Mission Activities by Rev. Monte E. Michael, Missions Coordination Minister/ Chief Pilot.

WFC student Josh Hillstead and Monte have a training sortie today. (I can't recall if I have introduced Josh Hillstead to our WFC family or not... he is a fine Christian Minister of youth of the Hillsboro,TX 1^st Pentecostal Church, is a newlywed, holds down a full time aviation mechanic job at RAM aircraft of Waco and is preparing to go to Alaska to assume a Pastorate in Petersburg. WFC is honored to sow into this young ministers life in the form of Private Pilot Training!) We are to work on Emergency Procedures today.

10 minutes into the flight, the old radio goes silent...

Well, you may have heard the old sage advise, "There are two things you never want to hear a pilot say... watch this and uh oh!" As we were in positive control by Waco Approach this was not a good time to lose our communications! Monte said, "Uh oh"! On the positive side Josh got a real live emergency lesson out of this as we turned toward Texas State Technical College and looked for "light gun signals". We got the green light to land and did so to find that the nose gear wobbled badly as it is worn and "sloppy" in its linkages. Maintenance Chief Joel New advises we need a new nose gear and a new radio as well as other needed help on our rather seasoned 1964 trainer!

18 September, 2006 - WFC unable to respond to requests

Regrettably, Monte has to turn down requests for help in mission transportation this week as we don't have our own airplane to use and the aircraft we have borrowed are either unavailable or down for maintenance. Monte had to say no to Dr. Dave Remedius of Alexandria, La.; no to Missionary Glenn Weid of Galeana Mexico who needed us to bring his family to Ft. Hood Army base in Killeen, TX to visit his son Franklin before Iraq deployment; no to Pastor Ramiro Pena of Waco for a Laredo, TX evangelical outreach. We're sorry Jesus, we can't respond. Is our failure affecting some ones salvation?

25 September, 2006 - Monte to EBG for MEI training

Pastor Max Boggs of Edinburg, World Harvest Training Center calls WFC to honor our agreement to provide pilot training for their aviation dept. Monte is dispatched to the Valley to start work on the Multi-engine Instructor add on rating. With this rating, Monte will continue the training of Pastor Max and Kenneth Carpenter of WHTC in their Piper PA-23/180 "Geronimo" and Maintenance Chief Joel New wants in on the fun too! Monte works with gospel partner Victor Crawford on this project as he is preparing to go back to the mission field. Victor is a flight instructor and needs his credentials to be updated so Monte is assisting him in his training. The week is full and productive. We fly back to Waco in Victors Cherokee 140 and Monte facilitates a meeting with him and Ron Snyder to conspire on how to reach into Haiti and Dominican Republic with this Gospel of Jesus! A good week.

2-12 October, 2006 - WFC Executes Medical Relief Flight and Training for Missionaries

Mark Cole, of First Baptist Church Liberty City, Kilgore, TX called WFC to request a medical mission relief flight for a Pastor Ovidio Flores of Monclova, Mexico. It seems that Pastor Ovidio, whom they have done extensive mission work with through the years, has a heart condition that makes car travel to Longview,TX very difficult. Their church is assisting him to obtain more timely medical care in the U.S. and they need our help. Getting mission aircraft has been challenging lately but Monte felt led by the Holy Spirit to contact Pastor Max Boggs about the use of their Geronimo even though the logistics would mean extra expense in repositioning of the aircraft. Max said "Go" and we did. Monte borrowed Pastor Charles Henry's C-172 from Speegleville Christian Center, flew from Waco to Edinburg, picked up the larger 6 seat Geronimo and Pastor Victor Crawford to act as interpreter and then on to Eagle Pass, TX to pick up the Flores's and flew them on to Longview, TX the next day. There we were met by FBLC church members to serve Pastor Ovidio and his wife. It was their 1^st trip in an airplane and it went smoothly! We had to network 5 different ministries to do this mission so we obeyed Mary's counsel... "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." God is so good! You can view what the Administrator of First Baptist Church Liberty City had to say about this mission on the "What they say about WFC" button on our main menu. The return trip for Pastor Ovidio and his wife to Monclova, Mexico was a successful trip also... this after a full weekend of aircraft maintenance on Pastor Victors Twin Comanche back at WFC. The week and a half of Transportation ministry culminated with Missionary Glenn Wied of Galeana, Mexico flying back up to Waco in Speegleville Christian Center's Cessna 172 with Mission Coordination Minister Monte Michael. This was a valuable Instrument Cross Country flight for Glenn as he wants to get his instrument rating. Side note:WFC was able to serve in a training capacity for Kenneth Carpenter of Edinburg as we waited for the return trip to Longview and Kenneth is edging closer to his Private Pilot license!

27-28 October, 2006 - Reklaw, TX Fly-in Provides WFC free Publicity

Missions Coordination Minister Monte Michael and Victorious Life Assembly of God Church Administration Officer Everette Posey load Promotional Poster and WFC brochures into Gracie Bird (we did get the radio working, but the nose gear still wobbles!) and wing our way east to the East Texas Piney Woods premier country fly-in. The beauty of Fall foliage is breathtaking as we are pleased to represent WFC and our mission to the general public around warbirds, classic aircraft and homebuilt aircraft of myriad variation! We gave out all our brochures and came home blessed to get the word out a bit more.

2, 6 November, 2006 - Missionary flight training to Josh Hillstead

16-17 November, 2006 - Sandra and Monte acquire Prayer Ministry Training

Glenrose, TX Baptist Encampment is the first setting for a Prayer Conference attended by Sandra and Monte as they receive instruction in seeking the priority of prayer in reference to personal direction, ministry equipping and prophetic declaration. Then, on to Carthage Texas where Sandra and Monte receive prayer ministry and in the same evening are welcomed on a Prophetic Prayer Deliverance Team with Pastor Ken and Susan Stone. We all work together to pray for a Grandmother and grand daughter who need special ministry and relief from Jesus. This "forgotten"ministry of Jesus is powerful in its effect of healing and restoration to those caught in snares of the enemy and their own personal bondages. Jesus, after raising Lazarus from the dead told His followers (the Church) to unwrap the grave clothes off him. This is the nature of this new ministry tool Wings For Christ is able to serve with.

26 November- 6 December, 2006 - WFC Aids in Ministry Emergency Transportation and Valley Flight Training

Pastor Ken Stone of 1^st Baptist Carthage and Ebenezer Ministries calls Monte to request urgent transportation to Harlingen, TX to minister to long time mission partner and friend Jerry Smith. The doctors say he has Lou Gerigs' disease. He is 75 and is not willing to give up and wants help to fight off what he believes is an attack from the enemy on his life and on his family.

Pastor Ken asks WFC to aid in this transportation and prayer ministry need. Once again, Monte calls ministry partner Max Boggs of World Harvest Training Center on the urging of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Max agrees this is what we are called to do and says, "GO." Monte gets in "shakin' Gracie "with a handheld radio as a backup communications source and wings south from Waco to Edinburg. With Pastor Victor Crawford in tow to help manage an IFR flight and gain some more multi-engine experience, we fly to Carthage and pick up Pastor Ken and Susan, fly back south to Harlingen and minister that evening to a distraught wife and a weak man of God daring to believe for 15 more Good years. The next day Brother Jerry is out of bed on a walker! Praise be to the Healer of our bodies... that would be... you guessed it, JESUS!! We fly the Stones back to their church pastorate needs the next day. Monte stays in Edinburg on into the next week helping WHTC aviation head in training Kenneth Carpenter in finishing out his private pilot requirements. We also start ground school for Multi-engine ratings.

8-9 December, 2006 - WFC Assists Purity Power

WFC helps Jr. high and high school Purity Power conference in Mesquite, TX by transporting facilitator Sandra Michael to and from this life changing sleepover event for 45 young ladies. The topics are about sexual and lifestyle purity. Wow!

11-14 December, 2006 - WFC and Valley Training

Monte is blessed to be able to once again borrow Pastor Charles Henry and Speegleville Christian Center's C-172.

Monte and Kenneth Carpenter of World Harvest Training Center are able to finish out his training requirements toward his pilot license. Now it's just test prep and polishing for Kenneth!! The nose strut on the 172 goes flat on this trip so pray for provision on this "seasoned" airplane too!

19 December, 2006 - WFC Turns Down Missions... No Airplane!!

Monte once again has to say no to requested service:

Missionary and ministry partner Ben Elliott of Laredo needed transport to Zacetacas Mexico to see his wife and young son during the Christmas break. We're sorry Ben. Pastor Robert Henderson of Waco needed transport Jan. 6-7 for ministry duties in Jacksonville, Ms. Commercial aviation can't meet his time needs. We're sorry Robert.

21 December, 2006 - WFC Holds Maintenance Party!

At the request of Joel New Monte is able to get Don Birchum, Josh Hillstead and Ron Banks out to WFC Hanger to work on Missionary Victor Crawford's Twin Comanche and they get a lot done. It has been a "Hanger Queen" for almost a year now but is close to completion on annual! Please pray for Victor as he needs 20,000 to overhaul the "runout"engines in it. This is one area of angst for us in mission aviation as we are constantly having to deal with old, or worn out equipment. I just know the Holy Spirit is speaking to some one to help in the furtherance of His Gospel by helping us fly safer, newer and more reliable aircraft.

We are also able to help put a new roof on Joel News house. Thanks Dave and Phil Hull, Victor Crawford, Brett New, Ron Snyder and others! Way to go Guys!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

What Will 2007 hold for Wings For Christ?

Join in the Journey won't you?