Have you ever wished you had your camera at the right moment? This afternoon was one of those moments. As many of my regular readers know my office and home are located on the campus of Adventist Aviation Indonesia. While I am a missionary on assignment to the Papua Mission of Seventh-day Adventists and don’t work for AAI per se they are an Adventist institution too.
Today was one of those days I wished my camera was working. . . While in my office the familiar sound of a just landed plan with propeller in full reverse came to my ears. Wait, I thought, there shouldn’t be any planes landing. AAI pilots are either not in operation or on vacation in the States. So I stood up to see out the window and a plane comes rapidly toward the hangar. I left my office to get a better view and find out the reason.
“Commercial plane missed his turn at the taxi ramp and managed to get stuck in the mud on the side of the run way in at the main airport,” one of AAI workers said to my quizzical look. This plane was in danger because he couldn’t land at the commercial airport.
“Oh, that explains it.” In my excitement to see how many planes would land in the next few minutes I forgot to pull out my camera. Turns out no others did as the Commercial airport was quickly able to fix the problem.
Adventist Aviation Indonesia, who not only flies for our mission, also regularly allows planes who need to bring patients in to the government hospital just behind our property. They, also, have been able to allow a number of airplanes to do mandatory maintenance in our old hangar and new hangar. This creates a lot of good will that is opening doors or opportunity. One pilot whose son attends school where my oldest two have just begun said to me recently. “I’m glad I’ve come to actually know some Adventists. I use to think you guys were weird folks but now I know you’re real Christians who would give the shirts off your back to help us. You are the true missionaries around here.” What a nice complement!
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