Mission Pilot (Scott)

Back in Bolivia

2011-12-22T20:14:00.001-05:00

Friends,

It's been a long time since I have written. Here is what has happened:

We made it successfully to the United States. God chose not to allow us to bring our dog with us, and for good reason. It seems that there is a rule that airlines will not accept pets for transport if the temperature at any of the destinations en route have a temperature forcasted to be above 85 degrees F. This happened to us. Looking back, it was a blessing that we left Raisin behind because of the expense of bringing her back to Bolivia, and the additional paperwork. We were only in the U.S. for 10 weeks anyway. We were sad at first, but the time went very fast. This also allowed us to send some money back that we borrowed from a friend, and send a little more to help to a missionary who we left behind. I felt good about the outcome.

Arriving in Collegedale, TN we had $5 to our name but we were happy and in the hands of family. Our first goal for coming to the U.S. was to attend Min's brother's wedding. Bruce and Keturah were married in a beautiful wedding in Lake Lure, NC. They accomodated us well, and we had a great time with the family. Everything came together for the wedding, and they are now happily married.

Our second goal in the U.S. was to save up enough money to file for U.S. citizenship for Min. She has been a legal resident with a "green card" for several years. Jobs are scarce and the price for applying is $680. By God´s grace, the next day or so after we returned to Tennesee from the wedding, my mother-in-law received a call for me. She had a friend who might employ me if I call him right away! Sure enough, he was a tree worker who needed help working on several jobs. I started working the next week. Our time in the U.S. was a blur for me, every day either asking questions and making sure Min´s application was filled out correctly with all necessary attachments, or working to pay the application fee. God knew we would need a lot more funding than I could earn in that short time, so he sent donations from several sources to help provide for other needs, including travel, communication, and necessities for returning to Bolivia. I was even able to fly to Washington for a few days to have Thanksgiving dinner with my parents (a week before Thanksgiving). I hadn´t seen them in almost a year. One excellent testimony to God´s provision: Min´s paperwork was sent with the fee just two weeks before our target date to return to Bolivia. I had no money for airplane tickets and prices would only go up as the time approached. A missionary bought us two tickets knowing we would pay him back. I worked as I could for two weeks, and with some family help we paid him back and flew to Bolivia. While in the U.S. we gave mission updates in three churches, and saw family and friends when we could and the whole experience was a blessing.

We´re back again in Bolivia! I´ve been helping however I can, and getting our living area more livable. I put in shelves and a place to hang our clothes, and even installed an electrical outlet professionally with conduit and a junction box. It´s different here, because the buildings are made of cement and bricks - no drywall. A HUGE blessing this time was being able to bring Min´s electronic piano with us. She likes it a lot better than the ones available for her use here, and we can travel with it too.

I´ve been blessed to find a Bible study interest in the community next to our property. His name is Jimmy (doesn´t sound Bolivian does it?), and he drives a bush taxi. He is interested in Bible prophesy. My level of Spanish is just enough that I would attempt this on my own, and so far God had blessed. We covered Daniel 2 last time, and I plan to go through Daniel 7 next time. An unexpected surprise the last time was that he wanted to do the Bible study inside the little office they have where the bush taxis stop near our property. We ended up with an audience of four, and afterward they asked if I would teach english. I taught an english lesson and everyone wanted me to return the next week! His car broke down this week, and I really want to keep the study going so please pray that God intervenes to make sure it doesn´t fizzle out.

Min´s been giving piano lessons to five or more missionary kids here. Along with helping in the kitchen it´s a full load! We´ve been asked to be part of the music program at the Hamacas SDA church. At first we were hesitant, because we prefer our small church at Pedro Lorenzo. Hamacas is perhaps the largest church in downtown Santa Cruz with many members and many of them trade professionals. I found out it is also perhaps the most influential church in Santa Cruz. It may turn out as a calling though: Our ministry in Bolivia is a ¨supporting ministry¨ not funded or governed by the local SDA conference. This is not common here in Bolivia, and since its inception, our ministry has been looked upon with skepticism by the local leaders. We have wanted so much to work together with the conference while maintaining our own leadership and TV content to ensure the highest standards. This last year that door has opened. The new president of the Santa Cruz Mission of SDAs came to visit our facility and express the desire to work together as brethren! I believe the pastor of Hamcas was with him and some others. Now the Hamacas church has identified us as theirs, and our station director is in charge of the music program there. So we can see that by participating in the music program, we are strenghtening the ties between our ministry and the local churches and knocking down the walls of fear!

I´ve not been flying lately. Our chief pilot is not here, and right now I am the only pilot. The planes should have permission to fly soon, but I´ll need to fly with another pilot for many more hours before flying on my own here.

Please pray for us, and one of our missionaries, Daniel. He had a motorcycle accident today. He is fine, but someone else was injured badly and he is not sure what the government will do to him. The injured person was taken off to the hopsital by an ambulance.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

Good News and Bad News

2011-08-29T17:57:00.001-04:00

Friends,

I´ve got good news and bad news this month; the bad news first:

Our airplane was robbed! We have a Cessna 182 turbocharged airplane that we have been working on permissions for as our workhorse. A few days ago, we were contacted by someone at the small municipal airport where the airplane was parked, stating that the propeller was missing from our plane. Jeff rushed down to the airport and discovered that at least the following were missing: Variable-pitch propeller, brakes, pitot tube and some antennas. He´s talked to the airport police and filed a report. Fliers were handed out at the airport and local bus station with a reward offered. So far to no avail. The sad part is that donations have come in enough to pay the import fees (around $16,000), which we paid and filed paperwork for importation. This plane and the Cessna 172 are the two planes that should have unlimited permission to fly in Bolivia soon. The 172 is a small plane and more suited for short flights within the jungle. This plane was going to work here, and eventually in La Paz, where only a turbocharged plane can go. (We should be able to import planes for free when the laws are enacted in our favor to do so, but for now we have to pay.)

There is some good news, however. In the process of talking with people at the airport about the incident and looking for a safe place to put the airplane, Jeff met two people who have hangars and are willing to let us keep our planes there. Hangar space is expensive, and we are not rich, but the owners for now are letting us stay for free. What a blessing! Our planes are much more secure now.

The airport closes at sundown, and everyone goes home including the police. It´s possible that someone who owns a hangar at the airport stayed late and stole the parts off the plane when everyone went home. I pray that God will forgive those who stole the parts, and that they may be saved someday. As for us, God can provide another propeller since He owns everything.

On to more good news:

Min and I received our 30 day visas! We traveled to the border between Bolivia and Argentina. The city on the Bolivian side was called Yacuiba. Our goal was to cross the border into Argentina where there was a Bolivian Consulate that would process our paperwork. We hopped a bus from Santa Cruz at 9:30pm and arrived at 4:30am in Yacuiba and made it to the border ok. It was a little scary because Min was denied entry into Argentina because she was Filipino. Three of us did our paperwork while she had to wait at the border. We stayed the night, and the next morning applied for a visa for her at the Argentenian consulate on the Bolivian side of the border. They finally decided to grant her a 3 day visa for $50! That was a high price, but we paid it and that afternoon she received her 30 day Bolivian visa as well. We traveled home safely, just in time to play instruments for a wedding. We have been applying for our 1-year residency since we returned to Santa Cruz. There is a list of 20 papers that we need in our application. Most of them have a cost attached, so I´m watching our money disappear more rapidly than I´d like. It´s ok though; we need this to be done in order to work here in Bolivia. Our only other option is to apply for a working visa each month at $105 per person per month. Instead we´re going to pay about $600 per person for the year (paperwork included).

While we were in Yacuiba, we met some Seventh-day Adventists who run a vegetarian restaurant. We ate there and talked with them and while we were there a little boy came in with some hamsters in a cardboard box. We´ve wanted to get a pet, but are worried about having to travel. We decided to buy two hamsters for his asking price of 40 bs ($6). After bringing them home, we found that another missionary really liked hamsters. In fact, they seemed to bring him so much happiness just holding them, that we decided to give them to him. He was VERY happy. And so we were petless. A few days later we went with this missionary to town to pick out a cage, and saw some dogs and cats. Min seemed interested in getting a dog, maybe even one like the Dashund she had when she was a kid. The next week we stopped at the same pet sellers on the way home and guess what? There appeared to be a pure-bred Dashund puppy for sale! We had enough money (the man wanted $65 but we talked him down to $50) and we bought her. Min was _really_ happy. $50 is a lot of money as a missionary, but for comparison, these dogs sell for $200-$500 in the U.S. With that in mind, it seems that God took something that would normally be outside our means and brought it down to our level! We´re happy with her and named her ¨Raisin¨ (she´s mostly black). So far I´ve learned more patience, waking up at 2am to let her pee, cleaning up after her during potty training, teaching her not to chew on everyone. I think I´m being prepared to be a father someday, should the Lord tarry. We´ve been blessed so far, as she was potty-trained in one week, although these dogs are notoriously hard to potty-train. I´ll put up some pictures of her soon.

A new missionary has arrived here. His name is Jon and this is his first mission trip. He´s been a blessing so far, and he´ll be here 5 months. He´s from Michigan and his girlfriend worked at one of our projects here in Bolivia. He´s just starting to learn Spanish, and we took him to town with us to buy groceries and show him around. He´s got quite a testimony, having rebelled and gotten into drugs, and then delivered. He is so serious about getting away from his old environment and temptations and getting closer to God that he came all the way out here to volunteer in Bolivia. So far he hasn´t been turned-off by the 3rd-world difficulties, the different culture, or the prospect of hard work. Please pray that his motivation continues and that God answers his prayer for a closer walk with Him in a mighty way.

This last weekend a group of us went for a weekend retreat to the hills of Palermo. Santa Cruz is very flat, but as you travel to the southwest, the terrain gets more and more mountainous. We went on the road to Samaipata, which is somewhat of a tourist destination. My friend Daniel suggested we hitch a ride on a truck coming from the market in Santa Cruz. There are buses and bush taxis that go there, but he insisted that trucks are much more comfortable. It turned out he was right - we tied our hammocks up in the back and had a relaxed three-hour ride. Before we reached Samaipata, we got off the vegetable truck we were riding in and walked up a road that went a mile off into the hills. There was a small home and church that we stopped at and spent the weekend. The home belonged to a couple of missionaries, Matteo and his wife Paola. They run a lifestyle center out of their home and local Seventh-day Adventists come to the small church next-door. Min and I stayed in a bedroom behind the church and the others stayed in the house. It was a reverent and awe-inspiring weekend. Worshipping in the small church with windows all around displaying the high hills around us was a great experience. After lunch we went hiking up into the hills for a few hours. We returned on Sunday after visiting a churchmember who had a sugar cane farm. She sent us home with two bottles of fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice. We caught a ride home on the back of a truck carrying cement to Santa Cruz. I highly recommend taking a trip up into the mountains if you live in the lowlands or city. The tall mountains made me feel small, and more in the presence of God. Oh, and stars were so much brighter out there!

Please pray for us, as we have more needs now (see ¨How to Help¨ above for details), for our missionaries, including Jon, and that God would open the doors soon for us to resume mission-flying here or show us if he has a different plan, and finally that the building projects go forward here with good speed.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

News

2011-07-25T19:19:00.000-04:00

Friends,

A lot of good things have happened here in Bolivia. Our chief pilot, Jeff, has returned along with two more missionaries, D.J. and his wife Jodie. D.J. is a pilot and Jodie is a teacher. They have been a blessing, since there are three girls who share the cooking duties right now, leaving Min some time to hang out with me :)

Jeff is also the manager of our building projects here, and so a lot more is happening on the grounds here. We are submitting plans to the local government for our property and paying taxes on all the houses. Once they are approved, we will not have to worry about the government putting roads through our houses, land, etc.

We have a machine for making cinderblocks and are getting it running with the right mix of sand, rocks, concrete and water to make blocks for building houses. Supposedly we can make 1000 blocks a day with it. The blocks take 6 days to cure, and then we can use them to build. Another project far to the north wants to use the block machine as well, and they will tow it up there and use it. Until then, we are going to make as many blocks as we can and have them ready for construction projects here.

One of our pilots, Steve, is getting married this November. His house is the next to be built, and I´m sure he´d like it if it were finished for him and his wife to move into when they return after the wedding. This will be one of our main projects in the coming months.

Jeff is working on getting permission for our planes to fly, which involves getting them imported so they become Bolivian airplanes. Normally, this costs 30% of the airplane´s Bolivian value, and this has been a major obstacle for us for the last few months. However, God has provided another way. The government in La Paz, Bolivia is so interested in having our planes flying and doing the work we do, that they are willing to write whatever laws we need (within reason, I´m sure) to get our planes flying. So far we´ve asked for free importation of the airplanes (as they will be used only for humanitarian work).

Another requirement will be that our pilots need to be Bolivian residents with Bolivian pilots licenses to fly these planes. I´ve heard from 4 different people here that doing paperwork in Bolivia is very difficult, especially if you´re American. There´s always another stamp you need, or another certified document, or the person you need to sign you off is arguing with you, telling you that you can´t do what you are filing paperwork to do. I talked to a pilot who ¨convalidated¨ his American commercial pilot´s license so that he could use it in Bolivia to work as a pilot. They did it, and put a restriction on it that he could not work for money... which is the only reason most people get a commercial pilots license! This was very frustrating for him. Jeff is going to work with the government in La Paz to make it possible for our pilots to obtain residency and licenses without roadblocks.

After talking with David, my parents, Min´s parents, and reflection in prayer, we believe God is leading us to come back here and work as missionaries. Jeff said he and the others would be glad to have us on the team, and I am happy about that. It also simplifies our plans, since now we can leave our belongings here when we go to visit the U.S. this September, and we can start on our paperwork for Bolivian residency.

My tourist visa has run out, and I am now racking up a fine of $3 per day that I will need to pay when I leave the country. This was the plan, and I was saving $200 to pay my way out of the country in September. This was the only option I knew we had at the time in order to help out here until September. Now we are putting that money toward our paperwork to become Bolivian residents. This will cost us a total of $600 each, is what I am told. To start out, we are applying for a work visa for $80 each. This will allow us to be in the country for 30 days or more to apply for residency. Residency can take 3 months or more, but we can ¨pause¨ the process by withdrawing our passports. This we will do when we come visit the U.S. in September. We intend to visit family, apply for Min´s U.S. citizenship (she is here as a Filipino), and attend her brother´s wedding. It stresses me out a little to imagine how we are going to do all of these things quickly and return here, especially since some of it costs money we don´t have yet. However, our experience so far and the experience of others here is that God finds a way every time, and we can count on Him to lead us through.

We are leaving this Tuesday on a bus to the Argentina-Boliva border to exit the country and apply for our work visas. We will take the bus in the evening and arrive in the morning. Apparently the buses are really nice, even better than a commercial airline inside. We´ll try to get some sleep on the way, and file our paperwork during Wednesday. Wednesday or Thursday night we´ll return here, Lord willing. We need to, because we´ve been given the opportunity to play music for the reception at a Menonite wedding on Friday. There are several Menonite colonies in Bolivia, and near Santa Cruz. Hopefully this experience will allow us to meet some of them and make friends.

Please pray for us, that all goes well with our travels and work visa applications. Please pray for D.J. and Jodie as they plan to travel to Guyana and work there for a while. Finally, please pray that Jesus will come soon and that we all will be ready!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

Photos!!!

2011-06-26T18:09:00.000-04:00

Friends,

I´ve finally posted photos. They will run as a slideshow at the top, or you can click on the slideshow to go directly to the album. You must go directly to the album if you wish to see the descriptions I made for each photo. They are ordered by subject but not chronologically. Enjoy!

If you are reading this on facebook, go to http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com/ to view the photos.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

More News

2011-06-14T17:21:00.001-04:00

Friends,

I haven´t communicated in about a month, so here´s what´s going on:

Min made it back safely on her trip, and with presents! We had four missionaries request special items from the United States, and we had our own list of things. Nutritional Yeast Flakes, Insoles, McKay´s Chicken Seasoning, raw cashews, vegetarian jerkey, italian seasoning and rechargable batteries were among the requests. She said Pearl´s wedding was great, and she brought back a hand-carved pair of giraffes made in Africa that each guest was given. (Apparently the bride´s family bought them in Africa and brought them to the U.S. for the wedding).

Cooking had been a bit stressful for Min. She had been cooking 3 meals a day which meant getting up at 6am to get breakfast going, followed by a cleanup, worship, a two-hour break and then get started on lunch. After cleaning up lunch she was off for 3 hours and then started dinner... finally finishing her day at 7:30pm! If she did laundry on her breaks she would have a 12-hour day. Thanks to a missionary named Carmen who came to visit, we´ve adopted a new schedule and Min´s very happy. She now only cooks breakfast and lunch, and is off Saturday and Sunday. She also wanted to cook meals just for me and her, so I bought a gas cookstove and put it in our little kitchen. We´ve cooked one meal on it so far!

We have an airplane! It´s not for very long, but we´ve been granted permission to use our Cessna 182 Turbo for 1 month, ending June 27. Apparently when you bring an American airplane to Bolivia, you either pay 30% of it´s Bolivian-estimated value as an import tax, or you ask permission to fly it as an American airplane. Since the second option is free, we´ve been doing that on all our planes for about a year. Sadly, it´s getting more difficult to get permission, and we think they are pressuring us to import them. This amounts to $16,000 per plane and we have at least 5. We´ll see what God does. It´s been 6 months since we´ve had permission to use an airplane so we haven´t gotten many calls yet, as people are just becoming aware that it is available. We´ve taken a pastor out to San Joaquin to work in a village for a month, and Friday we brought David Harding out to Familia Feliz orphanage in Rurrenabaque, Boliva. David´s daughter started the orphanage. We also brought them 30 or so baking pans for making bread, and took a man home to see his family who had been in the hospital in Santa Cruz. It seems that there are other mission pilot organizations in Bolivia, so we just work one area that no-one else serves, called The Beni. It is mostly jungle with few passable roads. You can read about it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beni_Department . I´m learning to communicate to air traffic control in Spanish. Technically English is the official language of aviation worldwide, but that doesn´t apply in small regional airports in Bolivia. I had a fellow pilot tell me sometimes they can understand ATC´s Spanish better than he can their English! It´s very difficult for me, but it´s coming slowly. Herman, one of our pilots, told me even though he is fluent in Spanish, they sometimes use terminology with him that baffles him. So I´ve got a big learning curve to meet!

Another project here is the runway. We have a grass runway prepared on the property right where we live. Right now it´s 550 meters long (about 1800 feet) and ultimately we plan to extend it to 1200 meters. So far it´s been smoothed by a tractor dragging a large log up and down it, and good grass has been planted. Now we´re working on the requirements to get it certified for use. We need runway beginning and end markers, markers on the sides every 50 meters, and a windsock. Last week and this week we finished the markers. Being in Bolivia, we opted for large PVC pipes to mark the ends, and buried tires painted white for the 50 meter markers. I think in total we spent less than $50 so far.

On a sad note: Red ADvenir, our Spanish TV network is off the air. We´ve been waiting on some donated funds for some months now and praying, but finally we had to cease transmitting our signal last week. I hear that sufficient funds have been donated to keep us on the air, but they were sent from another country, through the U.S. and the funds are tied up in the U.S. Maybe the U.S. government thinks it´s drug money... or, more likely, Satan doesn´t want our station on the air. Just a week before this, we had a fire break out in our most critical computer room. Richard (the station manager) called the station watchman to tell him that he wasn´t receiving the signal. The volunteer watchman went out side and saw smoke coming from the transmission room! Apparently a power surge had started an electrical fire and the main power cable was fried. The fire had started underneath the signal amplifier, a $70,000 piece of equipment needed for transmitting the signal to the satellite that needed to be imported from the U.S.. By God´s grace, all that needed to be replaced was the fried power cable. The signal amplifier was completely undamaged. Within 6 hours the signal was back on the air.

A couple of good things are coming out of our current situation: Richard has had plans for relocating some of our equipment to better serve the station and aid expansion in the future. This project requires us to be off of the air, so we are going forward with it now. Another possible blessing is in working with the Seventh-day Adventist conference in Bolivia. In the past, it seems, our ministry has been regarded as a nusance and we have not had a good working relationship with the conference. However, new leaders have been appointed to the conference positions here in Bolivia, and they have already come to visit the station and extend the hand of fellowship. Here´s where the opportunity comes in: Even though we are off the satellite, we still have several TV station licenses around Bolivia. These stations were receiving our signal via satellite, and re-transmitting it via cable or over-the-air waves. The conference has an official TV station in South America called ¨Nuevo Tiempo¨. We can work together at this time by telling our TV stations to receive the Nuevo Tiemo signal via satellite and transmit it in place of Red ADvenir for now. That seems to be the plan, and in the meantime we´ll prepare for when we can be back on the air again, should God re-open that door.

Thank you for praying for us! Please pray for the station, the aviation program, the other missionary efforts here in Bolivia, and that Min and I would continue to be a blessing here.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

A Little Scare

2011-05-19T19:48:00.001-04:00

Friends,

    I had a little scare today! First I should say that Min is safely back in the U.S.. She has a friend that she grew up with in Africa who has been engaged for many years. So long that her friends are calling it the "wedding of the decade". Min really wanted to go, and was blessed when a friend from Florida used some of her air miles to buy min a round trip ticket. The trip turns out to be a blessing to us and those around us as well. We're getting our cold-weather clothes from home, and some needed cooking items from Walmart and the Village Market in Collegedale, TN. Some important documents are being carried to the US for a volunteer, and some items for other missionaries are going to come back here with Min. I miss her :)

    When I returned from the Airport this morning at 9:30am, our volunteer pastor was standing outside the kitchen. He was talking to Carmen, a visitor who cooks really well and is taking over for Min this week as cook. Carmen speaks both English and Spanish and was translating for us. Apparently the workers were going home, because we had received word that the government was coming to reposess the property of the TV Station! The first word we heard was that when the government does this, everything on the property at the time becomes theirs. I asked why this was happening. Carmen said, "Apparently some of the paid workers had filed a lawsuit with the government because they had not been paid in several months. The government has ruled in favor of the workers and they are coming to reposess the land." My mind raced to the computers and other equipment in the TV station that might be saved if we brought it next door. There is a property next door that is not ours yet but we're renting it. I mentioned this to others and we were contemplating the task . To move some of the equipment would mean taking God's TV network off of the air... a daunting prospect. The station director had just left this morning for La Paz, Bolivia and was on an airplane so we couldn't contact him for direction.

    Just then, the pastor returned with better information. The workers who had filed the lawsuit had been laid off months ago. Normally that means all of them must be paid all back pay within 15 days. The station did not have enough money to do this, and was in the process of negotiating a payment plan with the workers. The workers had told the government that our mission was rich, had airplanes and other expensive equipment and could pay if we wished. Today the government was simply coming to inspect us and see if these claims were true. No reposession was to take place! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and my mind raced for a few minutes more until I calmed down.

    Everyone slowly dispersed, and went to work. I welded the rest of the shelves I was working on, and by the end of the day no-one came. David Gates and Richard were both contacted and I'm sure they were working with the government during the day. It just reminds me how delicate our position is on the planet, and how much Satan would like to see our work ended. The TV station daily reaches millions of homes with wholesome Christian family programs, Bible studies, Nature videos, etc. and has been heralded as a great benefit here in Santa Cruz. I am so glad they are still on the air!

Please pray for the TV station, the workers' pay, Min's safe travels, and her friends' wedding and future life together!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling
011-591-6-780-4066 cell (Bolivia)

http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

News From Bolivia

2011-05-02T07:35:00.002-04:00

Friends,

We have been here 12 days now. Our time here has involved both great joy, and adjustment. Our joy has been the fresh air, peaceful country setting, and good company. The Bolivian people are amiable, and don't treat us poorly or try to sell overpriced items to us at the market.
They just seem a little more interested in me because I stick out. This week we went to the market twice. The fresh market called "Abasto" is where we get the cheapest and freshest fruits and vegetables. The market is HUGE. Maybe like four Super-Walmarts side by side. It reminds me a little of the Pike Place Market in Seattle as well, although there is not a second floor. We bought pineapples a little smaller than watermelons this last time, and they were 10 Bolivianos (Bs.) each, which is about $1.40, and what they call mandarines, which look like green and yellow normal-size oranges 10 for 5Bs, about $0.80. So it is possible to eat here for about 100 Bs. per week, or $60 per month per person and eat healthy, if you shop right. The people seem to think that Min is Bolivian sometimes. I had one person in the market speak to us in Spanish, and I replied that I didn't understand. They nodded toward Min and said, "It's ok, she understands."

This week I worked to lay the foundation of David Gates' new house here on the property. We had lots of help this week, so it went relatively fast. David's daughter, Katrina and her husband Jared were visiting, and Jared headed up the work. An electrician and retired pastor, Paul Eirich is here with is wife. The volunteer coordinator here Jose-Luis arrived as well. Min was surprised to be feeding 12 people for breakfast and dinner rather than the usual 7.

With all those hands, as well as one of the paid workers, Jose, we worked quickly to mix cement, pour it into a wheelbarrow, dump it into the ditch of the foundation footing, and smoothed it to the right level. Having worked for a brick mason before, I was familiar with mixing cement and pouring it, but this time I learned to smooth it. I had put metal stakes (rebar) in the floor of the ditch and had made sure each was level with the rest. I now used a large metal level to scrape the wet, pudding-like cement to the right height. Then I would use a smoothing-motion to get it all level and smooth. We also have a laser-level system. A laser on a tripod at one end of the construction site emits a laser in all directions that is level with the ground. I use a receiver mounted on a measuring rod to test the level of the cement. If the cement is at the correct level, the receiver beeps long and loud. After 3 days we had a smooth, solid, level cement footing for the foundation of the house. Just in time too - David and his wife left and took Jared, Katrina and Jose-Luis with him. Jeff, the chief pilot left with his family earlier this week, and so did D.J. and Steve, two other pilots. Now it's just Min and I, the TV station volunteers, a german couple from another ministry, and two other pilots. Of the two pilots, Daniel and Herman, Daniel is fighting Dengue Fever and Herman is busy getting permissions from the Bolivian government for the use of our planes and for the new runway to be approved.

Today I learned how to drive a piece of heavy equipment: A diesel tractor forklift. This one is finicky; It often needs to be jump-started with another vehicle, and you have to keep the gas pedal all the way down when you move it or raise it or the engine dies. I used it to move a 1000 L water tank to the pumphouse for one of our wells. I cleaned it well, filled it up, and now it's next to where 3 missionaries live who don't have running water (including us). Jeff left and hasn't assigned me something specific to do. Fauna, his wife, asked me to plant some trees of theirs and water them while they are gone. I have to dig a 3' by 3' by 3' hole to do it, and by hand, so that will take a good while and is not an emergency. Later today I am going to view a project I'll be assigned at the studio, cutting and welding some pipe into something useful for the studio. I have welded before, and am still a beginner, but they are not concerned if the weld looks great, just that it sticks and I think I can do that well. I've got until Wednesday to get this welding project done, and then the man with the keys to Jeff's container that has the tools in it will be leaving. Jeff has asked him to bring the keys to him in the U.S., which is understandable because the Lord has blessed us with some expensive tools that need to be protected from misuse. I'm not offended that I wasn't entrusted with the keys :)

Please pray for our volunteers: Daniel Adams is recovering from Dengue Fever, Daniel W. is beginning pilot training here while his wife works at another ministry. Pray that our mission here will reach many souls!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling
http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

ARRIVED IN BOLIVIA!!!

2011-04-21T17:24:00.001-04:00

Friends,

Min and I arrived safely on Tuesday morning in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. A friend of mine and pilot for GMI named D.J. Knott picked us up at the airport and showed us around town on the way to the RedADvenir TV station where we will be working and staying. Santa Cruz is an interesting city in that there are roads called "radials" that start from the center of the city and go outward in all directions, as well as "rings" that make a circle around the center of the city. The circle closest to the center is called "ring 1" and the next, "ring 2", etc. We travel west out of the city on the radial "double via" until kilometer 17 and take a left to get to the station. It's a good distance away and very peaceful. Min and I are staying in a shipping container that has been converted into a house. It is several feet off the ground on cinder blocks and has running water from the well at the station, and 220V electrical power, a shower and toilet. We're very happy there. I am officially working with the pilots, who have a plot of land at the other end of the property and a grass runway. The airplanes are at a small nearby airport though. Min is working at the TV station. She may be the new cook, as the current one is leaving on Tuesday. She is hesitant about cooking for 15+ people, 3 meals a day but she is brave enough to be considering it. She is working with the current cook, Monica (who is from Guyana) and we will be taking a trip to the market together soon to buy food for next week.

Today, RedADvenir had a visit from the local SDA conference. Two officials came and were very supportive. Everyone at Red ADvenir was very pleased and excited, especially David Gates. It seems that in the past, the Conference here has not recognized "supporting ministries" which are ministries that are not directly supported and supervised by the Seventh-day Adventist Conference. However, a change in administration has taken place, and now the door seems to be opening for us to work together in harmony! I am very happy to hear this, although I didn't know there was a problem in the past with this until yesterday.

So far I have been helping the pilots move tools, oil, etc. from the TV station to a shipping container on the pilots' side of the property. This allowed the TV station to clean up the main studio for tours, as they were able to move their things into the adjacent storage rooms that were now empty. For me, it was a lot of lifting heavy objects and moving them all day. I was so grateful for a loving wife who could give me a back massage I so much needed that night!

A little history: The TV station has sold their old property which was in the city (actually the city grew to encompass it) and bought a property in the country. The new property had no buildings, so they are almost starting over. They have a very nice main building now, and hope to be up and running soon. The pilots are working on Jeff Sutton's house. He is the director of the Aviation program here, and the new grass runway is across from his house. He just moved into the unfinished house just recently and we are working around him and his family. Please pray for all of us as we work to get these two ministries set up in our new location.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

Bolivia Mission Trip

2011-04-08T09:54:00.001-04:00

Friends,

The time is getting closer when we should be able to depart. We have
received enough for plane fare, and to keep up with bills while we are
gone. All that remains are visas for Min and I, and enough commitments
from donors to supply our needs while in Bolivia. We're communicating
with those who've said they want to support us, and as soon as we know
for sure, we'll post that it's been taken care of, so you all can
rejoice with us! Please pray that God will continue to lead us in a
plain path on this trip. It seems that He is opening the next doors as
we walk through the ones He has already opened. We're excited!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Re: Going to Bolivia soon

2011-04-05T14:19:00.001-04:00

Awesome, if we want to make a donation, where do we send it? Jason

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 3:33 PM, Scott Sterling <scott.a.sterling@gmail.com> wrote:

Friends,

We've had quite a battle trying to launch to Africa. I'll go into more
detail later, but after four months, we still do not have sufficient
funds travel to Africa. It seems the Lord has kept us here. We were
frustrated and beginning to wonder if our plans were not in accordance
with the Lord's will, or if we had somehow made it so that he could
not bless our plans. It has been hard working, waiting and wondering.
We decided last year that, if at all possible, we would be back for
Min's brother's wedding in September. However, time is short now, and
even if we had the funds, it would be hard to justify spending them,
just to return in 5 1/2 months. We really want to begin working,
however, and an opportunity has arisen. David Gates suggested that we
go to South America until September. It is much cheaper to fly there,
and he even said he can give us a ride back, making it still cheaper.
Our upcoming tax refund and the sale of our cars ought to get us
there. Please pray for us. We are very excited!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

--
--
Jason Shives, MD
---
www.jshives.blogspot.com
www.HaitiHunger.com <http://www.haitihunger.com/>
www.AudioVerse.org <http://www.audioverse.org/>

(407) 536-8280
(909) 238-0194

---

"We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way
the Lord has led us in the past."

Going to Bolivia soon

2011-03-28T16:33:00.001-04:00

Friends,

We've had quite a battle trying to launch to Africa. I'll go into more
detail later, but after four months, we still do not have sufficient
funds travel to Africa. It seems the Lord has kept us here. We were
frustrated and beginning to wonder if our plans were not in accordance
with the Lord's will, or if we had somehow made it so that he could
not bless our plans. It has been hard working, waiting and wondering.
We decided last year that, if at all possible, we would be back for
Min's brother's wedding in September. However, time is short now, and
even if we had the funds, it would be hard to justify spending them,
just to return in 5 1/2 months. We really want to begin working,
however, and an opportunity has arisen. David Gates suggested that we
go to South America until September. It is much cheaper to fly there,
and he even said he can give us a ride back, making it still cheaper.
Our upcoming tax refund and the sale of our cars ought to get us
there. Please pray for us. We are very excited!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

:) :) :) Married!!!!!!! :) :) :)

2011-01-13T01:22:00.000-05:00

The wedding went better than I could have asked! The Lord provided a wonderful day, with sunshine and little or no wind. It was cool (50-60 degrees F) but beautiful. The last two weeks before the wedding were extremely busy, and many "last-minute" details had to be managed, often with much help from friends. Scott's best man flew all the way from Washington State, and was a great help. Scott's parents came out too and we all had a wonderful week together. A week later, we flew to Seattle, WA, to visit Scott's family and prepare for Africa. For updates on our status for getting to Africa, or to donate towards our mission, click the link to the right that says "how to help". Thank you for your prayers.

Getting Married Soon :)

2010-10-19T18:14:00.001-04:00

Friends,

An update on the wedding: For any who I forgot to tell, our wedding is
coming up in a few weeks. The date is set for November 7 in
Collegedale. I hope all who know me and can make it will make it. It
will be outdoors, so we're praying for a nice warm sunny day. Min and
I are both excited as the day approaches, and planning for Africa as
well. We may leave as soon as December for Chad. For now though, we're
working, planning, saving and preparing for marriage. I hope you all
are well! I'll be very busy the next three weeks, but drop me a line
if you have time. Pray for us! You all are in my prayers.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Engaged!

2010-07-25T18:24:00.001-04:00

Friends,

I've just returned from a visit to Seattle, Washington with Min. I received the guidance I sought from God and decided to ask Min to marry me there. She said yes! I am very happy, and the whole reality of it is yet to set in my mind. I'm happy with my decision though, and we are going to preparatory counseling and are planning the wedding for November. We decided it would be best for me to stay and work to save up for bringing two people to Africa, and of course, the wedding. I am back in Collegedale. Our plan is to go to Washington when we are ready, and depart from there to Africa (so my parents can see us off).

We have already received much help in planning the wedding. God has shown his hand as well, in the provision of a wedding dress: It seems one was donated, new in the box, to Gospel Ministries in McDonald, TN. A friend of mine knew I was getting married and held on to it. It turns out it fits Min perfectly! (Of course I haven't seen it yet). It seems to have been tailored for her, although whoever donated it could not have known who would receive it.

I hope this encourages you and keep us in your prayers as we prepare for marriage and a launch to Africa as missionaries!

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Finished!

2010-07-01T18:19:00.001-04:00

Friends,

I only have a minute to post this good news. On Friday the Lord blessed me and I now have a Commercial Pilot's License! I arrived in Seattle, Washington with Min yesterday at 1pm. We plan to stay here two weeks and visit with my family. I'm so happy that everything has worked out to this point.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Coming Events

2010-04-13T08:08:00.001-04:00

Friends,

I wanted to give you a short description of what I have been learning as to the events soon to come on the earth. Some of you may know that I joined the Seventh-day Adventist church in 2005. This is a summary of what I have learned that may be pertinent to you all. Feel free to disagree and write me to express your view... I merely want to be helpful to those who may need it.

According to my study of the Bible and the books by one whom I believe to be an inspired writer, Ellen G. White, this is an approximate order of events:

1. Spiritual Revival. There will soon be a spiritual revival taking place all around the world. It may be that soon there will not be such thing as an Athiest. This will be accompanied by miracles, and eventually the appearance of the "spirits of the dead", who will claim to be departed loved ones, the 12 disciples, and spiritual leaders from the past, even heathen ones. They will all claim to have been in heaven, and bear a similar message.

2. Financial Crisis/Moral Decay. Although things may look better for a while financially, there will be a worldwide financial crisis and more moral decay. The ultimate end of these two burdens on society will be the pressuring of political leaders to enact laws contrary to the United States Constitution: Laws of a religious nature.

3. Sunday Sacredness/Revealing of the 7th day Sabbath to the world. It will be suggested worldwide that the moral decay and financial crisis are the result of "God's displeasure at the lack of Sunday sacredness". Political leaders in the United States will eventually succumb to pressure by the people to enact laws protecting Sunday worship, and forbidding work on the same day. There will be a relatively small group of people who will claim that God's holy day was never changed, and continues to be the Sabbath of the 7th day of the week: Saturday. Eventually this group of people will be ordered to work on Saturday and rest and worship God on Sunday.

4. Calamity. As a result of the United States enacting such "Sunday laws", natural disasters and other calamities will begin to fall on the large cities in the United States (perhaps worldwide, I do not claim to know). It will be urged that these are a result of this small group of people who keep the 7th day rest day, and "do not honor Sunday". They will be taken to court, fined, not be able to buy or sell, jailed and eventually a decree will go out that they should be killed in one day.

The time we are in right now is called the "sealing time". Those who are following God honestly are being drawn closer to Him and becoming more like Him in character. Those who are not serious are drifting further away spiritually and becoming more interested in the pleasures of this present world. A test is coming. (Right now I recommend that we get to know God as best we can in daily prayer and Bible study.) When the laws enforcing Sunday worship are enacted and the question is raised, "Which day is the Lord's Day?", those who know God's voice will join Him by keeping the 7th day Sabbath, though they be in the minority. Those who are willing to succumb to peer pressure and threats of poverty, ignominity and death will keep Sunday at that time, though they know in their hearts that it is wrong. The plagues mentioned in Revelation will fall on those willingly disloyal to God and Jesus will be seen coming from the sky "in the clouds of heaven" to take the loyal ones home.

I hope this is insightful to you, and feel free to reply with your thoughts and differing opinions. May we all be found ready and faithful to the end.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Exam Passed!

2010-03-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

Friends,

I have really good news! Yesterday I had the opportunity to take the final exam for the Private Pilot Instrument Rating, and passed! This important rating allows me to fly on days when visibility is so poor that you cannot effectively navigate or avoid other aircraft by sight alone. I can now file a flight plan with Air Traffic Control before I go, and they will help me to avoid traffic I can't see. They will also authorize me to set up for a landing at an airport and come very close to the ground without seeing anything until I descend through the clouds and see the runway in the last few moments. (Pilots know what this rating means but I am explaining it so I hope that everyone can appreciate it).

This makes me a much more useful pilot with Gospel Ministries Intl, and is a requirement to be a solo mission pilot with our ministry. It is the second of three ratings that are required. The last one is the Commercial Pilot rating, and this will come in the next few weeks, Lord willing.

I wanted update everyone on this, and I thank everyone who prayed for me! It helped a lot! I realized on Friday how many things could go wrong and prevent me from taking the test, or from passing it, and it was almost overwhelming. The Lord gave me peace as I realized that He has been leading along this path to be a missionary pilot, and if it was His will that I take this test and pass, as long as I made the effort that I could, He would ensure success. I was still nervous and fasted that afternoon, and I was excited when I finally heard the words, "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?", as the check pilot prepared to print out my temporary license. (The real one will come in a few weeks).

Life is really peaceful here, but several of my friends have been feeling oppressed lately spiritually. Prayers have been ascending for these people as well as the rest of my family and friends, and I've been blessed to see real results in their lives. Min and I are happy and dreading the time when I'll leave for Africa and we won't see each other for 6 months to a year. However, we are thankful for the time we do have, and have been counseled that the separation will only serve to test and strengthen our relationship. I need to know that I am suited to serve the Lord in Africa, and we both need to know that prolonged separation will not weaken our relationship.

I hope that you all are doing well. I pray for health, joy and peace for you all, and that you may know my Jesus.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Waiting for a Plane

2010-02-18T18:34:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to communicate more with others and here is another effort to keep that commitment! I have been uneasy the last two weeks during the work day. The main reason is that, in the past year, God has almost never given me the resources I need in advance. If I need to move forward in my plans for being a missionary, I seem to have to start filling out a visa application, or signing up for flight lessons, or putting together my passport application, etc. before I know how I am going to pay for these things.

As of last week I found out that all of the funding for flight training (at least according to my estimate of what it will cost) is available to me. However, we do not have an airplane available for me to use. There are planes available to rent, but they cost roughly three times what it costs me to fly one of our planes. I've been uneasy because I want to move forward, but everyone I've talked to agrees that waiting two weeks for the plane to arrive makes more sense than spending three times the money just to advance a week sooner. I want to know what God's will is though, so I am praying in this matter. The trip to go buy the plane and fly it from California to here has been postponed until next week. I am thinking that soon I may make plans to rent and move forward and trust that God will make up the difference so that I can finish flight training.

Aside from that anxiety, the good news is that since I haven't been flying, I've been available to help with the remodeling that is going on here at the GMI Media Center. In the next couple of weeks we should have an ideal layout of the offices, and a custom receptionist "command center". I'll post some pictures soon. We may be running a production studio for 5 TV stations out of this humble building soon. Many people have a sense of anticipation as if God is going to move in a mighty way to remove all the current barriers to our reaching the world with God's last-day message. Even non-Christians have been more open to receiving literature about the Bible recently when I offer it. May the Lord come soon.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

Winter in Collegedale

2010-02-12T17:45:00.001-05:00

Things are going really well here. It's snowing outside but the roads are clear and sunshine is forecast for tomorrow; things are kind of peaceful. I am glad that we are living in a place of relative peace in the world for a moment. I am surrounded by those that I love and they all are working in the highest calling they know. I will miss the friends and "extended family" I have found here in Collegedale, but I am sure God will provide others wherever He sends me in Africa.

The great news is that I've been courting someone I met here just over two months ago. We spent over a week making the decision, considering I will be leaving very soon to Africa. I received good counsel from my parents, friends and mentors, and prayed a lot. The final decision was that it would be ok to get to know each other and see if we are matched, as long as we are careful. We do not want to cross any lines in our relationship that would make it difficult for us to just be friends if that is God's will. Just as I'm typing this it seems to me that anyone deciding to court someone else should follow such a plan, but I know that I definitely have not in the past. I have allowed myself to get more intimate with someone before marriage than I would choose to now. I don't hold myself up as an example to anyone else, but after counsel from some friends, we have decided not to kiss before marriage. To the friends I grew up with in Seattle, this would be quite radical! So far though, I'm very happy with just getting to know this person, the conversations that we have and praying for each other. I am looking forward to any ministry we can do together while I am here, aside from preparing for Africa. Her name is Luzmineth. Min for short.

As February 14th is approaching and many people are thinking about love, I wanted to share a beautiful text from the Bible. This is from 1 Corinthians 13, and it's in the New Living Translation:

---

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love will last forever...

---

May we all live up to such a description of love! I hope all of you are doing well. Please write me if you get the time by posting a comment. Pray for Min and I for direction and faithfulness to God. One praise I want to mention is the funds for flying for the rest of my flight training appear to have come in! This often doesn't happen where I have the funding beforehand, so it seems to me that God is encouraging me to rush forward and expect all other obstacles between here and Africa to disappear. I have a plane ticket to buy, and a visa to apply for and final decisions to make on what to pack, but all of these are small things for God.

May God bless you with the peace that passes all understanding and true love this week.

Scott Sterling

Back in Collegedale

2010-02-03T16:46:00.001-05:00

Friends,

I hope all is well with you and you have the "peace that passes all understanding" today (Phil. 4:7).
I am back in Collegedale, TN to finish flight training. Before going home to Seattle for a month, I attempted the instrument checkride. I passed the oral portion but I was given a "discontinuance" on the flying portion because the weather was not good enough for us to do the flight. I would only have to come back to him after I returned to Collegedale and we would finish the flying portion of the test.

While I was gone we had an unfortunate accident: http://www.newschannel9.com/video/?videoId=61734834001&lineupId=1137849423
One of our students took off early in the morning for a long cross-country flight to Canada and crashed just after takeoff. It is a miracle he survived, and much moreso that he only lost 3 teeth and needed a few stitches. He's almost fully recovered, and our plane will soon be replaced by a Cessna 150 and a Cessna 172RG. This hampers my plans to finish my checkride, of course, but as soon as we get the Cessna 150 I'll definitely be able to move forward.

In the meantime I've been studying, and I have an interesting new experience to share. As of three or four months ago, my plan has been to get to Africa without considering any kind of courting relationship with anyone until I arrive there. This was largely affected by advice I recieved from my father, who said "If there is a young lady who is as dedicated to African mission work as you, she's probably already out there."

Two weeks before I went home to visit family in Washington, I met a friend who goes to my local church here in McDonald, TN. We kept in contact over email while I was at home. It turns out she grew up in Africa (her parents were missionaries there). About six months ago I finished a list of qualities that I believe someone would need to have in order for me to consider marrying. It includes vital things such as common religious faith, and some optional things that I would like. As I have gotten to know her, the things we have in common became more prevalent, and I subconsciously began to compare this person with the list I had written.

Two weeks ago I wrote her to be honest about my thoughts in this area, and she wanted to speak with me. We've been getting to know each other more and I've been seeking the counsel and guidance of my parents, mentors and close spiritual friends. I've been doing a lot of praying as well. I still intend to depart the area, Lord willing, in six weeks for Africa. I do not know how we will get to know each other after that, but we are taking caution not to cross the line of being friends, and are happy just for the experience of being friends and praying for each other.

This relationship has been different for me from any other since High School, in that everything has been out in the open, and I believe that we have the approval of God in all that we have done so far. This has resulted in a wonderous new revelation to me: In my prayers in the evening, instead of my thoughts and feelings toward this person becoming a hinderance to my relationship with God, on the contrary they have advanced it! Jesus thinks toward us as a husband toward his wife (Eph 5:25), and it is quite a revelation to me to realize how He thinks of me. It's been a blessing.

I wanted to share one more thought with those who are interested: You are the only you that ever has been, or ever will be. God could not create another you, even if He wanted to. He gave you free will, and the choices you have made and the experience you have had on this earth have shaped you. If you are not in heaven, you will be missed. You are a jewel in God's eyes (Malachi 3:17) and just as a gemstone is unique in the way it reflects the light of our sun, so you are unique in the way that you can reflect God's character and goodness. He has great things for you already planned in the world to come. If you are not there, those plans will have to be cancelled, and God will be sad. Please don't disappoint Him.

The grace and peace of our Lord be with you.

Scott Sterling

Chad Update

2010-01-12T14:12:00.001-05:00

Friends,

I am writing to let you know I am currently in Seattle, Washington to visit family for a few short weeks before potentially finishing flight training and heading to Africa around the second week of February. A lot still needs to happen between now and then but God is mighty and I believe He will keep moving obstacles out of the way as I step forward to face them. I hope and pray that all of you have been well taken care of by the Lord and are in good spirits. I pray for you all whenever I think of you. My purpose in Seattle is to see all of the family members I can, go through years of collected belongings and sort them, and to study for the Commercial Pilot checkride that is coming roughly two weeks after I return to Tennessee. Please pray for these endeavors! And write me an email or call to say how you are doing. My phone number is at the bottom of this email.

I also wanted to share a couple of things I have found comforting this past week. One is a children's book that I think we all can identify with. By the third or fourth page I knew exactly what the author was describing with the "dots" and drew great comfort from the end of the story. The second item is a video that you can watch online called A Father's Love Letter. It is worth watching in my opinion. I hope these are a blessing to you.

Father's Love letter is at: http://www.fathersloveletter.com/video2.html

There is one that is narrated but this is my favorite.

The book is called You are Special by Max Lucado. I have a copy given to me on pdf and I am contacting the owner of the copyright to see if I can distribute it to my friends. As of now the book is $2.00 with free shipping on at least one website I found.

God Bless,

Scott Sterling

425-485-0031 Seattle Home
http://www.missionpilotscott.blogspot.com

Active Summer

2009-11-01T18:00:00.002-05:00

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

2009-05-26T10:19:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-17T12:06:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-11T12:19:00.002-04:00

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

2009-02-03T20:45:00.006-05:00

"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

Trying Time

2008-11-06T09:56:00.002-05:00

Friends,

Pray for my family and I. We are going through a tough time right now, not only financially (this can be a blessing!) but also in relationships. I just ask that the Lord will bless our family with his spirit to guide us into repentance for carelessness toward each other, and return our family to the peace we once had, including a closer walk with Jesus! The financial situation can be a blessing in that we watch closer where our money goes and make decisions based on the Lord and what is necessary, and not just on wants. Also it gets us closer to God by needing Him! Amen!

On the bright side, I believe that soon "the night is far spent, the day is at hand" Rom 13:12 in this experience, "let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light"! Trusting God, I move forward knowing He who "owns the cattle upon a thousand hills" Psa 50:10 provides for every need of ours, (Phil 4:19) and will soon lift the burden of counting pennies to bless us with the abundance He promises in Jer 31:14. Yes, I am dwelling on the promises of God much here and it is the only way to be confident in Him and I pray these help strengthen the reader in their walk with Him.

God Bless and I hope to see you all in the Kingdom!

Scott

Praise the Lord!

2008-10-20T15:36:00.004-04:00

Well here's the details about the trip I mentioned last time. All week I had been helping missionaries perpare their planes (change oil, do inspections, fix various items) for GMI missions in Bolivia. As the Lord would have it, though I applied various places, there was no work to be had that week so to be useful I spent every free hour at the airport preparing these mission planes and talking with the missionaries. Though the stress of no money coming in was in the back of my mind, the outdoor work directly affecting mission work in South America was fulfilling and the best week of work yet!

Upon inquiring if they might need an extra pilot to fly down to Florida, at least, and seeing if they had room, I called my friend Cathy in Pensacola to see if she could help with the details of a visit to Pensacola. She had a room and food, and a car to take me to work every day! To top it off he was planning on driving to Nashville a week and a few days later!

To make a long story short, on the 12th I flew the Cessna 172 along with the others who were flying a Mooney and a Cessna 182, to Florida. They were staying in Miami for the night and I agreed with a pilot to hop off in Swanee County Airport. Another miracle got me to Pensacola, and I've stayed the week here.

On Thursday I was asked if I wanted to give a sermon on Sabbath! The suggestion was that I relate my experiences and how God has provided for me in the last year or so. It was a perfect day on Sabbath and we all got to fellowship afterward. At the end of the service, a friend of mine took up an offering. If you jump back a week, I had prayed that the Lord would supply all my needs, including a whopping $680 (plus tithe) by the end of the month so I can pay my bills and save for flying. By the 18th of the month I had only made $130. The offering was for my support. After tithe my total for the month is close to $600! Amazing! Do you think the Lord will supply the other $80, plus what I've been praying for in addition to that, having more needs come up? I know He will. I hope that you are experiencing the goodness of God and trusting Him more each day. Email me if you want me to pray for you in this endeavor or have any questions.

God Bless,

Scott

Working in Collegedale

2008-10-09T14:08:00.002-04:00

This last week and a half has been interesting. My finances are running extremely low because of not having work for the last week and a half. However, the Lord is good and I trust him completely. Thanks to Dave Ramsey's advice in a seminar my parents enrolled me in, I am saving so much a month for emergencies, so I have a little cushion!

I also may have a chance this Sunday to visit my friends and bretheren in Pensacola. More on that later!

Pray for a few more years of prosperity to get this message of grace out!

God Bless,

Scott

Mission Pilot Video

2008-09-30T12:48:00.002-04:00

I just thought I'd let you all know what I'll be doing in Africa possibly. Here is a link to a video on U-Tube done by the missionary group that I am joining, Gospel Ministries International: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYknTbglgOU . If you'd like more information on their history it is online at http://www.gospelministry.org . The first pilot, Gary is the one I will potentially be joining in Cameroon. The second, Bob I worked with for a short period last year to test out the mission field and see if they can use me!

Enjoy!

God Bless,

Scott

In Collegedale

2008-09-29T12:04:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday!

Well, the Lord was good. I made it here alive and haven't forgotten anything vital at home. I'm missing my headset, but I'll get that sent, borrow one here or buy one if it's lost, seeing I haven't flown for awhile and am not sure that it wasn't stolen a month or so ago with my other pilot gear. That's another story.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the sunny Collegedale weather. My friend John has a men's group here and many of the men in his bible study/ support group are my friends now. I live with one of them, work for one of them and it's a blessing to be surrounded by people interested in furthering their walk with God and overcoming the "sins that so easily beset" them (and I as well).

I was going to buy a car from a friend, for $100 per month, but upon arriving I found that one of my roommates has one to spare, and I can borrow it if I put insurance on it! That will save some money. Also, I love to cook sometimes and my roommates don't seem to mind if I do some of the cooking. You see, they have this interesting idea that we should keep all things in common, like the early Christians. I love this! I'm not sure we're doing it exactly right, but so far we chip in for things like food, soap, etc, and no-one calls any of the food, at least, his own. It's kind of comforting and inspires me to give more thought to what I buy at the store for their sake!

Finally, I am doing tree service. I have worked 3 days out of the last five and we got the job done. It is supposed to be one of the top ten most dangerous jobs you can get. At first I didn't see the danger, because my friend is very skilled and careful. But soon I found that tree limbs, when they fall, can either lie flat, or plant themselves on one end and then fall in an unexpected direction. This, along with some other stories from the boss, have convinced me to be always on my toes and watching for tree branches, even when he's not necessarily in a tree.

I am praying for all of my friends and if you'd like to submit a prayer request, please do! I love you all and hope to see you soon.

God Bless,

Scott

Update 2008

2008-09-18T22:46:00.003-04:00

Hi all,

Here is what has been happening. I've been working at Finale's Desserts for some time. I have my Private Pilot's license (PTL!) I received it in March. I now have a few thousand dollars invested at the flight school I have been training at in Everett, WA. However, after talking with Mr. Gates and considering the length of time I must remain here to finish my Instrument rating at $200 per flying hour, I decided to take his advice! I'm moving back to Collegedale, TN to study at the Collegedale airport (3M3) using the Piper Cherokee available there. I'm anticipating between $50 and $60 per hour, but even $100 per hour will be cheaper! I need to add 50 cross-country hours to my curriculum as I leave the "F.A.R. Part 141" school in Everett. After talking with David I believe this is possible in Collegedale as well.

As for recent news, I have been praying for a job, convenient place to stay, and a mode of transportation while I am there. God has provided all three! And one week out, no less! Anyway I will be staying with a student there and renting a room on the Southern Adventist University campus. I will be working with a man who does tree service, a very dangerous profession, but I will be on the ground! He needs me until the end of December which is perfect! And finally my friend John has a vehicle I can buy with a small down payment.

I will be sad to leave the family I have here and friends. I am enjoying my last week here, and will leave on Tuesday the 23rd. Pray for travelling mercies and that I may be an instrument of God's peace in the small community I will be going to in Collegedale!

Scott

Washington State

2008-02-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

Hello, finally thought I'd update after so much has happened.

I have returned home to visit my parents for the holidays. I have spent Christmas and New Years here, and was preparing to enter a mission pilot school in Spokane, WA that was planning on opening in January this year, but unfortunately those plans were canceled due to international paperwork not being returned from the government in time. Maybe next year. In the meantime, I am inches away from completing my Private Pilot's license. This has been a goal for me since I decided to become a missionary pilot. I will continue studying here to complete the requirements until mid-march. After that I would like to visit some family in Chicago, IL.

A funny thing. I have a new job - delivering sugary pastries! I am a vegan vegetarian and low-sugar, high-fiber in my cooking. How do I then justify the job I have? It pays the student loans and allows me to keep working toward my goal as a mission-pilot. I am working for my Dad's former co-worker and enjoy the upbeat environment and witnessing to the people I meet on the job. It's a tough job to pull with a 4:30am start time and a 12:00pm (give or take) typical finishing time, MWF. Ezekiel was a cup-bearer, meaning he served fermented wine to a king as part of his duties. I can identify.

Anyway, that's what's going on for now. I'll put some pictures on later.

God Bless,

Scott

Mission Aviation study

2007-08-30T16:11:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Here's what's been going on:

Yesterday I went to a seminar with a friend. It was the last night of an archaeological presentation on the Bible lands. They went over the seven churches in Asia mentioned in Revelations chapter 2 &3. It was very informative.

I have learned that God wants us to be servants, not because we expect to gain out of service to Him or others, but out of love for Him and others.

Daniel Adams is another mission pilot friend I have here. He has a website: www.adamsamigos.net
I talked with him quite a bit today about personality types while we changed the oil on David Gates' twin Comanche. He's working on his instrument rating and I am working on my private license, so we can't really work together too much but we get to compare notes and he has helped me study for my private exam.

My friend John has a ministry here for young men struggling with addiction. It is for helping men "cleanse their ways" like it mentions in Psalms 119:9. I have struggled with this addiction as well as I'm sure all males have. It's very strong in today's society. Hopefully we will all be able to keep ourselves accountable and help each other through addictions - sin is an addiction.

I have found that the most important thing for me to concentrate on in these next few months to be a mission pilot is to get an instrument rating, if possible. I do not know how this will happen but if it be God's will, I know I will have a choice to do it. So pray that I will have the courage, faith and hard-working ethic to stay on task and bring forth fruit on this. If I am to be ready by December 31 of this year I will need to fly almost non-stop to get this license. That is, unless I can count my military time. That will be up to the FAA and, possibly, the flight school I went to in Pensacola. I may be contacting them very shortly to get some kind of official statment besides my logbook for transferring that time over. Again, I do not want to be ungrateful for the money that taxpayers spent on me. I was trained for over a year in Pensacola before I applied for Conscientious Objection. I do not know how I can be of service to the nation as a whole, but I plan to be a witness for God whenever and wherever I feel the calling, with the Lord's guidance. If you or anyone you know is thinking of joining the Service and are a Christian, I highly suggest praying extensively about it first, for the reason that once you are in, the decision about whether or not you can kill someone becomes career-dependent. Not only that, but you may not get the chance to apply for Conscientious Objection before you find yourself in that situation. I highly suggest you pray about it and plan what you will do if asked, and share that with your recruiter before signing - it may be the difference between honorable service and disobeying a direct order - even desertion.

God be with you all and write me if you want - scott.a.sterling@gmail.com

Hello!

2007-08-26T10:38:00.000-04:00

This is my new Blog site. I want to update it regularly to provide friends/family and anyone interested in mission aviation/ becoming a missionary pilot with Gospel Ministries Intl. (http://www.gospelministry.org)

I have been here in Collegedale, TN for two-and-a-half months. I arrived on June 8, 2007. My goal is to provide mission aviation to Africa wherever God leads me when I get there in December of 2007.

As of right now, I am in pilot training here in Collegedale, at the Collegedale Airport. I plan on getting my private pilot license, and then, Lord willing, working on my Instrument license while providing house work for free and/or colporteuring here in Chattanooga. I want to get some mechanic training for the mission field, but I don't plan on staying in the U.S. longer than December 31, 2007. If the Lord has plans for me here, I will stay but as of now, this is my target date. The Lord is working here! I have received a large donation for flight training and will continue to use it until I need more or I complete training. If you would like to donate the link is on Gospel Ministries' website. Simply specify for Scott Sterling's pilot training. That's all I'll mention for now. I appreciate those who support us and thank you, and exhort you to join us(!) if you feel called. Or become a missionary in your own community. God works through us all, and you need to play your part! Jesus will return for us soon, and we need to bring everyone who we want to see there!

Contact info: scott.a.sterling@gmail.com

If you have a question please email me and I'll return your email as soon as possible. I use the internet at the weather computer in the airport terminal. So be patient if I don't answer right away!

I hope that God blesses you in your life and, if you have one, your ministry.

See you when Jesus comes!