A screen capture from the simulator.

Board member Cheryl Hull was present to purchase the computer, monitor and software. She was amused, but not surprised, to find that the amount of money donated exceeded the purchase price by a mere four cents. “God provides just what we need, doesn’t He?” said Cheryl when the total was rung up. Moments like that keep us mindful that all of our provision comes from our Father and he does indeed provide what we need.

Another person excited about the possibilities opened up by this new tool is Ron Banks, valued WfC maintenance volunteer and experienced mission pilot. Ron has quite a nice simulator setup in his home and has offered his skills to help us get the most out of this new tool. One way to do that is to use advanced tutorial books like Microsoft Flight Simulator Real World Training.

One of many learning tools for our students.

A real world example is when student pilot Kelly Filgo was trying to get the hang of the forward slip. “I just couldn’t figure it out. I think I was a little afraid of the maneuver, so I had a very hard time doing it correctly. I was getting very frustrated because my set-ups for landing were just horrible,” Filgo said. He started using a yoke and pedal set for his own flight sim software and it made a huge difference. “Being able to practice the uncoordinated flight on a computer helped me get the concept so that I could do it right in the air. Using a simulator saved me lots of money at the gas pump.”

Wings for Christ wants to thank the kind donors and friends who answered our call for the resources to purchase this great learning tool. You have helped our students take another step toward their calling and we thank you.

“Here is a summary of what Todd Lovett and I did. We departed March 1 from XA85, Cougar Landing (near China Spring, TX), at 8:30 a.m. in a plane that is much more experienced in going to Mexico than me, N7530T, Pastor Charles Henry’s plane.

Somewhere over Mexico. There aren't many good alternate landing spots down there!

We flew to Cotulla, TX, KCOT, refueled, and left for Saltillo, MX around noon. We arrived in Saltillo, MMIO, about 2 hours later with a warm reception from the Mexican authorities. Everything went smoothly, and the authorities were very helpful with this first-timer. After a 2 hour check in process, Glenn & Dorothy Weid picked us up and off we went to the real work. First stop was Pastor Eulogio’s home, where we were shown tremendous hospitality. Then Eulogio showed us the work he is involved with, 3 church plants, the beginnings of a medical clinic and orphanage, a soup kitchen and distribution of rice and beans.

One of the many small churches we visited in Galeana.

A very hospitable family and their home in Galeana.

After that amazing experience Glenn took us to their home, 2 hours driving time to Galeana. Dorothy was amazing, with such a sweet spirit and so gracious. In spite of her health problems she prepared meals and washed our clothes. Glenn took us to several churches in Galeana where Todd and I were given opportunities to testify and speak. Then each day we went to different mountain village churches, Agua Blanca, San Francisco, Solera, Buena Vista. Each village was filled with gracious people hungry for God.

After several days of ministry with Glenn, we went back to Saltillo, where we stayed with Don and Rosy Maggard. Again, we experienced amazing hospitality. One last stop before we returned home was Adrian Rivera’s church that is 1 year and 3 months old.

On March 10, with a beautiful weather window and tremendous memories of wonderful people, we left MMIO, Saltillo at 8:30 a.m. We stopped at KLRD, Laredo, TX to go through customs, which went very smoothly. After refueling we departed and flew home to XA85, Cougar Landing.

This mission trip happened because of the way God knitted together several relationships and opportunities associated with Wings for Christ. My flight instruction from Monte Michael, the plane I purchased from Charles Henry, connections made with former WfC student Glenn Weid and his wife Dorothy, and the mission perspectives gained during this trip to see the opportunities Wings for Christ has helped open for us.”

Wings for Christ wants to let Pastor Rick know that we have been so blessed by his time with us as well. It is so exciting to see how God puts the right people together in order to further His kingdom. We look forward to supporting Rick’s ministry work through aviation for many years to come.

Pastor Rick reports no problems with the C-172 (formally Pastor Charles Henry’s craft), that Joel New just delivered back to him out of Annual inspection and they are very excited to be ministering with Glenn and Dorothy and developing ministry outreach for his church, Journey Christian Community of China Spring.

Todd Lovett and Rick Cobb with Rick's 1959 C-172A

Rick and Todd will meet former WfC student Glenn Weid in Saltillo, who will drive them back to his home in Galeana, about two hours to the southeast. Once there, the men will visit many area towns and churches, give their testimonies, and look for ways that Rick’s church, Journey Christian Fellowship in China Spring, TX, can be supportive to area missions.

Rick’s flight instructor, Monte Michael, is excited for his student and knows that he is ready to go. “This is a ministry milestone that really is a culmination of what we are about here at Wings For Christ. I am so excited about this ministry extension of the vision and mission that Jesus has so graciously allowed us to be a part of.”

Pastor Rick has also taken his plane on several trips to west Texas to visit with pastors at new church plants. We are so glad to continue to be part of his training and pray for a safe journey to Mexico.

Matt Dillon brings in Gracie Bird after three successful takeoffs and landings.

Matt knew that the solo attempt was going to be made that night, so his wife Kimberlie was able to watch and cheer him on. Also, a friend was in the area dove hunting and he stopped by as well to see Matt’s hard work pay off. Matt said, “The conditions couldn’t have been more perfect. Winds were calm and I had a great view of a gorgeous sunset. My wife and friends were on hand to support and congratulate me. My instructor, Monte, has invested a tremendous amount of time and care into preparing me for this day. God has gifted me the opportunity to pursue this passion of mine and I am thankful.”

Matt and Kim are all smiles. Congratulations, Matt!

Matt and Kim relocated to Waco from Duluth, Minnesota so that Matt could be a student pilot at Wings for Christ and Kim could attend graduate school at Baylor. Getting used to the Texas weather has been a challenge for Matt, who misses the crisp fall season of his home state. Kim, however, is glad to have a warmer climate to enjoy.

Monte Michael, Matt’s flight instructor, said that he has been a great student to work with. “Matt is a natural pilot and a very quick study,” Said Monte. “He told me that his solo flight experience was surreal. It was so smooth, that all he had to do was point and shoot and the plane did what it was supposed to do.”

Matt and Kim plan to enter the aviation mission field and serve overseas when their educations are completed in Waco. Until then, we are glad to have them in the Wings for Christ family.

Pastor Rick relays the news that he earned his Private Pilot ticket!

The day was almost perfect. Mostly calm winds (for Central Texas, anyway), big puffy clouds and bright blue skies welcomed Rick, his instructor Monte and FAA Flight Examiner John Foster when they met early in the morning of July 12 at the TSTC airport.

First was the oral exam, covering all areas of aeronautical knowledge that a private pilot is responsible for. The examiner was especially impressed with Rick’s cross-country flight planning skills. When asked to plot a route for a night flight, Rick chose to make safety a higher priority than efficiency. His route may have taken a bit longer to get to the final goal, but kept closer to alternate airports in case an emergency should present itself. Mr. Foster said that safety is always the best choice.

Next was the practical exam, where Pastor Rick had to demonstrate all of the maneuvers learned during his training and also show his navigation skills. All went well during the nearly two hour flight and when they returned to the airport Rick was on pins and needles as the examiner completed some paperwork. After a few nail biting moments, Rick was rewarded with the news that he had passed the exam and was now an official Private Pilot.

Pastor Rick began his training at WfC in December of 2009, soloed in April and completed his Private Pilot checkride just before noon on Monday, July 12. With a beaming smile and handshakes from everyone around, Rick said he was so happy to reach this milestone in his pilot training. But this is just the beginning.

Rick recently acquired a Cessna 172 and is making plans to transition up to the larger plane as soon as possible. He will start to build cross country time so that he can start his instrument training, therefore making his plans of flying between new church plants to be a pastor to other pastors more effective. The ability to fly between locations will greatly improve his ability to personally mentor and lead pastors of small churches across several states during a critical time in their development.

Rick Cobb with WfC flight instructor Monte Michael

Rick’s journey into aviation is just at the beginning, and Wings for Christ is glad to have played a part. Our prayer is for many years of successful flying and ministry for Rick and Gloria. Congratulations, Rick!

Pastor Rick Cobb and his wife Gloria

With lots of hard work, prayers and support from WfC, Rick is ready for his FAA Private Pilot Checkride, says Chief Pilot Monte Michael, who is Rick’s flight instructor. Monte says that Rick has been taking blocks of vacation time from his job to concentrate his training and make his push towards the checkride more effective. Rick took a similar approach before his first solo back in April, with great success.

Rick plans to continue his training as soon as he has built up enough cross country time to start the Instrument Flight Rules program. He plans to use aviation to facilitate church planting efforts all across Texas and even into some neighboring states.

Please pray for clear thinking, a sharp mind, good weather and a sense of fun and adventure on what will be a memorable day for Rick and the entire Wings for Christ family.

Matt and Kimberlie Dillon

Matt and Kimberlie recently graduated from the University of Minnesota in Duluth; Matt with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Kim with her Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance. Recently, Matt was kind enough to be interviewed for the Wings website. Here is what we talked about…

WfC- What are your hometowns and how long have you been married?

Matt- I am from Duluth, MN, and Kim grew up in Preston, Minnesota. We’ve been married since July 11th, 2009 at about 3:32pm CST.

WfC- You are beginning flight training at Wings for Christ, but Kim has a special reason for coming to Waco as well, right?

Matt- Kim is getting her Master of Music degree in Oboe Performance at Baylor School of Music and she will be a graduate assistant there.

WfC- Many mission organizations require their pilots to hold an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic’s certificate. Will you pursue that while in Waco?

Matt- I’ve thought about taking my A&P at TSTC, but I’m waiting for now… it’s undecided where, but eventually, I would like to pursue that.

WfC- How did you find out about Wings for Christ? When did you apply to become a student here?

Matt- I was searching for flight schools in the Waco area and your website was the first result. I applied back in February, 2010. I was very excited to apply as God had been laying aviation missions on Kim’s and my heart more and more recently.

WfC- Tell us more about that.

Matt- I’ve always been interested in aviation since I was little. I first heard about mission aviation through mission organization representatives at various airshows. I always thought it would be a great thing to do and knew I would love doing it, but I never felt called to it or that God was opening any doors at that time. It wasn’t until I spoke with a Mission Aviation Fellowship representative at a missionary conference called Urbana this past December that I felt God opening doors. The MAF representative and I talked at length about the possibility and what the process would entail. I applied and was accepted to the School of Mission Aviation Technology in Ionia, MI. However, God kept opening doors for my wife at Baylor. I struggled with this as I still felt called to aviation ministry and was wondering if I would have to put it on the back burner while my wife finished grad school. Trusting God, we moved forward with the Baylor process, and it was during this time that I found Wings for Christ. We’re praising God for his faithfulness and how he works beyond our understanding. Kim is now able to get her Master’s degree the same time I am investing in my training as a pilot. We feel called to mission aviation, but not much more has been revealed to us than that. We are taking these next steps in faith. We would like to pursue service with the MAF in the future.

WfC- Have you or Kim been involved in any previous mission work?

Matt- I have been to a few different Habitat for Humanity projects and had done some relief work in New Orleans after Katrina. Kim has been overseas, not specifically as a missionary, but has been in music trips and has played in several countries including Turkey. We have done ministry on campus with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and have been involved ministry at our church.

WfC- What are you most excited about when it comes to learning to fly? Most scared of?

Matt- The best part of learning to fly will be working in something I am passionate about. I love aviation. The scariest part about training for mission aviation is learning to trust God in everything- in finances; in where we will be serving, whether in the US or overseas; in safety; in ministry; etc. We have continually seen God’s work in our lives in times of trial and have grown because of it. However, it is still a scary thing to not be in control and have to rely so heavily on God. Both my wife and I are very mission-minded. Kim’s passion is music and my passion is in aviation. For us to use our passions and gifts for God’s glory is something very fulfilling.

WfC- How will your bachelors (and Kim’s Master’s) degrees play a part in your mission goals?

Matt- I have a degree in engineering that I hope to use on the mission field. Whether in maintenance of aircraft, or as a “tent making” job in a closed country. Similarly, Kim hopes to use her education in music overseas. If in a closed country, she hopes to learn their music styles, play in their professional orchestras, or open her own studio to teach music lessons. We have been looking to join the MAF and after talking with them, we found that they not only need pilots, but they also need technology specialists and teachers. Kim’s Master in Music degree will equip her to teach, something that can be used by the MAF for missionary kids overseas, who need English-speaking teachers.

WfC- What do you think about your new home of Waco?

Matt- After visiting Waco during Kim’s audition at Baylor, we fell in love with the people down here. God was opening so many connections for us that we feel like Waco is already becoming a home to us. I’m deathly afraid of temperatures above 70 degrees, but Kim loves warm weather and should feel right at home. She just got a job at the local YMCA as a lifeguard and instructor for this summer.

WfC- Have you found a church home yet?

Matt- We’ve visited Antioch and liked it, but we have not decided on a church yet. Kim and I both have a desire to become heavily involved in a church while we are living in Waco.

We hope this has helped to introduce you to our new friends Matt and Kimberlie Dillion. They are a great couple who are humbly preparing themselves for a life of service to Jesus. We are so thankful that God has brought them into the Wings for Christ family. Please help us welcome them to town. Waco is blessed to have them!

WfC student Pastor Rick Cobb proudly displays his freshly cut shirt tails, a traditional right of passage for freshly soloed students.

Congratulations are in order for Wings for Christ student pilot Rick Cobb, pastor of Journey Christian Community church, in China Spring, Texas.

“Wow, what a relief!” said Rick, who confessed he thought the day would never come after his first flight. That was back on December 3, 2009 and on April 14, 2010, he did a great job completing his three takeoffs and landings by himself in Gracie, according to Chief Pilot Monte Michael.

The solo occurred after three days of intense training to prepare for the flight. A mechanical failure of the left brake lines almost derailed the pace, but Chief of Maintenance Joel New procured a new brake line in Mexia and quickly repaired the problem. Gracie was also down for three months during Rick’s training schedule for annual inspection and a carburetor rebuild, which took most of that time.

Considering the delays in his training, Pastor Rick did a great job getting to his solo as soon as he did. According to Rick, he plans to use his skills as a pilot to assist him in the active church planting he is involved with. Currently, he visits three churches on a regular basis and has plans to start several more in the future. Being able to fly between them will greatly increase his time on the ground living out his call to serve Jesus Christ.

As I write to you all I am happy to say that God is a good God and that we at Wings For Christ thank Him on every remembrance of you and are here ready to continue into 2009 with service in Christian Missionary Aviation.

The vision and task of Wings For Christ here in Waco remains the same even though activity levels have diminished somewhat we are happy to report that we have two active flight students, one of whom has soloed the trusty Cessna 150 “Gracie Bird” and is on his way to his Private Pilot License! Way to go Kelly!

In other news since I last sent out a report in Sept., WFC was responsive during the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in the support of Shelter operations in Galveston and in the Bryan/College Station areas. I, Monte, was able to serve as a Chaplain in these venues, alongside Salvation Army and Red Cross in the populations needing disaster mental health and critical incident stress management. We were also able to pray with many for comfort and revelation into Jesus’ love and protection for so many. Monte was able to pray with one man in Galveston to receive Christ as Saviour! PTL!

Other areas of service include networking with Brother Glenn Wied of Galeana Mexico and Brother Lionel Smith of Christian Wings For the World in Ironton Mo. and Brother Randy Bauman of Alpha Aviation in Springdale, Ark. The product was Glenn getting workable used avionics in his Cessna 175 that is now airworthy and close to going to the Mission Field in Galeana with Glenn! Thanks to all involved…Thank you Lord for cooperative members of Your Body! We “got er done”!

In Closing, I want to remind those in the Waco area that are able and desirous, that we are resuming our Tuesday Prayer Meeting at 1pm to 2pm this upcoming Tues., Jan. 6, 2009, and you are welcome and needed to come and pray and fellowship. This is our regularly scheduled ministry service in which, in my opinion, the Heartbeat of the Lord is heard for Wings for Christ. The coffee will be on!

Thanks for a positive and productive 2008 and looking forward to what He has in store for us in 2009,
Sincerely,
Monte E. Michael
Chaplain/Chief Pilot
www.wings-for-christ.org
254-855-6785

P.S.: We are in great need of approx. $3000 to $5000 to upgrade the avionics (radios) in our trainer airplane “Gracie Bird”. Our Cessa 150 is a 1964 model and although she flies well, we have difficulties in communications and navigation with our older and often questionable avionics. Our students need exposure and experience in the newer and safer GPS navigation systems and the additional safety of reliable communications. Please pray and give to this need asap. Thanks. MM