In the New Jersey bush country

This Top Cub's tires are huge 31" Alaska bush tires. We flew today with the doors wide open like in the picture because of the heat and humidity. This plane has been a lot of fun to fly, but the course has been hard work as I continue to learn to land with the wheel in the back of the plane...and trying to make it stay there :)
Elena made friends with her hangar buddy...Orville Wright.
Elena playing with the hoop toys at Grover Cleveland's house in New Jersey.
Well, flying in the bush in New Jersey just 50 miles from New York City may not be quite the same as Cameroon, but the training received here has been great. The plane is similar in capabilities to the Sportsman that Tom Needham is taking to Cameroon. My instructor is the owner of the company here and is trying to break some of my bad flying habits!

We took a little break from the prophet's chamber tonight and went to see the house in New Jersey where President Grover Cleveland was born.

New York Birthday!

I spent the morning of my birthday with Pastor Green meeting some pilot's at the airport. We invited them to our presentation the following night. Abby made a great cake, and we grilled out with several of the church families and other missionaries.
Waterfalls at a state park in New York...almost as impressive as Niagara Falls :)
Last year for my birthday we were on a plane to Cameroon. This year we had a great time with Pastor Phil Green and First Baptist in Pavilion, New York. It was a great conference with several missionaries- Ecuador, Couriers for Christ, Go Forth Baptist Missions, Continental Baptist Missions, and a veteran missionary lady retiring with over 50 years of serving the Lord in Germany!

New York meeting via Niagara Falls, Canada

Abby, Elena, and I had never been to Niagara Falls before, so of course we wanted to make sure we stopped to see it on the way to our New York meeting. It was a pleasant drive from Ypsi to Niagara Falls through Canada. We spent the night a few miles from the Falls. It was different from what I was expecting but in a good way. What an awesome sight to see! We thank the Lord for the many wonderful things we have seen on deputation.

We celebrated my birthday before we left for New york...Abby made a great strawberry pie!



The Falls are lighted at night...very beautiful!

Elena "swimming" in the balls at the hotel in Canada.

Please pray for us at this missions conference in Pavilion, New York this week. There are some good ministry opportunities ahead of us here :)

Update at Last

Mary and Julia's high school graduation at AABC
Elena with Uncle Rick at Faith Baptist in Geneseo, IL
Elena right after she informed us that she was going to check her email
We all celebrated our birthdays a little early with Dad, Mom and Emily.

Elena with her new bike from Grammie and Grandad
Elena helping Emily with the goats

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. We have not had internet access much like before. We are currently in Ypsilanti, Michigan at the house we are renting. We have a missions conference in New York this weekend. Just thought I'd get these pictures up really quick. I'll try to do more soon. Be sure to see our new prayer letter...see the link on the right.

Missionary Medical Intensive

Well, I don't have any pictures to put on here since I left my camera cable at home. We have some interesting pictures and stories about the training we are receiving here in the foothills of western North Carolina. Our personal and class schedule goes from 6:30 in the morning to usually around 11:00 at night. Most of that time is spent in classroom lecture, lab, and case studies. Abby and I have learned so much about medicine and outreach as well as skills to take care of our own family. We have learned how to give shots, how to suture, how to put in a stomach tube, how to splint various limbs of the body, and so many other things (well, Abby already knew some of that:) We are studying various diseases every night, how to diagnose and treat them as well as when to know when to send somebody out for better care.

Ultimately, we are trusting the Lord with our bodies and souls as we move to Cameroon. There are so many physical obstacles that could hinder or slow the gospel from going forward; so many consequences of sin and as well as Satan's attempts to destroy people. But the Lord Jesus Christ is the Great Physician, and we are thankful for the knowledge available about our bodies and the many diseases of the world. This class has helped get me over some major medical intimidation, which in my opinion is worth the time we spent down here. Maybe it will help us save a life of a friend or family member. Maybe we will be able to physically help a lost person and lead to them to Christ through it. Abby is doing well through the tough schedule though it is very tiring. She has been a help to me, and we are having a good time together. Pray for us as we finish the class by this Thursday. We are anxious to see our little Elena!

Midwest Baptist History Tour

I went on my first Baptist History tour this last week. The group led by Pastor Jeff Faggart from North Carolina has been taking a tour once a year for the last ten years. We saw many sights of revival and pioneer church planting througout the midwest. Praise the Lord for our Baptist heritage...a heritage of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and organizing Bible believing Baptist churches.

This years new marker unveiled was the fourteenth marker of the Baptist History Preservation Society. It was dedicated to Jeremiah Vardeman, a pioneer preacher who started churches in Missouri and the midwest.
An original painting of George Washington's Baptist chaplain baptizing him during the American Revolution. George Washington gave Chaplain John Gano this sword after the war. This painting and sword is on display in the lobby of the chapel at William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri.
Unveiling of the BHPS third painting. This one is a scene of the life of Isaac McCoy, the Apostle of the Indians of the West. He is returning to his family after learning of the death of his oldest son. Seven of his eleven children died on the western frontier while they were reaching the Indians for Jesus Christ.
Gravesite in St. Louis, MO where John Mason Peck is buried. He started a number of pioneer Baptist churches in Illinois and Missouri.
This is the site of the first Baptist church in Illinois. It was started in the home of a veteran of the American Revolution.

Third Anniversary

We had a wonderful time at the Essenhaus in Indiana Amish country. Thank you mom and dad (Burtt) for watching Elena!

Elena's fun at home

Elena is enjoying time at home instead of traveling. She was especially active today. She wanted to have a tea party with the squirrels in the picture, but they were not too fond of that idea. The birds had fun watching the entertainment.

Here is a video of her just having fun inside...she loves her boots from Joanna.

Illinois travels...Geneva, Dekalb, Chicago, Romeoville

Uncle Stan and family from Abby's Grandma Gardner's side of the family. They live in Dekalb.
Rain delay at U.S. Cellular field :( Made for a late game...
Our first baseball game of the year...and hopefully not the last :)
The game was tied 6-6 in the ninth, and one of the Sox players hit a single which allowed the player on second to come in and slide past a bad throw to the Yankees catcher to win the game! We had a great time and Bethany and Lloyd were able to come with us.

We had a wonderful conference in Geneva, Illinois, with Pastor Weesner and Calvary Baptist. The Lord provided through this gracious church a number of the items that were on our outfit and passage list. We always enjoy making new friends and this church was no exception. The tickets to the game came from a member in the church who has season tickets...thank you, bro. John!

Right now Elena is at a park in Romeoville playing with little Joanna.

More pictures from Hillsdale

Just a few more pictures of our time with Grammie and Grandad just before and after Emily's recital.

Emily's Recital

Emily had a home-school recital at Believers Baptist on Friday night. We surprised her when we showed up on the farm on Thursday. Emily did a wonderful job, and Elena sat through all the music and presentations pretty well. When Emily was playing the flute, Elena shouted, "Emmy, she play!" Grandad had not seen Elena since Christmas.

We are currently in a wonderful missions conference in Geneva, Illinois. The other missionary here is going to South Korea.

One of the members here has season tickets to all the Chicago sports teams, and it may work out for us to see the White Sox and Yankees on Thursday.

Spring is here

Caleb and Elena riding in a luxury wagon

Wow, we sure are enjoying the signs of Spring here. Some flowers are blooming in the back yard, the birds and squirrels are enjoying the seeds we put out, and Elena wants to go out all the time. We are getting ready to leave for a missions conference in Geneva, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

My brother, Chris, is doing well in Cameroon. He will be working with Pastor Ernest and Chrysanthus this weekend holding a weekend Bible Camp in Ndop. Chris will be preaching one of the messages.

Flight Training in Northern Wisconsin

Elena is learning to smile for the camera now!
Elena and daddy pretend flying...
Abby and Elena came out to watch daddy take off in the "hapane" one morning.
Having fun in Wisconsin!