Flight comes soon, and so do the flight costs

Above: Missionary Aviation students at Moody Bible Institute wheel a Cessna 337 out of a hangar during their airframe maintenance training. By this summer, they should have their Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics' certificates, but many wonder how they will pay for their upcoming flight training.

July 13th, 2009.
That's the day. The day my class at Moody Aviation begins their last two years of training. That's the day we become flight students.

The men and women in my class have different stories of how they came to Moody, but the end goal is still the same: using a skill to gain access to some of the most rugged and difficult-to-reach places on earth. Their study isn't about finding a remote area where they won't be bothered by people, it's about reaching the people already in those remote areas. Their study is purposeful: reaching unreached people groups with the gospel. Many missionaries living among isolated tribes know the firsthand experience and advantage of a missionary pilot flying them their much-needed supplies and encouragement. Many tribes have heard the good news of Jesus' life and death on their behalf because missionary pilots dared against their own security to reach them. Many lives have been improved, both spiritually and physically, because someone was willing to go. From flying Bibles, translators, and natural disaster victims to cows, missionary pilots' job are about living out the gospel in real, tangible ways. These men and women in my class aim to take the torch and continue that service.



Above: Wai Wai Indians in the northern Brazilian village of Mapuera gather to greet a group of short-term missionaries just moments after they land. This particular village has been particularly well-reached by missionaries, who depend on regular flights of supplies into their remote village.

As the day for our flight training rapidly approaches, each of us is also counting the cost. Flying across rugged or remote terrain is much more time-efficient than the alternatives (especially crucial with medical emergencies), but the flight training is expensive. We're still not sure on the details, but we've heard up to $35,000 each year for the next two years of flight school. That doesn't include living expenses.

While some might see the looming bills on the horizon as an insurmountable barrier for someone that wants to go into this type of ministry, especially with our economy being as rocky as it has been, I prefer to see this as an opportunity for God to come through in ridiculous ways. Each one of my classmates is facing this obstacle, but that means each one of us is getting ready to see God do something amazing.

Would you pray a bold prayer, that God would provide for my class's upcoming expenses in this rough economic time?

If you could explain one thing to the opposite sex...

DISCLAIMER: This is intended to be a helpful learning experience for guys and girls. If you want to bash each other, your comments will be deleted.

If you could explain one thing to the opposite sex, what would it be? What would be helpful for the other gender to know?

I'll start it off.

Guys find it incredibly attractive when a girl admires and respects them. This is part of our downfall, because we're vulnerable to flattery. If you respect something about a guy, encourage him! If he enjoys something manly, appreciate it!

For example, I was at a couple's house right as the husband got home from work. He had been digging for a concrete foundation, so he was covered from head to toe in dirt, but he was grinning from ear to ear. As he walked in, something his wife did caught me by surprise. Instead of acting like his mother or jabbing at him about how "immature" men can be she smiled. Instead of complaining that he tracked some dirt inside, she laughed that he still liked to "play in the dirt." Instead of belittling him with some stereotype, she appreciated the difference between men and women. She showed respect.

This is not about hollowly saying "I respect you." This is about finding something specific that you respect in a guy, and appreciating that.

This is not really even about words, because guys read your nonverbal communication too. This is about speaking with your actions, and if necessary, using words as well.

If you're married, this is not about being respectful only when your husband does something worthy of respect, either. In fact, those times when he's lost without asking for directions, dripping in sewage from trying to fix a drain, striking out in sports, and depressed are exactly the times when he needs your respect the most. This is about trusting him enough to figure something out. You wouldn't want your husband to only love you when you're in a lovable mood. The same goes for your husband with respect.

This isn't about showing respect only when you're around other people, but nagging a guy incessantly when you're alone. Conversely, this isn't about saying respectful things when you're alone, but then belittling your husband when in public. This is also not about respecting him only when he's around, and then pointing out his faults behind his back. Eventually, he'll know. This is about being consistently respectful, no matter what situation you encounter.

This is not just about that guy that you like. If you flatter him, and belittle your dad behind his back, he has little reason to trust you. Instead, this is about dealing with half of the planet's population. This is about how you relate to your husband (if you have one), your boyfriend (if you have one), your dad, your brother, your son, and your guy friends (although your guy friends can easily get the wrong impression if you aren't interested in them).

Here's a little motivation: the more a guy sees that you respect him, the more he wants to act in a loving way toward you.

So go ahead, try a little respect, and see how men, guys, and boys respond!

Ok, now it's your turn!