Speechless

We have a million things to say.

And no words.

Sometimes God moves in such a way that we are left speechless, but certainly not "thought-less". Our minds are racing with all the ways God is confirming our future with Helimission. We are so touched by His care and thoughtful ways, and are at peace with how He is paving our way. We can't wait to share with each of you how it is evident He is at work in this.





One quick example is that of the 7 of us who are here at Candidate Decision Camp this year (a smaller group than normal) 5 are American (very abnormal; most are usually European), 1 is Canadian, and the other, a Swiss, is the fiancé of the Canadian. That is unique in and of itself, but the kicker is that all of us live within a 5 hour drive - Vancouver B.C, Seattle, and Portland area. This is incredible! We have bonded incredibly as a team, and plan to have fellowship once we all return to the States and Canada. The staff of Helimission are amazed - they've never had such a quickly-unified (by locality) group before. We are all excited because this means the North American contingent of Helimission is growing!

This picture is of part of the Helimission headquarters. It is actually the home of Ernst and Hedi Tanner, who started HM in 1971, by using the home as collateral to buy the first helicopter. Ernie added onto the home to use for guests several years later, and also built the A-frame building to use as a church building (now the offices of HM). Ernie and Hedi's son, Simon Tanner, and his family also live on the property. The helicopter hangar is behind and below the offices.

We're Really Here?!

After months of anticipation, we've arrived in Switzerland safely. It's hard to believe! We had an uneventful trip; thank-you Jesus! We hit the ground running and are having a wonderful time connecting with Helimission leadership and other missionary candidates. We are having times of worship and prayer, question and answer sessions, and times where we each share how God has moved in our lives.

During the next few days we will work together on service projects in the local community (Trogen) and spend much more time together searching God's heart for HM and for the Stephens family.

Please praise God with us for His faithfulness! We know He is at work. Also, please pray for us and all of the candidates to surrender our hearts to Him even more each day, so that we may move forward in His will.

Thank-you! We love each one of you!

Michael and Fawn Stephens


P.S. Here is HM's website - some of you have asked for it.

www.helimission.org

From Fear to Faith

We are on our way to Switzerland in 12 days, a place far different than where we are, or where we hope to land in the near future. Literally, land, as in a helicopter. Our hearts are heavy for people in the reaches of these mountainous jungles who have no hope, who live in fear. While we are in Switzerland, where Helimission is headquartered, we will be deciding (as will HM) if this IS the path the Lord has for our family.

We ourselves have been taken from fear to faith, and live abundantly because of His grace. We are aching to share that message with people who've never been given the hope of living free in the Name of Jesus Christ. It's a scary proposition, moving your family to a completely foreign, distant and confusing land. There could be a lot to be afraid of, IF we didn't live on faith.

For we walk (and fly, and parent, and share hope with others) by faith, not by sight....
2 Corinthians 5:7

Please pray with us over the next month - for wisdom and courage, and enduring faith!

Michael and Fawn

P.S. We give God ALL the glory in reporting that we are fully funded for our trip. He has worked through His people again! Thank-you for partnering with Him and with us. May He bless you abundantly!

 

Wow. God is so good. ALL the time. I mean the kind of "good" that is perfect and sovereign and loving, not the kind of "good" where we always feel happy. There is no other peace like the serenity that comes from knowing that He is always working and providing and Fathering us.

At a little under three weeks to go, we are almost at full support for our missions training/decision trip to Switzerland! THANK-YOU! We still need about $750 (out of $4000). If you have been waiting (or time just moved too fast!), now is a good time to help us get fully funded.

We praise God for you! We cannot do this without you allowing Him to work through you.

Funds can be sent to:
Grace Baptist Church
PO Box 1 Newberg, OR 97132

THANK-YOU!!

What God Has Been Doing!

A letter we recently mailed out:

 

March 2013

Dear Loved Ones,

We are writing this letter to you from an airplane 32,000 feet in the air, somewhere over the midwestern U.S. In addition to our RV lifestyle, airline travel has become a regular thing for us lately. God has been doing some amazing things with our family in the last few months and we'd like to share them with you. Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone be the glory!

You may be aware that Michael began a new job in January, working for Haverfield Aviation, based in Gettysburg, PA. Haverfield works with live power lines in many facets - check out their website or YouTube channel for some really shocking (ha!) videos. (www.haverfield.com or www.youtube.com/HaverfieldIntl)

This job is one thing we've been praying for over the last year or so, and we believe it is confirmation from our Savior and Leader that we are going in the right direction - towards full-time, overseas missions work with Helimission (HM). The job gives Michael valuable experience, and because the work is all over the country, it is perfect for training our family to be mobile and flexible, while learning each community we venture to as much as we can.

You also may be aware that we officially applied to HM in the fall of 2012 and as a result, have been invited to participate in their Candidate Decision Camp (CDC), held at HM headquarters in Trogen, Switzerland in June of this year. We were and are very excited and pleased to say YES! Helimission is a helicopter missions organization started in 1971 by Ernie and Hedi Tanner of Switzerland. HM has 9 helicopters in their fleet and operate in mountainous and jungle regions in countries such as Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. Primarily, they serve existing missionary organizations with supplies, transportation, and medical evacuations, etc.; but of course, there are many other things that come up where a helicopter is very helpful (transporting dignitaries, disaster relief, site surveys, etc.) Please take a look at the Helimission website for some great information, pictures, and links. You can also subscribe to a free quarterly, full-color, multi-page newsletter which contains some amazing stories and pictures of what's happening in these tribal villages around the world. You (and your kids/grandkids) will love seeing it in your mailbox! (www.helimission.org)

CDC is a week-long camping adventure that prospective HM missionaries are required (and privileged) to participate in. It is a time for HM staff and candidates to pray and worship God together, seeking His plan and whether working together is a part of that plan. There will be praying, singing, hiking, service projects, team building, field-type stress exercises, and character/personality testing events.

We have been communicating more and more with Helimission over the last eight years and are thrilled to be at this remarkable step in the journey (some of you might remember that Michael went to Haiti with HM immediately following the earthquake in 2010 - where he stayed for a month flying a helicopter, running a make-shift children's hospital, and overseeing an orphanage). God certainly has placed a call on our family and we are ready to GO. The kids are a little disappointed they don't get to go to Europe with us this summer, but are anticipating with much excitement the time when we will someday live in Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Brazil or someplace similar.

We believe in God's church, and in her role in reaching the lost. There are literally thousands of people groups that have never heard the name of Jesus, and we have the privilege and great joy of sharing Him with them! Even if you yourself don't set foot (or skid) in a tribal village in Papua or Sulawesi, you can share in the calling and blessing of someday seeing those people in Heaven with us! God's plan for relationship and teamwork in His Kingdom on Earth is amazing and perfect, and we are asking if you can and are willing to partner with us to take the Name of Jesus to places where only a helicopter will go.

The first thing most of us think of when missionaries send letters asking for partnership is usually finances. While we do need that, too, most missionaries truly first desire their brothers and sisters to seriously consider a commitment to praying for them and for the work God is doing through (and in) them. It is no easy thing to prepare for and partake in this work, as there are many hurdles - physical and spiritual. Also, missionaries want you to know what God is doing in other places; He is constantly moving in many ways (again, check out that newsletter!). Please consider helping us with this step in the journey. We ask you to pray for us and our family. We will be regularly updating you on how God is answering your prayers and what more you can be talking with Him about. We do also ask you to pray about whether God would have you help us with the costs of traveling to Switzerland and attending CDC. We need a total of about $3,400 by April 22nd. If you do choose to participate financially, you may send funds to Grace Baptist Church (PO BOX 1, Newberg, OR 97132), with a note of our names. Thank-you fellow laborers!

We love each and every one of you and wish we could sit down with you over a cup of coffee and tell you more, and ask you how God is moving in your life. Please do share with us what's happening with you at any of the above methods of contact. Many blessings!

 

 

All over the place!

Today Michael and the kids counted the states we've been to as a family and came up with 19. Kalem and Adria are pretty proud of that, and said, "We only have 31 more to go mom!" This week, it seems like we may get to them all! We've been to 12 of those 19 just since December, and 4 of them this week. We are having quite an adventure!

Right now, we are in Joliet, IL - near Chicago. We (the kids and I) started by flying into Philadelphia, PA last weekend and then drove to Gettysburg, PA where we met Michael. We had one, sunny day to explore there ( we will definitely be back), and then drove east to Indiana, PA (Michael flew a helicopter for a contract there). After a week there, we moved onto IL. Michael got to drive with us and on the way, we got to stop in Mt. Gilead, OH, where both of my parents were raised, and spent time with many aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was such a blessing! We missed the family reunion last summer, so we made our own!

We will probably be here for a week or so - perfect for taking our spring break (even with much snow on the way!) to celebrate mine and Kalem's birthdays. After that, we may be on to Texas or.....who knows! Maybe we'll hit 20 or 25 states!

We have only 11 weeks until we go to Switzerland for Helimission's Candidate Decision Camp. We will be sending more detailed information regarding that soon. Be on the lookout!

God bless and Happy Spring!

Fawn, for the whole family

Can you guess which 19 states we've been to?

We got to celebrate 4 birthdays at once.

Had a ride in Uncle Don's 1929 Model A. So neat!

We have a picture like this from when we were engaged - on the same bench.

Got to show the kids my grandpa and grandma's property.

Yesterday and Tomorrow

(If you are on a mobile device, it seems to work better if you go down to the bottom of this screen and choose "view web version")

We are back in Oregon! Well, most of us are. After a gloriously wonderful, sunny break in Forida over Michael's birthday, Christmas, and New Years, we arrived back in Oregon a little over a week ago. Michael left a few days later for Pennsylvania, the details of which are below. WE HAVE NEWS.....!

Of course, everyone really looks at blogs to read funny or inspirational things and see pictures. So, here are the pictures!

Mini-golf on Daddy's birthday. Loving the sun!

Michael's birthday present

Cousin time!

Birthday spankings!

Isn't she lovely?

And what a handsome young man!

School by the pool

And of course, fun IN the pool!

And of course, some time at Disneyworld!

Michael was a sailor in a show called Harbor Attack. He got pretty wet!

Oooohhh, we're gonna get wet.

Michael and Jess "FlyBoarding" for their birthday (Michael in red helmet, Jess in blue)

We had some great family time

A bunch of the cousins

 

Jess's beautiful girls with K&A at a Christmas high tea

And some awesome beach time, on Jan 2nd!

Body boarding

Michael and Jess

We had quite an adventure getting home on military "Space Available" flights. We had three canceled flights, but of course, our Father took good care of us. Our first canceled flight was out of Florida. That would have been too easy. The next flight canceled was in Charleston, SC and another in Fort Bragg, NC (for those unfamiliar with Space A, you show up to literally take whatever seats you can get on already-scheduled military-mission flights, from a-hopefully-somewhere-near-you (500 miles or less?) base. Of course the military is not obligated to actually run those missions, or allow non-essential persons on board, and therefore the flights can be canceled, or no seats released, at any moment for no reason whatsoever). BUT, in both Charleston and Fort Bragg, we have friends who graciously allowed us to stay with them whilst we looked for other flights; thus, our departure to the west ended up being from Washington, DC.

After riding on a C17 from Washington DC to northern California, we were ready for something a little quieter and faster. Michael got to fly us home to Oregon in a Cessna Conquest. A great way to end a great trip!

The inside, facing aft

Bedtime; we arrived in CA at 12:30 am ET

Aaaaahhhhh, this is nice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now.....for our news!

Michael got a new job, which he is VERY excited about. He has been hired as a full-time pilot for Haverfield Aviation. To quote their website: "Haverfield Aviation, Inc. is the leading provider of aerial power line inspection and construction support services both in the United States and abroad. It is the most efficient provider of energized line services in the U.S." Basically, they use helicopters to inspect, maintain, and construct power lines all over the U.S. They also use aerial saws, which hang from the helicopter, to trim the rights-of-way for power lines.

Here are a couple of videos to show what Haverfield does. This first one is incredibly interesting, but a little long (~10 min). Even if you watch just the first couple minutes, you'll be amazed! (What you see right now, in the still shot of the video is a live power line, 350 feet in the air.)

 

This next video shows the aerial saw. This is what Michael is really excited to try.

 

Michael is currently in Gettysburg, PA for two weeks in training and then he will start right away. We're not sure where yet. His schedule will be about 21 days on, 10 days off. The chief pilot today said he was excited that the kids and I can join Michael at his work sites in our traveling home. So are we! We'll keep posting updates.

One final note: we are still planning on attending Candidate Decision Camp in Trogen, Switzerland in June, for HeliMission. If you remember, this is the next step for us as we continue our journey of becoming full-time helicopter missionaries for Jesus, somewhere overseas. Our church, Grace Baptist Church, has set up an account to receive tax-deductible donations on our behalf for this trip. We calculate that we'll need about $3,400 total, most of which is for airfare. If the Lord is leading you to contribute in that way, we thank Him for providing and you for listening. :) Please send monies to:

GBC

Attn: Stephens/HeliMission

PO Box 1

Newberg, OR 97132

 

We pray that God blesses each one of you today with more of His grace!

"For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"

2 Corinthians 9:12-15 ESV

 

Love,

The Stephens Family