Monday is for Missions . . . New Pamek Airstrip in West Papua, Indonesia

My great “soul friend” Kevin Lynne is a missionary pilot/mechanic w/ Mission Aviation Fellowship serving in West Papua, Indonesia.? You HAVE to check out his blog at http://flytheplane.wordpress.com.? I first met Kevin in Nixa, MO when I was the pastor/planter of the Church at Finley Crossings.? His brother, Kurt, was a member of our church and was always talking about his “missionary pilot” brother.? I didn’t meet him for almost a year because he was out all over the country raising money to go to Indonesia.? (Sometimes it pays to be a Southern Baptist, I suppose.? Go Cooperative Program!!) Actually, MAF isn’t affiliated with a particular denomination so that they can help ALL evangelical denominations on the field.? They do what denominations can’t do, or don’t need to do–fly planes for the Gospel.? When I finally met him and he made his base of operations in Nixa, we had a lot of conversations about how good God is to let us do what God has wired us up to do!

Kurt and Kevin grew up in Indonesia where their father was a missionary pilot for MAF as well.? So it was not as difficult for Kevin to go back and fit back in to the culture and language, but still a lot of time had go by since his childhood.? A lot of things things had happened in their lives as well since they lived in Indonesia as well.? Kurt had joined the Marine Corps…Kevin went to the Naval Academy and was a Naval Helicoptor Rescue Pilot.? While serving in the US Navy in Pensecola, God called Kevin back to the jungle where he grew up to serve the Gospel in Indonesia.? Here is what he wrties in his post about the new strip in Pamek: “I?m just a guy who loves to fly, and God wanted to call up from my Navy flying to something ?higher? and a ?job? w/ eternal value in every days? efforts.”

Here is a gallery of pictures that were on his Facebook profile.? I asked him if I could show these pictures on this blog and he was really excited to share!

Anyway, you HAVE to go check out his blog and if the Lord lays it on your heart…pray for Kevin, MAF, and the people of Indonesia.? Pray that the Gospel would continue to grow in the hearts of each and every tribe and tongue in Indonesia!? Here is a powerful exerpt from his last post about a new airstip for the Pamek tribe…

Oh, by the way, one ?warrior? guy told me that they were thankful to have us there and that he was glad too not to be living in ?the old ways of our elders?. I asked him to elaborate and he explained their history of fighting and warfare w/ EIP and how they lived as ?one people? now b/c the Gospel had made their hearts peaceful. A number of the men grabbed my hand to say they were thankful to finally see ?their pilot? come to their village and thanking God that I could now come fly for them too.? OUCH, my heart is full and I can?t believe how much I get to ?take away? from this experience!! I?m just a guy who loves to fly, and God wanted to call up from my Navy flying to something ?higher? and a ?job? w/ eternal value in every days? efforts.? It was such a blessing to hear him talk about how the Gospel made the difference for them as a tribe, and know how I can use the plane to serve his village now (for their med needs, their students, Bible school guys, etc) ? I just can?t wait to get back in there for regular service now!!

I love this stuff!!? I am so thankful that God has wired us all to be passionate for something!? God placed that passion for aviation and the Gospel in Kevin’s heart–to advance the Kingdom!

What is your passion?? What is it that God has wired you up to do for His Kingdom?? How are you helping to advance the Gospel around the world?? In your world?