the negative plural form for from (as in I am from ...). It is hatutoki (hah-too-toh-ki).

Breanna muttered "That's what we are here to learn..." After I said the word to myself a few times, I caught on and I couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the class!

Breanna teaching Sunday School at Machakos Academy

The picture was taken by our new friend, Kate, who is starting off as a missionary here as well, and will be working in the On Field Media team.

Sunday at School

Today we went to our ministry assignment. We signed up for a school not far from where we are staying in the college dorms. Four students from the theological college went with us. They were from Kenya and Tanzania.

Our family went to a service for the catholic students. They went through their service in a very methodical way, and had a 15 minute window for me to share.
I spoke about Joseph finally confronting his brothers, telling them who he really was. And that because of his forgiveness, God's chosen people were saved.

I don't know if it was understood or how it was taken. All the students sat very rigidly and were quite formal.

Towards the end of the service, they evidently had some more time. They wanted the guests to offer some words of encouragement. I nudged Breanna that it was HER turn! :)

Actually, the students really wanted to hear from Olivia, Grace, and Isaiah. Grace was the only one who wanted to say anything. She said a few things very quietly, but everyone came alive, almost like the ice was momentarily broken. They laughed and giggled when she spoke.

When I asked Isaiah to say "Jambo" to them, he shook his head and ran to me, burying his head in my lap. The students laughed again.

After our service, we had tea and bread with the other missionary family and the college students who came with us.

On the matatu (bus) ride home to our dorm, the conductor banged the side panel loudly to tell the driver to stop. One of the passengers exclaimed something, and all the passengers (except for us Americans) laughed.

When the matatu started up again, I asked what had happened.

The lady from the college told me, quietly, that the man had gone past his intended stop. She said he was looking at us and was distracted. She paused, then clarified, gracefully, because of how your skin looks different. Poor guy!

We are in Kenya!

We made it! Early Sunday morning Kenya time we arrived after an unexpected stop in Cairo, Egypt to try and fix a water problem on the plane. An AIM AIR pilot met us in customs to help us through and welcome us! The airline misplaced one of our 15 checked bags, but they already knew about it, so we should have it in a day or so.















We are tired! We crossed eight time zones, so our bodies will need time to adjust to Kenya time. They say the best cure for jet lag is sleep, so benadryl helped us last night when the kids were jabbering...it was only 6pm in Indiana where we had left from, but 2 in the morning in Kenya!!
We are at a guest house for two days before we head off to orientation(henceforth to be referred to ABO, which stands for Africa Based Orientation in AIM circles) in Machakos, a couple hours southeast of here.
















Grace is busy making friends already. Isaiah is a little overwhelmed with eyes easily tearing up when mom and dad are out of eyesight. Olivia's doing well so far(She did not faint or "freak out" in the plane or the airport as she predicted. Thank you for your prayers!), eager to explore the area, enjoying the flowers, weather and a surprise dvd copy of Prince Caspian I just produced to help pass the time while I slept this morning.
We are excited to finally be here! We thank God for His provision for preparing us to come and for safe travels!

Today's the Day!

Tonight, about 6:30 EST, we (and three other families & two singles) fly out of Newark to London and then...-woo hoo!!- Nairobi, Kenya -arriving 9:30pm Saturday night, Kenya time (See Nairobi clock in lower right sidebar)!! I am so excited! (Breanna writing) Here's an awesome Bible verse I am claiming for my family today and in the next months of orientation (3 weeks); and then living with a Kenyan family (4 weeks); and then finally getting into our own rented home in Nairobi!

"He is your constant source of stability. He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom. He gives all this to those who fear Him." Isaiah 33:6 (NAT)

I am praying this verse will especially be a comfort to Olivia, who is 10. We have been praying that she will be able to give her anxiety to God and make friends fast. Fortunately, we are traveling with other kids close to our kids' ages and so they have been running and playing constantly while we finished up final paperwork and packing yesterday. God has been extremely faitthful to her in our intermediate moves to Minnesota and North Carolina, providing wonderful close friends. We trust He will do the same in Kenya!!

We're now all in New York at Africa Inland Mission's headquarters to be briefed and make sure everything's in order. We've met the other missionaries we'll be traveling with - a great group! Can't believe it's already here...we leave THIS FRIDAY!!

Sold!

Yeah, Jerry's completing the sale of our Land Cruiser now! Yeah! Thank You, God!

The best of being a Dad

Grace is immersed in Heaven. Questions pour out of her constantly about what it will be like. Since I have all the answers, it is easy ... ;) She is hyper-emotional, hyper-imaginative, and I think very spiritually acute. So... it was only a matter of time before we talked about actually getting to Heaven. We had that chance at breakfast in the little cottage we were in for our Hurd family reunion.
"You have to die" she said with a giggly laugh.
"OK, but there is something else you need besides that," I replied, choosing words carefully.
She said a joke that was funny, but unfortunately forgotten.
I followed up: "You have to be perfect. That means never doing anything bad."
"What do you think, can you do that?"
With her trademark puppy dog eyes, she slowly shook her head - no.
"There is another way," I continued, still cautiously. "Remember that Jesus came to Earth and died for us? That was so He could pay the price and we could become perfect!"
"First we need to believe that He died for us, and we need to ask for Him to save us from the bad things we have done and will do."
"Do you want to pray to Him with me and ask Him?"
She turned her huge eyes on me and said "Uh-huh..."
And so we did... and Grace's venture into true freedom has begun.

A week in the USA

So this is how it feels to be almost leaving the country! The kiddos are excited and nervous (last night Grace had concerns about drinking the water and jet lag). Breanna is travelling with her sister these past two days as moral support. Her sister is going for several interviews around the country to apply for a doctorate internship. I am trying to get a handle on the many little items to check off in this last week, and keep Isaiah on his potty training schedule.

We need prayer during all this travelling and prayer that we will be able to sell our land cruiser.
If anyone would like a '92 Land Cruiser with some bruises on it, let me know. It is listed on Craig's List and Vehix for $1000.

All the Hurd family together in West Virginia....not likely we'll all be one place again for years! We are headed to Kenya. Mom and Dad hope to finish a translation in Papua New Guinea that will take 1-3 years.The 9 grandchildren have had a blast getting to know each other (again) and playing nonstop.

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

When we got to NY, we didn't realize our stuff to be shipped was supposed to be inventoried, so that delayed us a bit on our departure to West Virginia (okay, it delayed us a whole day!!) We DID eventually get our stuff to be shipped to Kenya inventoried, weighed and labeled. It's all sitting on pallets, mostly ready to go! They (awesome AIM logistics/ shipping experts) will wrap it and secure it...but by the time we got done with all that, some banking and a few other last minute things that added up to a lot of time, we didn't get out of NY 'til 11:00pm last night!!! So Jerry (What a man! I know I keep saying it, but he's just awesome!) drove through the night to get us here to our cabin retreat with Jerry's family on the top of a mountain in West Virginia! Just wanted to let you know that we are done with the "to-do" list, at least for our Christmas time away! Have a blessed day with your family or those close to you and if you're not with them, know you're close at heart to us!!

In NY

We made it. Here with all our junk, soon to be unloaded from the trailer and loaded into a shipping container where we won't have to worry about it for a good three months or so. Nice.

Jerry -what a man - stayed up all night after driving all day, to edit a video we shot in the car.

Tomorrow we're off to family Christmas fun in West Virginia.

On the road again!

Yeah, the packing's done!! I am writing rather bleary eyed after staying up all night to get said packing done. Jerry got up at 6am and made coffee, then I went to bed and he loaded the trailer. We're near Pittsburgh, PA tonight, New York bound. We're looking forward to delivering our cargo and being rid of the big heavy trailer and off to celebrate Christmas with family!! Less than a month 'til we arrive in Kenya, wow!

Here, we need to send a shout out to God...many thanks for working out numerous details and potential road blocks these past few days! He never ceases to amaze!

Packing Again

Today is our big packing today before we leave tomorrow for headquarters in New York with everything that will go with us to Africa in a trailer. Whew! After that we relax a little with Jerry's family at a retreat center in West Virginia. We're less than a month away from our flight out of New York for Kenya! Wahoo!!! Thank you, thank you, asante sana to all of you making it possible; we COULD NOT do it without you!

Through rain, sleet or snow ... farewell to Minnesota

Welcome back to Minnesota! "You picked a great week to come back!" That was what I have heard most these past four days. The high yesterday was about -2F (not counting windchill).
Yesterday I hit the remote starter to get the car running so I could pick up the U-haul trailer. The parking lights flashed, but there wasn't any sign of vapor out of the exhaust. I hit the button again ... nothing! So, I put on shoes, coat, hat, gloves, pried the door open, mashed the key into the ignition, and ... just a click! AHH, of course, why WOULD the car start on the coldest day yet this winter?

Olivia and I stayed with John, Gioconda, Kattiana, and Karsten in Worthington, Minnesota, where we lived for the last year. Olivia spent a little more time with her friends, and I went through our "essentials" we want to take to Africa. They were in the basement of our old house at the airport. There was less there than I remembered, AND Breanna had done an awesome job of labelling everything before we left. So, I tallied up the cubic feet for each category, generated a Google spreadsheet, prioritized what I thought needed to go, then shared it with Breanna.

Today, everything is loaded (thanks to three other guys helping, including John), the car is working, and we are set to take off into the falling snow! What a great way to remember our time here! I bet I will miss the bitter cold it in a handful of months as pour out sweat half a world away.

And as a friend said here at our church "We may have cold weather, but we have warm hearts." Those I will definitely miss.

As the dust settles, the outcome is ... all systems go!

It is Thursday and has been for the last 1.5 hours. Wednesday (our financial deadline day) will be one of my most thrilling days in a long time ... when we first put up the airspeed indicator to the right it read something like 39%. Now it is sitting at a titillating 99.45% (How funny is that ... can that be rounded up? )
As you can guess from the graphic, WE ARE GOING IN JANUARY! God really has stretched my myopic vision to see beyond what I thought was impossible... The highlight of this is that we are finally (after 5 + years) ready to hit the mission field and serve in the best way we know how! The second highlight is ALL the phone calls and e-mails I have had; many from friends I have not heard from in a while!
So what impossibilities did God overcome?

1. About a month ago I finished my aviation orientation. The amount we needed in order to leave was an additional $18000 and this was due in a month's time.
2. The country is in a challenging economic timeframe
3. The online support page has not been working properly for weeks.
4. Our e-mail system appears to be also going through some problems!

Despite these challenges of a month to accomplish the impossible, God worked and because of many of you reading this, our awesome support team, the plan to leave in January no longer has any if's left.

Obviously, we are not quite at 100% for our monthly or outgoing, but we anticipate we will be able to reach this by our departure date.

Through all of this, I hope ONE thing is brought to bear: God deserves the credit, fame, and glory for this entire time we have been preparing; especially this last month. It is to Him I am sincerely grateful.

Well, I'm going to get some sleep, and get ready to drive to Minnesota on Friday with Olivia to pick up our possessions we left there. Please pray for safety for that trip and all the travel we have ahead of us!

Charts, for the engineer in all of us

I wanted to show this as a way of encouraging all of us, and to give God full credit to where we came from as we get closer to the deadline.

One Day Left

Wow, for a nailbiting finale, this can't be beat! Our clearance is Wednesday. We need to be at 100% by then.

You may have noticed that our monthly was at 95%. Unfortunately there were some miscounts between us and the home office in NY. We sorted them out, and found we were actually at 89%. Disheartening, but not tragic. And yes, that last sentence was a fragment, but that's how cool writers write, right? So there, Miss Lim...

The really encouraging news is people continue to mention to me they are talking to their churches, or their sunday school. A friend of mine is hoping to complete a major project at work. He is paid per project, and he wants this one to go towards helping us ... it is a sizeable amount.

All this is very invigorating to be suspended between staying and going. My faith is heightened, prayer life has increased, and my awareness of God's provision has been sharpened. I am doing cartwheels inside as I hear from our support team... I can't believe your generosity and energy on our behalf.

How to Move to Africa

or how could we possibly make this more complicated?

BTW, today, there is only ONE more day 'til financial clearance which is "no/no go" day from our mission's decision guy. It means no/ no go for January 16, our planned departure date. We ARE going to Africa...if we don't make it for Jan. 16 it will be in July. We're rooting for Jan. 16 and so ask you to please pray today for God to complete this miracle he's been amazing us with this past month as friends, family, churches have made our jaws drop further than we thought possible...THANK YOU to you all for your generosity to our ministry through aviation in Africa!!!

Okay, back to the complicated move. Ever heard the logic problem about getting the farmer, his chicken and fox across the river in a boat that only holds two at a time? That's kind of how this feels.

Here's the dealio: We are in Indiana with a portion of our "stuff". We have our Land Cruiser, but it needs to be sold before we leave. Most of the "stuff" we had planned to take to Africa is in the basement of the house we were living in, in Minnesota.

We fly out for Africa from New York, where Africa Inland Mission's US headquarters are located. Some of our stuff will fly with us, but the rest will go via shipping container. So Jerry ( a former engineer, you'll recall) has been trying to find the cheapest/ most efficient (but mostly cheapest) way to get the stuff in Minnesota sorted, once again, and to New York.

Factor into this that we will be celebrating Christmas in West Virginia with Jerry's family and will be there until Jan. 1. We then have "time to kill" until Jan. 14 when we need to be in New York for debrief with the mission before Jan. 16 departure.

The plan we're set on, right now, is that Jerry and Olivia (since she wants to see her friends again) will drive in TLC (the Land Cruiser) to Minnesota this Friday and Jerry will sort the stuff (since we now have a clearer picture of what we want to take now that we know it will cost us $12/ cubic foot to ship it...) Meanwhile, Olivia will be partyin' with her pals.

Then, next week, Wednesday or Thursday, Jerry and Olivia will return with U-haul trailer packed, probably overnighting along the way since travel with a trailer is slower.

Once they arrive in back here in Indiana's at Bre's folks', Bre and Jerry will sort again the trailer stuff and other stuff already packed at mom and dad's. We then will pack ALL the stuff going to Africa in the trailer, and the kids in the car. We'll drive to New York and headquarters to drop off all the stuff going to Africa. Then we go back to West Virginia for Christmas with Jerry's side of the family. We'll be there until Jan. 1. We then spend our last two weeks back in Indiana with Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad have generously donated their frequent flier miles to us, which equal three tickets, so Breanna, Olivia and Grace will fly to New York. The boys will come on Amtrak, which is cheaper than flying and Isaiah will love it. We'll meet at headquarters, along with everyone else flying out to Africa with AIM at this time. We'll pow wow, get briefed, pray and learn whatever else last minute they want us to know and then FINALLY fly out Jan. 16. Whew!!!

Please pray for Jerry, who's had trouble getting to sleep at night, I think mostly his mind a-whirlin' with all the details he's got to figure out!!
-Breanna

From my devotions several days ago

But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way,
who can't see where they're going.
I'll be a personal guide to them,
directing them through unknown country.
Isaiah 42:16 (Message)

Highlights so far!

Some highlights:

• Several of you, from the frozen north to the warmer desert, have given large amounts personally. THANK YOU so much!
• Many have volunteered (their kiddos included!) a Christmas gift either they received or one in honor of someone else! THANK YOU for remembering us during this hectic season.
• Several are contacting their home churches to see if there is something THEIR church can do to help. That means SO much to know you are willing to sacrifice your time to advocate on our behalf!

And there are many more stories we have not heard, I am sure!

"All you care about is getting to Africa!"
Ouch, the outburst was something I needed to hear. It had been simmering all afternoon.
Deep inside I knew I was guilty.
"No, no honey. I care more about you. Always have."
Whoops ... answered too easily. Did I mean it or was it just talk? The past two weeks I have been eating, breathing ... whatever we need to do to get ready. I am not a workaholic by nature (I can hear those giggles from the white phenolic desks at Cessna as I type that). But this is different: I can throw myself into this ministry. I love communicating electronically, I love the idea of who we are serving, and I do kind of like airplanes. Just a wee little bit.
So this holiday weekend I am hoping to be around family and let this big push to Dec 10 rest for awhile.
You know what? I think God likes to wait until we are drained and fallen into a period of rest. Then He moves... no, I don't think that's it. He speaks, whispers, even, or perhaps just breathes, and everything comes into place.

So Grateful!!!

We are SO thankful for are family, friends and those of you so generously giving of yourselves and resources to help our ministry through aviation in Africa!! Happy Thanksgiving!

November newsletter

Our latest newsletter is here! You can take a peek here.

The woman and the watch

Six minutes. Five passengers stuffed into the airplane. Cargo tied down in the back and loaded in the pack screwed onto the bottom of the plane. The pilot’s mind had looked at every angle, every option, and every combination told him he had six minutes.

The other option is to be stuck for the night. With the last rays of daylight, an airplane’s options fade away as the exotic terrain below the airplane changes from a managed concern to a deadly unknown.

Then someone asks the pilot, “What about her?”

She stood quietly outside the plane. She was from the village, and obviously near full term in her pregnancy. She needed to get into town. There was not room for her, and the schedule allowed no flexibility.

“Can she get to town another way?”

“Well, yes. In two days, a truck with gravel comes through. She could sit on top.”

A glance at the airplane ready to go, then he looked back at the woman. He could take her where she needed to go, but it would throw the entire schedule off by half a day. Getting to their destination would not be an option before dark.

A glance at the watch. Six minutes were up. He tried to think of every option, but the picture of her riding on top of the gravel was too grim.

“Alright, change of plans.”

Passengers climbed back out, cargo was rearranged, and they helped the lady onboard. In a matter of minutes she arrived safely at the nearby town. The original passengers had to wait until morning to leave for their intended destination.

Whatever the pilot thought of his decision then, the truth became clearer several months later. He stopped in the same village and a man came and approached him.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You saved my wife’s life!”

“You are welcome. But I just helped her get to a place to have her baby. She was doing fine on her own.”

Somebody pulled the pilot aside and explained what had happened. 30 minutes after arriving in town, the lady went in premature labor. The baby needed to come out, but because of complications, she needed an emergency C section. Fortunately, the only person in that part of Central African Republic who could perform the operation was a pastor who lived in THAT town. He had been trained by a missionary doctor several years early.

He successfully performed the operation that saved the mother’s life and the baby’s.

“I don’t know what that thing is you wear on your wrist,” the husband said. “I know all you pilots who fly these airplanes listen to them. You look at it and say ‘We must go now!’ or ‘We cannot wait for them.’ I do not know why you did not listen to this thing last time, but I am very happy you did not. Thank you, because my wife is alive. Thank you for not listening to that thing.”

The pilot, who was one of my instructors, shared this story with us during my orientation last September. He said “That conversation changed how I viewed my flying forever.”

Nairobi Airlift (or getting the Hurds to Africa)

November is trucking along ... way too fast!
I was encouraged to hear from some friends in Minnesota saying they want to help out with the outgoing expenses sometime in the near future.
I also received this in our inbox from our pastor in Wichita and wanted to share it with everyone. It is a big encouragement:

(The picture is Dennis and his wife Cathy, with Grace and a one day old Isaiah)

To those who are prayerfully, carefully, financially, and compassionately supporting Jerry and Breanna Hurd:

I have had the privilege of knowing Jerry and Breanna for the last several years. I have watched them grow, develop, and go through some very important, and sometimes difficult steps of maturity and transformation. I will tell you as I have told them: “I am very proud of them and the ways they have humbled themselves, answered God’s call of ministry on their lives, and paid the price of preparation for the mission field.” And, now it is time for them to launch and labor in the field of God’s choosing. God has prepared them, and they have done much to prepare themselves.
I wanted to share this with those of you who have committed to be a part of their Support Team and ask you to join me in assisting them to “get this mission off the ground” - I had to use a flying illustration... The Hurds need our help, prayers, and “Team Support” now in this final blitz as they complete their fund raising efforts and pack their bags for Kenya. Will you help me help them?

I am telling many friends, and I am encouraging the Eastside Family to prayerfully and financially support the Hurd family in several ways. Some are choosing to “adopt” them for Christmas and send monthly support. Some are planning to help with launch expenses as a Christ Birthday offering. Some will be devoted prayer warriors on their behalf.

I want to invite you to join me as we do all we can to identify a few more partners for them who will be added to this Support Team. Will you help? I hope you will also do all you can to identify this last amount of support they need.

Thanks for reading and responding to God’s leadership in your life and in the life of the Hurd family.

God’s best to each of you!
Dennis

Our November Video

This is it ... the month that counts

Orientation is over (Yay! \o/ ) . I finished at the head of my class (the fact I was the only student is beside the point, right?) We moved in with Breanna's parents (many thanks to them!) and are gearing up for the home stretch.

Our outgoing funds are the biggest item left to tackle. I want to invite every one of you to send us your ideas in an e-mail for how you may be able to help out! We want to post these ideas as they come in.

We have only one month left before all the support is due. By posting ideas from our support team all over the world it will encourage all of us as God's family comes together in the face of a seemingly impossible goal.

By December 10 we need to be at 100% for both our outgoing expenses and our monthly pledges. On our drive up to Indiana yesterday I worked on the spreadsheet to find out exactly where we are. Here is what I discovered:

Our monthly pledges are at 78%. Thank you so much to those of you who have committed yourselves to be a part of our team! This leaves about $1000 / month in commitments we need.

Our outgoing funds are at 33%. Much of the funds have been used for our preparation and training up to this point. What is left is the cost of travel and shipping, our orientation in Africa, and our first few months of living expenses when we get over there. This totals to $18,730.15 that needs to be raised by next month.

Thanks so much for being a part of our family's God adventure! It is humbling to be surrounded by many many generous families and churches. Above all, we trust God completely with this situation. He has brought us so far, and we are excited to see how He carries us further!

Asante Sana,

The Hurds

P.S. Click this link to read why we are supported...

How to support us

Support Africa Inland Mission
If you are interested in supporting us financially, first of all ... thank you so much. It is always overwhelming to read an e-mail or a letter from a friend saying they want to be a financial part of our calling to serve in Africa.

These gifts are very appreciated. They are sent 100% to our family and our ministry,  and they are tax deductible. There are four options available:

1. By check. The check should be made out to Africa Inland Mission. The check and a separate note stating the check is "for the ministry of Jered and Breanna Hurd" should be sent to Africa Inland Mission at:

Africa Inland Mission Int.

P.O. Box 178 

Pearl River, NY 10965 

2. Online. Africa Inland Mission's website allows contributions to be made to our ministry. The website form has a place to write our names under the "Missionary Name" column, a place to specify the amount and then your information to be entered below. To access the form, click here.

3. Automatic withdrawal. A specified amount can be automatically withdrawn from a checking, savings, or credit card account on the 15th of each month. For instructions and information click here.

4. By phone. Contributions can be made by calling 1-800-254-0010.

If you have any questions, please send us an e-mail and we will try to answer your question, or send it on to someone who would know the answer.

Asante sana,

The Hurds

concerning support,

What:

Breanna and I serve as "faith missionaries." In short, that means we work as volunteers under the banner and authority of Africa Inland Mission, but without a salary from them. Our financial needs are met by the generous contributions given every month from individuals, families, and churches. These partners make up our Monthly Support Team and each pledge a specific amount that is counted towards our anticipated monthly budget. Understandably, the actual amount they may be able to give varies from month to month. This is the faith aspect to the model. We are trusting God to provide what we need when it is needed.

This provision usually shows up as gifts given in addition to someone's monthly pledge or as special gifts which may be from individuals who are not even members of our Monthly Support Team.

Why:

As missionaries, we are servants of those who cannot "afford" us. Our goal is not financial success, but instead the completion of God's work that exists inside an epic that spans eternity. In order to not be a burden on those whom we serve, we rely on our friends and family in faith to "send us out" and serve as our Monthly Support Team.

A practical example that explains this: African pastors and missionaries that need a flight to the remote areas we serve are better able to afford the cost of the flight because our salary is not part of the operating cost of the airplane. 

This approach is not new. Even in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, God demonstrates the model of support for those doing God's work full time.

How:

All support must be given to Africa Inland Mission with a separate note included specifying it is for our ministry. This allows the money to be considered tax deductible. There are several different ways that you may send support. Read more here...

Our vehicle fund

If you have helped, or are interested in helping, us purchase a vehicle, thank you so much. The Subaru we are driving now simplies life in our bustling city. However, we have been asked to move to a more rural setting, and we are saving up our vehicle fund to go towards a much needed 4wd.

These gifts are very appreciated. They are saved towards a vehicle with very little taken out for administration,  and they are tax deductible. There are four options available:

1. By check. The check should be made out to Africa Inland Mission. The check and a separate note stating the check is "for Jered and Breanna Hurd's vehicle fund" should be sent to Africa Inland Mission at:

Africa Inland Mission Int.

P.O. Box 178 

Pearl River, NY 10965 

2. Online. Africa Inland Mission's website allows contributions to be made to our ministry. for the dropdown menu under Categories & Funds select "Missionaries (USA Sending Unit)"

Then select "Hurd, J & B Vehicle Project 034860010" To access the page, click here.

3. Automatic withdrawal. A specified amount can be automatically withdrawn from a checking, savings, or credit card account on the 15th of each month. For instructions and information click here.

4. By phone. Contributions can be made by calling 1-800-254-0010. Be sure to mention the vehicle fund.

Asante Sana!


The Hurds

Training is Over!

Jerry's finished his training here (pre field orientation), the last technical requirement before our departure to Africa.

His instructors and the rest of the aviation department celebrated with us with a spread of yummy food and a certificate of Jerry's accomplishment.

We're grateful to all the guys that gave of themselves and their God given talents to prepare us for service with AIM Air in Africa!

Rejoice with flutes

And you will sing 

       as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; 

       your hearts will rejoice 

       as when people go up with flutes 

       to the mountain of the LORD, 

       to the Rock of Israel.

Isaiah 30:29

I'm back! From where?

Let me explain ... no there is too much ... let me sum up.

The past five weeks we have been in Waxhaw, North Carolina so I can go through pre-field training with Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS). The training has been crammed into my cranium for eight hours a day, but it all began to make sense last Thursday.

The last week is called "mountain week" and it is a chance to put everything into practice from the previous lessons. The fact that we are flying over fiery red trees in the highest part of the Appalachians is just a bonus!

The heart of my training is what is called "STOL" which is an acronym (like everything in aviation) for short takeoff or landing. The Cessna we practice in has been modified to land extra slow, and the technique I have been learning puts the airplane in a stable but somewhat vulnerable area of flight. The final 45 seconds before landing are a mix of my eyes looking outside, the seat of my pants detecting roller coaster like drops and rises, and ears listening to the sound of ... flutes.

Yup, that's right. However, not the woodwind instrument we all think of. It is actually the vent

 system for the little Cessna. A hole in the front of the wing blasts cooling air into the cabin and over the front seats. However, as we slow down for a short landing, the airflow reverses and pulls air out of the cabin. This creates a faintly audible whistle which tells us we are at the right configuration for landing.

I put this to the test for the first time in the mountains. JAARS has been using a hayfield in the mountains for over ten years to make a good short training runway. It is less than 1000 feet long and runs across a narrow valley. Because of the obstacles around and the hills on both ends, I have to commit to land about a quarter mile away.

The desire to land in the "zone" was never stronger!

Yesterday was interesting. My instructor was a missionary pilot in Papua New Guinea and was a friend of my sister and brother-in-law, Gweni and John. He coached me through the unusual pattern around the valley through saddles and scraping over the trees. It was a wild ride. The 206 acted like a glider -with almost no power applied- wanted to float in the rising air currents. Then the floor dropped out and down we came. The next updraft slammed into us and the power had to come off again.

Inside I listened for my flutes. I heard them faintly blowing, so I locked the airplane into that attitude. Then the runway fell away as our descent slows. The wind shift caused the stall warning to sound. It is unsettling. Stall, unlike a STOL, is not an acronym, but it is short for the point where the airplane stops flying and begins falling ... uncontrolled.

So to sum up, flutes good, stall warning bad. But this is the area of control I must land the plane. If I land too fast, I run out of runway and would go barreling through the highway off the end of the field.

After a go around and two landings, I elected to stop. The wind was picking up and shifting direction. But the lessons up to this point all began to make sense. You can land a plane in a field in the mountains by applying all the skills I have practiced ... and listening to the sound of flutes.

Another highlight was a spaghetti dinner on Thursday night. Around 400 people came to hear more about mission aviation. They love the fact we use their home turf to train in. Everyone was very generous and friendly. 

A lady introduced herself to me. "I am the owner of Valhalla." Valhalla is another field turned runway. It is even shorter and is on the side of a mountain.

"I hear you are going there next week? Well ... good luck!" she said with a concerned smile

Images of our time in NC