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