WHAT DO AIRPLANE MECHANICS DO FOR "AFTER HOURS" FUN?

 



 

Dennis creates tools.

 

 

Rebuilds our piano

 

After years of "sitting idle" with broken elbows (in the piano, not Dennis) and broken bridles (yes, both horses and pianos havebridles), our piano was due for an overhaul.  This picture is the inside working mechanisms of our piano with Dennis replacing all the elbows and leather bridles.  The goal was to have every key in the piano working again.  That goal has now been met and the parts reinstalled in the piano.









 



 

 

Now Dennis is learning to tune the keys.

 

It's been a long winter!

A HAPPY PILOT PICKS UP HIS PLANE

We often feature pictures of airplanes under repair, but thought you might like to see what we see when a pilot picks up his airplane. This Cessna 206 went through 3 years of repair and restoration. It was especially "outfitted" for the conditions that will be encountered as it serves missionaries and nationals in Honduras. When George (the pilot) picked up his airplane a few weeks ago he was so excited to see what had once been a worn out airplane now in "like new" condition. Why would he fly from Honduras to Coshocton, OH to have the work done on this airplane? MMS does not charge Christian ministries for our labor, saving almost $100,000 on this project alone (while training airplane mechanics for future overseas mission assignments).

Final "lift off" as the Cessna 206 begins it's journey back to Honduras.

Little Scottish Gal Gets First Horse Ride

Heather & Andy - this Blog is for you.

Today we met Andy, Heather, Matthew & Abigail. Three year old Abigail ran up to me and announced "I'm going to ride your horse". It seems this was her "childhood dream" (to ride a horse). Little girls and horses just seem to go together. Andy and Heather are here from Scotland for an evaluation to see if the MMS training program is a fit for them. They have already been approved for service with MAF-Intl. Now it is time for Andy to get the mechanical experience and licenses he will need to maintain airplanes on the mission field. After dinner, it was time to make Abigail's wish come true (even Heather and I took a horse ride). Not every little girl has to travel from Scotland to America to ride a horse, but we're glad this one did. It's fun to share with others the horses God has provided. And, it was a beautiful evening to be outside.

IF APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS, WHAT DO SNOW DAYS BRING?

TIME to spend the day at home with a book and 2 faithful friends (Mary just finishing page 206 of the "2010 Church and Nonprofit Tax & Financial Guide"). Two phrases on the front cover caught my attention immediately "Latest Tax Law Changes" and "Easy to Understand". Who do they think they are kidding? At least it was confirmation that I am "on the right track" at MMS and we are in compliance with government regulations for charitable organizations. Now time to head outside and carry a 50 pound bale of hay, uphill in 12 inches of the remaining snow, and feed the horses. Hey, this is something I can tell my grandkids! Nothing like country living :-)

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. Dennis and MMS's newest apprentice, Paul, doing some troubleshooting on a Cessna 337. Some airplanes have one engine in the front of the plane, some have two or more engines on the wings of the plane, but the 337 has an engine in the front of the plane and an engine in the back of the plane (I believe I have heard the term "Push/Pull" regarding that plane). This plane is here for an annual inspection, repairs and two engine overhauls. It is used in missionary work in Canada.

RESEARCH. The day is not over until the parts are ordered for the next few days. There are a lot of parts suppliers out there. These are the moments when 23 years of experience ordering parts, repairing airplanes, and building relationships comes in handy.

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE . . .

What a day this has been. The snow is up to Dennis' knees and the beauty of creation surrounds us. So far we even still have electricity out here in the country. I've gotten my 2010 taxes done. While I figured taxes, Dennis shoveled paths (hard to tell who got the "best deal") and spent time taking pictures. Now we're just enjoying the evening and getting in a little "reading time".

Time to enjoy the sunshine.

A new play opportunity for "the girls".

OUR LITTLE MIRACLE BABY

For months it looked like Rachel was going to lose this baby. After months of appointments, bedrest, an ambulance ride to the hospital, then a ride by helicopter, Cayde made his appearance 6 weeks early. Even though he was only 4 lb 11 oz, his lungs were well developed and he only had a 6 day stay in NICU before going home to be with his family. This photo is 2 months later (weighing in at over 12 pounds). We are certainly praising God for His care over Rachel and Cayde.

MMS books are done, Dennis is making labels for the Repair Station Parts, progress is being made in the hangar on airplane repairs, and the sun is shining so I am heading out to enjoy this beautiful day. Time to walk the trail at the park, then head home to ride horses.

AHHHHH, VACATION AT LAST

Day 1 of vacation and only 2 calls to/from MMS for Mary and 1 for Dennis. That's pretty good for us - so far, vacation is a success :-) After lunch out at Chicago Pizza (where Seniors get their drinks free with the buffet on Mondays), it was time to head to Zanesville for a little tool shopping errand (the one type of shopping Dennis actually enjoys). Lowes, Home Depot, WalMart here we come!Okay, let's try this thing out! Well, it was fun (?) while it lasted, but back to WalMart to return the paint spray gun (which did not work as well as Plan A's old paint gun try). Time to put Plan C into action. At least, I'm counting on Dennis having a Plan C (and I hope it's not for me to paint the fence by myself again with an old fashioned paint brush).

What do "accountant types" do on vacation? While Dennis is trying to make at least a little progress on painting the fence, I thought I'd organize some of our own paperwork, work on our blog, and a quick link to Facebook. It's pretty slow going with dial up internet connection. After several frustrating attempts to upload photos, I think I'm about ready to head to the barn, clean some stalls, and see if I can find a horse to ride. After all, I am on vacation :-)

These two REALLY know how to enjoy a vacation!

GOING BY AIR

Yesterday, it was "brought home" to me once again what a valuable tool the airplane can be. A 3 day trip was reduced to 1 day. 2 days of travel were reduced to 4 hours of travel. No overnight lodging was required, no gas stops, and only 1 meal. And - that's here in the United States.




Williams Cheng (Gospel Carrier Intl) graciously agreed to fly Dennis, Tim and I (in a Cessna 310 that MMS maintains for his ministry) to JAARS (support arm of Wycliffe Bible Translators) for a conference with JAARS' Chief Inspector regarding FAA Repair Station work orders and JAARS' procedures.

After a short meeting with Ken (JAARS' Chief Inspector), we went to the Parts Department to talk with the bookkeeping and receiving departments to see how their system was linked (we even got in a little "grandparent/Facebooking" conversation time). After lunch, the afternoon was spent going over Standard Operating Procedure Manuals and Repair Station work orders.

As we were leaving, Jim told me that when he became a JAARS member in 1969 there were only a few translations (it was approx 10) of the Bible in the area Wycliffe served. Now there are over 700 translations, allowing those "people groups" to hear God's Word in their "heart" language. Many people in places that could not be reached without the use of the airplane.

It was good to take a day "out of the office" to see God at work in so many ways.

MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

July is hay making season for us. Thanks to the generosity of the friend who gives us his field and another who lends us the equipment, we are able to continue using horses for a ministry to others (something I thought I would have to give up when we went into missions over 20 years ago). After watching the weather forecast, co-ordinating schedules, and arranging vacation leave, we were ready to begin cutting hay Monday morning. As you can see, it was a beautiful, sunny, low humidity day, with a slight breeze to dry hay.

Two neighbors volunteered their help. Two friends serving here with us at MMS came to help, one brought his son for the experience (see photo of Noah transferring hay from bailer to wagon). Noah was a reminder of the days our own son has baled hay with us.

Once again, the hay has been provided for another year of ministry with the horses God has given us.

A BUSY FEW MONTHS

I knew I hadn't "blogged" for a long time, but 2 months is quite "a stretch". The month of May found us putting over 3,000 miles on our Subaru as we traveled at least every weekend, as well as mid-week on some occasions. It was a wonderful time of visiting family and support team, celebrating birthdays, etc.
One of our favorite times in June is when Adam and Melissa take their youth group to S Carolina for evangelism and discipleship training. Levi, Ethan and Anna spend that week at our house. We always have lots of fun. Here is Ethan taking his first ride on our 2 year old Haflinger, Spirit.

We took a week of vacation and spent time at Rolling Ridge Animal Park, Heini's Cheese Factory (took a tour - everyone especially enjoyed the many free samples - did you know they make chocolate fudge cheese :-), swimming, biking in the local park, McDonalds and Wendy's, and making Father's Day Gifts in the garage with Dennis (I admit I was a little nervous when I saw the table saw in operation, but was thankful for goggles and hands on protection from grandpa), and Logan, Ohio's Washboard Festival.

Our first week back from vacation, Richard and Ashley Whittemore came to MMS for their missionary candidate evaluation. Missionaries with SCORE, Richard and Ashley were accepted for apprenticeship with MMS once their support is raised. There are now 5 families raising support to begin training. We had fun getting to know Richard and Ashley when we hosted them at our house for dinner Thursday night. Our Haflinger, Brenda, was a big "hit" as Ashley spent some fun time horseback riding.

As much fun as it is to meet the new families, part of MMS is saying goodbye to those you have come to love and serve with for the past few years. David Mozombite and Gertjan Kamphorst have just passed their FAA exams and now have their A & P licenses (Airframe & Powerplant). This means they are "moving on" to other ministries to fly and/or repair airplanes for those ministries. This was a celebration dinner hosted by Gertjan & Glenda. A new experience for us, grilling your meal while you visited.

EVALUATION WEEK

This has been a busy week - payroll, dentist appointments, doctor appointments, and today a hospital appointment for a bone density scan (and it's only Wednesday). I am having a hard time staying focused - and next week I will be in an MMS audit (lots of files to get ready this week for the auditor). A bright spot this week is the family who has come from Colorado with their dream of being a missionary pilot/mechanic family. They feel MMS would be a good "fit" for their training and have come for an evaluation. Last night was our night to "host" them for dinner and we had a wonderful time getting to know them. Today, Jeremiah finishes his "in hangar" evaluation. Tomorrow, they will learn whether they have been accepted into the MMS apprenticeship program.

Asher enjoying his trip to see Spirit.

Evals are good for us also. It is a reminder of the hopes and dreams we brought with us 23 years ago when we first "checked out" MMS for our missionary training experience. God is good! For us, MMS is still a "fit" and a place to serve.

WITH AGE COMES EXPERIENCE

What do I do on a cold, rainy day off in Coshocton when the internet is "down" at home and the dogs are tracking in so much mud it's pointless to clean the house? I go to MMS.

Mary and Paul reviewing his 2008 tax records for tomorrow's tax deadline.

Dennis helping Chuck with the paperwork that comes with engine repair.

Though it seems only yesterday we were the new apprentices, in reality that was over 22 years ago. Now, we are the "old timers" (I know it's hard to believe), and can serve others through the experience we've gained over the years. Almost, makes getting older worth it.

TRAINING THE TRAINER

To be a good trainer, you must be trainable. At MMS, it seems we are always in the process of some type of "development". People skills are refined, spiritual attitudes are addressed, and this week was a time of instruction for our staff and apprentices in methods of learning and teaching. The same is true in the world of horse training. Last Friday I attended Equine Affaire in Columbus, OH to learn new training skills. Now it was time use what I learned.

Okay, Cherokee, here's how it's done.

That's not a "yield". Talk about your "stiff-necked" students!

Now we are making progress. Nice flexible "yield".

Whoops. I guess there is still a little belligerence left in this student.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May I learn to joyfully "yield" to the lessons He has to teach me.

1941 TAYLORCRAFT GETS NEW GASKET

This is a very unusual photo of Dennis. He likes to get his hands dirty. He likes to work on engines. Here he is trying to keep his hands off the engine while instructing 2 LeTourneau students who are replacing a blown cylinder head gasket. It's been fun for everyone this week sharing the "beauty" of the MMS program (an apprenticeship program with a "hands on" approach, while working on "live" aircraft). The airplane they are working on is a 1941 Taylorcraft that was donated to MMS several years ago. This allows our pilots to get more hours of "tail dragger" experience, as well as more hours of less expensive flight time, preparing them for future service with other missionary organizations. Now that I've given you just a little glimpse of Dennis' day, I'm heading out to do errands.

LETOURNEAU INTERNS AT MMS

It's Spring (or it will be in 2 days) and for universities that means Spring Break and Intern Programs. For the past several years, MMS has hosted college students from LeTourneau University in TX. They travel to Ohio, then spend a week with us at MMS and, under the supervision of MMS staff, work on whatever current projects are available. This gives them an opportunity to use their airplane maintenance skills in actual shop conditions. Sometimes, this confirms a "call" to mission service. Later, MMS can provide a 2 years "hands on" additional work experience for mechanics that are "fresh" out of school, with little or no maintenance experience. This makes them eligible to apply with various mission organizations that use airplanes to enable the spreading of the gospel, often in remote parts of the world.

PEOPLE AND PLANES

Bat-Enkh, missionary from Mongolia

In 2004, Bat was sent to the United States (and MMS Aviation) to study, gain more experience on the hangar floor, and take the US Airframe & Powerplant exams. Bat completed that course and returned to Mongolia. Now, he has returned to MMS for another month of preparation and , when the preparation is complete, will take his Authorized Inspector's exams. He will then return to Mongolia as a missionary who can return mission aircraft to service.

Paint job now complete

Time to install engine for Moody Aviation's airplane

COMPANY IS COMING

Tomorrow night company is coming for dinner and it's time to get the house back in order. After a day at MMS, working with Dana to prepare February's financial reports, close the accounting month and begin paying March's invoices, it was time to make a quick stop at WalMart, then heat up leftovers for supper, order my prescription, bake a few pies, toss a salad and do the dishes. That was about all I "had in me" for today. Dennis and his two companions "stepped up to the plate" for the final kitchen preparations. It'll be fun to meet Mark, Jenny and Abigail. They are here from England for a one week evaluation and some time on the hangar floor to see if MMS is a "good fit" for their future training in aircraft maintenance and a career in mission aviation. Rounding out the table, will be our two single apprentices, Paul (from Ohio) and Andy (also from England and here as a part of MAF-UK's partnership with MMS Aviation). Another opportunity to see what English is really supposed to sound like.

THINK SPRING

Perhaps I'm rushing the season a little bit, but today's warm temperatures (and even the little bit of rain showers) sure felt good after a day in the office. Took my tennis shoes to work and headed to the local walking path for some fresh air and exercise. Then, came home and spent some time with the horses. Meetings in the morning, aircraft project statements, correspondence, and end of month projects in the afternoon. I love what I do, but sometimes I just need to be outside - instead of just looking outside.

BOY SCOUT CEREMONY

This weekend we went to Athens, visited our home church (always great to see old friends we grew up with), then went to our grandson's Boy Scout Blue and Gold Awards Banquet. Saturday night was spent with Mary's mom, Sunday with Rachel's family.

Tanner & Doug spent Saturday making this soccer ball cake.

A "shy" Tanner with some of the awards he received.


Sister Leah trying to be patient.

Today, it's back to business as usual. Except - I am training Dana in payroll accounting. It seems there were a lot of "exceptions to the rule" today (isn't that how it always is when you are training someone), and a lot to learn but Dana is working hard and doing a good job. I'm glad for her willingness to provide a "back up" for my job.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY, ANYWAY

I thought I'd be much too sore to even get out of bed today, much less spend the day at MMS doing accounting. But, I made it. The last few days have been eventful. The windstorm that went through Coshocton Wednesday night kept Dennis up all night (watching for storm damage at our house), shut off our electricity until 3:00 Thursday afternoon, then kept Dennis busy all day Thursday removing trees from the horse pasture fence and repairing fencing and gates. Just as he finished that task, we received a phone call from a friend who stores the rest of our horses' hay in her barn. The storm had destroyed a transformer at her house, taken part of the roof off the barn, blew the sliding doors and one side off the barn. Since our hay was in that section, we needed to quickly move about 500 bales of hay.

In the process of moving part of the hay to our smaller barn, the truck (pulling a wagonload of hay) made it part of the way through the gate then refused to move. It was stuck in the mud. After much discussion, winching, pushing, putting out wood shavings (for better traction), prayer, offloading hay from the wagon (that we had just loaded onto the wagon 15 minutes before) to the truck, progress was made and the first truckload of hay was put up in our barn. Now it was time to get serious and go pick up the tractor. In all, 3 trailer loads of hay were loaded. The rest of the hay was moved to the other side of the barn for storage. As I was picking up the trash that had been blown around, the wind blew open the well-soaked item in my hand. You can imagine my surprise as I looked down to discover I was holding a hymnal, opened to the hymn "To God Be The Glory". I had to smile. Even in the midst of all that had happened, everyone was safe, 7 helpers showed up to help move the hay and we finished before nightfall.

Yes, I thought, "to God be the glory."