Active Summer

I'm sorry this post didn't get out... today I found it and posted it backdated to November 09.

I hope all is well with you. A lot has happened since the last post. Gospel Ministries' Media center staff (some of them) went to ASI in Phoenix, AZ and put up a booth with DVDs and books. For the most part, I stayed in the hotel room copying DVDs and printing labels on them to keep our booth stocked with the newest 3 DVDs, one of which, "Growth During Economic Crisis" we did in the hotel there at the convention. It was a great opportunity for me to meet a couple of ministries that publish materials on studying the Bible with Muslims. In fact, after receiving and listening to one of these resources I was surprised to hear how close in practice the Muslim faith is to Seventh-day Adventists. We don't eat unclean meats, don't smoke, drink, or gamble. And according to one bible worker, 26 out of 27 (this was from a few years ago) of the fundamental Adventist beliefs are able to be shown from the Koran. This does not mean that all of the teachings of Islam are compatible with our faith, but so far it seems that an intelligent study of the Bible and the Koran with serious Muslims will bear much fruit.

After ASI we traveled immediately to Oshkosh, WI for the International Pathfinder Camporee (for those not familiar, Pathfinders is similar to Boy and Girl Scouts) where we interviewed the Spanish-speaking pathfinders and aired 15-minute spots on Red A.D.venir, our Spanish-speaking television network. I was helping with whatever needed to be done and handing out DVDs. Our newest DVD, "Having Nothing, Having it All" features 20 mission stories from around the world! We ordered 10,000 of them for this event and ASI, and between the two, handed out at least 5,000. What an opportunity since many of these will make it back to Australia, Mongolia, Brazil and many other countries represented.

I am back here and more involved than ever in studying and flying. For some time before the trip to ASI, the finances for flying stopped, and though I had an opportunity to fly anyway for 10 hours (what a blessing), not much was done for a few months except studying. Which is paying off, now that I have received funds to finish both Instrument and Commercial licensing in the next two weeks! That's the plan, anyway. I am ready to take an instrument checkride, I believe, and am currently studying for the Commercial written test. Then the plan is to fly to Andrews University for 2 weeks to take both the Instrument and Commercial checkride. All the studying had to be done before the funds were provided, as they just came in 4 days ago, and my Commercial written exam must be taken this week! (Even though last week the funds weren't even available to pay $50 for the exam!)

All this is a blessing and for anyone discouraged for lack of funding I say, go forward! Make plans even though you don't yet know how they are going to be paid for, and move in that direction! In my case, the Lord moved at the last minute and stepped up my schedule more quickly than I planned for.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Finishing in Collegedale

Greetings Everyone,

I am approaching the last two weeks (Lord willing) in Collegedale, TN. God has been good and has provided for all my needs here, especially this last week and month. The flight training requirements that I needed when I arrived were: 40 hours of Cross country flying, being the pilot in charge, and landing at an airport at least 50 miles direct distance from my starting airport; and in addition to that requirement I needed several hours of flying with an instructor to prepare me to take the practical flight test. The 40 hours were fulfilled in the last two months mostly, along with several hours with an instructor. My instructor has been teaching aviation for 50+ years and is very good at teaching things other instructors don't. It is a blessing and a testimony to God's work that such a treasure of experience is a volunteer and teaching missionaries for far below the going rate for instructors: $12 per hour.

The next step will be to complete the training with the instructor to his satisfaction and then take the practical flight test. The idea was presented that I fly out a day early for the practical test and pay for a practice one with the examiner on the day before. I would then spend the night in that area (50 miles from Collegedale), and take the real test the next day. This idea sounds appealing to me, as I was unprepared for my first flight exam and had to re-take it later.

The weather has been good here for flying, except for the last few days. We are currently sitting in an airport in South Carolina, waiting for the clouds to lift sufficiently for our flight back to Collegedale. We're expecting poor flying for the next few days, until Saturday.

The next step after this will be to find a cheap ticket to N'Djamena, Chad, as well as visiting my parents in Washington before I leave. It is coming down to the last two months and I am excited and asking the Lord to make sure that I leave nothing undone back here before I go.

Hope all is going well with you.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

O.C.I. Leader's Meeting

Good news! I just got back from the O.C.I. Leader's retreat at Uchee Pines Institute in Alabama. I went with the brethren from the Gospel Ministries media center to learn on and help run the cameras to capture the main presentations there, including two by David Gates. It was a blessing! I never knew there were so many supporting ministries out there, most of which started by people stepping out in faith and beginning the work, not knowing where the resources would come from in the future. Most were established and flourishing! And after only a few months to a year! God is working quickly in these last days! Many more people were inspired with faith to start their own ministry, most of whom had had it in the back of their mind for some time.

I had some experience switching between the cameras and directing the camera people. We used Macintosh computers mostly, so I learned about them as well. David left during the week and flew over to join another missionary, Dr. Kim, who just bought an airplane to replace the one that went down in South America a few months ago. They are flying it to South America currently to continue the work there! We are short on missionaries right now (there is much work in the Lord's service!) especially pilots, and this will be a blessing.

I hope all is well, and I just wanted to share one more thing: The "Prayer of Jabez". I had always heard of this book, and had never looked it up. A friend gave it to me, and I read it while I was in Alabama. Wow! The principles that the author sets forth based on a scripture from II Chronicles is right along with the total faith-based ministry philosophy that I am acquainted with. I suggest you pick up this book (I got mine for a dollar) and go through it sometime in the future. It will open the doors to heaven's storehouse in your life I am confident.

I hope all is going well with you, and may God's peace be with you in the midst of the storm, as He promised!

God Bless,

Scott

Good News

The "Wilderness Experience" (ie. the 40 years Moses spent tending sheep before God used him to deliver Israel from Egypt) is almost over! Or so it seems. I've learned much in these last four months, and I pray that during this time I learn all that He wants me to!

The Lord has done much in my life and the lives of my friends. All around me are friends who are confiding that they want to change their lifestyle - better diet, more devotion time, etc - and are sincere. Many realize that something more is happening than just a decline in the economy.

In Israel, the time of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement was preceded by the blowing of trumpets for 10 days. This was to signal all Israel to look internally, fast, repent of their sins, and purify themselves before God to prepare for the actual day. This is what I believe is happening all around us, as many are turning to God and searching their hearts at this time for reconciliation to God, purifying any life area that is contrary to His teachings.

In the meantime, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! I have recently been approached by a friend, who is thinking of buying a plane and earning his Pilot's license to become a missionary. However, I've been working with him and talking, and unbeknownst to me, he and his wife decided that they would like to designate the funds from his business that would pay for flight training for him instead toward my flight training. As soon as I am finished, he will be concentrating on upcoming family matters and then becoming a mission pilot himself!

This is a great blessing, for now I can not only work to pay rent and food, but also have missionary funds to fly with. Also I can volunteer at GMI on off-times.

Pray for the gospel outreach, as God has many things on the horizon, including satellite coverage to reach possibly the whole world soon. God is opening many possibilities and as David has mentioned in a recent prayer group, "when everyone else is closing down due to budget concerns, now is the time for rapid expansion!" Depending on Him we will continue to ask for more coverage and that the message we put on the air is His.

God Bless,

Scott

God is Amazing

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to purpose." Rom 8.28

God has been doing amazing things in my life. Not that you can see it on the outside, but within. I never realized how close I would come to God in this experience.

To anyone who is going though financial difficulties right now, I submit to you Gospel Ministries' philosophy: http://www.gospelministry.org/ Go especially to the Media Center and watch the Extreme Faith series (one video). Since God has bought me with His blood, like Esther, He buys all that comes with me. This includes my debts, which to glorify Him, I like to pay on time! When money is tight however, I claim the promise, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil 4:19. This is His responsibility! I simply be faithful and rest in Him. Even if I make mistakes, I simply ask for the forgiviness He abundantly gives, and as long as my relationship with Him is set straight, I trust Him that "the morrow will take thought for the things of itself" Matt 6:34

As for praises, I have a friend now that I can relate to completely. He has been on hard times, barely making his rent and other payments on time, and since I have had this same experience we share that in common. I think it helps him to know that I love God still and trust Him still. Also I started cooking for a couple who live near my place and have no time or energy to cook the healthy food that they would like to eat. They were able to afford some vegetables and I brought some other ingredients and it was a blessing for the three of us.

I am thinking about mission pilot work and how I "should" fly more according to my preliminary planning and that I "need" to be getting in the air soon. I realize however, the incredible fruits of this trying time in my trusting Him completely. Soon I believe the blessings will be poured out as "He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him" II Tim 1:12 in trusting His judgment and timing. He loves us and holds back what we ask for only to give us something much, much better.

I hope you are listening to this and thoughts of God's goodness are warming your heart. I suggest the book "Desire of Ages" by E.G. White (you can get it on audio from a link in the upper right of this page or read it online http://www.desireofages.com/) regarding the life of Jesus. It will bring you closer to Him than ever before, I believe.

God Bless, see you in the Kingdom if not sooner!

Scott Sterling